Went on an 18 day vacation. Goal included sites in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California. Because of numerous problems I missed Nevada and California, but had a very good time anyway. On the down side, I had just bought this newer motorhome (1997 with 42000 miles) with all new brakes, tires, transmission flush, engine maintenance updates (except for tune up, but was running fine here in Michigan). So all loaded up to go and here is what happened:
2nd day, rains all day and discover two leaks, one over bathroom and one over windshield. Cruise control dies. Park for lunch, fire up engine and can’t get lever out of park (tied to cruise control) so had to start in neutral. New alternator belt starts squealing again (did once at home) so I tightened it again.
3rd day, see antifreeze dripping out below radiator in morning. Does this every day only when cold, then runs fine rest of time.
4th day, engine ran great all the way to Denver then cra-ps out. Pull off freeway and will hardly run. Down two days in Golden Colorado for a fuel pump (was dropping to 24 psi, should be mid to upper 30s) and other repairs (turns out the speed control also took out the brake lights). Bills total $1470 (three shops, including $170 for guy to do 1.5 hr round trip to Fort Collins for a wiring connector to the updated fuel pump) and a crummy $47 campground Thursday night and a $100 Holliday Inn Friday night while getting repairs. Took half a day and couple dozen phone calls to find a shop to do it without waiting until the next week. Dropping a 75 gallon tank is not favored by most shops.
Also found the exhaust manifold falling off (had recently had the broken stud repaired) and had to tighten the bolts a couple times a day for the next several days. Stayed for a long time after that, but seems to still leak.
6th day, drive to Grand Junction (western CO). Runs pretty good but something seems not quite right.
7th through 15th day (all through southern Utah and northern Arizona), ran progressively worse through this period. Trying to figure if transmission shudder, or engine misfire. Turns out to be misfire. Got so bad had to get repairs on 16th day as I could not use overdrive and had to scream along at 3000 rpm in third gear going 55 mph. As I was figuring, it was plugs and wires and I would have done it, but as it was inconvenient on a trip, I ended up at a Ford garage in a small town. Had I known the result I would have done it myself. The mechanic took his sweet time, then when almost done, went to lunch for 75 minutes. Then billed me three hours. Used NAPA parts and said they are better than Motorcraft, but service manager said they used NAPA because they did not have the parts in stock. Total cost for a simple “tune up”? $450!!!!!!!!! I was livid. What can you do. Then, I found out later, he didn’t even to the job that well (i.e., poor routing of the wires). At least it ran great after that or I never would have gotten home on time.
Also on 15th day the drinking water filter housing cracked and started leaking into the canned goods below the sink. I pulling that out and plugging the line while the Ford garage was ripping me off.
Somewhere in this period I heard a banging sound and found a big metal shield in front of the gas tank ready to fall off (mechanics forgot to tighten down) so had to tighten it up.
13th day, caught a stone from someone’s tire coming into Durango Co and made a nasty windshield chip. (Now two chips, one previously filled, and leak at top of windshield.)
16th day, alternator belt starts squealing again.
18th day, leak over shower, which I had sealed earlier, started leaking again, but worse. Never did seal the windshield leak. Sunday I found a second crack in the shower sun roof.
But with 6 brand new Michelin tires we at least I did not have a blowout!
Next trip will be California.
2nd day, rains all day and discover two leaks, one over bathroom and one over windshield. Cruise control dies. Park for lunch, fire up engine and can’t get lever out of park (tied to cruise control) so had to start in neutral. New alternator belt starts squealing again (did once at home) so I tightened it again.
3rd day, see antifreeze dripping out below radiator in morning. Does this every day only when cold, then runs fine rest of time.
4th day, engine ran great all the way to Denver then cra-ps out. Pull off freeway and will hardly run. Down two days in Golden Colorado for a fuel pump (was dropping to 24 psi, should be mid to upper 30s) and other repairs (turns out the speed control also took out the brake lights). Bills total $1470 (three shops, including $170 for guy to do 1.5 hr round trip to Fort Collins for a wiring connector to the updated fuel pump) and a crummy $47 campground Thursday night and a $100 Holliday Inn Friday night while getting repairs. Took half a day and couple dozen phone calls to find a shop to do it without waiting until the next week. Dropping a 75 gallon tank is not favored by most shops.
Also found the exhaust manifold falling off (had recently had the broken stud repaired) and had to tighten the bolts a couple times a day for the next several days. Stayed for a long time after that, but seems to still leak.
6th day, drive to Grand Junction (western CO). Runs pretty good but something seems not quite right.
7th through 15th day (all through southern Utah and northern Arizona), ran progressively worse through this period. Trying to figure if transmission shudder, or engine misfire. Turns out to be misfire. Got so bad had to get repairs on 16th day as I could not use overdrive and had to scream along at 3000 rpm in third gear going 55 mph. As I was figuring, it was plugs and wires and I would have done it, but as it was inconvenient on a trip, I ended up at a Ford garage in a small town. Had I known the result I would have done it myself. The mechanic took his sweet time, then when almost done, went to lunch for 75 minutes. Then billed me three hours. Used NAPA parts and said they are better than Motorcraft, but service manager said they used NAPA because they did not have the parts in stock. Total cost for a simple “tune up”? $450!!!!!!!!! I was livid. What can you do. Then, I found out later, he didn’t even to the job that well (i.e., poor routing of the wires). At least it ran great after that or I never would have gotten home on time.
Also on 15th day the drinking water filter housing cracked and started leaking into the canned goods below the sink. I pulling that out and plugging the line while the Ford garage was ripping me off.
Somewhere in this period I heard a banging sound and found a big metal shield in front of the gas tank ready to fall off (mechanics forgot to tighten down) so had to tighten it up.
13th day, caught a stone from someone’s tire coming into Durango Co and made a nasty windshield chip. (Now two chips, one previously filled, and leak at top of windshield.)
16th day, alternator belt starts squealing again.
18th day, leak over shower, which I had sealed earlier, started leaking again, but worse. Never did seal the windshield leak. Sunday I found a second crack in the shower sun roof.
But with 6 brand new Michelin tires we at least I did not have a blowout!
Next trip will be California.
I guess it's like everything else on wheels...the more ________ you have in them, the more there is to break down. Nice motor home, but just for kicks I jumped up into the bunk bed over the cockpit and immediately became claustrophobic...who could sleep up there !?!?