duckofdeath
New member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2018
- Posts
- 1
I just inherited a 2000 Fleetwood Bounder 34D with a Ford F550 chassis with V10 engine, that has been sitting on concrete in a campground for 10+ years. I have installed a new fuel pump and it started and we rejoiced. It needed all 6 tires and a local company came in & installed the front two and drove it back to the shop to install the other 4 and to check out the engine. This is not a company that we are familiar with but we had to read reviews and get some feedback from the locals because the rig is 4 hours away from us. We just want to get it road worthy so that we can bring it home and get our local guy to check it out. Here is the issue. We were told Friday that it was ready to be picked up, running great and the new tires installed and balanced. The bill was $4500. They changed fluids, belts and vacuum lines, also checking out the brakes, lines wiring. They wanted to install a new battery ($340) and a tune up ($350), which we told them that we would take care of ourselves. They also said that it would need brakes in the near future. There is 6000 miles on it. They raved about the shape of the rig and what great shape it was in, how great it was running, etc.
Last evening we made the trip over, with the plan of bringing her home. We got up at 4 am to get on the road in hopes of beating the traffic. We arrived at the lot to find it unlocked. Not real happy about that but got in, started it up and prepared to journey. Our journey lasted a little over 2 miles. At 40, it started shaking really bad and I couldn't tell if it was the front or the back. It just stopped running and the battery was dead. Fortunately, we were able to pull into a mobile home park that had a gravel area to the side at the front and get it off the road. Nothing opened until 8, so we ran in and got a battery first thing, installed it and it started right up. As soon as I put my foot on the brake, it would stop running. The trailer brake assist pump (?) was coming on with the key on and staying on. Is this normal? Not sure what is going on but should sure use some of your collective wisdom. We were able to limp it back to the shop lot, without using the brake, where it died and would not restart.
We just feel really uneasy and at the mercy of this garage. There is no way that they could have driven and not get that vibration for one thing, and how could they say it was running great again, without driving it? Please share any thoughts or advice that you may have. They will not discover it until Tuesday, when the shop reopens, though we did call and leave a message, explaining that we were stranded and what had happened.
We're tired and disappointed and a whole lot lighter in the pockets for sure. We appreciate your feedback.
Last evening we made the trip over, with the plan of bringing her home. We got up at 4 am to get on the road in hopes of beating the traffic. We arrived at the lot to find it unlocked. Not real happy about that but got in, started it up and prepared to journey. Our journey lasted a little over 2 miles. At 40, it started shaking really bad and I couldn't tell if it was the front or the back. It just stopped running and the battery was dead. Fortunately, we were able to pull into a mobile home park that had a gravel area to the side at the front and get it off the road. Nothing opened until 8, so we ran in and got a battery first thing, installed it and it started right up. As soon as I put my foot on the brake, it would stop running. The trailer brake assist pump (?) was coming on with the key on and staying on. Is this normal? Not sure what is going on but should sure use some of your collective wisdom. We were able to limp it back to the shop lot, without using the brake, where it died and would not restart.
We just feel really uneasy and at the mercy of this garage. There is no way that they could have driven and not get that vibration for one thing, and how could they say it was running great again, without driving it? Please share any thoughts or advice that you may have. They will not discover it until Tuesday, when the shop reopens, though we did call and leave a message, explaining that we were stranded and what had happened.
We're tired and disappointed and a whole lot lighter in the pockets for sure. We appreciate your feedback.
