Our motorhome was towed today for the first time since we first bought it. When it was new it was towed from QZ to Phoenix for a leaking transmission line but that was in 1997. We stopped for breakfast this morning at the Springfield, MO, Cracker Barrel and when we left, Lorna noticed that the speedometer and odometer were not working. This had happened a couple times in the past and would correct itself after a shutdown. So we pulled into a truck parking lot about 10 miles east of Springfield, shut down for a few minutes and the engine wouldn't turn over, and the dash lights were all out or very dim. I did some checking and determined that there was voltage to the aux start solenoid and the disconnect switch in the battery compartment. Using the aux start would turn the engine over but it wouldn't fire.
Time to call CoachNet. They were having a large volume of calls this morning but was told a tech would call me back. After about an hour, maybe less, he did. He determined that we needed to be towed to a service facility. After about another hour, or less, we got a call at 1300 saying the tow would be there within 90 minutes and we were to be towed to Fabick Cat in Springfield. 30 minutes later the tow truck from Affordable Towing (neat name) arrived. It took about an hour to prepare the motorhome for towing by disconnecting the drive shaft, affixing the light bar, and aligning the stinger. Then we were off back to Springfield. While the tow operator got us parked, I went to the service office. The service supervisor said they were booked up until next Wednesday and they were closed for the weekend. I said I thought it was something simple and electric so he sent a tech out to take a quick look. He hooked up his computer and it couldn't see the ECU until we pressed the aux start switch. A load test of the chassis batteries showed they were both toast. They were installed in 12/2005 so really didn't owe us anything. Since it was shift change, the service supervisor assigned another tech to install the batteries and check the alternator in the event that it had cooked the batteries.
With the new batteries installed, the engine turned over but wouldn't start. The computer couldn't find the ECU. Checking the numerous wires to the batteries, there was one broken crimp at the negative terminal. A new ring terminal fixed that and the engine fired right up. 13.8V at the batteries told us the alternator was fine. Whew!
So, after about 6 hours and $573 later, we were on the road to our next stop, Cuba, MO. Of course, the tow was sign and go, compliments of CoachNet, and they got us in to Fabick Cat today where if we had called, we would have been told it would be next week before they could work on it and we might still be looking for service, spending the night in the truck parking on I-44. Kudos to the service supervisor, Joe, and the techs at Fabick for taking good care of us and getting us on the road today. If we had to wait over the weekend, it would have completely ruined our planned week in MN and delayed our arrival in Milwaukee.
Time to call CoachNet. They were having a large volume of calls this morning but was told a tech would call me back. After about an hour, maybe less, he did. He determined that we needed to be towed to a service facility. After about another hour, or less, we got a call at 1300 saying the tow would be there within 90 minutes and we were to be towed to Fabick Cat in Springfield. 30 minutes later the tow truck from Affordable Towing (neat name) arrived. It took about an hour to prepare the motorhome for towing by disconnecting the drive shaft, affixing the light bar, and aligning the stinger. Then we were off back to Springfield. While the tow operator got us parked, I went to the service office. The service supervisor said they were booked up until next Wednesday and they were closed for the weekend. I said I thought it was something simple and electric so he sent a tech out to take a quick look. He hooked up his computer and it couldn't see the ECU until we pressed the aux start switch. A load test of the chassis batteries showed they were both toast. They were installed in 12/2005 so really didn't owe us anything. Since it was shift change, the service supervisor assigned another tech to install the batteries and check the alternator in the event that it had cooked the batteries.
With the new batteries installed, the engine turned over but wouldn't start. The computer couldn't find the ECU. Checking the numerous wires to the batteries, there was one broken crimp at the negative terminal. A new ring terminal fixed that and the engine fired right up. 13.8V at the batteries told us the alternator was fine. Whew!
So, after about 6 hours and $573 later, we were on the road to our next stop, Cuba, MO. Of course, the tow was sign and go, compliments of CoachNet, and they got us in to Fabick Cat today where if we had called, we would have been told it would be next week before they could work on it and we might still be looking for service, spending the night in the truck parking on I-44. Kudos to the service supervisor, Joe, and the techs at Fabick for taking good care of us and getting us on the road today. If we had to wait over the weekend, it would have completely ruined our planned week in MN and delayed our arrival in Milwaukee.