1st time in 17 years

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Ned

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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.
 
If you are goingto break down, Springfield, Mo. is about as good a place as any. 8)  Glad you are outta here, though. :)
 
Sorry about the problem, but kudos to Coach-Net and the providers. Don't you wish you had coverage under your insurance company  ;D
 
I misspelled Fabick too :(  Fixed the original message.  I didn't even consider my insurance company :)
 
Ned


Glad it was simple and you are running. Now hope it is another 17 years.


See you next week.
 
Glad the problem was both fast and relatively inexpensive!  Those batteries gave more than 100%.  Hope the remainder of your trip goes well.  Your story reminds me of how important it is for the driver to always check gauges when starting up.

ArdraF
 
Big gulp, sigh...... and so happy you told they guy what you thought it was and  they were able to accommodate  you on the spot!  Glad you are back on the road!
 
Thanks all, it was an interesting, but long, day.  So far in the past 8 year, new tires, new transfer switch, new chassis batteries, engine and chassis service last month, what could go wrong? :D
 
Molaker said:
If you are goingto break down, Springfield, Mo. is about as good a place as any. 8)  Glad you are outta here, though. :)

We really didn't want to spend a week there :)
 
Yeah, I learned to not run batteries until they decided to check out. They really quit at the most inopportune times.
 
I worked in Springfield on a couple of 3-5 months assignments back in my wandering consulting days. It's certainly a nice enough town, but not a place I would chose to vacation.
Coachnet certainly came through for me when we lost all hydraulic fluid just of Indio, CA and then again outside Chicken, AK. The second time was because of a bad repair the first time.

ken

 
Ned said:
I misspelled Fabick too :(  Fixed the original message.  I didn't even consider my insurance company :)

Glad you got to enjoy the hospitality of Springfield, Mo Ned.  We live in a southern suburb of the city, Ozark but are currently in Branson for a little trip in the MH.  My wife always laughs when we pass Fabick as the first time by she misread  it as Fabric and asked me to stop so she could shop.  The truck parking you mentioned east of Springfield must have been one of the two truck stops in Strafford which is also the home of a Camping World store - not that they could have helped with your problem.  Happy to see you got the problem solved and back on your way. 
 
Bill N said:
Glad you got to enjoy the hospitality of Springfield, Mo Ned.  We live in a southern suburb of the city, Ozark but are currently in Branson for a little trip in the MH.  My wife always laughs when we pass Fabick as the first time by she misread  it as Fabric and asked me to stop so she could shop.  The truck parking you mentioned east of Springfield must have been one of the two truck stops in Strafford which is also the home of a Camping World store - not that they could have helped with your problem.  Happy to see you got the problem solved and back on your way.
Bill, are you familiar with 'K' dock marina on Bull Shoals?  If so, I can just about spit there from home across the lake.  Yet, we are about 35 miles by road.
 
"The chassis batteries, installed in Dec, 2005, were toast" (not an exact quote)

You were warned after all.. I mean I posted that I have just replaced both my house and chassis batteries..  My coach is a 2005 (may not Dec) The chassis battery was Aug-2004 per my contact at Workhorse, the house likely Apr/May 2005,,, All replaced within the last quarter with brand new DEKAs.. A bit more battery than I originally had.

Chassis battery was fully charged when I set it on the counter but only half the cranking amps appeared on the tester.
 
The only Springfield hospitality we enjoyed was the Cracker Barrel and Fabick Cat's parking lot :)  The truck parking was across the highway from Camping World.  Going there never even entered our minds.
 
Molaker said:
Bill, are you familiar with 'K' dock marina on Bull Shoals?  If so, I can just about spit there from home across the lake.  Yet, we are about 35 miles by road.

Not familiar with K dock but I can believe the 35 miles.  We lived in Mountain Home, Ar for 5 years and love the whole area but have just begun to camp in the area.
 
Ned said:
The only Springfield hospitality we enjoyed was the Cracker Barrel and Fabick Cat's parking lot :)  The truck parking was across the highway from Camping World.  Going there never even entered our minds.

Ned, if you came into Springfield from the west on I-44 you probably also passed Colaw RV Salvage just east of Joplin.  Hard to miss it on the highway.  Wish Cracker Barrel would build another on the south end - highway to Branson.
 
Bill N said:
Ned, if you came into Springfield from the west on I-44 you probably also passed Colaw RV Salvage just east of Joplin.  Hard to miss it on the highway.  Wish Cracker Barrel would build another on the south end - highway to Branson.
You do know there is a Cracker Barrel in Branson, don't you?
 

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