Jackson MS - seeking help :( disaster of a vacation. glad to be back home.

[ChiefM]

Sorry to hear of your problems, I had a few on my first trip out. But the time behind the wheel going down the highway was outstanding and more than fun than I could have imagined. I have 27 Ft so not as big as yours. I hate to see you give it up, like others have said maybe a smaller rig would suit you better.

I am a mechanic so I can do 99% of the repairs myself. It is real hard to find an honest mechanic or anyone in the repair business nowadays, everyone is out for the quick buck. 9,600 hundred dollars seems real high to me, front door or not. I have to agree that you experienced about 10 trips worth of misfortune on a single journey! Good luck no matter what you decide.

 

[scottydl]

they took a couple hours, but I don't know how much time they were actually looking at the RV and how much was doing their other work. They charged the battery, put a different battery on. don't know about a compression test. They emptied the oil, and showed me that there was just a quart in there, said there was metal in it. I didn't watch them take it out though. I had just put in half a quart. It was confusing because first they said they thought they could turn the engine, and then they said they couldn't. then said they could put a new engine in it, and then said someone else would have to because they didn't have time, and it's extra hard without the front door. It's a gas engine. my head is still spinning...

I'll "second" the second opinion.  Regardless of the amount of clock time they spent on the RV, find your invoice to find out the "shop time" (billed hours of labor) and what they actually did during the diagnostics.  Or have you not paid yet, basically with them waiting until you decide if you want them to put in a new engine?  If that's the case, call and ask them exactly what they have done & tested so far.  Ask for it in writing if needed, because you are looking into an insurance claim (not completely false, even though your standard insurance will not generally cover mechanic failures).

Calling the engine a complete failure may be a HUGE unnecessary jump.  You need more details.  It's like spraining your ankle, and having a doctor tell you that you need a new prosthetic leg!  Sure it will fix the ankle problem...

You need more information from a qualified mechanic before making any repair/replace/sell/auction decisions are made.

 

[Frizlefrak]

Wish you were closer.....me and the group of local greybeards could find a running big block gas engine in the junkyard for under $500, and have it in and running in a couple of weekends.  It would cost you pizza and beer, but hey, life is full of compromises.  If it's a Chevy motor, we have a couple of built 454's already sitting on stands doing nothing.  I'm sure we could be talked out of one.  If it's a Ford 460, plenty of junked F250's sitting in the boneyards here.

Maybe somebody in your area would be willing to help out.  Ten grand for an engine install is highway robbery.

 

[earthangel]

Wish you were closer.....me and the group of local greybeards... It would cost you pizza and beer, but hey, life is full of compromises.  Ten grand for an engine install is highway robbery.

Depending on how much beer y'all drink... I could come out ahead having the tow yard tow it to you... that's crazy being how much towing costs and how far west in Texas El Paso is... It is / was a Chevy 454...

I haven't paid them anything yet. I'm hoping they get enough money from geico for the towing, and are happy with that... the people who did the diagnostics won't put in a new engine because there's no front door to help get the engine out. A guy who will change the engine won't do diagnostics... I'm feeling kind of stuck. They haven't charged me for storing it there yet... but they want to get it moved... and suggested the auction on Tuesday... hmmmm running out of time...
[br] yes, I am definitely working on another opinion.

 

[Charlie 5320]

If it was run without oil, and there was metal in what oil that was removed, it most likely has spun main and rod bearings. To rebuild that engine would be rather expensive. Crank is probably junk, and the block would have to be line bored, then honed. Machine work and an overhaul kit, with labor just for the engine would run around $4 to 5 thousand in my neck of the woods. I can see the quote that was given, if it was for a rebuild. You may be better off running it on craigs list for the city it's in with your phone number. If the shop it's sitting at will let someone look at it. You may get $4 or 5 thousand for it as is, then again maybe not. It's worth a try.

If you decide to keep it, I'd rebuild the engine that's in there, so you know what you have when done. If you're not going to keep it, sell it as is and cut your losses now.

 

[kenb1023]

Was it ever figured on how you lost the oil?  If it was caused by road debris you may be able to claim it.

 

[RnMAdventures]

I would call around and compare prices. You should be able to get a rebuilt longblock for $2500. As far as the installation, 9k sounds pretty steep to me. I would think you could get it back on the road for $5500... just guessing. You just got to find the right mechanic.

The pressure guage was telling you there was a problem, it was working. On any machine, assume the instrument is working unless you can prove it is not (unless you think it is giving a false good signal when you see signs that it is NOT good.)

I have had three RV's and each had it's own challenges. I'm not even close to being as knowledgable about RVing as a lot of folks on this forum. Driving a large vehicle takes some getting used to, but once you are comfortable you are more empowered to travel in your RV.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience.

 

[nvrver]

If you want to have it moved a long distance, check with trucking companies.  Have it loaded on a flat bed trailer, that is how a customer of mine would have small transit busses shipped. 

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

I get nervous about oil.  This motorhome is old 1992 so I check it usually every morning before I start out.  Of course I try to make sure its level first.  Also check the tranny fluid.  I do in the genny too.

My husband gets frustrated with me at times, he says I worry to much.  But he also realizes so far and I say so far that I haven't burned up any engines yet.  He is gone all the time.

You sound like a similar situation I had.  My husband and friend rewired a rent house we bought, it had aluminum wire, yes we missed it as it had pigtails added.  On the inspection report I had a loose wire in the box.  Had an electrician from a company come out, this guy wrote up a report that was crazy, wanted $10,000 to rewire the whole house!  WHAT!  I got another licensed electrician, he went over everything.  Replaced some breakers that were not code and it was less then $500 for it all.

I too would get a second opinion before I gave up.  You never know.

I drive a 38 footer plus toad, she is old and starting out it builds momentum, yes I learned that here and people get frustrated at times with me.  I have learned to not let it bother me anymore, but its just when I'm starting up the first few minutes.

I know my day is coming, like they all say here these things have mechanical problems.  so far mine have been things like needing a new washer, propane valve changed out, a new washer, things like that.  But still expensive out on the road.  But I like it and I don't mind driving it.  I feel free but yes you really have to be careful.  If I'm in doubt of where I'm going I don't.  I will use the towed instead.

Good luck, get a second opinion, and hope it all turns out ok.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Sorry to read about your multiple disaster. Some things are just not meant to be, I guess.

Getting an engine out of a gas Class A is indeed a very time-consuming job and I don't think $9600 is totally unreasonable for a new "crate" engine ($4000-$5000) and the 35-40 hours of shop time likely needed to do a replacement in a Class A RV.  That's probably double the time needed if it were a more open engine compartment, but it is what it is.  You can probably get by with less than a whole new engine, or find a decent used one, but the labor isn't going to be any less hours. This is the sort of job that can be done in the backyard, using spare time, at a cost that is tolerable ($5500?), but is extremely expensive to have done in a big shop that gets $100+ per hour of shop time and is busy enough that they always have work at that price.

I think I would get another opinion on how badly the engine is damaged, preferably from someone who is primarily in the engine repair business.  I'm not real optimistic that the price will be a lot less, given your description of the problems, but I would want to be sure before I abandoned a $12,000 piece of equipment.

It is entirely possible to burn off 3-4 quarts of oil driving from PA to MS. And entirely possible that it doesn't overheat until the very last minute. The engine can seize while the temp gauge is moving from warm to hot - it only takes minute or two once the oil stops reaching the critical parts.

If your dashboard has gauges for oil and temperature, it may not have any warning lights like your car. Or it may just have a buzzer to call your attention to the dash gauges - and the buzzer was disconnected or broken. If seen this in RVs before - an owner silences a "nuisance alarm" by disconnecting it, not realizing that the very same alarm is used to signal serious problems as well as the nuisance ones (like antenna up or jacks not fully stowed).

 

[RnMAdventures]

Gary,

On a class A do they raise the front of the body off the frame when they pull the engine or do they rack the frame and drop it out of the bottom?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I don't have a good answer for that. From what I've read, if the [gas engine] coach has a driver side door they remove the front seats and driver door, pull the engine up through the "doghouse" and out the side door. Without the driver door, I can only imagine that the front cap would have to be pulled off, which certainly involves a lot of work plus some paint repair when it is reinstalled. Daunting, to say the least!

Depending on the year & model of chassis and the work needed, it may be possible to do it in place. Often, though, there is a frame cross member right under the oil pan, making any bottom-side access near impossible. New heads or exhaust manifolds might conceivably be done from the top, but the work is going to take much longer that way than if the engine could be pulled.

Perhaps somebody here has some experience with this in a gas Class A and can comment?

 

[Charlie 5320]

Just came on St. Louis craigslist.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/pts/3854375083.html

Might be the way to go. Shipping don't cost too much.

 

[DearMissMermaid]

Thanks for sharing your story in a very honest way.

I feel so sorry for your woes.

You can bet everyone is dashing around to check their engine oil too, after reading this. 

While those engine manuals will cure insomnia, they do have loads of useful info, things to monitor in route and so on.

Puppies always need a lot of training and supervision. I was traveling alone in my RV with a precocious puppy.  I had to tell him NO to everything and keep introducing fun toys to him (which he learned to destroy but it kept him from chewing up the RV).  I also had to stop pretty often and give him lots of brisk walks and play time before tying him back into his safety seat which was a fluffy dog bed, hooked into the seat belt, with him in a harness and leash with the leash hooked into the safety belt too. He could move around but not wander. He liked having a stuffed toy ride around in his bed with him until he got bigger and he often gnawed on them when he wasn't sleeping.

I bought him a neat little vacuum cleaner, but he hasn't learned to use it, so I have to clean up his fur and dirt.

My friend lost an engine because he had the oil and filter changed and they forgot to tighten up the filter, so it blew out all the oil on a hot day, then blew the engine. He thought his gauge was broken too...

I feel for you, and hope something is resolved at some point. Just look at it as the cost of an education.  You may want to jump back in with a smaller rig and shorter trips until you get familiar with it.

If it makes you feel any better, I bought my rig used, a 94 Class C which is not as wide as the Class A's.  I am always repairing or fixing something, but the thrill of living, working, playing in it has made it very worthwhile.

Good luck, I wish you only the best,  and here's 3 pics to briefly cheer you up.

 

[RV Lyfe]

I know many others have said the same already but very sorry about misfortune.  It definitely sounds like a bad country song for sure!

As with everything - Hindsight is 20/20 and it is so easy to Monday morning armchair quarterback.  Buying an older coach is something very scary.  Did you happen to get it inspected before or after you purchased it?

I have recently purchased a 2000 Georgetown 35ft.  Size doesnt bother me (just gotta go slow and methodical which I actually like the challenge of it) but the mechanics really concerned me.  I am sure I went overboard but I have had 3 inspections on the coach since I purchased it in January.  One time prior and another in March.  I just picked it up last week from my local RV Superstore from another inspection.  While I feel very confident I have done my due diligence it came at a price (Probably about $1000 in inspections alone)

Again, I hate it for your situation but I think you can take comfort in knowing that many of us will heed this warning and check the fluids everyday. 

MY ADVICE:

While I do not know alot about RV's, I do know alot about people and how we are targets in foreign lands!  Seams like the best thing you can do is get the RV back on your own turf!  Transmission shops are notorious for this kind of thing to.  92GA posted a link for transport. 

I mean, engines go bad.  I think the price is high.  Heck, take a chainsaw and make you a door.  Thats what we would do here in Tennessee  ;D

Your $12,000 is already spent.  If you get it back home where you can have someone come to you and maybe friends or what not.  Unfortunately with this economy there are many good tradesman out there just needing to make some grocery money.  If you buy the engine you may be able to find a mechanic willing to fix it at your place for pennies on the $$ or at least at a very good price.  Could pay for the tow alone.  Also, the RV has already fully depreciated for that manner so even if it took you a year + to save the funds to put in a new motor it would still prevent it from being a TOTAL loss.

Good Luck!
Mike

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

I can add to that, I bought a really old one or I should say hubby and I did.  A lot we were aware of many things we missed.  You see me on here always asking about something.  And every trip I usually stop and get something done, 1 thing at a time.  So far this time I haven't had to yet, I will say yet.

But once I get it home it will be time for an oil change 6000 miles on it, and I need new tires, that's a big gulp to swallow. And I need to read about what else needs checked at this time.  Everytime I pick up one of the manuals and read it I learn something else.  Lots to know about these things.

I know its a hard pill to swallow, but lets hope you come out ok.  I hope if you so choose to be able to get it fixed.  Good luck to you.

And Miss Mermaid I am fighting with my kitty.  I trim her nails but she keeps trying to sharpen her claws on the top back of the 2 kitchen chairs.  Thank goodness she has left the leather ones alone.  Got to go, she gets vocal when SHE wants to go to bed and she is yawning and meowing at me now.  Maybe she didn't get her whole day of napping in today, but she is an old lady.  She spends most of her day riding on the bed in the bedroom.  So I suppose early to bed, early to rise.

 

[Tin man]

Have you thought about selling the book rites?  Makes for a great movie....don't let the dog eat the script.

 

[RV Lyfe]

Have you thought about selling the book rites?  Makes for a great movie....don't let the dog eat the script.

Seriously!  Robin Williams has nothing on this!  I think the worse part about the story was the entire trip was made for a person that was going out of town and didnt even say she was leaving the country in under 24 hours. 

 

[Derby6]

WoW what a bad deal all the way around.
I feel like a bad person, because I think I laughed more than I felt bad as I read thru the entire thread. :-\
Guess it's in the way you read it.
I truly hope it works out to where your losses are minimal. 8)

 

[earthangel]

Thanks for sharing your story in a very honest way....
Puppies always need a lot of training and supervision....
I bought him a neat little vacuum cleaner, but he hasn't learned to use it, so I have to clean up his fur and dirt.

thanks for the pictures!    That would be pretty neat if a dog could learn to use a vacuum!!!

I feel like a bad person, because I think I laughed more than I felt bad as I read thru the entire thread. 

Don't feel bad. I'm laughing too... it's all just too crazy... You all have helped me keep my sanity, which was almost lost the other day - we drove back up to MS, to get things out of the RV, dishes, games, etc. that I liked... on the way back through Baton Rouge a driver made a lane change right into us, which destroyed the bumper and brand new tire on my truck, and he kept going.... I found out that a hit and run is a misdemeanor, and the police have such a backlog of cases that they probably won't even look into it because we didn't get the license plate number, and we didn't get seriously hurt...
we didn't get seriously hurt... some things are going right... Thank you God!!!

I am auctioning the thing off, and getting kayaks!

If anyone wants it for a hunting camp, go to iaai.com  on the left side pick recreational vehicle and then put in zip code: 39204  it comes up near the top as a Chevy.
[br]

I think the worse part about the story was the entire trip was made for a person that was going out of town and didnt even say she was leaving the country in under 24 hours.

Yes, that is the part that hurts the most. Loosing $ turns my stomach in knots and is depressing, but eventually I know I'll be able to save it up again... but feeling that there's no friendship between my sister and I, when I've been trying hard to build it, leaves me with a sick feeling that just won't go away...

don't let the dog eat the script.

The puppy stays outside, so the script is safe... but she did eat the wires on the truck used for tow lights... OMGosh, I need to find her another home    I'm thinking that RV's and trucks should have wires inside of metal casings like houses do sometimes.