1995 Safari Sahara RV Looking for a Power Steering Pump Please Help

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bprice73

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Mar 2, 2021
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4
Location
S. Illinois
My dad owns this RV and I am trying to help him sell the RV however his power steering pump is leaking fluid which is causing issues with of course the powersteering and the brakes.

We can not find a replacement, he is getting too old to drive this unit around so is needing to sell it however we need to fix this first. Have not found anyone that can point us in the right direction of someone that can fix it or where we can even get this part.

If I have posted this in the wrong section please let me know, I appreciate any help that is provided in advance.

The RV is a 1995 Safari Sahara with a diesel Cummins motor
 
NADA guides show that there are three different Sahara models that year, the M-30, M-33 and M-35, with lengths matching the model numbers. Which model is your dad's rig?

Safari merged with Monaco a number of years back, and Monaco has has several ownership changes, since. I don't really know where you get this part or get it fixed, but seems to me I recently saw something about some former Monaco employees having a good shop somewhere in Oregon (Bend??).

Hopefully, someone who knows more will be by soon. Luck...
 
NADA guides show that there are three different Sahara models that year, the M-30, M-33 and M-35, with lengths matching the model numbers. Which model is your dad's rig?

Safari merged with Monaco a number of years back, and Monaco has has several ownership changes, since. I don't really know where you get this part or get it fixed, but seems to me I recently saw something about some former Monaco employees having a good shop somewhere in Oregon (Bend??).

Hopefully, someone who knows more will be by soon. Luck...
His is the M35 model
 
I signed up so hopefully that will help

I'm just spitballing here...if it helps, great, if not, disregard! ...My first inclination is that if you are not mechanically inclined to diagnose or replace the pump, it would be worth taking to a shop. A heavy truck repair shop may be able to help or at least identify the pump for you even if they won't work on it. It's likely a common part - I highly doubt Safari went out and designed their own power steering pump just for that model of coach.

A CampingWorld -type outfit might be able to help as well. They specifically work on RV's and may be able to identify AND replace the part for you.

If the pump is leaking and not shot, it may not need to be replaced either. There are often hose connections, which can fail over time. It just may need a little fixing and will be as good as new. Hoses can be fabricated no big deal.

If sleuthing this on your own, you may be able to pinpoint the pump by knowing what chassis the M35 rides on. Is it a Magnum chassis, Spartan, etc.
 
My dad owns this RV and I am trying to help him sell the RV however his power steering pump is leaking fluid which is causing issues with of course the powersteering and the brakes.

We can not find a replacement, he is getting too old to drive this unit around so is needing to sell it however we need to fix this first. Have not found anyone that can point us in the right direction of someone that can fix it or where we can even get this part.

If I have posted this in the wrong section please let me know, I appreciate any help that is provided in advance.

The RV is a 1995 Safari Sahara with a diesel Cummins motor
My Dad's RV is the M-35
I'm just spitballing here...if it helps, great, if not, disregard! ...My first inclination is that if you are not mechanically inclined to diagnose or replace the pump, it would be worth taking to a shop. A heavy truck repair shop may be able to help or at least identify the pump for you even if they won't work on it. It's likely a common part - I highly doubt Safari went out and designed their own power steering pump just for that model of coach.

A CampingWorld -type outfit might be able to help as well. They specifically work on RV's and may be able to identify AND replace the part for you.

If the pump is leaking and not shot, it may not need to be replaced either. There are often hose connections, which can fail over time. It just may need a little fixing and will be as good as new. Hoses can be fabricated no big deal.

If sleuthing this on your own, you may be able to pinpoint the pump by knowing what chassis the M35 rides on. Is it a Magnum chassis, Spartan, etc.
thank you for the reply, yes it has been to two different shops and sat for months at both with them saying they could not find the part. However neither shop removed the pump which we were happy about that for the reason of not having to tow the rv we just add fluid and drive it.
I went one a search and was recommended two places but after contacting those places just for the pump they did not have the pump or knew where we could get the pump at.
If we could just locate the pump or a place that would rebuild it we could ship it to them.
Chassis is a GM


Gm is the chassis 330 Cummins diesel pusher only have picture numbers on steering box are hard to read. I can read m 30 on steering box or it reads m 30

Attached pics also
 

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For an old Safari, built on Safari's proprietary Magnum chassis, I'd be looking for parts at a RV salvage yard. The largest are Visione's or Colaw's, but there are dozens of them. Just Google RV salvage yard for ads or lists of RV salvagers in your area.

In my opinion, most RV dealers (and especially Camping World) are pretty much useless at finding rare parts or solving oddball problems. They simply don't put time or effort into anything outside the repair mainstream. Nor are most of them good at chassis repairs. You might get lucky at an independent heavy truck repair shop if you get somebody interested in solving the problem. Parts like that pump aren't unique to motorhomes - Safari bought it from some truck industry supplier and an experienced mechanic may be able to identify it. And if no longer available, maybe come up with a substitute.

Financially, you may be better off just selling it "as is" and let the new owner deal with finding the part. You probably won't ever recover the cost of obtaining and installing the new pump (assuming that is all that is needed). Offer a price reduction if they will take it as is.
 
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My Dad's RV is the M-35

thank you for the reply, yes it has been to two different shops and sat for months at both with them saying they could not find the part. However neither shop removed the pump which we were happy about that for the reason of not having to tow the rv we just add fluid and drive it.
I went one a search and was recommended two places but after contacting those places just for the pump they did not have the pump or knew where we could get the pump at.
If we could just locate the pump or a place that would rebuild it we could ship it to them.
Chassis is a GM


Gm is the chassis 330 Cummins diesel pusher only have picture numbers on steering box are hard to read. I can read m 30 on steering box or it reads m 30

Attached pics also


Are you sure you can't read those numbers?

Looks like "R H Sheppard Co Inc Hanover"
M80

...to me.

That would be the Maker and model of that steering box.

I'll bet knowing that makes your search easier!

However, that is the steering gear box and not the hydraulic supply pump. If it's your pump that's leaking, you might need to find the casting numbers for that as well.
 
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my Safari has the Shepard m 80. They are known to leak. There is I believe a seal that goes and can be rebuilt.You can buy a new steering gear but will need to go with the Shepard as there is no cross to different manufacturer.
 
Is the pump leaking or is it the steering box itself? My pump is mounted on the engine, where it gets it's power , and the steering box is forward under the steering wheel.. My pump also powers the radiator fan (side mounted).. So is the engine an oily mess,? or is the leak somewhere between the two, possibly a hydraulic line witch is easy to replace.. You also probably have a remote reservoir that will have a feed line and a return line, these are also possible leak points.
Do you have an air pressure gauge in the dash panel? that would tell me you have air brakes ( usually found with the diesel engines) and not hydraulic..>>>Dan
 
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