When a full- timer's RV breaks down

[DonTom]

I have been curious what most full-times do when their RV breaks down or is even in the shop for maintenance that will take more than a day or so. How is that normally handled? Where does one live when you cannot stay in your RV?


Seems like that could be a real hassle for a full-timer. What if no motels close by or are full?


My RV has been in the shop for a couple of weeks, but I told them they could take their time with mine as I won't be using it again for months. There are also a lot of large Class A's in their lot, which I assume are full timers, so I wondered how they handle that.


What happened to my RV is a chicken or egg thing. I was on the freeway and I hear stuff from my Class C  motorhome fall onto the road. I stop and find all the pipes from my muffler to the tailpipe are on the freeway a quarter mile back! Then I look under my RV and notice the bar that holds the mud flap is dug into my inner right  side tire.


So the belt took out all the pipes. But how does the bar that holds the (now MIA) mud-flap get dug into the rear tire?


I was still able to finish  the trip. I changed to the spare myself after I bent the mud flap bar out of the way.


The missing pipes made no difference in noise and the exhaust didn't seem to be able to get inside the RV or anything, so I did not have to get his fixed until I got home here in Auburn near a shop that works on buses, trucks and RVs.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

 

[donn]

Many times the shop will allow staying overnight and weekends in your RV.  When thats not an option its motels or your car/truck.

 

[SeilerBird]

On four different occasions when I was full timing I had to take it to the shop for repairs. In all four cases I told them I lived in the RV full time and in all four instances I was allowed to stay in the RV while the work was done. One of the places had me for a full week. Since then I never take my RV in to be worked on. I want the mechanics to come to me.

 

[AStravelers]

Some RV repair locations have a RV parking area with an electrical outlet for your RV and will let you stay in the RV while they are not actively working on it.  That is if the repairs take more than one day.  If you are waiting for parts then you need to find a place to stay until the parts come in. 

You may need to make an appointment for the repairs and then stay around in the area until you can get the repair made.

If the RV has to be inside the shop for overnight or multiple days and you can't stay in it you move into a motel. 

One experience we had about 14 years ago was the fridge went out, the coolant leaked out so it needed a new cooling unit or an entire new fridge.  We opted for the new fridge.  The RV park we were staying at had room in a freezer for our frozen food so we left it there.  The next 2 weeks we explored a 150 mile area near there in our RV while keeping our cold food in a couple of coolers. 

Bottom line is you just deal with whatever happens. 

In the last 16 years of RV'ing, some full time, many years traveling for 4-9 months of the year, we have never had to resort to staying in a motel. 

 

[DonTom]

Many times the shop will allow staying overnight and weekends in your RV.  When thats not an option its motels or your car/truck.

I wondered how common that was. My tranny crapped out a few years ago near Needles, CA and it took them a week just to get me another tranny. They let me stay in my RV overnight for a week, with them supplying electricity to my RV.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

 

[SMR]

When our MH went to the shop for body work we were able to stay in it at night. Our fifth wheel has been back to the factory several times, first we were able to stay in it, they would pull it out of the shop and into a full hook up site. Second time they needed to a lot more work so we got the boot for 10 days. Fortunately we used to live in Elkhart and were able to stay in our friends basement,  not a hardship at all. Lol. The basement has 4 bedrooms,  3 full baths and a movie theater. I kept busy with a honey do list around the house and yard.

 

[Lou Schneider]

That's why I prefer a truck and trailer.  Truck goes into the shop, the trailer gets parked in a local RV park and I live normally while the truck is being worked on.

If it's a major repair you have the option of replacing the truck instead of pouring good money after bad into the old one.

 

[Old_Crow]

In November, my V10 spit out a spark plug 49 miles east of Needles on I40.  FMCA towed me to the Ford dealer in Kingman.  I stayed in the dirt lot outside the dealership from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning when they got me in the shop.  My fresh water tank was full, my black and gray were nearly empty and we had enough gas to run the generator.  No big deal.
2 days ago, it spit out another plug in Las Cruces, NM at about 8:30 am.  Pulled over, found a place to work on it, and was back on the highway by noon.  Told the guy that I'd be back in December for him to do the inserts on all the rest of the plugs.  Don't trust them since I changed the plugs last summer.

 

[DonTom]

In November, my V10 spit out a spark plug 49 miles east of Needles on I40.  FMCA towed me to the Ford dealer in Kingman.  I stayed in the dirt lot outside the dealership from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning when they got me in the shop.  My fresh water tank was full, my black and gray were nearly empty and we had enough gas to run the generator.  No big deal.
2 days ago, it spit out another plug in Las Cruces, NM at about 8:30 am.  Pulled over, found a place to work on it, and was back on the highway by noon.  Told the guy that I'd be back in December for him to do the inserts on all the rest of the plugs.  Don't trust them since I changed the plugs last summer.

What year engines did Ford fix that  problem of their V-10's spitting out spark plugs?  I know that was once a very common problem with V-10's, but I heard it was redesigned later so there was enough thread to hold the plugs in.


When I had my tranny problem, I was just west of Needles on I-40 and there was a place just off I-40 in Needles that could take care of it and much more.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

 

[NY_Dutch]

Over the years with various motorhomes we've had an engine, transmission, and a rear axle assembly replaced while traveling, and in every case we were able to sleep in the RV each night, even if we couldn't always stay in it during the day. For the transmission, since a Ford remanned unit had to be shipped in to arrive 4 days later, the shop towed us to a nearby campground and then back again the morning after the replacement tranny arrived. We were back on the road the following day. The only time we've elected not to stay in the RV was when we were having major paint work done on one and wanted to avoid the smell. That time we stayed in a KOA "Kabin" for 3 days. We've found most shops to be very accommodating of our situation when service is needed, prioritizing our work when possible to get us back on the road as quickly as practical.

 

[NY_Dutch]

What year engines did Ford fix that  problem of their V-10's spitting out spark plugs?  I know that was once a very common problem with V-10's, but I heard it was redesigned later so there was enough thread to hold the plugs in.


When I had my tranny problem, I was just west of Needles on I-40 and there was a place just off I-40 in Needles that could take care of it and much more.


-Don-  Auburn, CA

The V10 plug spitting problem was often caused by mechanics not following the proper procedures when replacing the plugs. The head design allowed a couple plug threads to extend beyond the head into the combustion chamber where they would collect a carbon buildup. When removing the plugs for replacement, the carbon would gall the threads making it nearly impossible to properly torque the plugs, allowing them to loosen up in use. As I recall, improved heads were in use by the 2004 model year.

 

[SeilerBird]

The V10 plug spitting problem was often caused by mechanics not following the proper procedures when replacing the plugs. The head design allowed a couple plug threads to extend beyond the head into the combustion chamber where they would collect a carbon buildup. When removing the plugs for replacement, the carbon would gall the threads making it nearly impossible to properly torque the plugs, allowing them to loosen up in use. As I recall, improved heads were in use by the 2004 model year.

Thanks for that info Don. I was curious to know how an engine could spit out a spark plug.

 

[thumped]

I have a showhauler and had to have the rear axle replaced by a big rig dealer.
I spent the first 2 days parked next to the shop plugged into a 15 amp outlet till they got the new parts.  Day 3 I pulled it into the shop first thing in the morning where I had to isolate and unhook the RV side of the electrical so they could do some welding.  They had it able to roll by the end of the shift and I spent the night in front of the shop.  Day 4 by lunch we were out on a 40 mile test drive.  There biggest issue was the car trailer.

 

[DonTom]

The V10 plug spitting problem was often caused by mechanics not following the proper procedures when replacing the plugs.

Thanks for the info. But you have me curious what the correct procedures were to get carbon removed from the plug bottoms without removing the plugs first.


Was it to loosen them a thread or two and then  retighten  before removing each plug? What else can be done and even that doesn't sound like  all that great of an idea.

IAC, I wouldn't buy a V10 older than 2005.

-Don-  Auburn, CA

 

[Lou Schneider]

You'd think Ford would know better than let the threads of the spark plug extend into the combustion chamber in the first place.  Especially on a soft aluminum head.

Kind of makes you wonder where else they skimped to save a few ounces of weight.

 

[NY_Dutch]

You'd think Ford would know better than let the threads of the spark plug extend into the combustion chamber in the first place.  Especially on a soft aluminum head.

Kind of makes you wonder where else they skimped to save a few ounces of weight.

It only took them a few model years to figure it out and fix it.

 

[johnhicks]

In 11 years we've been out of the rig only one night, while having the transmission replaced. The longest time was 12 days in the lot with no hookups waiting for the reman transmission to arrive, and the most memorable was a couple of days next a garbage truck that broke down before dumping its load. Generally at least an electric hookup was available and water was always available even if by bucket.

 

[JudyJB]

Only once did I have to leave my motorhome for a week. It was driveable, but still under warranty and had a soft spot in the floor that needed to be fixed. I took it to the factory at Decatur because at that time I refused to even talk to the original dealer who refused to fix a bunch of stuff and blamed me for their bad fixes! Factory service determined they had to remove the slide and reweld part of the frame--not due to water at all. So, I rented a car, loaded my clothing into a couple of bags and a suitcase and went to my son's house, which was about 300 miles away. Stayed there a week until Fleetwood had pulled the slide, torn up linoleum and plywood, rewelded the break, and replaced everything with new plywood and new flooring.

When I need service, I always let the service place know I live in my RV and that I cannot leave it. If they insist they need to keep it for several days for something like replacing a water pump, I find someplace else to do the work. At the factory service places for Fleetwood in Decatur and Oregon, you can live in their parking lot for however long it takes, as long as they do not have to completely tear the RV apart.

One issue is parts. No one ever seems to have, and they want you to hang around for a couple of weeks while they get them. I ALWAYS make sure a repair place has the part before I schedule a repair. I once needed a new roller under one slide, and service said they had to look at it to determine what was needed before they ordered it. I called Fleetwood and got the right one shipped to my son's house. Picked it up there and took it to the Oregon service place with me. When they started their, "Well, it will take at least a week to get the part" speech, I held up the part and handed it to them! Ha! Had it installed the same day, and away I went!!!!

Right now I am having electrical problems with running and tail lights, and was told by a couple of dealers that there were no schematics for my vehicle and it would take a long time to analyze the problem. Called Fleetwood and the nice lady there emailed me the complete electrical schematics!! I don't know if that will really help solve my problem, but at least I have them. I will be driving past Decatur in June, so I may wait until then and just not drive at night.

By the way, good full-timers insurance will pay for a week or so of hotel room while you wait for repairs due to accident on highway. Also, in my case, CoachNet has done an excellent job of taking me to a service place that could actually fix what was broken. They called ahead to truck repair to make sure they had the correct E-450 vehicle battery in stock for me.

And a lot of mobile repairmen are very convenient, even if you do have to pay a minimal fee for them coming out. You can stay in your rig while they do the work, and they usually charge less per hour than someplace like CW. One just recently touched up the seals on my roof and fixed my toilet while I stayed inside watching TV.

 

[JudyJB]

By the way, I wholeheartedly recommend Bryce Canyon Auto Care, located just outside of the national park. I had a check engine light on and had not been able to find anyone to check it out. I was planning on camping in the park. Stopped on my way in because I noticed they had big garage doors and a sign saying they worked on trucks, and asked if they worked on RV engines. They said yes, and quickly checked the electronics to determine I had some bad plugs and coils. Ordered them that night so they would arrive in the morning, I dropped off motorhome early next morning, hopped on shuttle through national park, while they replaced all 10 spark plugs and 5 coils by 1 pm. In meantime, I took shuttle all around the park and enjoyed myself. Amazing!! Especially so because it is very hard to get someone to work on engine stuff on my vehicle.

 

[DonTom]

I had a check engine light on and had not been able to find anyone to check it out.

Check engine lights are rarely for anything serious. Mostly smog related stuff you wouldn't even know about in older vehicles.

However, in some states you cannot pass a smog check with a check engine light on.

But in Nevada (where my RV is registered) you can with with an RV check engine light on in an RV but NOT in a car.

That is because they do not check cars from the tailpipe. They do with RVs and with RVs that is all they care about.

BTW, a tester that only costs around twenty bucks bucks can check your code. You get a number such as PO123. Just search it on the web and then you know what the issue is. And you can turn off your check engine light and see if it returns. Often, it's just a fluke and never returns after being cleared.

-Don- Auburn, CA