We are a Big Rig looking for a Tent Experience.
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We are a Big Rig looking for a Tent Experience. |
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| May 2 and updates
below All was going well as we got the motor home serviced at the Cummins Service Center in Tucson and for a great price. $450 for oil and filters, chassis lube. and air filter. Radiator power wash. Terry had already done the 8K generator maintenance. So it was time to head out slowlyon April 30 going to west AZon I - 10 to Quartzsite and then up through NV on US 93 so as to stay away from the interstate up through SLC. What a zoo that is. But that didn't happen. The above pic is where we had hoped to getr to at our campground hosting site in Idaho. We are broke down in western AZ with radiator issues. Yep, it's leaking and we are parked in a repair shops lot waiting for repair or replacement. Gonna be several days right here. At least I have a warranty.  They do have us plugged into 50 A service.  This could go on for some time they say. Still, have to get the radiator out to get a part number and then get one shipped in.  We could be here for the next week or so. Gonna miss the opening date for the campground. May 10. We were going to slowly camp our way up through NV and south ID. That is now not going to happen. Now camping out in a repair service lot. Could be worse. It's not like we don't know our way around Quartzsite It's now Friday May 3 and we have ben here since Tuesday April 30. Dealing with the warranty company and getting the repair shop to determine what is wrong takes time. So they did a pressure test and yep leaking from inside the radiator. Now they need to get the part number from it. Not as easy as you might think. Source Eng. in Eugene OR has told them where to look but they need to remove the radiator first. So it's Friday and they are short handed. Would have liked to have gotten the part number so they can order a new radiator today but now it will be at least Monday. And how long for one to get here is anyone's guess. We were planning on being on site in ID on Tuesday. We have spent many winters here in Quartzsite over the years but not like this when the place is really slow. Some day will look back on all this and say guess it is good we have a new radiator.. SOME DAY Friday May 3 5 PM UPDATE The repair shop just got off the phone with Source Eng. in Eugene OR and they are going to build a new radiator and ship. Will be a couple of weeks. Will be a much upgraded unit and also to include a new fan with upgraded blade design. Wholesale Warranty is OK with the new radiator which be repairable as opposed to this old one which is a throw away item. Source Eng. suggested since the radiator would be off to get the new fan blade (my cost of about $500). The new fan.. better mpg, less noisy, 30 more horsepower. Check out their web site http://sourcerv.com/ They replaced our trailing arms and 4 bag ride enhanced handling package last fall. They used to be the design engineers for Monaco. I just called Jim out there and told him who the order was for as he remembered me and will try to rush the order. Well at last we have a plan and like that we are getting a better radiator and fan when all done. I got a Scan Gauge to monitor temps, etc. and was amazed that with the analog dial read right on the 200 dig. The digital monitor gave a much more accurate readout. Also I have learned so much from the iRV2 forums. That's about all , now just spending time in paradise in Quartzsite, AZ Monday May 6 Word form Jim at Source Eng that it will take anyhwere from 5 to 7 days to make the radiator and then ship UPS. So we can see a little light at then end of the tunnel. We called All-Pro Pumping to get our MH holding tanks pumped out next Monday. $45 as they come over from Blyth, CA. He said he knew right where we are at as they have been here and done this many times for stranded RVs in the past. Sent a e-mail off to the Recreation Planner at the BLM Pocatello, ID field office and they are good with us getting there late. This our third year hosting for them and are appreciated. May 8 Well this all just turned to crap. The warranty company just denied the claim. Saying it had to be caused by a thermostat that stuck which caused overheating and leak. Everthing is covered except the thermostant. Because that is what the repair shop owner had told them was the cause. Not their problem. I have a call into Wholesale Warranties claim support that sold me the policy. May 9 The warrantry company sent out a independent inspector and he tested the thermostat and found it to be good. And he said even if it was stuck it could not cause radaitor failuere. So now his report goes to the warranty company and we shall see what happens next. We are of the thought the repair shop didn't want the claim to be approved as then they would have to take the much lower warrarnty shop hour fees instead of their normal higher shop fees. That would be a win for the shop (higher shop fees) and a win for the warranty company as they would not have to pay anything. The repair shop told us on last Friday they the had ordered the new radaitor and fan but just today Thursday she came to us and asked if we wnated them to order the parts. OMG I about lost it. I said what you think I want to live in your parking lot forever. May13 Monday After gettting the independent inspectors report Wholsale Warranties, the warranty issuing company has stood up for us and has now approved the claim and the new radiator is being built. They, Wholesale Warranties is now bypassing the claims administrator company (Strategic Administrators) and handling it all with the repair shop and will handle the claim internally. We have been stuck here for almost two weeks just getting up to this point. But are very happy that WW stood up for us after I told them how the clain was being handled. May 20 Monday Well here it is another Monday and Yep we area still here in wonderful Quartzsite. Still stranded. All parts have shown up except the new radiator. It will be three weeks as of tomorrow. This is getting real old. The first week was wasted by trying to get the repair shop and warranty company on the same page to be get the claim approved and parts ordered. The only good thing is it has cooled down here the last couple of days. The next worry after the repair is that we don't run into bad weather heading to southeast Idaho. Esp. hight winds. With this being a high profile MH it does not travel well in wind, to say the least. May 22 Wednesday The new radiator shipped yesterday on Tuesday from Source Engineering Inc. And today the local shop got the old one completly out.  This is where it came from. At the bottom. OIl cooler on top.  We are also replaceing the fan blade with a new design type.  Source Engineering Inc.
has developed a line of custom
fan blades for most rear radiator diesel pushers
manufactured by Monaco Coach. These blades are engine,
chassis specific, and can deliver excellent performance
while still maintaining the cooling capacity of the stock
fan. Some of the benefits include the following: How about more POWER and less NOISE? Increased Fuel Economy. Proven results from 9 to 30 percent depending on the application. Decreased noise levels. these quiet efficient fan blades can decrease fan noise by an average of 50 percent. Increased horse power to the rear wheels. By substantially reducing the parasitic H.P. draw on the engine more power becomes available to the rear wheels, on average 31 Horsepower We have talked again to the BLM in Idaho and they have been more than understanding. Saying not to worry the campground which we are to host at is not going anywhere. To drive safe and not rush. The weather doesn't look very favorable for the Memorial weekend anyway in southeast ID. Snow and ran and cool as in cold. May 24 Noon Well the radiator showed up about 10:30 AM today Friday via UPS and now I just can't believe the shop is not going to install it till like next Tuesday. The owner who is the chief mechanic went to Los Vegas on business and no one else is going to do any work. That means it will be over four weeks stuck here. Not happy campers. As much as I am distressed, I have to remember what Memorial Day is all about. It's not about me being held up on our way to a camp hosting location, but the sacrifice made by those who gave their all for me to be able to be broke down. God made us humans so weak that were are allowed to fight and kill each other as we just can't understand that we all live on this ONE planet together. May 31 The radiator came in last Friday morning and they didn't install it till Tuesday after Memorial Day. We got out of town early Wed AM and made it to Ely, NV and then on Thursday late got to the campground at Blackfoot Reservoir just norh of Soda Springs, ID 800 miles in two days. I'm tired.  Now we found our 50 power card neutral lead is open so it is reading high AC voltage error so no power to the MH except solar and inverter and of course onboard 8K generator. Have fridge plugged in to 110 via a drop extension cord. The have the 50 amp female plug in Pocatello so after the BLM recreation planner guy gets us all set up this AM Terry will drive to get it. As soon as we got here late yesterday afternoon a local came over from the village to give us hugs and then came back with a load of firewood. He even brought a flame thrower to get it going fast.  BTW the invoice for the repair work came to about $6000 I paid $500 deductible and $663 for a new fan which was an upgrade and freight for shipping $325 and the warranty company paid the rest. Wholesale Warranties came through for me big time. Even paid for some items not tecnically under warranty as goodwill gesture. My premium for the wrarranty was $4000 for 4 years so I guess I have already come out ahead as I'm just starting my second year on it. |
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