Loretta's motorhome was bought used. In 2013 it had only 51k miles on the clock. While in generally good condition overall, its full history (use, care, maintenance, etc) was unknown to us. At least for its last half decade on our watch we took good care of each other. But the last couple trips it started running hot. Last month, leaving our summer gig in WA it severely over heated and died in OR.
We'd built an extra week into our fall travel plans. Our travels are always somewhat flexible of course. But the breakdown cost us a lot of unplanned time. And money! We had to figure out how to get the motorhome towed. Sans Scamp of course. But where to? We had to find a shop that could do the work. We also had to work out logistics for housing, indefinitely, while our home was in the shop.
Fortunately, we found a good shop that was also great about working with us. We were able to keep living in the RV in their parking lot. Even though it was an industrial part of town next to busy (nocturnal!) train traffic. That took some adjustment. And Malbec! LOL
The ole girl didn't look so dignified with her grill gone and a gaping hole in the front where the engine used to be. We needed the batteries but they looked vulnerable. So we rigged a Sunbrella covering while the RV was down.
Running the stove, oven and water heater on propane was no problem. For AC power and to charge the batteries we ran the generator. The fuel cost was maybe $30 a week. As utility bills go, that's not bad.
We rationed water of course. Did you know it's possible to bathe, including hair wash and rinse, using less than a gallon of water? We stretched extra lengths of hose from their shop across the parking lot to refill our immobilized fresh water tank when needed. The gray tank was emptied weekly, one 5-gal bucket at a time.
A porta-potty (from the Scamp) in the shower stall gave us a couple days yellow capacity. That was simple enough to dump every day or two. We reserved the flush toilet and black hole for solids and tissue. When the dark matter got too offensive (even with extra chemical) we found a mobile honey dipper to pay a house call. Such glamour isn't for everyone. But that's how we managed.
Without a crystal ball there was no clear timeline. Mass produced cars and trucks afford shops a better database of standardized parts and service experience as basis for cost and time estimates. Whereas with RVs every make, model, year and floor plan is a little bit different.
Like other class A motorhomes this coach was built on a chassis that Mr. Goodwrench knows about. But the nearest GM dealer (like most no doubt) couldn't (or wouldn't) work on its driveline as a motorhome. And like other coach makers (no doubt) Fleetwood didn't go out of their way to keep the drivetrain overly serviceable. So once it got to a shop, and other jobs ahead of it got out of the way, then they started figuring out how to take it apart. Just getting to that starting line took almost a week. Meanwhile, time moves on while our home sits motorless.
Another week later there's a pile of parts inside the garage. (We secretly wanted to slip memory supplements into Dave's lunch.) The engine was in pieces. Dr. Hans went to work. Not unlike poor Westley our patient was only mostly dead. The good news was all the big parts were fine. No lower end damage. The death knell was a valve seat broke up, getting crushed to bits inside one cylinder. That was the ugly sound.
Both head gaskets were getting weak in places but neither bank showed signs of failure. The apparent root cause of overheating was a congested radiator. We wanted it beefed up for additional cooling capacity going forward. But it turned out we already had the biggest radiator that fit. So we settled for a new one. Along with a new water pump, hoses, etc. Of course the valve train was completely rebuilt. Also new oil pump, seals, journals/bearings, etc. the timing chain and sprockets were also upgraded from single to double link. Hopefully the engine will last another twenty-some years.
At least we were able to get the transmission cooler upsized. Meanwhile, I'd already decided the dashboard needed to show more vital signs. And outsourcing doesn't come naturally to me. Nor do I well abide sitting on my hands. So to help keep myself busy I added a couple gauges to the dash.
Fortunately for the engine block that one rod didn't break. It just bent. All the cylinder walls actually looked good - even that one! So the plan was to rebuild the cylinders to stock size. Since in our case there was no need to over bore the cylinders, why not save that move for a third life in the preferably far distant future. Sounds logic.
However. There was an availability problem. Apparently when vintage big blocks typically need rebuild there's typical cylinder wall wear that forces over boring. So the market for stock pistons was scarce. The particular warehouse in need just happened to be in Carolina, under water, thanks to Hurricane Florence. (shrug)
So the cylinders were over bored after all. The upside was an old 454 becomes a new 463. Eventually. But the wrong rings were sent. Such was a series of parts delays that stretched the engine build over two more weeks.
Sometimes on a big project little things cause the most trouble. For example, the coolant reservoir was a plastic jug that cracked when the engine overheated. The reservoir was an original part of the chassis but GM discontinued that particular 23 year old part. We searched a junkyard for something close enough in size and shape but left unsatisfied with that solution path. We checked nearby tractor and semi-truck dealerships, hoping for something heavier duty to make work, but no dice. Instead, online I found a 5L jug from McMaster-Carr (industrial supply) rated to withstand 275F. So we made that work.
As the engine build was delayed it was frustrating to see smaller jobs come and go through the shop. It seemed like others were getting cuts in line ahead of us. We just had to remind ourselves that Hans had other customers and workload to balance. Of course once the motor was ready to replace, Dave was tied up finishing another vehicle. So we had to wait a few more days for our turn again.
"The waiting is the hardest part."
--Tom Petty
That was stressful. But what choice did we have? Life serves up opportunities to exercise patience. Sometimes it's more trying than others. Lemons? Lemonade! The area was beautiful to explore. So we got some projects done. Keith resoled my Birkenstock sandals. Helen mended my truck seat. We read a number of books. That's always a healthy way to pass time! Then one day our home on wheels started getting its motor back in earnest.
It took another week for reinstallation itself. Plus we added a little scope creep ourselves. What better time to service the transmission? And with that pan off, the new temperature sender was pan mounted for internal readings.
Also on our wish list was a suspension problem that not only made the RV sit off level. Listing to port and a sagging front wishbone compromised handling and tire wear. Replacement front coil springs were hard to find. We'd already been researching. So during our downtime I worked with George at Baxter Auto Parts to get a pair of new springs.
Five weeks after it died the engine roared back to life. Dave immediately did the valve train break in procedure. Then we went for a first test drive. A few miles out of town the check engine light came on. So we returned to the garage. The scanner said the ignition module was bad.
The next test drive revealed another code for a bad knock sensor. Apparently, overheating an engine can cause some collateral damage to even solid state electronic parts. The head temp sensor and some spark plug wires were visibly fried during disassembly. But the third time was a charm. We took a longer test drive to start pulling some grades and working it more. Gradually and incrementally of course. All gauge readings were in line. The engine ran so smooth that we noticed the road noise more. We could even separate wind drag from tire howling.
Final work to sort out the ongoing front suspension issues spilled into a sixth week. Loretta had new tires installed first thing when she got it. So they only had 16k miles on them. But the front tires were worn unevenly due to the alignment problem. I wasn't happy with some of the wobbly valve stems anyway. Their geometry didn't play nice in the rear dually configuration, regardless of how the stems were clocked. Pressure checking and inflation was more difficult than necessary. So we had Commercial Tire sort out the wheels before leaving town.
As part of the front suspension work we wanted the alignment reset to finish correcting the tire wear issue. Unfortunately, no place in LaGrande could handle that job for us. The RV was too big for shops that normally align cars and trucks. The Freightliner dealer's equipment could only handle 22.5" semi wheels. Our 16" wheels were too small from their perspective.
It turned out that Kyle at Commercial Tire in LaGrande used to work at their Boise location. We'd planned to turn south at Ontario, OR to Winnemucca, NV. Instead, detouring to Boise, ID only added about 100 miles. After six weeks what's another day. In for a penny, in for a pound. Yeah, yeah.
But once again, click goes the ratchet. In Boise, Gary at Commercial Tire had a pit to get under the beast with unprecedented access and perspective. So, is front end alignment the next and last step as hoped? Of course not. (click) The lower ball joints and upper A-arm shafts and bushings were sloppy from wear. (click, click) He also recommended new front wheel seals, repacking the wheel bearings, new shocks front and rear, and removing a rear axle spacer. (click, click, click, click)
That spacer was the most profound piece of the puzzle. Everyone who'd looked at this RV over several years missed it. Whether it was done by Fleetwood or some prior owner we may never know. A one inch spacer had somewhen been added to the driver side only. Probably to compensate for left-right weight distribution. The biggest tanks are on that side after all. That certainly explained why she still listed to starboard after new front springs. We decided to defer that fine tuning to level the RV. First I want to measure and compare its list angle with all tanks empty versus full. Then make a calculated correction.
We also decided shocks weren't really a problem, yet anyway. So we triaged the must-have from nice-to-have items in Gary's estimate. It was still another full day's work. So we ended up spending two nights on the Boise detour. Between appointments we had some time to pass. An antique mall provided a kind a therapy. Pleasant fall weather and colorful turning leaves also consoled. Until we eventually called it finished.
All that work delay was a huge disruption to our fall plans. On the other hand, we had a growing list of RV stuff to do. What really needed attention, or we just really wanted done, sooner or later worked out. It was a sharp kick in the wallet for sure. But! The rig runs, sits and handles better than ever. We're not exactly back on track. But we're ready to roll. And that feels great.
