Bladder and Brakes

December 12, 2022, 02:29:21 pm

Sorry for the long entry but, I waited until everything was done before I posted.
About a month ago, our bladder developed a leak. It was a good one that could be heard over the engine noise.
I called Foretravel to see about getting it replaced. I had to play a little phone tag with the service advisor. He told me that he would write an estimate and call me right back with it. Two days later I called him back and as I listened to drawers opening and closing and heard paper shuffling, he informed me that he could not find the estimate he wrote. He said he would redo it and call me back real soon. I reminded him that he didn't call me back the last time and he then asked me for my e-mail so he could just send it to me. I gave it to him and about an hour later, I received a vague estimate. He wasn't sure if it was a 12 or 14 hour job but he guessed it was somewhere in the range of $4,600.00. He ended with the earliest he could get me in was after the first of the year. Just call him and he would set me up. I called him and got his answering message and on it, he stated that he would get right back to the caller.
I still haven't heard from him.
I then called HWH and spoke to a nice lady that referred me to the service department. I was told via a message that all calls would be answered in the order that they were received. I guess it was an extremely long que since to this day, about a month later I still have received no return phone call.
After those calls, I called Nacogdoches Motorhome Service, looking for David Whitehead and they told me firstly that he was no longer there and secondly that they could not do my repair because they were shutting down. They suggested Keith Risch.
The last suggestion was truly a blessing. I called and spoke with Keith, and he had to work out a couple of details and he would get back to me. One of the things was he was buying the table for removing the slide from NMS. I would buy the bladder and stuff from Foretravel and he would pick it up. I would be there the day before and he would put it in the next day. In the mean time, he hurt his back and we put it off a week.
We got there at 09:30 on Wednesday morning, pulled in immediately and Keith and his helper began to remove the slide. During the process, it was discovered that the auxiliary air compressor would not come on due to a bad relay. One of the previous owners had installed a switch to cut off the compressor using the power wire to the compressor. This was incorrect because it meant the relay was constantly powered and it had overheated and caused the problem. While they worked on the slide, I went to Foretravel, got the relay, and replaced it. I caused a wiring problem that Keith later fixed.
The bladder was in about 16:00. That's with two people doing the installation. It's far less time than the 12 to 14 hour range that FOT quoted. I was very satisfied.
It would be great to end there but... In the process, Keith found that the brakes were shot. New pads and new rotors were ordered and I picked them up the next morning. After a second hard day's work, we had new brakes. I had to get 3 lug studs for replacement. Again, I'm a happy camper.
The next issue has a little story with it. When the coach was new to us, we came in from our first trip and the coach pulled to the right. The coach was bought at MOT and we took it back for this problem and a few other issues. When we went to settle up, I asked about the pulling and the advisor told me that the slack adjusting cam had stuck and they "tapped" it with a hammer to fix it. It seemed alright for a while and then developed a slight pull to the left.
Keith was under the coach and saw that the right brake disc was covered with surface rust indicating that the pad wasn't engaging when the brakes were applied. He went to adjust the cam and the pawl was bent and it looked like someone had hit it with a hammer. Imagine that. The cam got replaced. At 60 miles per hour, if one lets go of the wheel and hits the brakes really hard, the coach stops straight and quick. Now I'm really happy.
The things replaced were: rear pads and rotors, both ABS sensors, rear brake pins, wheel seals, 3 lug studs, air compressor relay and right front adjusting cam.
During this process, I read about an annual trip to Nac and the shop rates of $150 to $160. There was a lot of discussion about the costs and waits etc. I try to do most of my own repairs because I enjoy it. I couldn't do the slide due to the lack of equipment. I am very pleased with the service that I received from Keith Risch. I actually believe that his work was far exceeding of what I would have received at FOT or MOT. I spent around 6 coach bucks and feel like I really got the bang for my buck!

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #1 – December 12, 2022, 02:54:00 pm

It sure sounds like a typical Keith Risch encounter. Glad you got it all worked out

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #2 – December 12, 2022, 02:56:46 pm

Ive never met him but have never heard a bad thing about him. I have his number in my phone and wouldn't hesitate to use if needed. It nice to hear about good people charging fair prices and working hard at what they do. Ive changed the bladder on your coach and it takes some time. Great to hear

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #3 – December 12, 2022, 04:08:54 pm

Yes, dsd, I read your posts about changing your bladder. It was a main factor in my decision to have it done. I enjoyed the reading though.
Elliot, I'm watching your shock replacement posts currently...
Glen

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #4 – December 13, 2022, 07:51:59 am

Keith is a great guy and has always done right with us! Thank you Keith for doing a super job with your fellow man in your thoughts! Makes a person see a little light at the end of the tunnel!

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #5 – December 13, 2022, 10:16:51 am

I have worked on many vehicles and pieces of equipment in my time. I am still only a shade tree kind of fixer. Besides being a true lover of Foretravel and a great person to deal with, Keith is an artisan. He did the critical parts of the rebuild and also took the time to teach his helper what and why he did the steps a certain way. He set the load on the rear bearings precisely. It wasn't just torque wrenched to a certain foot pound it was set to an exact standard. He showed the help where to stand in the wheel well and how to approach the desired pressure. It was more like watching a craftsman work on a fine watch.
He is easy to work with and didn't upcharge the parts. He offered to go get them, but we needed something to do so we were the part fetchers. The parts folks at FOT were helpful and we got to visit them a lot. One shock was the cost of one lug stud...$62.
I will definitely go back to Keith for future work.
Glen

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #6 – December 21, 2022, 09:14:54 pm

Where is Keith located and how do you get in touch with him. Thanks

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #7 – December 21, 2022, 10:56:27 pm

(936) 462-3764
Texas

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #8 – December 22, 2022, 12:58:26 pm

Guess the cat's outta the bag
I'm a HUGE fan

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #9 – December 22, 2022, 01:30:47 pm

The phone is above...
8946 US HWY 259
Nacogdoches, Texas
It shows up as Redfield, Tx on the map. He has a bay next to Adkison Body Repair. They have done work on our coach and did it right.

Re: Bladder and Brakes

Reply #10 – December 22, 2022, 04:12:44 pm

Thanks!

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