*Update* trouble on I-5

Topic: *Update* trouble on I-5 (Read 2893 times) previous topic - next topic

Update trouble on I-5

October 27, 2015, 03:01:57 am

Well now, Where to begin.

The problems first started as we were leaving the PO's drive way when the coach was being a bit hesitant to go into gear. Every time we had to stop it became more & more recalcitrant about going into gear. I was rather worried while we were sailing from Duke Point to Tsawassen, I certainly didn't want to break down on the ferry. All went well with our importation process. (which was my biggest concern) It barely took 15-20 minutes. But again the coach didn't want to go into gear. The coach finally went t*ts up at MP 237 on I-5. Then it got dark and was starting to rain & get cold.

This is something that I didn't include in my call to Wayne. And that was the fact that I started the AH to fend off the cold. It fired up just fine in the diesel setting, No smoke and lots of heat at the exhaust (for about 10 minutes) then it too stopped working and never fired up again. Yet the green diesel light stayed on and didn't flash to indicate a fault. So I guess that is broken now as well. So on went the genset and the heat strips. At least those two systems worked.

Sunday we just sat around Valley Freightliners lounge. They finally got the coach into a bay at 3PM Sunday (they closed at 5PM) Nothing was done on Sunday. Monday at 7:30 I got a call from the shop stating that the tow truck driver had damaged the U-joint yoke on the diff side of the driveline. He had hit it so hard with a sledge hammer that the bearing cup bolt hole was now un-round & therefore they couldn't diagnose the trans issue until the driveline was fixed and reattached.

This is where I got very mad at Valley Freightliner. After the 7:30 call to me. The wife & I went to the shop at 11AM and the shop foreman showed me the damage. He said they might be able to fix the problem by running a thread tap into the formerly round hole, but might have order a new yoke. 1PM I ask for a status update. They were waiting for the tow company to get back to them about paying for the damage their driver caused. (the tow company was called at 8AM) 2PM I'm now getting mad as nothing has been done on my coach and they have had it for 9 hours since they started the RO. I said that they need to get it in gear and that they should have tried to run the tap on those threads right after they got off the phone with (Dick's Towing of Everett) Because even if they (Dick's) balked at paying, Tapping out the threads would only take a few minutes & I had no issues with absorbing the labor on that. Dick's did admit fault and agreed to pay. The tapping of the damaged thread hole worked and took a few minutes. So in a nut shell, Valley Freightliner wasted 6 hours worrying about a $20-$30 labor charge. Valley Freightliner told me that they do not carry any Allison parts beyond seals & gaskets. And that if parts were needed they would have to be ordered, So it would most likely be Wednesday or Thursday as a get well date.

My wife and I secured transportation to Enterprise car rental and headed (coachless) back to Walla Walla, But I had left my GPS in the coach so we went by Valley to pick it up.

My coach was finally handed over to the Allison specialist at 3PM Monday. When I went to the coach for the GPS, He had the computer hooked up to the trans ECM. The only fault he saw was a retarder temp sensor failure but had a hunch that the selector pad was the issue. We then headed to Walla Walla. About 2 hrs later I got a call from the shop saying that the selector pad was kaput, unresponsive, DOA. The tech didn't find any loose wires. I asked about the retarder issue & the RO made no mention of the retarder temp sensor failure, but that he would double check on that.

Then during the lube, oil & filter service. They found a sheared off exhaust manifold bolt. So will cost another 3hrs to fix if it cooperates. And up to 6 or so if they need to drill it out.

In the end, it looks as if my 3 hours of Foretravel ownership is amounting to about $1,000 per hour running cost so far. I imagine that the AH will cost me another K or so.

So, the turd polishing starts.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #1 – October 27, 2015, 05:04:37 am

Bigdog,
I've been following your story since you signed in. I know how it is to purchase something and then have it not perform up to par. Hopefully the price you got on the coach will balance off the problems you are encountering. Also I hope that your run of luck changes ASAP.
Keep your sense of humor and hang in there. Hopefully we will run across each other somewhere down the road and be able to have a great laugh about it while you're giving me a ride in your Caterham.
Len

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #2 – October 27, 2015, 07:04:46 am

Welcome to ownership, I had the AH spring a leak of engine coolant on my maiden voyage. Thankfully it was not my first coach. There are always teething pains to a coach that sits a long time.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #3 – October 27, 2015, 08:16:12 am

bigdog

FYI you may want to tell the shop you want the dead keypad as it can be rebuilt and would give you a spare. This fellow in the Dallas,TX area can fix it if it is fixable, give him a call. Transmission Instruments

Not to sound like a moocher but even if you don't want to have your old one rebuilt there may be another member that would be interested in having it repaired.

Pamela & Mike

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #4 – October 27, 2015, 08:36:06 am

X2 on Transmission Instruments. They repaired our balky shift pad, and it has just made a 4500 mile trip with perfect function. They have very quick turn-around, will not "fix" anything unless it actually needs fixing, and have (I think) fair pricing compared to anything you might purchase from Allison.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #5 – October 27, 2015, 09:57:08 am

Sorry for all your first time out problems. When I picked up our coach in Omaha I started getting high temp and low oil pressure readings so stopped in Cedar Falls at a Freightliner shop to find out what was going on. They connected their computer and checked actual temp and oil pressure and it turned out that the temp gauge was reading 20 degrees high and oil pressure was 10 psi low. I continued on west and about an hour later both the temp and oil pressure gauges were reading correctly again. For the rest of the trip the gauges would sometimes read correctly and other times not. We left the coach @ RnR RV in Liberty Lake, WA. I had them do a pre-delivery inspection to ID as many potential problems as possible and ends up we are having around 10 CB of work done to get everything in A1 shape. I figure that is just part of the cost of purchasing the coach. Even with the 10 CB of repairs and upgrades I figure I still got a great coach for the price. We leave Thursday to drive over and pick up the coach and bring it on home, maybe we will pass each other on the way home. As John S. said there are always teething pains in buying a motorhome, new or used, don't get discouraged.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #6 – October 27, 2015, 11:38:01 am

Hasn't it been said by several that 10 percent of purchase price afterwards for issues. I figure it's coming because the averages seldom lie. Might be brakes or whatever but stil love our Foretravel.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #7 – October 27, 2015, 11:51:21 am

We live in Moses Lake and bought our FT from a guy who lived on Camano Island. Since there are two pretty major grades on I-90 between our home and theirs (Snoqualmie and Vantage) I was on *high alert* the entire trip. We had towed our dolly over with our sedan and were towing the sedan back on the dolly so at least we had a dinghy.

So far we have only been stranded one time, just north of Corvallis, OR on I-5 last winter on our way south the coach would not start. That cost us 5 days and half-a-coach-buck.

The two biggest stress factors I can think of are: "What was that noise?" and "Does the toad look okay to you?"

Hang in there. It's a process....

Craig

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #8 – October 27, 2015, 11:57:39 am

I hate sitting in waiting rooms, feels like jail without the three squares! Hope things work out, stay in touch. M

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #9 – October 27, 2015, 12:34:29 pm

While I am most certainly disappointed in my "legendary Foretravel quality coach" throwing me under it's wheels.

I'm actually more pissed off at the shop than I am with the coach. In that they asked the tow company to pay for the drivers mistake, OK that's great. But as the first attempt at repairing the damaged bolt hole would be the same whether the tow company paid for it or not. Means that the shop wasted 5 hrs of diagnostic time waiting for an answer instead of just repairing it. Which ended up resulting in the shift pad being ordered today (Tuesday) instead of Monday morning. The shops OCD with the $20-$30 labor charge for tapping the bolt hole cost a full day.

Mike, The shop does have a nice waiting room with comfy chairs, sat TV, shower, WiFi (wasn't working though) Clothes washer & drier, Vending machines that take cards if your short of cash. and a shuttle service.
They are just lacking the "let's git er done" attitude that has always (until recent times) been the hall mark of American ingenuity & free market competition.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #10 – October 27, 2015, 01:00:05 pm

I feel your pain. Hope you get back on the road quickly and as painlessly as possible.

Early in our ownership I was inclined to listen and do what service techs. recommended, thinking that surely they must know what's best. Later through a couple of experiences I learned that some times I must assert myself into the process and Assist them in making decisions and action plans. Hang in there and work the problem.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #11 – October 27, 2015, 01:13:15 pm

Quote from: Carol & Scott – October 27, 2015, 01:00:05 pm

Later through a couple of experiences I learned that some times I must assert myself into the process and Assist them in making decisions and action plans.

Agree bigtime . Most of us know more about our coaches than most techs do, we're a rare breed, after all. That's why I do my best to stay with the coach (no matter what the b.s. about "insurance regulations" is). I want to be there, it's our home & I have a short fuse for wasting time, coach bucks and I want to spot ineptitude. 'nuff said. M

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #12 – October 27, 2015, 01:25:38 pm

I think FORETRAVELS legendary quality is still just fine.

None of the parts in question were made by Foretravel 17 years ago.

I have spent 3 1/2 years and two or three times more coach bucks than you have so far rebuilding or upgrading every moving part in the machine.

You bought the "bones" not the sub assemblies.

The Foretravel difference is after 17 years that the "bones" are still good unlike a lot of SOB's where their bones are bad and not fixable.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #13 – October 27, 2015, 01:33:12 pm

Quote from: bigdog – October 27, 2015, 12:34:29 pm

While I am most certainly disappointed in my "legendary Foretravel quality coach" throwing me under it's wheels.

I'm actually more pissed off at the shop than I am with the coach. In that they asked the tow company to pay for the drivers mistake, OK that's great. But as the first attempt at repairing the damaged bolt hole would be the same whether the tow company paid for it or not. Means that the shop wasted 5 hrs of diagnostic time waiting for an answer instead of just repairing it. Which ended up resulting in the shift pad being ordered today (Tuesday) instead of Monday morning. The shops OCD with the $20-$30 labor charge for tapping the bolt hole cost a full day.

Mike, The shop does have a nice waiting room with comfy chairs, sat TV, shower, WiFi (wasn't working though) Clothes washer & drier, Vending machines that take cards if your short of cash. and a shuttle service.
They are just lacking the "let's git er done" attitude that has always (until set the timer on your phone for 1 times) been the hall mark of American ingenuity & free market competition.

Set the timer on your phone and count how many times the technician changes his bllue rubber gloves and checks his cell phone per hour!

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #14 – October 27, 2015, 01:47:50 pm

Quote from: stump – October 27, 2015, 01:33:12 pm

Set the timer on your phone and count how many times the technician changes his blue rubber gloves and checks his cell phone per hour!

Something my employees had to get used to: NO PRIVATE CALLS DURING BUSINESS HOURS!

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #15 – October 27, 2015, 02:58:04 pm

Quote from: Caflashbob – October 27, 2015, 01:25:38 pm

I think FORETRAVELS legendary quality is still just fine.

None of the parts in question were made by Foretravel 17 years ago.

I have spent 3 1/2 years and two or three times more coach bucks than you have so far rebuilding or upgrading every moving part in the machine.

You bought the "bones" not the sub assemblies.

The Foretravel difference is after 17 years that the "bones" are still good unlike a lot of SOB's where their bones are bad and not fixable.

While that might be so Bob, It's rather hard to think that right now after being stranded for 3 days & departing with 2-3 coach bucks (est) a scant three hours after our purchase and having driven for 1 hour or so.

Bigger yet Is the rather very large doubt that has firmly entered into the mind of my wife. It will take a long time before she changes her outlook of this being anything but an untrustworthy way of seeing America. Right now she sees us hopping from repair shop to repair shop. If we would have been able to make it home and do some repairs at our own pace until she retires. She would be much more accepting of the repair scenario. But three hours of ownership and 1 hour of driving resulting in 3 days of being stranded, a car rental, Missed Dr. appointment and the prospect of already looking at spending 3 coach bucks and 3 more for taxes and 1 more for the windshield replacement and likely one more coach buck for AH issues that weren't there when I looked at the coach. I will be paying dearly for this for quite some time.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #16 – October 27, 2015, 03:26:41 pm

Roll the dice. Similar issues many times. Including our coach

Warned every customer to take a short trip the first time,

Most of the customers trading in coaches had no idea things were bad.

"Never gave me no trouble" means everything needs fixing in my experience

Long list of needed long term use replacement parts needed was posted.

That's why I took every traded in coach rving myself before reselling it and told the customers at my asking price that they could bring me a list and I would fix it all on Foretravel(me as sales manager.)

Simpler coaches then helped

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #17 – October 27, 2015, 03:51:13 pm

Quote from: Caflashbob – October 27, 2015, 03:26:41 pm

"Never gave me no trouble" means everything needs fixing in my experience

Yup, I inspected a number of Airstreams (before I knew about coach bucks) and told them, "Get 10k together, 'cause I don't care what sort of coach it is: Foretravel, Beaver, Country Coach, Marathon, Alpenlite, AS., you WILL spend CBs! "

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #18 – October 27, 2015, 04:07:49 pm

Again - Feel your pain.

The day after we bought our Ol' Girl the toilette started to leak. I tried to fix it and blew a fuse that I could not find. So now I had water leaking and a toilette that didn't work. Took it to Camping World - never again - they did find the fuse and replaced it but in the process they crossed the wires so the toilette still didn't work properly and still had the leak. Paid CW $500.00 for Diagnostics and Repair. House batteries, inverter/converter, slide bladder and a few other things made us feel like we got the short end of the stick on our deal. We felt for a while that we were going from one repair facility to another and they would never end, not to mention the $$$ Very discouraging. I kept trying to remember that the 10CB that folks talked about putting aside. Not only was my wallet hurting but also my pride/ego. I was the one that wanted a Foretravel and I thought - What did I get us into.

It is easy for us to say that we have gone through it too - as many us us have. It is difficult to get over that mental hump of uncertainty and lack of faith in our machine and more importantly ourselves. Try to keep this incident in perspective and stay positive. Your DW will probably be OK after a while.

Having been on the FoFum for a while I have read and commiserated with a few new FT owners and must admit that I do not recall any of them that were beaten. Beat up a little bit not beaten.

BTW - We had to have the Windshield replaced shortly after we bought our coach as a rock cracked it on day 2. It turned out we had windshield coverage for a small monthly amount.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #19 – October 27, 2015, 04:38:14 pm

Quote from: Caflashbob – October 27, 2015, 03:26:41 pm

Roll the dice. Similar issues many times. Including our coach

Warned every customer to take a short trip the first time,

Most of the customers trading in coaches had no idea things were bad.

"Never gave me no trouble" means everything needs fixing in my experience

Long list of needed long term use replacement parts needed was posted.

That's why I took every traded in coach rving myself before reselling it and told the customers at my asking price that they could bring me a list and I would fix it all on Foretravel(me as sales manager.)

Simpler coaches then helped

I never expected the coach to be perfect. As a person that has built cars over the years and having owned a trucking company. I certainly didn't buy the coach wearing rose colored glasses. It was simply for me & the wife the hard impact of such a big hit in such a short time span. I'm not nearly as bothered by the mechanical issue as the wife is. It was mostly a matter of timing that has her still giving me the "evil eye" and for now she doesn't trust the coach.

Wayne, (The PO's friend and fellow FT owner) The wife & I drove the coach for an hour,Thus ensuring all fluids were warmed up, Running the genset and operating every system, hooking it up to shore power, turned on every light on the coach, And inspected it and went over all operating procedures over the course of three hours. as well as reviewing the FULL maintenance history that the PO has from the day the coach was first delivered.

So you have spent two or three times as much on your coach over 3.5 yrs. Well! Good for you. But It's much different when I spent 1/3 to 1/2 the CB's you have spent in 3.5 yrs in a mere 3.5 DAYS in an emergency situation along the side of a road. So I'd appreciate you not making any more patronizing comments.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #20 – October 27, 2015, 05:06:56 pm

Quote from: bigdog – October 27, 2015, 04:38:14 pm

I'd appreciate you not making any more patronizing comments

Hey! Lighten up, these things will end and no one is laughing at you, we've been there and could be there right now.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #21 – October 27, 2015, 05:09:38 pm

Quote from: bigdog – October 27, 2015, 04:38:14 pm

It was simply for me & the wife the hard impact of such a big hit in such a short time span. I'm not nearly as bothered by the mechanical issue as the wife is. It was mostly a matter of timing that has her still giving me the "evil eye" and for now she doesn't trust the coach.

I can't fully appreciate your situation--because we didn't have that experience that with our Foretravel.

However, I truly believe things will get better as you "iron out the kinks" from a vehicle that has suffered from non-use. I really hope you can "hang in there" until you--and especially your wife--are able to build up the confidence to really enjoy your coach. We enjoy ours so much that I hope you can soon enjoy yours, as well!

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #22 – October 27, 2015, 05:34:23 pm

We went through some similar frustrations, except I also had two kids with us - so I always had three faces looking at me pitifully as I tried to fix things! All good now, if that gives you any hope. These are just things we work through on older equipment.

Chris

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #23 – October 27, 2015, 05:49:30 pm

I am SO very sorry that you had this happen on your very first trip! What bad luck. You certainly did all the right stuff before purchase trying out every system and doing your due diligence before leaving the driveway. I am totally upset that your wife has had to deal with this and has had her excitement ruined by the stress of a breakdown before she had any fun. I understand her being leery and I can only say that I hope that the next trip is a dream and erases the anxiety of this one. Our first coach was purchased in Mesa, AZ and we learned how to drive it on the way home to Philadelphia. We had NEVER been in a motor home before and knew NOTHING. We were complete idiots. We spent our first 3 coach bucks in Oklahoma Freightliner, when we had to stop for repair. Hole in the manifold, hole in the intercooler ... some other stuff. We were too dumb to know that stuff didn't sound right or that the engine didn't operate properly. You are WAY ahead of our learning curve. PLEASE tell your Dear Wife that I urgently wish for her to have faith and that there is a world of wonderful times ahead in that coach.

Re: Update trouble on I-5

Reply #24 – October 27, 2015, 06:01:30 pm

As was told to me by a friend that got me sold on Fortravels (I'm on my third) is that the coach stays up at night figure out what is going to be broken in the morning.

In my business I hear all the time. "It was working yesterday"

I have a friend that bought a NEW $300K + motor home 3 years ago. On his first trip home from picking it up at the dealer he ended up after 50 miles limping it back to the dealer to get it fixed. After two weeks he goes and picks up again and makes the 200+ mile trip back to his home in Houston. Next week he goes on a trip to Florida. A few hours out and Generator stops. It then starts raining and after 1/2 hr of the wipers running they stop. I forgot what else broke on that trip but it was a BRAND NEW RV His one day trip to Florida turned into 3 or 4. He got so tired of that MH breaking he traded it in for a new 2015 Entrega He made a trip to Bolivar for the weekend and by the time he made the hour & half trip all 3 AC's had stopped working in 90+ degree temps. He just turned around and drove back home with no AC's working.

I was staying at the RV park in Galveston and a brand new Provost pulls in. After the guy gets it parked he go and opens up the side compartment and pulls out his tool box, goes and opens the rear hatch and starts wrenching on the engine. I could not handle sitting there watching him wrenching on a new Provost with paper tags. I asked him what he was doing and he said that he had just been stranded on the side of the highway when a hose broke. He had gotten the hose replaced but it was dripping and he had decided to let it drip until he got to the campground. Mileage on coach was just over 3K.

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