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Topic: Problem fixed! (Read 770 times) previous topic - next topic

Problem fixed!

Greetings all! Long time lurker and 2003 U320 owner. We have owned this coach since Sep 17 and have taken several short trips and one long  to Tennessee back in January. We started off in May on another long trip on a National Park tour out west. Well we didn't get out of Texas until we started hearing a continuous knock/rattle at the rear of the coach. I'm fairly mechanically inclined (but new to diesel pushers) and got under the coach and searched for anything I could that was possibly loose. Couldn't find anything at all. I checked the temps (with a hand held temp gun) on all the wheels and calipers and nothing was running hot.  Traveled on down the road having no idea what it could possibly be. Numerous calls to Aubrey at MOT trying to rack his brain to no avail. Can't tell you how many times I stopped and got under the coach and could not find anything. Got into Las Vegas and stopped at Las Vegas Freightliner. Well low and behold, they tell me there is slack in the 3rd member and it needs a new one. They called everywhere and could not locate one. We called Mark at MOT who says they get theirs from Weller Differential. Well LVF finally gets in contact with someone at Weller who says they can build one in a week. LVF assured us it was ok to limp to a RV park and wait.
    Well the day of shipment arrival, LVF calls us and says Weller cannot build it and cannot locate the 391 gear for the rear end. Really really frustrated at this point after waiting a week. We call Mark at MOT back and he says he can get us one. He researches and finds the closest ratio they can come up with is a 4.10. Well a week later and it arrives. LVF has to work us back in to install. Finally get it installed and we pick it up on a Friday at 3 pm. Well 4,500.00 later (parts and labor) and we get back on the road headed to Seqouia. Wife followed me for a while in our jeep. No sounds at all from the rear of the coach. About 50 miles down the road and we pull over and hook the toad back up. Immediately started hearing the noise again.
Big dilemma! Turn around and go back to Vegas or push on to the next affiliated Freightliner shop. Knowing its 4 pm on a Friday, we will be staying in Vegas until Monday to get it looked at (After being there for nearly 3 weeks, wife and I shivered at that thought). We decided to push on and made it to Fresno Freightliner. The checked everything in the rear of the coach (axles, 3rd member, brake hardware, drive shaft and ujoints) and couldn't find a single problem. They suggested it might be something structual inside the walls or floor. At this point, wife and I are at a loss. We decided it was just going to have to rattle and bang until it reared its ugly head and fall apart. Can't tell you how frustrated we were at this problem. We went on to Yosemite, San Francisco and now sitting at Sparks Marina RV park in Reno (with it rattling and banging the whole way!).
    Well I get up this morning, to check on the fluids and pressures and decided I'm going to get back under it one final time. I'm looking around and grab for the frame to move on over a bit more. I miss the frame with my hand and hit the round pvc tube for the sewer hose and it knocks into the torsion bar bracket.The support bracket that holds the pvc tube is weak and bent. I see where the pvc has a deep groove in it and the bar bracket is shiny where it's been rubbing and banging. I get some tie straps and cinch it up. Fired  the motorhome up for a test drive, drove it down the road and the noise is gone! Eureka!!!1800 miles of driving us crazy and finally fixed!
  Now the big question. Was my 3rd member going out? Who knows...I can only go by what they were telling us with the slack in it. Wanted to give a humongous thanks to Mark in parts and Aubrey at MOT for the many calls and questions. Aubrey even called us a couple of times to check on us. Definately sending a letter to MOT to brag on these two guys! They are good as gold.
 Well sorry for the lengthy post but definately wanted to put this problem out there. If you have a knock and rattle you can't find, check the pvc sewer hose housing!

Robert
 
Robert and Josie Parker
2003 U320 40' Build 6132
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Oakwood, Texas

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #1 –
Glad you found it. Feel bad that it took the time and hassle until discovered.
Dan - Full timing since 2009
2003 U320 40' Tag 2 slide

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #2 –
"4,500.00 later" and then you fix the problem yourself.
That's criminal, and it happens too often if you ask me.
1993 U225 Build #: 4285
500 Watts Solar
Honda CRV AWD
Former 1981 Foretravel Travco
Retired, Full Time Off Grid Snowbird

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #3 –
Congratulations. 

An owners who gets "up close and personal" with his rig often is a better diagnostician than even a knowledgeable tech not familiar with your rig.
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #4 –
How may miles on coach?

I know you do not want to hear it but my guess is unless you could hear the rear end whine and now you do not, I would say it was not bad. (At least not bad enough to replace now)

But as I say, never say never!
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #5 –
Quote from: turbojack –
How may miles on coach?

I know you do not want to hear it but my guess is unless you could hear the rear end whine and now you do not, I would say it was not bad. (At least not bad enough to replace now)

But as I say, never say never!

71,000....Yea I'm in agreement, I've had rear end problems before on trucks. BUT, when you are 1500 miles from home and they tell you there is slack, you pretty much have to take their word for it. I had tried to check that very issue myself on the road before we got there and I did not see any slack. Lord knows if I would not have and broke down somewhere on the side of the road at night, my better half would have whipped my lower half! LOL
 What's done is done. Atleast we have a warranty and peace of mind. We aren't letting us ruin our trip over it. Headed to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons from here.
Robert and Josie Parker
2003 U320 40' Build 6132
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Oakwood, Texas

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #6 –
So Rob..can you feel the difference with the 4:10 gear change.??
Hans & Marjet
1995 U300 "Ben" (#4719)
3176B Cat,4060HD,Jake
SKP#139131
Motorcade#17579
2006 Honda Element (towed)

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #8 –
Foretravel coaches are diesel pushers resulting in a lot of businesses believing every Foretravel owner is wealthy. That is something that cannot be mitigated.
John
1998 U270 34'

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #9 –
Quote from: Travelin' Man –
There's some slack in your wallet now.

There is slack in your wallet every time you put these things in drive. LOL. If you let that stop you, you better stay at home. Haha
Robert and Josie Parker
2003 U320 40' Build 6132
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Oakwood, Texas

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #10 –
Quote from: Hans&Marjet –
So Rob..can you feel the difference with the 4:10 gear change.??
Yes I can. Mark at MOT says at 70 mph I'm only pushing about 60 rpm's more. It feels more responsive on these mountain grades to me. But it might just be in my head.
Robert and Josie Parker
2003 U320 40' Build 6132
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Oakwood, Texas

Re: Problem fixed!

Reply #11 –
How about the Big Rig shops charging $25.00 - $30.00 per hour more to work on a diesel pusher MH claiming they're more difficult to work on?  Shouldn't "more difficult to work on" result in more hours to compensate..............without the surcharge?