Poor Quality Work And Parts For RVs

[HenryPatterson]

bizsmith...Why don't you tell us a few tales of the good ones...I haven't had a good laugh in a long time!!

[Monkeyrun]

They quit making the Blue Birds Henry

[lpbuckley]

New member / 1st post / GOOD NEWS!!!!

I can provide an input on good service received while on my maiden voyage home from Atlanta where I had purchased my first (and current) RV, a 1995 Trek turbo diesel 2430 with 60,000 miles last November 2012 (74,000 now a year later). My route back to Oregon took me through Lincoln, Nebraska where the engine "flamed out" while I was in rush hour traffic.....managed to nurse the rig off the freeway and to a safe overnight dry camp at the Cracker Barrel restaurant. The next morning over breakfast I started my search for any kind of diesel repair facility (thank you Google and Yelp) and was VERY fortunate to find Jim's Diesel repair....a family run business of long standing. Jim was booked full when I called him, but offered several good referrals to other credible call-out mechanics in the area....and in the end, once I limped into his shop and we talked for a bit, he made room for my rig and showed me how past repairs (done poorly) had created my "flame out" situation. He had parts on the shelf, the knowledge to explain what had been done improperly before and the willingness to show me the correct re-route for the heat sensitive driver module that had failed. I was on my way that afternoon with a few less $$$ and a tremendous repair done right (along with having made a new friend). The electronic fuel injection driver module now lives OUTSIDE of the engine compartment on a monolithic heat sink mounted in good free-stream cooling air instead of in the valley of the V8 directly adjacent to the high temperatures of a hard-working turbo diesel.

I'll save my comments on the other maintenance malpractices that I've since uncovered and repaired over the past year for another time.

Let me just add that it truly helps to be able to understand the systems installed in your rig so that you can trouble shoot issues before seeking repairs...the more educated you can be on the basics of how things are s'posed to work, the better you can find credible maintenance providers....and eventually, you will find that most of the things are fixable at your level....mostly.

[ticat900]

teddychamp,

I have no idea where you dreamed up motorhomes don't have wiring diagrams etc but that's factually untrue.

Most motorhomes all have wiring diagrams.

[wolfe10]

Perhaps he means that they do not SHARE their wiring schematics, not that they don't exist.

[sandyhepburn]

Perhaps he means that they do not SHARE their wiring schematics, not that they don't exist.

Even that is not true - most manufacturers will send you copies if you ask. I sent an email to Fleetwood and received wiring diagrams, both 12V and 120V, plumbing diagrams, paint diagrams, and others in return email - no charge.

[ticat900]

TEAMROPE,

50amp breaker to run the onboard charger? I don't think so. 15 amp most likely/

I notice u have explained things a little clearer now.The 120V charger was always running as the 50AMP circuit breaker u showed is on the charger out line so in actuality the charger was always working fine just not able to charge the batterys

[erniee]

We are fortunate to have all the blueprints for all systems in my coach.

[teamrope]

TEAMROPE,

50amp breaker to run the onboard charger? I don't think so. 15 amp most likely/

Ron fixed it for me. He told me 50, but then I could have misunderstood him.

[wolfe10]

Teamrope,

Easy enough to determine. Open your 120 VAC main breaker box and see what the breaker says.

[teamrope]

Teamrope,

Easy enough to determine. Open your 120 VAC main breaker box and see what the breaker says.

Just got back. It is a 50 amp DC breaker. It is between the charger/inverter and the batteries.

[wolfe10]

Teamrope,

Check the 120 VAC breaker in the 120 VAC main breaker box. It is the breaker that supplies the 120 VAC to your inverter/charger to charge the batteries.

And, what size/model is your inverter? 50 amps DC will not accommodate a very robust inverter. 50 amps times 12 VDC= 600 watts. Most inverter/chargers are over 1000 watts.

[teamrope]

I've been going to Rons right after work so I'll have to check it tomorrow. The charger is working fine on shore power now. It has been keeping the batteries up for over 2 weeks now.

This is the breaker he changed out: http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx/Circuit-Breaker-50-Amp-Threaded-Stud/_/R-BK_7823117_0006522027

I'll check on the size of the inverter next time I go down there. I'm not 100% sure but I think it is an 1800 watt invertor/ charger, and it also has a separate charger in the same bay.

[ticat900]

I was thinking just as wolfe10-- you had no 120V power to your charger is why I questioned the 50 amp breaker claim.

In fact you may have always had 120V power to the charger and what you changed was a 12V 50 amp Circuit breaker in the 12V out charge line.

Two different animals.thanks for the clarification.

[teamrope]

That's what I figured so I posted the link to the part.

The original point I was tiring to make is that a fellow FMCA member knew more about fixing my charging system than the dealership's mechanics.

[wolfe10]

Teamrope,

Please DO post the make and model of your inverter/charger or separate charger.

Thanks.

[teamrope]

Teamrope,

Please DO post the make and model of your inverter/charger or separate charger.

Thanks.

I didn't get down there tonight but I will tomorrow.

[teamrope]

Finally made it back down to the coach. The charger is a Intellapower 9200 by Progresive Industries. The inverter is a Trip Lite RV612ENT.

[wolfe10]

Depending on which 9200 you have (see specs here: http://www.progressivedyn.com/power_converters_9200.html) with the smallest being 45 amp output and the largest 80 amps, a 50 amp breaker is barely marginal to way too small.

But, before upgrading the breaker, you need to verify that the wire gauge is OK for larger breaker.

What is wire gauge between converter and breaker and breaker to battery?

[teamrope]

It's a 70 amp unit, The wire to the breaker is 6 gage wire. Also the location of the breaker will not allow room for a bigger breaker.

[ticat900]

Location of the breaker will not allow for a bigger breaker?thats not true as A 40 or 50 or 60 etc were all the same physical size (or extremely close).