melvinshapiro
Three Forks, MT
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Joined: 09/10/2007
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7/18/08
We are sitting here at Freightliner Service center in Anchorage, Alaska having lost the transmission due to a faulty Country Coach design to the transmission/radiator cooler assembly. The tranny cooler is integral to the engine radiator; it sprung a leak, internally, allowing engine coolant and tranny oil to mix and enter the Allison tranny - - ruining the tranny. The rebuild of the transmission is $7,000 and does not include labor to remove and replace it, fluid flushing or new fluids. Additionally Country coach does not have a replacement part and indicated that one might be available in 4 to 10 weeks!!!!!!!
I have since learned that numerous others have had similar problems with this bad design; Country Coach has denied responsibility. Our 2003 Lexa has only 35,000 miles on it. If Country Coach goes broke, how am I to get the coach rolling again? Are there any other radiator/transmission coolers available that will fit the coach?
Mel Shapiro
melvinshapiro@yahoo.com
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robatthelake
Vancouver Island
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Joined: 08/24/2003
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If It's a Freightliner Chassis surely they would be the people to be in touch with! You are at Their facility They should have the Parts.
Country Coach built the House ,so unless They Modified the Original design some how ,I can't see that They can be found responsible.
Rob & Jean 90 Southwind John Deere/Oshkosh/Freightliner Class A Ford 460/ Toad 92 Tracker 2 wd 5sp Convert Still running Great!
" Everything in it"Still" Works"
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Jim@HiTek
Gresham, OR, USA
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Joined: 07/17/2004
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Wow, I am so sorry that has happened to you. I would be in a very precarious position and would seriously think about getting a job in Anchorage for a few months.
Have you gotten a second opinion? I found that Freightliner will quote 3-4 TIMES what a truck shop would. And I wouldn't take their first quote as gospel either. They seem to ALWAYS over quote what you need. Perhaps go to an old shop on the outskirts of town where some older technician might have some method of fixing it up so you can limp around with it for a few thousand miles while you try to work out a reasonable solution? Or go to a local shop that works on the city buses or school buses to get a better deal?
There are hundreds of after market tranni coolers available. Any auto parts store can show you something. And any truck repair shop should be able to redesign the tranni cooling system for you...
IMO.
Good luck. Come up and see me here in Fairbanks when you're back on the road.
* This post was
edited 07/18/08 07:24pm by Jim@HiTek *
 Jim@HiTek
Have shop, will travel!
Visit my travel & RV repair blog site.
1994 Fleetwood Bounder
Cummins Diesel, 190HP, 36.5'
Black Rock Lava Park, Nevada
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Ivylog
Blairsville, Ga. USA
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Joined: 06/30/2004
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Does not sound like you are going to find a replacement for all kind of reasons. I'd plug off the tranny oil cooler so you can use the engine part of the radiator and add another external cooler for the tranny. If it's a side radiator you should be able to make room for this extra cooler. If a rear radiator it's going to be harder to find enough room to add another cooler. Need to start thinking outside the box as I'm afraid you are between a rock and a hard place.
A soft rebuild should only be $4,000 as only the disks need to be replaced. All your gears and bearings are fine. Agree with finding somewhere else for a second opinion.
*You might want to post on here for someone who has some pull at CC to help you out. Having been in the same situation I was able to get a replacement in 3 days when told by Monaco it would be weeks thru some connections I had at Beaver. A soft rebuild should be $4,000 at a Detriot/Allison dealer.
*might want to read the post by Sturat T
* This post was
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edited 07/18/08 08:39pm by Ivylog *
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itsalleasy
USA
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Joined: 07/20/2007
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Why not get a radiator shop to repair it? They tear radiator apart, add coolers, remove coolers, fix coolers all the time. A lot of diesel equipment uses radiator cooling for other fluids, changes are made in equipment, updates are made. Anchorage surely has one capable of this repair.
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Sully2
Cincinnati
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Joined: 01/20/2003
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Jim@HiTek wrote:
Have you gotten a second opinion? I found that Freightliner will quote 3-4 TIMES what a truck shop would. And I wouldn't take their first quote as gospel either. They seem to ALWAYS over quote what you need.
FL here in Cincinnati quoted me $75 a gallon for TranSynd fluid. I can walk ACROSS THE STREET and get it from Detroit Allison for $34 a gallon!!!...
2000 Country Coach Allure; Cummins ISC 330 HP; 71/2 - 8 MPG regardless
2002 Jeep Liberty
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50pascals
rochester, ny
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Joined: 01/10/2008
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The radiator is likely an off-the-shelf item. EVERY automatic trans car on the road has the same configuration.
$7000 is WAY too high.
You may be surprised how well a flush and refill will make the tranny work.
I have salvaged car transmissions that blew the cooler and then sat for MONTHS. Flush & refill and your on your way. The biggest problem will be corrosion. Change it fast, no corrosion.
Dealers (like Freightliner) tend to make things "just like new" regardless of price. Whereas for $1000 you may be able to make it "just as good as it was" and be no worse off.
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JohnnyT
Goshen New York
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Joined: 07/15/2003
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Mel, This sound exactely like the problem Monaco had (Monaco problem)
If I recall the problem was due the transmission cooler that was manufactured by a vendor for Monaco failing in the same way you described your problem with the same results...
JohnnyT
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