took my, new to me, 07 HR Neptune to Ocala Cummins for oil change & lubrication @ 7500 miles...they called & requested permission to replace a hose to the overflow tank & said the hose would be under $100...my bill for the oil change, lube, & hose was $680.00...when I questioned it they showed all the parts that had to be removed to access the hose...they explained Monoco had used the wrong type hose resulting in several coaches breaking down...what a hose job!
Much, much better to find out now, rather than have your transmission burn out on the highway due to lack of fluid. Your bill does sound about a hundred bucks or so high for the job done, but if you can't do it yourself, then I'd certainly rather have a RV shop fix items it knows are bad rather than go into some thoe filled with "automatons" who just do the very minimum to get by. As always, oRV
These situations are always tough to swallow, but would you prefer the shop not alert you to the issue. Whatever the final cost it is surely cheaper and less headache than having a problem on the road.
Can not comment on the job but after have a rad hose failure on the road you got off cheap. Just curious did you get an itemized bill with labor broken down for each item - what was labor for the oil change, lube and then the hose replacement. What were the itemized part cost including the 22 or so qts. of oil.
levendoski wrote: took my, new to me, 07 HR Neptune to Ocala Cummins for oil change & lubrication @ 7500 miles...they called & requested permission to replace a hose to the overflow tank & said the hose would be under $100...my bill for the oil change, lube, & hose was $680.00...when I questioned it they showed all the parts that had to be removed to access the hose...they explained Monoco had used the wrong type hose resulting in several coaches breaking down...what a hose job!
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Gotta' say that while prudence dictates that we heed the advice of the "experts", I also sympathize with Levendoski on this one. I, too, experienced the feeling of being hosed on a my first-ever visit to a Freightliner service facility with my then-new to me '99 Dutch Star. Long story shortened is I'm sure most of the extra work was of the "pay me now, or pay me later" variety, but at the time I felt like I was taken advantage of as an obvious newbie DP owner.
1999 Newmar Dutch Star 3858/CAT 3126B 300HP/Freightliner
2004 Nissan Frontier, 4 down using Blue Ox & M&G braking system
Garmin Nuvi 660
Several questions come to mind:
1. What is the shop's labor rate and how much time did they claim for the oil change and lube? Following the logic of $100 for the hose, that means the rest was $580.
2. What part of the remaining charge was parts?
Perhaps they did more than you indicated like change the fuel filter, etc.
I ask this in the context of similar bills that I got - $500 to change the coolant (shop rate was $85/hr, materials were $50) and $450 to change the oil in the front wheel bearings. In the later case, they did not remove the wheels.
IMHO, the shop rates are high enough to cover a reasonable amount of time to do the work. In my coolant replacement case, the charges amounted to nearly 5 hours of shop time and I know darned well that they didn't spend that much time doing that work. I changed the coolant the next time myself, using a flush (which they didn't) and also replaced all of the hoses (which they didn't) - and I didn't have 5 hours in my work, doing it the first time. I haven't been back to that shop in 4 year. They were cheaper than Freightliner at the time. I cannot speak about our local Cummins labor but their parts are cheaper than my local auto parts stores for engine and generator items.
Sounds odd that Monaco would take the cooling system apart. Seems to me the chassis arrives as a package and they build around it. A hose can't cost more than a few bucks.
Empower yourself, become self-reliant, get educated and buy the tools. You'll be money (and life) ahead.
I am reminded of a quote I just saw on the TV show "Tougher in Alaska." I think it was one of the beacon repair guys.
He said:
"If you don't know what you're doing, Alaska is NOT for you!"
-OR- Find a good independent truck repair shop and make friends there!
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