This post make MY head hurt.....sorry for your troubles....Dennis
Dennis and Debi
Monaco Executive M-45PBQ Quad Slide
525HP Cummins ISM 6 Spd Allison
Chevy HHR W/ ReadyBrute
Fourth Year Full Timing Click here to view our travel blog
Sorry to hear this news. The old diesels are some beautiful MH's for sure.
We went with an entry level 1992 P30 gas chassis in 2007 because we had no way to support a diesel MH should the bad news come. Most any 15-20 year old MH cash value makes them throw away items if they break hard but that can be a rash sounding step.
There is another way to look at this. You have gotten years of service out of the MH and had you bought the same class diesel MH but much newer you would have had a lot more depreciation than your repairs to date.
If you MH is worth ZERO as it sets as some mentioned you could go with a $6K engine and $3K labor bill and still only have another 9K in it. Not sure we can factor in past repair expenses.
I expect the block needed to be stripped and boiled out to get the metal shavings out if they lead to the crank shaft locking up.
If you go with a used engine I would stay away from making more HP than OEM for said engine. If the top or lower end is not engineered for the extra stress early failure is to be expected. It is kind of like a person hopped up on drugs tends to experience more health problems.
Do you have a new like transmission, frig, tires, brakes, roof, etc? In other words do you have any other high potential big expenses over the next five years.
Jim@HiTek wrote: ....But, my plan had been to sell this thing this year and get a newer rig with slides. I would like more space merely for comfort...
Jim as much as you help everyone else on the forum, I surely wish I could help you on this one with the absolute correct answer. Needless to say there is no perfect answer on this one.
From and outside perspective, your above statement is what I would do. I'm afraid you're at the point now where the rig will start to nickle and dime you to death. With every repair you will think it will be the last, only to have one more right around the corner.
The other thing is have you lost faith in the rig? If the answer is yes, then you should really move on.
Sorry to hear your story. But for what you already have into your Motorhome, and it does sound like its in really good shape and condition. I would go ahead and just put a New Engine in it and be done with it.
At least with a New Engine in it, you would then know for sure what you really now have. You already like the Motorhome annyways, and sounds like you have really given it so loving tender care.
With a New Engine, it cpould last you the rest of your life. You man or may not have mmany more problems, at least not real expensive problems.
Do you realy want to start over agin, and have to do it all over agin. Even Beand New Motorhomes are not wihtout their fair share of problems. And buying another Used Motorhome could end up costing you big time in the end to fix it up the way yours is now.
yes, it will hurt, but not half as bad as buying a New Motorhome, or a Used Motorhme and have all sorts of problems and even more money spent.
Your retired, so your limited on how much you can draw out of it. Can your really not afford to fix your Motorhome up, and know what you already have now, as to compaired to what another Motorhome might do to your money and your retirement.
You know your Motorhome better than anyone else does. So you should know if its a sound descision or not to go woht a New Engine.
Our Motorhome is 13 years old. When we bought it, it was for a "Once in a Lifetime Buy". I went throuhg it, and replaced all the Belts, Hoses, Tires, Battery bank, Up-date wiht a New Converter/Charger, plse did an "Inside make-Over". And we still don't have all that much into our Motorhome. Of coarse I do all of mmy own work on everything.
We could have afforded to buy any Motorhome we wanted to at the time. It was our choice, as we "Did Not Want a Desiel". The biggest reasons being, I can repalce a Gasser Motor for not much, not so with a Diesel Engine. Even a Diesel Re-build is very expensive.
But it has been a very good Motorhome, and has never "Broken Down", or had a "Flat Tire" or a "Blow-OUt". I'm a firm believer in haveing a very good "Proventive Maintence Program", so we don't end up with problems. We know that sometinmes, stuff just happens, no matter what you do.
But I sure would put some though into keeping what you now have.
Yes, Diesels can easily go 500,000 miles and more, but its not the Norm. I was an OTR Trucker for many years. A lot of those very High Miliage Semi's, had in Frame Re-builds. So even Diesels do break down also, just maybe not as soon as a Gasser will.
We wish you the best of luck, and hope your back on the road very soon. Good Luck. Happy Travels. Dan & Jill
sjholt wrote: The shop has to stand behind their repairs and when they fix it, keep it.
HTH
I agree with this statement if the cause of the siezure is due to the failure of parts they replaced. Problem is, they may have worked on #3 cyl. and now the failure could be from #4 cyl. Are they responsible for something they did not touch. What if the crankshaft broke? Is it their fault. Way too many things could have caused this new problem. Maybe it was due to their maintaince, will just have to wait and see.
For anyone thinking of full timing, I thought I'd throw out a few numbers from one who's been doing it for 7.75 years:
Just ran the numbers (haven't got a new quote on this new failure yet...but they're in here working) for the cost of the RV so far...$27,777 + 30,000 in repairs, tires, optional, taxes, tags; over 7.75 years that comes to $7555/year or $621/month. Then I should add $150/mo RV space rent...that's pretty low since I volunteer regularly at RV parks and get free rent. I'm trying to relate the costs of full timing ownership to owning a sticks & bricks home...
Comes down to the fact that this RV has cost me $771/month. Including tags and taxes. NOT THAT BAD. Plus I've gotten to visit so many cool places, and traveled 63,777 miles.
Only bad thing is that I have no or little equity. But a lot of people in S&B homes have lost theirs recently too. Unless I can sell this at a decent price. Then maybe I'd get back $8,000 - $12,000.
So, maybe I'll have it fixed and then sell it. Depends on the up coming quote. Pretty sure my BP is down to normal now that I've decided to go with the flow.
Just got the word...it's the #1 cylinder...the one the shop had worked on before! Maybe I'll get a break. Warranty is 1 year or 100,000 miles on parts, 33 days on labor. Just looked at the cylinder...yikes, the piston is all broken up on top!
I paid 27,777 for it and have driven 63,777 miles. Maybe all those sevens helped. I'm not superstitious though. Really. Don't gamble much.
I think your $1 per mile for just machine cost is not that bad if you walked away from it now. I doubt to many diesel owners have done it for less or even gas owners.
On looking at it more closely, the valves (new head) are melted as is the new piston top. It had a new injector too. Anyone know what might have caused this kind of failure? One of the techs mumbled something about a fuel pump issue?
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