when you become a motorhome user does it (1 Viewer)

[geo glasgow]

When you become a motorhome user does it get better?
Does it happen in threes right enough ?
ON DEC 20013 i picked my M/home up from the midlands...looks good runs well
good price disable adaptions wide door etc etc,, Bang on the money
even got money off without asking for a discount
so filled up the tank and of to Glasgow i set,,
50 miles up the motorway it starts lashing down of rain
window wipers on ,they run for 10 mins then nothing ,,,now wipers mental rain
all i could do was look at the very top of the windscreen that seems to be slightly dry due to the overhang of sleeping bay above,,,,
gets home no probs £80 for a new motor and i fit it ,perfect,
2 weeks later,, front brakes feel strange motorway almost home,,
driveway again front discs pads and bleed done and dusted £130 total.
so far lucky lucky,,,
next the other day i should yous all the rear fibrglass and light damage,
again no problem happened in my drive i blame the snow and the monoblocks on a steep driveway not slowing down the 4x4 CRASH BANG WOLOP again no injury, il fix it all for £120 thats incl the new light cluster delivered this week coming ,simplzzz..
BUT LAST NIGHT AYRSHIRE COAST,,,22.00hrs dark windy and rain,,,
"thud thud grind scream" suffered it very slowly till i get into a large petrol station Kilmarnock,,
All i can say is 1/4 mile more on a motorway and i and the family would have been goners , no Brakes back wheel almost off only the frame of the motorhome keeping it on,
Again into my driveway last night droped off back of large trailer within 1/2 hour by the AA, BLOCKS UNDER THE WHEELS KEEP IN GEAR,

Gets up early today thinking about how close all could have to driving threw the next roundabout without brakes if i didnt come off the next exit,

today i get the wheel off to find shattered bearings colapsed brake drum system,
and the actual cause of all this is the main hub nut that holds the whole wheel section ,hub brake drum bearing etc had came off ???? off .
anyway strange thing is i have a pair of 3 leaf heavy duty upgraded suspension kit that i was going to fit this week, so im going to completely renew both back wheels with hubs bearings and brake drum kits and surly
but surly that must be the end of this motorhome saga,,,,
but again im sure this has happened to many on this forum,
just glad if it has were all here to tell the tale of how to survive in a motor home,,,,:thumb:

 

[Puddleduck]

So glad you are all okay.

 

[icantremember]

Sounds like someone was pleased to see you come along oh:I assume it was a private sale with no warranty.

Sorry to hear of your woes but hopefully it can only get better:thumb:

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[pappajohn]

sounds like the previous owner had an aversion to routine maintenance.

Has it had a cambelt change on either mileage or age....if that goes it will put you off for life.
Depending on age and engine around 80000miles or 5 years...whichever comes first.

£300 for a belt change or £1300 for a head rebuild.

 

[geo glasgow]

the funny part was

trying to assist my wife up the steps into the truck which was bring us back to Glasgow..
and me throwing my 21 year old disabled twins over my shoulder like a fireman.
they thought it was funny so did i but was struggling so couldn't laff.
however with the second kids lift my wife fell on her should i say arse or rear end in the cab with one of the kids on top of her now that alone made me laff.
..
wheel almost off but theres always a funny side to life,,,,,

 

[TheBig1]

the wiper motor and the bump are just bad luck, but the brake failure and hub nut coming undone sounds like poor maintenance to me. If it were me i would do a major service and check the condition of the engine and running gear before taking it on the road again

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[Wildbill]

Welkom to motorhoming I had sum fun last year but hopefully the end is in site at least you are safe:thumb:

 

[geo glasgow]

sounds like the previous owner had an aversion to routine maintenance.

Has it had a cambelt change on either mileage or age....if that goes it will put you off for life.
Depending on age and engine around 80000miles or 5 years...whichever comes first.

£300 for a belt change or £1300 for a head rebuild.

papa john .only last November on my 4x4 the same one that damaged my rear end of my motorhome the other night , i blew the engine on the Mitsubishi l200 2ltr turbo.
got a reconditioned engine down south £1300,
i got mr turbo in Glasgow to recon my turbo£150
i also got my fuel pump reconditioned £80
got new belts flywheel pulley and Woodrow key etc etc,
complete cost to fix £2000 that incl labour ,,
so yes cam belts and blown engines is a stinger,,,, good point is
my motorhome as serviced and timing bet complete apprx 5k miles before i got it, im the second owners old couple had it since new all services and paperwork for everything was in the sale,, so minor things im working on,:thumb:

 

[icantremember]

Welkom to motorhoming I had sum fun last year but hopefully the end is in site at least you are safe:thumb:

Bill, I thought you were the one on here with all the bad luck but it looks like you have competition nowoh:

Here's hoping you are both over the worst now and have a great season of motorhoming ahead.

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[MHVirgins]

Really sorry to hear this........it puts our "squeak" into perspectiveoh:
Was it a private sale or from a dealer? We bought our Dakota from a dealer down that neck of the woods last summer, but have a good 3 year warranty on it.

Minor things are fair enough, but what you've experienced could have had a serious result.........I would have all it checked over very thoroughly before you set out in it again. Good luck with it all.

Bill

 

[Puddleduck]

It makes you suspect that when the van was serviced the garage didn't actually do what it was paid to do.

 

[geo glasgow]

Really sorry to hear this........it puts our "squeak" into perspectiveoh:
Was it a private sale or from a dealer? We bought our Dakota from a dealer down that neck of the woods last summer, but have a good 3 year warranty on it.

Minor things are fair enough, but what you've experienced could have had a serious result.........I would have all it checked over very thoroughly before you set out in it again. Good luck with it all.

Bill

it was a private sale,, old couple from new loads of service and invoices every tax disk and every mots they were moving to london to stay with there son so probably was starting to show various issues but i have a large garage i use for my motorcross and quads etc bit of a man shed,,lol
so il take my time and work my way round it ,, got my cable to run for my solar panels and satellite system so il take time out and i have a wee mechanic mate as well hes not working at the moment so hes out in my drive starting as i speak.. i have a feeling once all of this is done and up to spec with loads of extras im selling it on looking confident that everything will be done that makes it better than safe,, every mod con possible,
been looking at those big dethleffs now they look the dogz..

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[Scout]

has it got the alko chassie or the fiat one, if the former then make SURE THE AXLE IS GREESED to alkos speck, this has not been metioned on the forum for a while so all newbes shouild note this, failure of the axle is not good.

info here:

http://zappysblog.co.uk/al-ko-chassis-maintenance-rear-axle-greasing/

 

[geo glasgow]

services and complete 300 point check is seperate

It makes you suspect that when the van was serviced the garage didn't actually do what it was paid to do.

i wouldnt blame anyone for this it jsut passed mot 3 weeks ago no problem
and any pass services is a service things like this happens all vans cars and motorhomes can have a sudden breakdown sometimes its small stupid things like loss wire are ware and tear or in some cases mechanical error as in many occasions over 30 years of driving i have seen the ball joint from the steering system on some peoples cars come off guaranteed it happens when the wheel hub or gaitors have been worked on and the lock nut or slit pin has not been done correctly ,, the wheel just turns in on its self gets dragged along the tar, now thats a serious mechanical error and it happens alot,

 

[Wildbill]

well if it's any consolation it can get worse

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[geo glasgow]

apart from the fibreglas kit for my bumber i bought

no just for one side but im going to do it the proper way,
both sides are getting replaced completely

full beairings kits pair comes with new hub axle lock nuts,
full brake drum and brake replacement kit complete,
i have new leaf springs heavy duty to fit at the same time so
all will be better than new out the factory,,,

so rear wheel rebuild complete,
new cluster light replace
fibreglass and spray job,,, im going to buff down sills to metal recoat with rust protector and chip guard again better than factory coating, then spray same time as repaired bumper,,,, i have spray guns and compressor lucky to have very big garage with every tool and spray device known to man,,
maybe even take orders for repairs soon,, lol
anyway work cut out over next few days or weeks,,,, :thumb:

 

[Puddleduck]

i wouldnt blame anyone for this it jsut passed mot 3 weeks ago no problem
and any pass services is a service things like this happens all vans cars and motorhomes can have a sudden breakdown sometimes its small stupid things like loss wire are ware and tear or in some cases mechanical error as in many occasions over 30 years of driving i have seen the ball joint from the steering system on some peoples cars come off guaranteed it happens when the wheel hub or gaitors have been worked on and the lock nut or slit pin has not been done correctly ,, the wheel just turns in on its self gets dragged along the tar, now thats a serious mechanical error and it happens alot,

Great attitude - yes sometimes things just happen. I just checked and I've been driving over 40 years :Blush: although the first 3 years were on private roads as I wasn't old enough to be on public roads. Passed my test as soon as I was old enough to sit it.