Break downs

T

thomas g. warner

New member
Mar 24, 1998
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How many on the net have ever broken down to the point where they could not
drive the coach home. What was the breakdown? Just how reliable is the GMC
on the road.

>Glenns story about taking in his coach for a diagnosis by an expert reminds me
>why my old Dad refuses to visit a doctor, he's afraid to find out that he's
>sick! My coach runs so well and rides so nice, that I hope an expert never
>sees it to let me know how bad off she really is. I'm also afraid to alter her
>internal organs too much. However, I do not want to be left at the side of the
>road on a trip, and work hard to see that that doesn't happen. Or if it does
>happen, that I have the skills and stuff necessary to get moving in due
>course. Have followed the shocks thread with great interest (every time it
>comes around - vbg). Larry Nelson, PB 75, Springfield, MO
>
>
Tom & Marg Warner
Vernon Center NY
1976 palmbeach
 
>How many on the net have ever broken down to the point where they could not
>drive the coach home. What was the breakdown? Just how reliable is the GMC
>on the road.
>
>

I lost 2 fan belts last summer. One of my replacements was the wrong belt
(mislabeled), so I had to find a parts store in the middle of the
Penssyvania countryside.

The coach was drivable by running the genset and taping down the boost
swtich - at least for shorter distances since one belt was wrapped around
the shaft. I found new belts late a night and then discovered that I ddin't
have the tools to cut the old belt off the shaft - too tight for my side
cutters and my small utility knife broke. Five minutes the next morning
with long nosed vice grips at a service station and the old belt pieces
came off.

My other failure was 75 miles after thaving the brakes rebuilt. One of the
flares had a very small crack that started to open up when I applied the
brakes. Rear circuit lost fluid like crazy. We parked the coach and drove
it early in the morning to a local repair shop where they bent a new brake
line into the correct shape and eliminated the leak.

We've driven the coach over 8,000 miles since last July (it would be more
if work didn't get in the way).

Henry
Henry Davis Consulting, Inc / new product consulting
PO Box 1270 / product readiness reviews
Soquel, Ca 95073 / IP reviews
ph: (408) 462-5199 / full service marketing
fax: (408) 462-5198
http://www.henry-davis.com/ http://www.henry-davis.com
 
But you've overlooked the high freight/shipping charges involved with
overnight delivery. You're also assuming you can call the supplier early
enough in the day for them to get it ready for shipment that same day.

Paul Bartz

From: ELUBO [mailto:ELUBO]
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 1999 10:34 AM
Subject: Re: GMC: Break downs

Forget about spares. Overnight delivery today saves alot of room in the
coach.
 
I understand that but has anyone really had parts delivered on the road?.
many companies are very reluctant to deliver anything to an address other
than on the credit card.

In addition major breakdowns is what I was thinking about, engines and
trannys etc.

>Forget about spares. Overnight delivery today saves alot of room in the
>coach.
>
>Talking from experience.
>
>
>Ed Lubo
>
>
Tom & Marg Warner
Vernon Center NY
1976 palmbeach
 
I've only had my coach since last July. However, on the way back from
Pennsylvania I somehow broke the bracket that holds the shock absorber (front
passenger side) to the lower control arm. We were on the PA turnpike and it
sure made a lot of noise (rattling). That was a Sunday morning. There was no
place to fix it and it had to be welded back on. So I made an executive
decision and removed the shock and drove at about 45 MPH all the way to
Michigan. I don't think we hurt anything but we could have. Guess this
doesn't count as a break down since we could drive it. But we had all sorts
of spare parts and tools, but no arc welder.

Seems like every trip something happens. But I guess that's the fun of
driving an antique.

Richard
new GMC owner of Palm Beach '76
- ---------------------

> I understand that but has anyone really had parts delivered on the road?.
> many companies are very reluctant to deliver anything to an address other
> than on the credit card.
>
> In addition major breakdowns is what I was thinking about, engines and
> trannys etc.
>

> >Forget about spares. Overnight delivery today saves alot of room in the
> >coach.
> >
> >Talking from experience.
> >
> >
> >Ed Lubo
> >
> >
> Tom & Marg Warner
> Vernon Center NY
> 1976 palmbeach
 
I've experienced two.

One occurred during a blow out of the right-front rear axle tire. It blew
out the sidewall facing the wheel well. In so doing, the concussion blew
the flexible brake hose clean out of the ferrule on the caliper connection
end fitting.

The other occasion was the engine coolant water pump bearings going out,
allowing a massive amount of coolant loss.

Paul Bartz

From: Thomas G. Warner [mailto:warner]
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 1999 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: GMC: Break downs

How many on the net have ever broken down to the point where they could not
drive the coach home. What was the breakdown? Just how reliable is the GMC
on the road.
 
> Tom Warner: "How many on the net have ever broken down to the
> point where they
> could not
> drive the coach home. What was the breakdown? Just how reliable
> is the GMC
> on the road."


Larry,

I have logged over 60,000 miles in 16 years, and I have never had to call a
tow truck. My only two failures were a single flat tire, and an engine
starter. Neither kept me immobile for more that an hour. In my opinion,
the GMC is extremely reliable, but good routine maintenance is the key to
reliability.

As for spares, I keep a set of engine belts, engine hoses, a spare air bag,
and a spare tire. That's it.

Scott Shean
78 Royale
Baton Rouge, LA
 
My first trip out with 11 people on board, I was forty miles from home
when there was a great amount smoke. Pulled over and was towed 30 miles
to Albuquerque. Turned out that the bracket that holds the cv shaft got
loose, swung around and hit the oil filter. Repair $100, towing $180.
Called AAA and that's when I learned about RV Plus. That's my
breakdown Walter 78 Royale Santa Fe

Off to Canyon de Chelly this weekend.
 
My original Palm Beach spent more ime on the hook for the 1st 50k miles
than this old coach has in the last 300k miles.

The old one was usually down for the ignition module. It took me a while
to realize a pattern and started carrying a spare. With this old coach, I
have a spare that is 6 years old and growing older.

The current coach, with 571k miles on it was carried on a roll-back 5
years ago when the engine overheated in west Texas. I didn't know the fan
clutch was inoperative. Since then no breakdowns. She goes and goes and
goes, just like the Bunny on TV!

David Lee Greenberg F22009
GMC Motorhome Registry
200 MacFarlane Drive PH4
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829
 
>Thomas
>
>I cant speak to GMC suppliers. Please believe me I have had many
>Fed ex trucks pull up to my campsite or a repair facility with parts
>for my LeSharo. Thats why I got the GMC.
>
>Take Care
>Arch 76 GB IL>

Arch, is it true FEDEX could recognize you by your voice? Actually, I
didn't think LeSharos were that bad. Some club members sent their diesel
to Finland last year to use when they go there annually.

Of course, they keep their GMC in the states!

David Lee Greenberg F22009
GMC Motorhome Registry
200 MacFarlane Drive PH4
Delray Beach, FL 33483-6829
 
While traveling in Calif, after about 8000 miles on the transmission, it went.
Had Gene Fisher with me and left the coach in Livermore. Got a new
transmission and that's my story.

> >How many on the net have ever broken down to the point where they could not
> >drive the coach home. What was the breakdown? Just how reliable is the GMC
> >on the road.
> >
> >
>
> I lost 2 fan belts last summer. One of my replacements was the wrong belt
> (mislabeled), so I had to find a parts store in the middle of the
> Penssyvania countryside.
>
> The coach was drivable by running the genset and taping down the boost
> swtich - at least for shorter distances since one belt was wrapped around
> the shaft. I found new belts late a night and then discovered that I ddin't
> have the tools to cut the old belt off the shaft - too tight for my side
> cutters and my small utility knife broke. Five minutes the next morning
> with long nosed vice grips at a service station and the old belt pieces
> came off.
>
> My other failure was 75 miles after thaving the brakes rebuilt. One of the
> flares had a very small crack that started to open up when I applied the
> brakes. Rear circuit lost fluid like crazy. We parked the coach and drove
> it early in the morning to a local repair shop where they bent a new brake
> line into the correct shape and eliminated the leak.
>
> We've driven the coach over 8,000 miles since last July (it would be more
> if work didn't get in the way).
>
> Henry
> Henry Davis Consulting, Inc / new product consulting
> PO Box 1270 / product readiness reviews
> Soquel, Ca 95073 / IP reviews
> ph: (408) 462-5199 / full service marketing
> fax: (408) 462-5198
> http://www.henry-davis.com/ http://www.henry-davis.com
 
One example I forgot to mention occured 200miles after I bought the coach.
Coming down a long hill I downshifted. Then a small clink started, then got
louder. In a matter of minutes the clink became a clunk, and the diagnosis was
a blown engine. Got towed back home, and had Osburn rebuild the engine. That
was just after I bought it so I thought that although I had 102,000 miles, it
would last for a long time. Another theory shot to hell... now that I have a
rebuilt engine, transmission, and lots of other stuff, I feel more confident.

Al Chernoff
77 eleganza II

> I've only had my coach since last July. However, on the way back from
> Pennsylvania I somehow broke the bracket that holds the shock absorber (front
> passenger side) to the lower control arm. We were on the PA turnpike and it
> sure made a lot of noise (rattling). That was a Sunday morning. There was no
> place to fix it and it had to be welded back on. So I made an executive
> decision and removed the shock and drove at about 45 MPH all the way to
> Michigan. I don't think we hurt anything but we could have. Guess this
> doesn't count as a break down since we could drive it. But we had all sorts
> of spare parts and tools, but no arc welder.
>
> Seems like every trip something happens. But I guess that's the fun of
> driving an antique.
>
> Richard
> new GMC owner of Palm Beach '76
> ---------------------
>

>
> > I understand that but has anyone really had parts delivered on the road?.
> > many companies are very reluctant to deliver anything to an address other
> > than on the credit card.
> >
> > In addition major breakdowns is what I was thinking about, engines and
> > trannys etc.
> >

> > >Forget about spares. Overnight delivery today saves alot of room in the
> > >coach.
> > >
> > >Talking from experience.
> > >
> > >
> > >Ed Lubo
> > >
> > >
> > Tom & Marg Warner
> > Vernon Center NY
> > 1976 palmbeach
 
1. 4/7/89. Right after I purchased the ELeganza on the 4th of July
weekend I lost a transmission on the Janesville Grade, Easter side of
the Sierras at 9PM. It tood a 10 ton tow truck two and one'half hours
to get us turned around and pulled down to the shop.

2. 9/5/96. Blew a thermostat in Wyoming on a stretch of 80 under
construction. Snowing like crazy. State trooper got us a tow and the
bills here were outrageous.

3. 9/20/97. Blew a motor (rod bearing) in SLC. Utah is no place to
break down. Motor lasted 300 miles.

4. 9/23/97. After the 300 miles the rods bearings failed again. 5
months to get that engine back into the GMC after all the shipping back
and forth. 700 miles down the road it let go again. The MotorWorks
(Engine Manufacturing company) DO Not Stand Behind Their Product.

Chuck Lompoc, CA
 
Great idea, Arch. Send the little Lady on a vacation to Europe!

David Lee Greenberg
Boston Homes, Inc & GMC Registry
1220 US Highway 1, Suite B
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
T:561-776-1414 F:561-776-1788
 
>In a message dated 2/9/99 8:42:02 PM Central Standard Time,

>
> goes, just like the Bunny on TV! >>
>And I bet you do your maintainence on schedule too!
>
Yep, I follow the original Maintenance Schedule provided by GM Truck &
Coach in 1976. Also, I use the coach regularly. That helps, too.

David Lee Greenberg
Boston Homes, Inc & GMC Registry
1220 US Highway 1, Suite B
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
T:561-776-1414 F:561-776-1788
 
Mike
Ouch! You know how to hurt a guy. I've been driving one of those brown
vans for 33yrs.
( My guess... something was screwed up in the address.)

Dick Missett
73 ex-Sequoia
Wyoming, PA
 
Dick
Looks like I've done it this time.
If I keep talking I'm only going to put the other foot in my mouth, if I
don't say anything I'm going to have nightmares about a brown van
with PA plates parked in my driveway some morning.
I'll try: Sorry ! Didn't mean you personally! (maybe this will soften
him up) I really like Rolling Rock :)

Mike B (looking for a hole to crawl into)
NS........................................................(bet he's still mad at me)

> Mike
> Ouch! You know how to hurt a guy. I've been driving one of those brown
> vans for 33yrs.
> ( My guess... something was screwed up in the address.)
>
> Dick Missett
> 73 ex-Sequoia
> Wyoming, PA
>
 
Mike
Nightmares!...me mad?...NO WAY!
Like it says on our license plates
YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN PENNSYLVANIA!

You even picked the right brand of beer (brother-in-law is the local
master distributor).

If you're ever in PA, stop in and have a cold one with me!

Never took it personally, just don't want to turn the GMC netters off of
using the "Boys In Brown". Occasionally we do screw up!

Dick Missett
73 ex-Sequoia
Wyoming, PA
 
>Dick
>Looks like I've done it this time.
> If I keep talking I'm only going to put the other foot in my mouth,

You have hit on the basis for my Tagline..

OMIFEWW

Open Mouth, Insert Foot, Echo World Wide :)

John & Brenda Szalay
73 GMC PD
OMIFEWW

 
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