Hey folks, cut us old pilots some slack. All pilots love 'war stories'
i.e., 'I went out, tempted fate, had harrowing experiences, coped with them
and brought it safely back home'. All these stories of break down and how
it got fixed are the allegories we need. Don't you know how boring it was
to drive this thing for 14 years and 50,000 miles all over the U.S. and
always get home without really scary happenings. Of course, I could never
get the Onan to run at altitudes above 3,000' and the engine always bucked
and coughed on a hard pull up a mountain (vapor lock?). The exhaust
manifold gaskets always blew out halfway through a long trip. The
alternator broke one Sunday afternoon in January (20 degrees below zero) on
interstate 80 in Wyoming. The right front wheel bearing came apart in
Colorado Springs one Friday on a summer trip. Another time I blew the right
forward tandem Michelin tire with such force it moved the wall by the
doorway forward 4". Never did find the hub cap or T cover. All those
things and a lot more are now fixed and proper preventive maintenance is now
followed. I just finished a rush 3,800 trip in June so boring that I
started to worry about the oil pressure decreasing and then increasing again
by about 2 lbs. on an hourly cycle. Lurkers and Newbies, this is probably
the best and sturdiest 25 year old piece of machinery ever made but we need
to know what's happening to it to avoid it ourselves or enjoy a little
challenge on the road. Lets not let Arch's getting a little tired of our
noise or Tom's insistence that he wouldn't voice a conclusion unless he'd
done his homework interrupt our interchange. If any one takes a snapshot of
this forum and is scared away, they probably ought to stay away from motor
homes entirely. By the same token we could spend a little more time
bragging about the fun we've had but let's keep it coming.
Bob McLaughlin
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Bolick [mailto:jbolick]
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2000 12:42 PM
To: GMCnet
Subject: GMC: Trouble free miles
Arch said: Could some of you tell us how many miles you have driven with
very few troubles.
I have owned my coach for 11 years, my records show 168141 miles on the
chassi, I have put 61531 of those miles on it. I have been towed once.
Being mechanically inept, I keep a maintenance log and I refer to it several
times a year replacing high mileage and long lived items before they break.
I have had items break while travelling but they have been minor items that
did not leave me stranded by the side of the road. I carry spare parts that
I am able to replace. "PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE" is the key.
Jim Bolick
'73 Painted Desert
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