Are you ready for a mechanical breakdown

[pavemike]

Wow Dave. The Gremlins are really after you. Just keep kicking their asses. Your journal of "How to Handle Multiple Breakdowns" will soon be infamous among the forum users. Let us know when you need us to start a Go Fund Me page to help cover those hotels, restaurants, etc.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by pavemike

Wow Dave. The Gremlins are really after you. Just keep kicking their asses. Your journal of "How to Handle Multiple Breakdowns" will soon be infamous among the forum users. Let us know when you need us to start a Go Fund Me page to help cover those hotels, restaurants, etc.

Thanks. I checked my roadside plan today and they cover up to 2,000 for trip interruption for collisions but not for breakdowns.

[Muscay1]

Dave, Don't know what rv you have, but we have a FourWinds 35sf model. Under the bed in the rear is a controller board for the full slide and the bedroom slide. There are fuses on this board. 5 to be exact. The board is hard to see as they have it mounted verticaly and its hard to see the fuses. There are 2 five amp fuses and 2 20 amp fuses and 1 15 amp for the whole board. We had this problem with not being able to extend or retract on either slide. The 5 amp fuse was burned on both slides. You might check them out.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Muscay1

Dave, Don't know what rv you have, but we have a FourWinds 35sf model. Under the bed in the rear is a controller board for the full slide and the bedroom slide. There are fuses on this board. 5 to be exact. The board is hard to see as they have it mounted verticaly and its hard to see the fuses. There are 2 five amp fuses and 2 20 amp fuses and 1 15 amp for the whole board. We had this problem with not being able to extend or retract on either slide. The 5 amp fuse was burned on both slides. You might check them out.

My problems are DEF issues (chassis)

[paulwadley]

Dave

Almost sounds like it time to get a rental car and head home until it is repaired. Sorry to hear after all you have gone through and still going through.

Paul

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by paulwadley

Dave

Almost sounds like it time to get a rental car and head home until it is repaired. Sorry to hear after all you have gone through and still going through.

Paul

No, no rental car to home just yet!!! If he does that what gonna happen to our daily updates and chronicle? Besides, he can't just leave and abandon that luxurious and monster size Accolade. My money says Freightliner knows how to get a truck back on the road for a simple 700 mile journey. Maybe they do some follow-up later when he gets his home. In the meantime, I expect the 3rd time is the charm, it gets fixed Monday in Indy and he is back on the road to wherever his next destination may be.

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Beau388

Interesting that Freightliner offers a choice of Detroit or Cummins diesels and Eaton DT 12 speed or Alison 6 speed trans in their class 8 trucks. In their Class 7 trucks (M2 106) the offer Detroit DD-5 and DD-8 with many Eaton auto and manual trans as well as several Cummins 6 speeds. I would think that the DD8 (350 hp and 1160 ftlbs of torque) with the Eaton DT-12 automatic-manual transmission would ideal Super C.
I had a chance ride in the cab of a new Freightliner Cascadia class 8 with the DD13 diesel and Eaton DT-12 trans this spring. It reminded me of the old milk truck I drove in my college years. It that a 6-71 Jimmy, 2 cycle diesel with a 13 speed Roadranger, clutch brake and Eaton electric two speed rear. Nothing like a college kit in a 5,000 gallon, three axle milk truck with a high winding diesel and 24 forward gears. I got good enough that I could get through first 12 gears with using only the air operated clutch brake and not touch the clutch pedal. Good pay from Rowan Dairy at $4.25 an hour no CDL needed. One summer's work paid for two semesters of college.

Rowan dairy? Rowan county NC?

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by paulwadley

Dave

Almost sounds like it time to get a rental car and head home until it is repaired. Sorry to hear after all you have gone through and still going through.

Paul

I have our TOAD.

Nope gonna ride this out. Between here and home is Freightliner Custom Cassis in Gaffney, SC. I’ll pay them a visit if I have to.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

I have our TOAD.

Nope gonna ride this out. Between here and home is Freightliner Custom Cassis in Gaffney, SC. I’ll pay them a visit if I have to.

I mean you da man or what

[EA37TS]

Rig went in the shop an hour ago. I called Freightliner and asked that when they get all lights and codes clear and they think they have the problem fixed they suck 1/4 tank of def and see if it gets a CEL and Low def light at 1/2 or 3/4 tank. If so they need to fix the problem.

[Bob Denman]

So you're covered for collision; but not breakdown with your trip interruption coverage...
Is there a really large tree nearby?
Sorry.../ I couldn't resist the urge.
Good luck with this one!

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

So you're covered for collision; but not breakdown with your trip interruption coverage...
Is there a really large tree nearby?
Sorry.../ I couldn't resist the urge.
Good luck with this one!

Are you a licensed agent to do insurance in Texas? If so; you are hired

One day, I will have to learn about the DEF systems? I see the stuff all the time, but never owned any kind of diesel engine. When I was a kid I use to see black soot on most every Mercedes Benz car on the highway. I vowed to never buy one of those things ( I haven't). I am sure it is better today, but if you have to buy DEF stuff, what is the point? To my ignorance it is as if they make a very fancy polluting machine engine; that then requires an even fancier depolluting machine. Not sure what I am missing ….

[paulwadley]

Diesel engines have come a long way from the days of black soot out the exhaust. The fuel economy has gotten much better. They do require a bit more support(DEF System) to keep them running clean. I do like the diesel I have in the Sprinter. It has a smaller engine than it's gas cousin but it runs great. The emissions systems have been evolving for many years on them.

Paul

[DavidEM]

It is not only DEF injection systems that are necessary for diesel engines to control NOx emissions. Many diesels also have soot filters and more importantly soot incineration systems to capture soot and incinerate it. It is the incineration part that causes problems, maybe not so much as DEF though.

Both are usually required to allow diesels to meet current NOx and particulate emission standards.

I hope that these systems malfunctioning are just teething pains for the diesel engine industry. Hopefully they will solve the glitches and diesels will regain their reliability reputation.

David

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by DavidEM

It is not only DEF injection systems that are necessary for diesel engines to control NOx emissions. Many diesels also have soot filters and more importantly soot incineration systems to capture soot and incinerate it. It is the incineration part that causes problems, maybe not so much as DEF though.

Both are usually required to allow diesels to meet current NOx and particulate emission standards.

I hope that these systems malfunctioning are just teething pains for the diesel engine industry. Hopefully they will solve the glitches and diesels will regain their reliability reputation.

David

The DEF systems are the one causing the issues right now. Regen (soot) is normally handled with burning off at highway speeds so forced regen is rare.

The DEF systems are having a heck of a time with Def heads and sensors. Spartan chassis is having more problems than Freightliner.

As a note research has found that DEF is causing more environmental problems killing trees on the side of highways and such than it is solving.

[Bob Denman]

D,
The DEF is just an emissions-reducing tool: not unlike the catalytic converters that have under your cars since 1975...

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

D,
The DEF is just an emissions-reducing tool: not unlike the catalytic converters that have under your cars since 1975...

Ya mean like the one everybody is going around stealing? I have never seen Catalytic Converter fuel being sold anywhere? I am sure this sounds dumb maybe even silly for the Diesel enthusiast, but this is opportunity for a layman to learn something. Who knows, I may want a Diesel in my next RV? I am curious because to me it seems like suddenly I see Def Blue at basically every store I go? Lowes, Wal Mart, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange etc. While it may make some sense for a Wal Mart store with Auto Center, if I am in Home Depot, Lowes or even some Grocery stores I see the big boxes of Def Blue, I am looking around for the Truckers LOLOLOL.

So it is a fuel, it must burn something? How does it ignite, and what is it is burning? When EA37T (aka Burt) says he want Freightliner " to suck 1/4 tank" what exactly has to happen for Freightliner to do that? Start up the engine and drive for "X" miles and drive around Indy, or do you let this Def system run by itself? Speaking of which, I wonder what it would cost to put that Accolade on the Speedway, put a #43 decal on the side doors and let it rip for 3 or 4 laps

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

As a note research has found that DEF is causing more environmental problems killing trees on the side of highways and such than it is solving.

I think I have seen this? If this is what you refer to....on some stretches of highway, I have seen where a forest line is running parallel with the highway, it looks as if someone took some Round-up and sprayed up to 15' along the entire side or if it some how caught fire, I wondered how it could burn like that and so evenly?

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

Ya mean like the one everybody is going around stealing? I have never seen Catalytic Converter fuel being sold anywhere? I am sure this sounds dumb maybe even silly for the Diesel enthusiast, but this is opportunity for a layman to learn something. Who knows, I may want a Diesel in my next RV? I am curious because to me it seems like suddenly I see Def Blue at basically every store I go? Lowes, Wal Mart, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Orange etc. While it may make some sense for a Wal Mart store with Auto Center, if I am in Home Depot, Lowes or even some Grocery stores I see the big boxes of Def Blue, I am looking around for the Truckers LOLOLOL.

So it is a fuel, it must burn something? How does it ignite, and what is it is burning? When EA37T (aka Burt) says he want Freightliner " to suck 1/4 tank" what exactly has to happen for Freightliner to do that? Start up the engine and drive for "X" miles and drive around Indy, or do you let this Def system run by itself? Speaking of which, I wonder what it would cost to put that Accolade on the Speedway, put a #43 decal on the side doors and let it rip for 3 or 4 laps

DEF stands for diesel exhaust fluid. It is mainly ammonia sprayed on the exhaust after combustion to cause the particles in the exhaust to stick together and fall to earth instead of roam around in the air. It doesn’t burn. My old F350 with a 6.7L diesel had a tank that didn’t tell you that it was low. Just went into limp mode. Then it had to be completely filled to the brim to reset.

[MJC62]

To the original question are you ready for a mechanical breakdown? Short answer is as well as can be expected. No one can actually prepare for the unexpected breakdown so we do preventive maintenance and hope for the best.
Several years ago we had a transmission problem on a Chevy Class C just outside Butte MT. The transmission needed parts that would take a week to acquire or we could have a rebuilt installed. We chose the rebuilt trans which needed to be delivered from Billings. As this was Thursday and the soonest we would see the trans from Billings was Friday afternoon the MH wouldn't be repaired till Monday. Spent the weekend in a Butte Hotel. As this was back in the day when reservations weren't an issue we didn't loose anything on that end.