Community Forums

Lug_Nut · 12-25-2006, 12:08 PM

I just looked at a new '07 Essex that arrived at the resort today. It must have the upgrade that has been in the works. It had the new single double wide belt, similar to a super charger drive belt. On the frame nearest to the belt at the lower section was a black poly like teflon sleeve that wrapped the frame directly below. It is soft, springy and slippery. This would protect the belt should it flex toward the frame.
Looking at it I would say one needs it if their Jake still activates the fan at hi Jake and you are going to run hard in the mountains. For both Bob and my coach, at least, this is not really required as we had our ECM's reprogrammed eliminating the fan activation with the Jake.

Peter

Lug_Nut · 12-25-2006, 12:08 PM

I just looked at a new '07 Essex that arrived at the resort today. It must have the upgrade that has been in the works. It had the new single double wide belt, similar to a super charger drive belt. On the frame nearest to the belt at the lower section was a black poly like teflon sleeve that wrapped the frame directly below. It is soft, springy and slippery. This would protect the belt should it flex toward the frame.
Looking at it I would say one needs it if their Jake still activates the fan at hi Jake and you are going to run hard in the mountains. For both Bob and my coach, at least, this is not really required as we had our ECM's reprogrammed eliminating the fan activation with the Jake.

Peter

rebelsbeach · 12-25-2006, 12:29 PM

Peter,I am to say the least a bit disheartened with what I just learned from your post...

I was told by someone very high up with Spartan that I would be contacted as soon as this retrofit was ready to be installed as I had been one with three failures of the fan belt.
I have NOT been contacted and thus have NOT had the retrofitted piece installed...It was even explained to me that I could have this piece installed at a coach care facility.
I will be calling Spartan this week and making an attempt to speak to the person I spoke with while in Nappanee...(A vice president,not Chris Friar.)

I'm not sure where our wires got crossed,but Chris from Spartan talked me OUT of having the ECM reprogramming done while I was in Nappanee and thus I have since noticed some detoriation of the belt fabric from just returning from my trip to Arkansas and back. There is a definite STREAK or groove running through the entire center of the belt.

I did NOT use high jake but ONE TIME, yet the fan kicked on and off high speed due to cooling and engine braking procedures I was using in the mountains on I-40 through Tennessee and North Carolina.

This really is starting to upset me....I feel betrayed by SOMEONE, whether it's someone from Newmar or Spartan doesn't much matter....

All I can tell you is that I freaked out when I stopped for the night in Tennessee and noticed the streak through that belt.
There was also a NOTICEABLE shiny spot on the coach frame,right where you ground off that pointy spot Peter.

I am hoping I can have this new widget installed on the way to Florida,as long as I can get into the Coach Care facility in Kenly.

I've sat back waiting for my letter from Spartan that I was promised and now I learn they're putting them on PRODUCTION COACHES!!!

I was also told by Chris Friar that Spartan was going to FIX the PROBLEM COACHES FIRST!!!

Someone's full of poop.....I can promise I will get to the bottom of this.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention...

cwg · 12-25-2006, 12:46 PM

Last week at the factory I had remembered that Bob had tried unsuccessfully to get the new fan motor assembly put on earlier in the fall. I tried also by putting it on my repair list, but Chris on the Spartan side and the Spartan tech in the shop still say it is not for sure that there will be a campaign in January, or at least he has not heard definitely that it will occur.

I could not have been much closer to January than late December when I was there. I was trying to save some time and effort of returning to the factory or a coach care facility. They estimate the regular shops will have a learning curve and it may take 8 hours to perform the changeout. They feel at the factory they can knock it out in half that time. Again, this is if they elect to do anything. I think it will be as Bob has said, the most problematic coaches will have the priority to the solution.

The number of problems have diminished they quoted to me, and those that have developed are where the belt was replaced and the different grade bolts substituted. The original bolts are doing better than the alternately sized ones. Overall it amounts to about 4% of the K2 chassis that are having a problem.

I saw one week old Essex and Mountain Aire coaches which had the original two belt system and they were not even replacing them at the factory which greatly surprised me. I asked about that and was told they are facing the contradictory data I have mentioned -- up in the air whether to replace the belts or fan motor assembly.

Lug_Nut · 12-25-2006, 12:49 PM

Bob, Sorry I posted this on Christmas day. I didn't think it would upset anybody.

But Bob, talked you out of it? How? Telling you that they cycled the full fan application 60,000 times with the engine run at 2100 RPM in neutral? They told me that too. I told them the fan is frame mounted whereas the engine is rubber mounted. Apply axle torque to the equation with motor movement and watch the belts burn.
My belt is 100% of what it was since the ECM change and my Jake braking is excellent. I am not even bothering to check the belt ever 500 or so miles now.
My advise, reprogram and be done with it.

Peter

Lug_Nut · 12-25-2006, 12:56 PM

Charlie, Most K-2 buyer, and for that matter, MH buyers, don't do miles anyway. They would not find a problem for maybe years. I picked up my coach with 200 miles on at the factory at the end of August. I parked it about Nov. 10 in Florida. The milage is 9,033 miles.
There are at least 10 new coaches in my resort. They will be here for about 4 or more months. 4 of them have been driven 17 miles from the dealer.
This fan belt problem will not affect the average user.

Peter

cwg · 12-25-2006, 01:03 PM

One other thing they are doing is that if a coach has the serpentine belt replacement, the fan pulley must also be matched as some of the pulleys have a different groove height where the belt makes contact. They stated that some pulleys were wearing through the fanbelts prematurely. I saw both the double belts and old style pulley from another rig lying on a bench and inquired as to what was going on. They checked my pulley and it was the correct one; whether it came from the factory or was done at the time of the belt replacement work in Oklahoma I can't tell you. I feel pretty good that I was not going to be facing a two, but in light of all this, perhaps I should not doze.

I am sure that some of the rigs coming off the line have been out in the yard for some time as the chassis and motors were preordered. Now perhaps a few with the improved changes are trickling through production.

Bob, it may be time to ask the VP again if there are any new developments. Just when you thought the London Aire purchase was going to be unnecessary!

rebelsbeach · 12-25-2006, 01:13 PM

Peter, you as always are right on with what I was told...
I made the mistake (apparently) of taking someone from Spartan at their word...
I can assure you I've just fired an email off to Dick Parks,Ken Williamson and my dealer of an account of what not only what I've witnessed with my belt, but I was told by Chris Friar and Ed Dobbs from Spartan.

My obvious questions are:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE>If a campaign is not needed to address the PROBLEM coaches which have PROVEN FAILURES, why have the retrofitted the production chassis?

I was told in Nappanee that they would in fact fix the PROBLEM coaches FIRST...What happened?

If Peter is correct with all that data,why DON'T they just reprogram the ECM?

My last question.....

Does the RIGHT HAND of Spartan know what the LEFT HAND of Spartan is doing?[/list]

rebelsbeach · 12-25-2006, 01:15 PM

ADDED NOTE....I turned over 10,000 on the last trip.

rebelsbeach · 12-25-2006, 01:17 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Lug_Nut:
4 of them have been driven 17 miles from the dealer.
This fan belt problem will not affect the average user.
Peter </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Peter,this post is confusing...

It's farther than 17 miles from Nappanee to Fort Myers isn't it?

You're just saying they've only driven the coach an additional 17 miles after delivery...right?

Lug_Nut · 12-25-2006, 01:24 PM

Whoa, Charlie. The serpentine belt has nothing to do with the fan belt. These belts get way too much power when needed.

Peter

rebelsbeach · 12-25-2006, 01:24 PM

Peter,

If I were to have the ECM reprogrammed to prevent the fan from kicking in during "high jake", how does this affect the use of the high and low engine brake...
Are you still able to use the "high" selection on the engine brake?

Have you notice ANY significant change in engine temperature when using "high" and has any of your driving since having the reprpgram been in an environment where you would've expected the fan to have kicked in?

Lug_Nut · 12-25-2006, 01:25 PM

Bob, Your belts don't have all that milage.

No the 17 miles was from the dealer North Trail to RB.

Peter

rebelsbeach · 12-25-2006, 05:20 PM

Peter, as I've been through more than one belt,you make a good point...

The more I think about this,the more dejected I get.

THANKS to Newmar/Spartan for a wonderful belated Christmas present...

I've been patiently waiting all this time,thinking I was not going to be forgotten and that I would receive this "miraculous letter" that would direct me to the nearest Coach Care facility and my belt guard would be installed and INSTEAD I learn first from Peter they're ALREADY doing this and then from cwg that they MIGHT NOT even go forward with this campaign....

I'm really feeling like I was fed a line of crap by the nice folks at Spartan.
I've sent a letter to Dick Parks,copied to my dealer and have asked them to tell me what the deal is and what is going to happen with this coach.

I CLEARLY noticed not only a shred groove forming on the belt,but a "shined off" place on the coach frame right where they're talking about placing this mysterious part....
I was not going to make a big deal on the forums and was instead going to post POSITIVE things when I heard from Spartan and got my instructions toward a Coach Care appointment.

I now face a date of January 4th, where I'm supposed to pull my trailer and head to several rallies and then Juno Beach to the site I have rented.

THIS IS CRAP!!