Community Forums

hpykmpr47 · 05-11-2012, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diplomat Don

Alan......Is this your first MH?

No this is our second coach. The first was a 2009 Fleetwood Bounder. It also was a wanderer but I listened to the mechanics, and sales people at Lazy Days who told me they all do that and I guess I believed them as I never tried to get it fixed . Well that is not be the case with this coach and I am going to push it until the problem is found.

hpykmpr47 · 05-11-2012, 04:27 AM

Thanks , I will keep them in mind if the problem still exists when I get it back from Lazy days which should be any day now....Alan

deSanford · 05-11-2012, 05:42 PM

Good afternoon Alan please call John Hurd at the Coburg, Ore. plant or e-mail him at: john.hurd@monacorv.com . He will do whatever it takes to make you a satisfied Navastar Monaco MH owner. deSanford

SPA48 · 05-11-2012, 06:21 PM

desanford--do You ever get tired of thumping that Bible that You carry???? Hurd is part of the old Monaco Coach and blows smoke just like he did before!!!!!!! Some of us can't be fooled by a saleman like You!!!!

P.S. Alan Sorry for interupting your thread!!!!!

Steve

Papa_Jim · 05-11-2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hpykmpr47

No this is our second coach. The first was a 2009 Fleetwood Bounder. It also was a wanderer but I listened to the mechanics, and sales people at Lazy Days who told me they all do that and I guess I believed them as I never tried to get it fixed . Well that is not be the case with this coach and I am going to push it until the problem is found.

I have learned that this 'wandering' problem is not isolated to any specific brand or chassis. I do believe that the motor coach manufacturers state that they all wander because the way they put the coach together, many do wander. It doesn't mean that they're supposed to. It's just that they don't build them right, and they don't have the ability to check their assembled alignment or change it. On occasion, they do get one together fairly straight, and that coach will run straight and true, as it should.

So I believe it's a real long shot trying to get the manufacturer that created the problem to come up with a way to solve it. I believe that solution will only come from professionals in the field of alignment and frame work. The recognized best in that field is Josams.

Last year I sat talking with the driver of a Van Hoole bus as he transported us for 2 hours. He spent the entire trip with one hand resting on the steering wheel. I watched the bus as it leaned and swayed through dips and rolls in the pavement, and was amazed to see that it had no effect on the driver at the wheel. He just sat there with his hand resting on the bottom of the wheel. On the return trip, different Van Hoole bus, different driver. I watched the bus veer from straight, and the driver worked it back. Then it veered the other way, the driver worked it back. He had to work that steering wheel constantly to maintain a straight ahead direction. I became exhausted just watching him. He had both hands on the wheel, and he could not move his focus from the steering wheel for a second. The driver was not causing the problem. He was reacting to it and trying to control it.

I apologize for the ramble. This is a sensitive topic for me. I can sympathize with what you're going through. I reiterate that you have to stick to your guns, force the manufacturer to have the problem solved by experts, or give you your money back or another coach that works properly.

Please keep us informed. I'm probably not the only one that would like to know the solution.

deSanford · 05-11-2012, 11:23 PM

SPA48 working for the old Monaco is DIFFERENT from working with the NEW Navastar Monaco. Navastar Monaco takes GREAT care of their customers. Did you have a problem with a coach built by the NEW owners of Monaco? deSanford

hpykmpr47 · 05-12-2012, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimkate

I have learned that this 'wandering' problem is not isolated to any specific brand or chassis. I do believe that the motor coach manufacturers state that they all wander because the way they put the coach together, many do wander. It doesn't mean that they're supposed to. It's just that they don't build them right, and they don't have the ability to check their assembled alignment or change it. On occasion, they do get one together fairly straight, and that coach will run straight and true, as it should.

So I believe it's a real long shot trying to get the manufacturer that created the problem to come up with a way to solve it. I believe that solution will only come from professionals in the field of alignment and frame work. The recognized best in that field is Josams.

Last year I sat talking with the driver of a Van Hoole bus as he transported us for 2 hours. He spent the entire trip with one hand resting on the steering wheel. I watched the bus as it leaned and swayed through dips and rolls in the pavement, and was amazed to see that it had no effect on the driver at the wheel. He just sat there with his hand resting on the bottom of the wheel. On the return trip, different Van Hoole bus, different driver. I watched the bus veer from straight, and the driver worked it back. Then it veered the other way, the driver worked it back. He had to work that steering wheel constantly to maintain a straight ahead direction. I became exhausted just watching him. He had both hands on the wheel, and he could not move his focus from the steering wheel for a second. The driver was not causing the problem. He was reacting to it and trying to control it.

I apologize for the ramble. This is a sensitive topic for me. I can sympathize with what you're going through. I reiterate that you have to stick to your guns, force the manufacturer to have the problem solved by experts, or give you your money back or another coach that works properly.

Please keep us informed. I'm probably not the only one that would like to know the solution.

I will be sure to keep you informed. I have not heard back from LD since they asked Monaco for the specs on alignment and riding level but hope to soon. We are leaving for Nova Scotia the first of June and I would like for it to be fixed by then and hopefully it will be. Thanks , Alan

hpykmpr47 · 05-12-2012, 04:12 AM

Thanks for all of the helpful replies to this post. Its great to have a well informed group of people with the experience that you all have . I sure am glad that this forum was there for me to join and I expect I will be using it a lot during my ongoing problem and for anything that may come up in the future. Thanks, Alan

rpasetto · 05-12-2012, 04:53 AM

Alan, Rex and others gave good advice here... you're not far from Orlando. Take the coach to Josams, tell Barry about the wandering problem, and that you want both front and drive axle alignment (he'll probably recommend that anyway).

Then call Monaco... tell them you will hold them responsible for reimbursing you for the Josam bill since they were not able to solve the problem you have with a brand new coach.

rex · 05-12-2012, 06:39 AM

Rick has a good idea. I would insist that Lazy Days agrees to have Josam do the job. They will do everything they can to resist this, but don't take NO for an answer. If you go to Josam yourself, then expect it to be on your nickle. I doubt Monaco or Lazy Days will reimburse your expense, UNLESS you get that commitment first. Lazy Days is not capable of doing a front or all wheel alignment, or even checking if it is correct. Keep the pressure on Lazy Days as they were the selling dealer, and put pressure on Monaco. Write the RV magazines about the problem and that will also help you get some action.

Unless things have changed, there is no alignment done when the coach body is built and placed on the chassis. One should be done then, but the old Monaco never did, and I doubt Navistar has changed this.

Best of luck with this problem, and please come back here and let us know how it turns out.

moisheh · 05-12-2012, 06:41 AM

An inetrcity bus is not a short WB motorhome. The bus has thousands of lbs. of luggage in the lower compartments. Lower centre of gravity. There are far more units from all mfrs. with zero handling problems than there are ones that handle poorly. Bad handling is NOT the norm. I have driven units by 4 different mfrs. 3 different chassis. All handled well. Newmar's on Spartan, Tiffin on Spartan and FW on a custom chassis all handle great. Even the lowly FL drives well. I am not talking about 17 year old Monacos! None that I drove were short chassis. BTW: FW used to check aligment in their PA factory and all CC units were aligned. Obviously some posters did not take their units to a real alignment shop as one stated they could not check the rear alignment???????

rpasetto · 05-12-2012, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rex

Rick has a good idea. I would insist that Lazy Days agrees to have Josam do the job. They will do everything they can to resist this, but don't take NO for an answer. If you go to Josam yourself, then expect it to be on your nickle. I doubt Monaco or Lazy Days will reimburse your expense, UNLESS you get that commitment first. Lazy Days is not capable of doing a front or all wheel alignment, or even checking if it is correct. Keep the pressure on Lazy Days as they were the selling dealer, and put pressure on Monaco. Write the RV magazines about the problem and that will also help you get some action.

Unless things have changed, there is no alignment done when the coach body is built and placed on the chassis. One should be done then, but the old Monaco never did, and I doubt Navistar has changed this.

Best of luck with this problem, and please come back here and let us know how it turns out.

Perhaps the best approach would be to tell Lazy Days that you feel the coach is out of alignment and they should do a 4 wheel alignment or check it to prove alignment is correct. Further it it needed the alignment they should pick up the tab on it. Since they can't do the work you have a place that can do a 4-wheel alignment.

Good Luck!

Papa_Jim · 05-12-2012, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moisheh

An inetrcity bus is not a short WB motorhome. The bus has thousands of lbs. of luggage in the lower compartments. Lower centre of gravity. There are far more units from all mfrs. with zero handling problems than there are ones that handle poorly. Bad handling is NOT the norm. I have driven units by 4 different mfrs. 3 different chassis. All handled well. Newmar's on Spartan, Tiffin on Spartan and FW on a custom chassis all handle great. Even the lowly FL drives well. I am not talking about 17 year old Monacos! None that I drove were short chassis. BTW: FW used to check aligment in their PA factory and all CC units were aligned. Obviously some posters did not take their units to a real alignment shop as one stated they could not check the rear alignment???????

Thanks Moisheh. I get your point.

But, to be clear, my point is that because Alan has a brand new coach, he has this small window of opportunity to have the problem solved. Based on my personal experience, if he is left with the problem, there's a much smaller chance that he will ever be able to find the people to solve it for him.

Yes, my Monaco is 17 years old. I suspect it doesn't steer any different than it did when it left the Monaco plant. I also suspect that it steers much the same as Alan's brand new coach.

I know of Josams in Orlando. That's an entire world away from me. To date, I haven't uncovered any alignment experts in my part of the world that can help my situation. There's lots of alignment shops, but no alignment experts.

moisheh · 05-12-2012, 07:10 PM

Jim: There is one MH aligment expert in Manitoba. Penner Performance in Steinbach ( actually Blumenort). Not that far from you. I used to drag race with Len Penner. There is not a day that goes by without one or two units being on his lot. Many RV'rs bring their units from Winnipeg to have them aligned. They do a true 4 wheel alignment. It is worth the trip. The only good MH alignment shop in Winnipeg was sold and the staff is not the same. I don't even know if they still do MH's. Bring your unit out this way and we will have coffee or a beer somewhere. We are not too far away. There is a great shop in Minneapolis if you ever get to MN.