Windshield Wipers ~ 07 Beaver Contessa

[Elksplorers]

My driver side windshield wiper has been repaired/replaced three times and now the fuse blows after one swipe of the blades! Before the most recent "fix" ...a wind gust from the right side of the coach would push the driver side blade past the left windshield frame post ...and the left wiper arm would then spin free on the shaft. This issue was "addressed" ...twice ...at the Monaco Factory Service Center at Harrisburg, OR (when it still was in business) and, more recently at Lazydays in Seffner, FL. The most recent "fix" ...which included replacement of the arm, blade and shaft ...lasted about 3 minutes during a medium intensity rain. Now, when I turn on the wipers, the left blade swings past the left windshield frame post and the fuse blows ...leaving both wipers in the vertical position. Have any of you Beaver Contessa owners experienced similar problems with your wipers ...and, if so, did you find a "lasting" cure? I'm thinking a beefier wiper motor...

[MonacoMama]

Elksplorers..
First of all - welcome to iRV2!! I know that bsavage had the issue with their Marquis. You can read the thread located here to see if there was a lasting fix...

We hope you enjoy the forums. You will find many great fellow RVers here on the Monaco forum - so sit down, relax and enjoy your time here!

[Pusherpilot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elksplorers My driver side windshield wiper has been repaired/replaced three times and now the fuse blows after one swipe of the blades! Before the most recent "fix" ...a wind gust from the right side of the coach would push the driver side blade past the left windshield frame post ...and the left wiper arm would then spin free on the shaft. This issue was "addressed" ...twice ...at the Monaco Factory Service Center at Harrisburg, OR (when it still was in business) and, more recently at Lazydays in Seffner, FL. The most recent "fix" ...which included replacement of the arm, blade and shaft ...lasted about 3 minutes during a medium intensity rain. Now, when I turn on the wipers, the left blade swings past the left windshield frame post and the fuse blows ...leaving both wipers in the vertical position. Have any of you Beaver Contessa owners experienced similar problems with your wipers ...and, if so, did you find a "lasting" cure? I'm thinking a beefier wiper motor...

Had a lot of troublewiththe driverside wiper on our 04 Imperial. After three tries under warranty I finally stopped raising my Blood Pressure over the subject. No fuse blowing but a big spot in front of the drivers face that never got touched by the blade. Their final fix was to put a big spring on the wiper arm that increased the pressure of the plade on the glass. I finally put a smaller wiper blade o it and that worked. After the windshield was replaced the second time I put the original blade back on and it works perfectly. Must have been a misshapen windshield. Go figure.
If they put springs on the arms to increase the tension that could over draw the motor and blow the fuse.
Ron

[Elksplorers]

Thanks, MonacoMama. Clearly "bsavage" experienced the identical wiper problem that we're having with their Marquis. I'd be interested in reading the "epilogue" ...because I couldn't tell from their post if the "fixes" turned out to solve their problem permanently ...but it sounds like their "fixes" were the same ones that Monaco Coach and Lazydays tried on our coach ...thus far without lasting success. I agree that the techs at Monaco Coach were very caring and helpful folks. Alas, the Monaco Coach Corp we knew and loved is no more and those techs are no longer available to us. My extended warranty covered the last "fix" of our wiper problem ...at Lazydays, but Lazydays is in Florida ...and we're now in Virginia... and it has been raining ever since we arrived here!

[DocUSAF]

Elksplorer, sorry to hear about your wiper's, but the problem was listed as a recalled Monaco item. Several wipers blades either failed to return to their start positions or just wrapped around the driver's side windshield and remained /very dangerous visibility issue. Monaco was at one time actually replacing the owner's motor control arm linkage via monaco dealers on certain models....Some Monaco wipers had a weak factory installed linkage version which also didn't handle the 28 inch wipers. My fix was to replace the blades with shorter wiper blades which can't wrap around drivers side glass, and shorten wiper arm swing rate...P.S. my wiper motor was also replaced with a real wiper motor, the factory version was weak at best....and in 60 MPH winds and rain you gotta have real wipers...

[geomar]

We have a 07Diplomat. We picked it up from the dealer in April 07 and on the road home had the same problem you describe. Shortly thereafter after multiple fixes. We went to Elkhart service center and my husband insisted that the whole heavier units that was by then being installed on 08's be put on our coach.and refused to allow arepair of manufactured unit. Much heavier and motor and all was replaced no problem since. If you need to talk further to my husband, call 417-350-8208

[Elksplorers]

Thanks, DocUSAF and Geomar. Sounds logical that shorter wiper blades and a stronger wiper motor would do the trick. Problem for me is that Monaco Coach Corp is no more. I had my wipers "fixed" in May 09 at Lazydays ...and they apparently didn't know anything about a Monaco recall (re: 07 Contessa windshield wipers) ...or how to properly "fix" the problem. ...They just replaced the shaft, arm and wiper blade. My extended warranty did pay for that "fix". ...I'd appreciate any suggestions you may have as to who I should turn to now? (Monaco Coach Corp is no more ...Lazydays is in Florida ...and I'm now in Virginia!)

[-Gramps-]

I had the same problem with my Vacationer. I tried all kinds of remedies, including reporsitioning the drivers blade, trying different types of framless blades, including the Boomerangs sold by Camping World, Rain x Latitude blades, Michelin blades, none of which will work well with the arms on my coach. Then I found a cheap but effective solution (so far)

http://commerce1.cera.net/tacbuspart...asp?cat_id=127

Scroll down to part number DS-1, wiper arm tension springs. I bought a set and they actually work.

[DocUSAF]

I tried everything as well....I do plan to try out the wiper tention springs.....We all know a good rub down with rain-X will help....not every RV coach was covered by the wiper linkage recall, but like so many of us pushing Monaco RV products we're having to work out our own issues..........large and small.. It is what it is.....DocUSAF