Community Forums

redbaron73 · 08-16-2013, 06:35 PM

My coach is due for the 1st 6 month maintenance and I would like options other than FL to get this done. The local FL service centers will not schedule the work to be done while I wait. The want the coach left there until they get to it.

I have seen several big truck shops but would like some first hand experience referrals.

Thanks!

chasfm11 · 08-17-2013, 03:15 PM

Ron,

I feel your pain. Of the two FL dealers, I would go to the one in Dallas before I ever went near the one in Ft. Worth on 820. I've had good luck with the parts people there but the service guys are arrogant and flat told me they were doing me a favor to work on my MH.

I found Industrial Power and Equipment on Beach Street and, initially, they seemed like a good alternative. Then they they charged me $450 to change the fluid in my front wheel bearings, a job that I do myself now in a about 10 minutes. They also charged me $500 to replace the antifreeze in my engine, supposedly after dumping and flushing the system. They put two gallons of coolant in a 10 gallon system. That was the last straw and I started doing all of my own work. I haven't had my RV back in a professional shop since 2005 for maintenance. Industrial Power did let me schedule an appointment and wait but a lot of that has to do with how long they estimate the work to take.

What does Freightliner call out now for activities in the first 6 month routines? Typically, there is an Allison filter change at 5K miles but I'm not sure what else would be included. One of the most important things is drive train lubrication (in my case slip join and two universal joints) Mine are usually dry in 6 months here. If you are interested in DIY, I'd be glad to help you get started.

Other than that, I'd start shopping around at independent truck shops and see if one of them would take you for the chassis work. You have a Freightliner warranty to protect so you will have to document what you do have done some way. You might want to consider calling the Gaffney support group and talking to them about how to do that if you do decide to seek out a local shop.

I just a a terrific experience at a Freightliner service center in Rapid City, SD but that is a long way to go for maintenance.

If you are considering a trip to the East coast, stopping by Gaffney might be an option. They are very professional and I know they schedule work while you wait. We stayed there overnight when we had sway bar work done.

dengraham · 08-17-2013, 06:48 PM

I agree with chasfm11 on going to the Service Center at Gaffney. It is were they are made and they do it right. Just give them a call at (864)206-8613 and set up an appointment. Come in the night before, stay free with 50 Amp post and know your coach will be running and riding better than you arrived. Oh, and take the Freightliner Tour and watch them being built.

flaggship1 · 08-17-2013, 07:17 PM

Redbaron73 - while ya have Gaffney on the line - ask em why the best advice for FL service In North Texas is drive 1,000 miles to them or 1,100 to South Dakota. Do you have to go to a state with South in it's name?

I'm having some service done at North Texas Freightliner * Western Star in Howe, Tx now, but until I put some miles on her I'm holding off on the accolades. Seems right and what ya expect from friendly Texans - but without miles - and letting it sit drip free at storage a while.... well - you know what I'm sayin.

mel s · 08-17-2013, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chasfm11

Ron,
I feel your pain. Of the two FL dealers, I would go to the one in Dallas before I ever went near the one in Ft. Worth done.

chasfm11
Aren't Dallas and Ft. Worth in Texas anymore?

chasfm11 · 08-17-2013, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel stuplich

chasfm11
Aren't Dallas and Ft. Worth in Texas anymore?

FL in this case stood for Freightliner, not Florida. Sorry for the confusion.

chasfm11 · 08-17-2013, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flaggship1

Redbaron73 - while ya have Gaffney on the line - ask em why the best advice for FL service In North Texas is drive 1,000 miles to them or 1,100 to South Dakota. Do you have to go to a state with South in it's name?

I'm having some service done at North Texas Freightliner * Western Star in Howe, Tx now, but until I put some miles on her I'm holding off on the accolades. Seems right and what ya expect from friendly Texans - but without miles - and letting it sit drip free at storage a while.... well - you know what I'm sayin.

Believe me, I've had that conversation with them many times. Freightliner had a category that they used to call "Oasis" dealers that would work on MHs. Not all Freightliner shops will. Both Ft. Worth and Dallas are Oasis dealears. I chronicled some of my problems with the Ft. Worth shop to Gaffney and all they could say was "I'm sorry." The dealers are independent and have a lot of latitude about how they do business including how they treat customers. If you thing the service is bad, wait until you try to buy parts. Pricing is all over the map.

I'm sure that there are some good Freightliner shops closer then Gaffney. I just have no experience about which ones they are.

flaggship1 · 08-17-2013, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mel stuplich

chasfm11
Aren't Dallas and Ft. Worth in Texas anymore?

Nope Mel - they have moved. The news will make it up your way in a few weeks.

Yea - but Freightliner DFW - Dallas / Irving and Ft. Worth are truck houses. It is not a secret that some Freightliner shops are reluctant participants in Motorhome service. That's why I'm giving the smaller Howe Tx group a shot. When I called them they said we have 3 Motorhomes here now and are Happy to have ya. The other guys downtown are happy to give ya part numbers and sell ya parts. But it's pretty clear what their priority is.

HHg · 08-17-2013, 08:16 PM

Probably too far, but I used Lone Star Truck Group (they are an Oasis dealer) in Bryan/College Station. They completed my 6-month service and gave me the Freightliner page and a half checklist checked off and initialed. I found some huge price differences....Austin Freightliner wanted over $3000 for the 6-month service, while Lone Star did it for just a tad over $400.00, which was real close to what Gaffney said it should cost. Lone Star also did it while I waited.....although it was a long wait.

Hhg

redbaron73 · 08-18-2013, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHg

Probably too far, but I used Lone Star Truck Group (they are an Oasis dealer) in Bryan/College Station. They completed my 6-month service and gave me the Freightliner page and a half checklist checked off and initialed. I found some huge price differences....Austin Freightliner wanted over $3000 for the 6-month service, while Lone Star did it for just a tad over $400.00, which was real close to what Gaffney said it should cost. Lone Star also did it while I waited.....although it was a long wait.

Hhg

This may be the best option. Only 3 hours away and if the service is good that is what really matters.

Thanks for the advice!

redbaron73 · 08-18-2013, 12:09 AM

Gaffney is on my list for the 1 year maintenance but the 6 month I would prefer closer.

Mr_D · 08-18-2013, 12:19 AM

Allison no longer requires the 5,000 mile service. It goes by serial number of the trans.

dsbike · 08-18-2013, 07:42 AM

I am having Gaffney do my 6 month & 12 month service in September. When I called to make an appointment for the 6 month service, they looked up my build date by my vin # and informed me the build date was June 2012. They recommended we do the couple of extra fluid changes then we will be completely up to date. If I had been thinking before I bought the motor home I should have had the 6 month service done as part of the purchase agreement. I bought it in Jan 13. This will be the only time I have anyone else do the service. I am scheduled for the FL owners school in November. I hate to put out the money as I am a mechanic, but I also think they would find something amiss if there is anything wrong, where as I may not see it with out having the experience on this equipment. I am lucky enough that my DW is working in Gaffney this summer & the motor home is where she stays when on contract.
Estimated cost for 6 & 12 month + alignment is $1000 - 5% for being a member of FCOC.

Ro6ert · 08-21-2013, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redbaron73

My coach is due for the 1st 6 month maintenance and I would like options other than FL to get this done. The local FL service centers will not schedule the work to be done while I wait. The want the coach left there until they get to it.

I have seen several big truck shops but would like some first hand experience referrals.

Thanks!

I just had some tires installed on my MH. So I decided to have the front end checked. They did an inspection and found a leaky front wheel bearing. I have a 2007 fleetwood Providence. That took a while to fix including lunch. They next problem was getting the front end aligned. The oasis shop only does buses and motorhomes and doesn't have it's own alignment bay. So had to use the truck side bay. Had to wait for parts for a truck to get aligned and then got bumped by another truck. I arrived on Tuesday at 1:30 and left on Thursday night at 7 pm. But the oasis folks have a few 50 amp posts to hook up to over night. So I stayed two nights. I went to the Dallas ATC FL shop off I20 in south Dallas. They have a few of their own techs, I talked to them about the 6 months service and the supervisor their said we. Could customize the list to keep the cost down. If I had any big repairs I would just leave the MH there. I talked to several people dropping busses off and they said they would not use FW and or Dallas north because they mostly do trucks.

Rob