FL Charges to check tire pressure?

[dcellisesq]

I purchased a new Journey last summer. Shortly thereafter, I took the coach to FL for a full alignment after loading it up. The steering wheel remained off-center after alignment.

With the announcement of SF352 Exhaust Pipe Campaign, I made an appointment for that and to get the steering wheel adjusted correctly. When checking the coach in, I asked if they would check the tire pressure when they were done with the other things and was told that they would have to charge me for that service at the shop rate. I questioned him and he said that was the policy. I declined to pay for a tire pressure check.

The trip from home to storage to FL and back was 70 miles to do what FL didn't do correctly the first time plus the recall campaign. This policy is assanine!

I hope this is not the policy at all FL shops but this is Portland, Oregon, the home office for Freightliner. Be warned!

Daniel C. Ellis
Portland, Oregon

[dcellisesq]

I purchased a new Journey last summer. Shortly thereafter, I took the coach to FL for a full alignment after loading it up. The steering wheel remained off-center after alignment.

With the announcement of SF352 Exhaust Pipe Campaign, I made an appointment for that and to get the steering wheel adjusted correctly. When checking the coach in, I asked if they would check the tire pressure when they were done with the other things and was told that they would have to charge me for that service at the shop rate. I questioned him and he said that was the policy. I declined to pay for a tire pressure check.

The trip from home to storage to FL and back was 70 miles to do what FL didn't do correctly the first time plus the recall campaign. This policy is assanine!

I hope this is not the policy at all FL shops but this is Portland, Oregon, the home office for Freightliner. Be warned!

Daniel C. Ellis
Portland, Oregon

[Garbageman]

I understand your frustration with Rose City Freightliner. I purchased a 2000 Freightliner chassis for a garbage truck and I have had nothing but problems with that Freightliner shop. It was so bad that I wrote a letter to the CEO of Freightliner which got everybodies attention and corrective action was taken.
If you have to have more FL work done I highly recommend their shop in Brooks, OR, down I-5 just before Salem. They are still Rose City but the staff there is far superior.

Paul

[Pusherman]

My experience is that this (tire pressure checks) is a chargeable item, but my dealer generally waives this charge for me, as I have been a customer of theirs for 7 years.

Note my dealer is not a Freightliner dealer -- but when I have (and do have) service done at Freightliner, if I believe their charges are excessive (and they have been in the past) I negotiate the details with them. More often than not, they will make consessions with me.

Good news is that our Freightliner dealer in Rochester has changed hands, and to date, I can only say that I am very happy with the new owners. Not so much under the prior management.

[RLS]

Daniel, Can you tell me what the SF352 Exhaust Pipe Campaign is? And what engines and coaches it applies to.

[dcellisesq]

Bob and Barb -

The SF352A Campaign calls for screws to be installed through the clamp that holds the left-hand exhaust tube to the muffler. According to the notice, it applies to XC and XC-S chassis manufactured between September 22, 2003 and November 29, 2005 with Cat C-7 enjines and rear radiators.

Daniel C. Ellis
2005 Winnebago Journey 39F
Portland, Oregon

[mystere900]

So is a Campaign the same as a recall, and who foots the bill?

Also, pressure check on tires is standard procedure for any good front end alignment and should have been done then.

[JRP]

Roger,

A "Field Service Campaign" is a less formal, more voluntary "fix", initiated by the Mfg, usually for minor non safety items that impact a small quantity of their production and no requirment to assure each effected unit gets the fix.
A recall is a more formal, mandatory fix, usually related to safety and usually involving mass quantities of the defect, with official tracking and reporting by VIN to the NTHSB.

For this specific service campaign, FCCC is paying the cost, as long as you bring your chassis in to them before the deadline date, which I dont have here, but was about a year out. This fix involves 2 each $.50 cent screws and 5 mins of time and is only needed on a small percentage of the chassis mfg in that time frame, but its easier for FCCC to put screws in all than sort out which ones really have the loose clamps from one of their vendors. As soon as it warms up here. I'll just install the 2 screws myself, rather than go through the hassle of dealing with the inconvenient and uncooperative local shop for something this simple.

Daniel, If I could get my local shop to respond to my calls for service with other than "our next available motorhome service date is 3 months from now and you'll need to leave your coach here for a month until we get around to it", I'd be happy to pay for checking tire pressures, but my tires would probably be flat if I waited for them.

Jim

[76dc]

Never been to FL service center where they did not charge me for tire pressure checks, even at my home dealer who I spend 10 years with, even with a full service.

[max49]

It's nice to know that these places really appreciate our business.
It's strange but we could go into a Discount Tire and they check the air for free even if we did'nt buy anything just as courtesy in hopes of getting your future business.
It seems that any place that is used to working on MH's knows that they must separate us from as much money as possible.
Having said this, almost all mechanics work on commision. Not many of us want to do free work when we could be doing a paying job.