6000 Mile Freightliner Maintenance Schedule

[SoCal3]

I just booked a 60k mile service at Freightliner Custom Chasis in SC and it pretty much covers everything you could imagine. Estimate is $1800.

[OregonRV]

Originally Posted by Chevjo

I have a 2020 Newmar Ventana 4369 with around 6000 miles which is my first motorhome. I really love the coach and have had several great trips. I asked NIRVC for a factory maintenance schedule indicating what needs to be performed at this time. The list includes 41 items including change of fluids, checking, inspecting, and lubricating certain items on the chassis. I sent it to my local freightliner company, and they told me just the labor would be $2400.00 and did not quote a price on fluids or parts. I would like any input and advice on this. It would be very helpful.

Thanks for the help,
Joel

Suggest you are being over quoted. Suggest yiu take your quote to a company like "SpeedCo" a truck Maintenace specialist for a quote. Oil Change, Filter changes, Chassis Lube and check of all fluids will probably run you $500, or less.

[wolfe10]

Originally Posted by wolfe10

Joel,


Some maintenance items are based on TIME, others on MILEAGE.


Paste a list of what they recommended and we can give our two cents.



Include chassis build date if you have it, same for coach build date and date you took delivers.


Do you do any of your own maintenance or hire it all out?


BTW, $2400 labor is CRAZY!

List???

[cruizerEd]

Originally Posted by Chevjo

I ... I asked NIRVC for a factory maintenance...

I got a quote from NIRV in ATL this year. It was about twice what Freightliner in Gaffney charges.

[tim myers]

I suspect the variation in pricing is due to a wide variation in the service performed. The 15000 mile /12 month reccomended service is quite a long list, and it may be that some are quoting everything, and others are quoting something less. Hard to know what to do for sure!!

[cruizerEd]

Originally Posted by tim myers

I suspect the variation in pricing is due to a wide variation in the service performed.!

My quotes for NIRV and Freightliner were line for line identical from the same service schedule. NIRV was nearly twice Freightliner in Gaffney, SC.

[TinMan Trvlr]

I too have been mocked by service personnel when in my "newby innocence" I attempted to have all the service items Freightliner "requires" at 5000 miles done on my coach.
After being disappointed with the incomplete "flushing" of my power steering (the tech had just sucked out one quart of fluid from the reservoir, or at least "billed" for one quart of fluid, possibly without doing the work) and other examples of incomplete/non-Freightliner method specified work required in the 5000 mile check on my Dutch Star, I took copies of all the specifics of the work methods recommended by Freightliner in our owners service manual to show the shop manager at our local major Freightliner service shop. He asked where I got them, then basically laughed me out of his office, saying that they have never seen those procedures, and that they employ qualified mechanics who "do service and use the brand of fluids the way our firm management flat rate chart allows the tech and the company to be competitive". When I requested that the flush be done as per the manuals procedures I was charged an extra fee of over double what the initial service item had been billed at, plus an extra gallon of power steering fluid.
When I inspected the fan drive gear box for which I had been charged for servicing, there was not a drop of spilled oil nor a wrench mark on it, nor had the zip ties holding the sensor hiding the lower drain port been cut/replaced. I was told they had sucked it out from the top vent, and refilled it the same way. Pretty tidy workman who can do that without spilling a drop, or removing the bathroom floor panel.
I enquired if the shop could sell me a quart of the "special" Horton Fan Company approved gear lube that is the only substance Horton authorizes to be used in this drive, so I could service it myself according to the manual in the future. The shop manager said they didn't use Horton fluids, indicating that they only use Castrol fluids.
After attempting to locate the "special" Horton Fan lube locally with no success, I spoke to a rep at Horton, who while helpful, was unable to supply the fluid in less than 45 gallon drums, nor suggest a Canadian supplier.
These disappointing experiences have eroded my trust in "Professional service outlets", and pushed me to study these forums in an attempt to learn all I can about doing the basic fluid changes and maintenance myself to avoid damage to this complex expensive equipment due to idleness or ignorance or a focus on the profit motive on the part of the "Professionals".
My question to Dutch Star Don and others who have changed the gear lube in this fan gear box, is what fluid did you use, and has it performed well without damaging the gear box?
Thanks for any info you can offer.

[UMXHAULER]

I used mobil Delvac synthetic gear fluid. I believe any synthetic gear fluid of the correct viscosity will work just fine in that little gear box. I did mine at 11,000 miles and probably won't look at it again for a few years and whatever milage accumulates. Original fluid was clear when I drained it. If you chose to use all factory recommended filters and fluids, you will have a difficult time acquiring all of it and spend a lot of money. As long as the items meet OEM specs, I think you are just fine. I agree it is not ethical to charge you for one thing and thinking you are getting something else. I would do your own service if you can. It's not difficult and you will learn a lot about where everything is during the process.

[wolfe10]

Somewhere between "a lick and a promise" service and doing what you describe as the "factory recommended "service is reality.



That is why I suggest posting a list of services recommended. Those of us with several decades of doing all the "care and feeding" of diesel pushers may be able to help you weed through the list.

[fagnaml]

Joel --

Most of the 6,000 mile maintenance items are "full service" routine maintenance i.e. oil and oil filter changes, fuel filters changes, engine air filter change, chassis lube, etc.

Here in the Houston area I use RV Mobile Lube (if they are available) or take my coach to the Lube Zone service center in Brookshire, TX. Both businesses charge about the same $600 for the "full service" work which I have performed every 12 months (I only drive my coach 3500-4000 miles per year).

Replacing the air filter (which I do every two years) adds another $180 to the cost.

This is the link to RV Mobile Lube showing their pricing --> RV Mobile Lube - Services & Prices

The $2,400 price you were quoted from Freightliner I think is quite excessive.

[Eddie Braley]

Originally Posted by cruizerEd

I got a quote from NIRV in ATL this year. It was about twice what Freightliner in Gaffney charges.

Hi cruizerEd,

Your post really grabbed my attention. I am the General Manager of our NIRVC Dallas location. I spent a lot of time last year putting together the pricing for the recommended chassis maintenance. I called all over the country getting pricing from coast to coast.

My end goal then and now is to ensure we are the cost leader on maintenance. As well as giving RV’ers the comfort level that they are getting what they actually need based on the Manufacturer’s recommendations. I’d have to say we do more chassis preventative maintenance than any other Class A Motorhome dealership in the country.

Now, having said that, the one location in the country we can’t beat is the Freightliner factory in Gaffney, SC. This simply because of Freightliner/Daimler’s purchasing power, plus they don’t mark their parts up to themselves the way they do to us, and their own Freightliner dealers. However, coach owners would have to weigh convenience, plus the cost of their fuel to and from Gaffney, when deciding to go their for their chassis maintenance. I suspect from a cost perspective Freightliner Gaffney would not be cost effective for anyone west of the Mississippi.

You could really help me if you could share with me the quote you received from Freightliner, so I can break it down versus our pricing. I know they will beat us on parts, but I sure would like to see by how far, plus make sure we’re in line with our labor.*

All the best and safe travels!!

[BLtravels]

Here is a good video resource especially for you Newmar owners. I don't even have one and I follow some of his maintenance recommendations. They are full time and Mark is a very anal retired mechanical engineer who praises NIRV and has also gone to Freightliner. Much of this is shown on his channel. I met him at a Tampa RV show doing a seminar and he was very helpful with lots of knowledge although at the time it was more about full timing and relative costs.
He shares actual costs spreadsheets with anyone who asks.

https://www.youtube.com/c/OurJourneyInMyles/videos

They just did a yearly maintenance video at Freightliner!

[UMXHAULER]

Originally Posted by BLtravels

Here is a good video resource especially for you Newmar owners. I don't even have one and I follow some of his maintenance recommendations. They are full time and Mark is a very anal retired mechanical engineer who praises NIRV and has also gone to Freightliner. Much of this is shown on his channel. I met him at a Tampa RV show doing a seminar and he was very helpful with lots of knowledge although at the time it was more about full timing and relative costs.
He shares actual costs spreadsheets with anyone who asks.

https://www.youtube.com/c/OurJourneyInMyles/videos

They just did a yearly maintenance video at Freightliner!

Hope he doesn't take that long to dump and get water normally. I would be pissed if I was waiting behind him. It always amazes me how much crap a lot of people have with them-especially full timers. Our rig usually looks like we just picked it up at the dealer. Price for all that he had done seems very reasonable to me. Would have spent at least $1000 or more to do all that himself, but with two shop days of labor into it-I think that is ok.

[BLtravels]

Originally Posted by UMXHAULER

Hope he doesn't take that long to dump and get water normally. I would be pissed if I was waiting behind him. It always amazes me how much crap a lot of people have with them-especially full timers. Our rig usually looks like we just picked it up at the dealer. Price for all that he had done seems very reasonable to me. Would have spent at least $1000 or more to do all that himself, but with two shop days of labor into it-I think that is ok.

He mentions he rarely if at all uses a water fill/dump station and would never spend that much time doing it if there was anyone behind him waiting. He was in a repair facility not a campground or RV resort.