Community Forums

Chickadee · 02-08-2008, 04:03 AM

G'morning: So...a few weeks ago we brought our 06 Mtn. Aire in to Freedom RV in Tucson (Newmar Svc. Rep) to have the heater blower fan (Vehicle Systems Part) under front dash replaced. Squealing bearing sound finally led to it quitting all together....anyway....made mistake of walking their lot while there and.....ended up trading Mtn. Aire for new 08 Essex (4502). Been having minor defects in Essex repaired as part of purch. during last few weeks, and Freedom RV has been GREAT in getting everything tweaked on the new rig. While camped near Tucson, waiting for new part to arrive...the front (underdash) heater blower fan started squealing just like in the Mtn. Aire and it finally quit. It's been pretty COLD here at night, and so we're again without warmth in the front end of Essex living area. Is it my poor luck, or are these Vehicle Systems blower fans pieces of JUNK. (Heater in old Mtn. Aire was HydroHot and in Essex is the newer Oasis which I believe is installed by the same outfit...Vehicle Systems). Does anyone else find it particularly annoying that better quality components can't be used in these rigs we pay a pretty good price for??? It's REALLY maddening!!!! Have others had problems with these blower fans??? Thanks for letting me vent.....but DANG...c'mon Newmar...kick these component suppliers where it'll do some good!!! Steve & Lynette

Chickadee · 02-08-2008, 04:03 AM

G'morning: So...a few weeks ago we brought our 06 Mtn. Aire in to Freedom RV in Tucson (Newmar Svc. Rep) to have the heater blower fan (Vehicle Systems Part) under front dash replaced. Squealing bearing sound finally led to it quitting all together....anyway....made mistake of walking their lot while there and.....ended up trading Mtn. Aire for new 08 Essex (4502). Been having minor defects in Essex repaired as part of purch. during last few weeks, and Freedom RV has been GREAT in getting everything tweaked on the new rig. While camped near Tucson, waiting for new part to arrive...the front (underdash) heater blower fan started squealing just like in the Mtn. Aire and it finally quit. It's been pretty COLD here at night, and so we're again without warmth in the front end of Essex living area. Is it my poor luck, or are these Vehicle Systems blower fans pieces of JUNK. (Heater in old Mtn. Aire was HydroHot and in Essex is the newer Oasis which I believe is installed by the same outfit...Vehicle Systems). Does anyone else find it particularly annoying that better quality components can't be used in these rigs we pay a pretty good price for??? It's REALLY maddening!!!! Have others had problems with these blower fans??? Thanks for letting me vent.....but DANG...c'mon Newmar...kick these component suppliers where it'll do some good!!! Steve & Lynette

Lug_Nut · 02-08-2008, 08:02 AM

Oasis is not made or installed by Vehicle Systems, they are in fact a competitor. The front fan seems a challenge for both manufacturers though.

Peter

JavaJelly · 02-08-2008, 08:20 AM

The problem is that you warm weather folks don't use them enough. They are seizing up from lack of use.

I have 850 hours on my HydroHot in just over a year and none of the fans have made a sound. I hope I haven't just jinxed myself.

I would trade more warm weather camping for a noisy fan any day though.

rebelsbeach · 02-08-2008, 11:21 AM

Oasis customer service is second to none.... Peter is correct that they are a competitor to Vehicle Systems.
I've met the owner of the company, his brother and one of their top engineers as they've been to my coach at one time or another, as well as traveled to Nappanee AND Florida to fix something.

soricobob · 02-08-2008, 11:59 AM

Chickadee:
I couldn't agree with you more. Ever since moving from Florida (18 months ago) the only luck I have had in service, maintenance or repair is at Massey's Diesel, Phoenix (but he does only Cummins/Spartan). I have had my Essex at Beaudry-when they still sold Essex(Tucson and Mesa), and World Wide RV-a Newmar dealer(Mesa). Last Spring I drove back to Ft.Myers, where I bought it, and still have a house, and North trail fixed it great. Until the night we left and the adjusting rod on the front slide snapped. After that, the list grew (again) to about 30 items. I discussed it with Carl, and he said it would be about 2 weeks in Nappanee. So, I tried dropping it off locally, where they have been working on it for 4 months. I now have it, am in Tucson, and four of the original 30 were not fixed (rear view camera/trip tek, satellite reception on bedroom TV, front door closing/wind noise, and the awning switch is inoperable).
I was shocked after I purchased this coach (its my first RV since the 60's) that everyone seems so glib/happy/satisfied about the quality of workmanship. It's almost like a brotherhood that enjoys returning to the factory annually to get it done right.
Its too bad a "foreign" company doesn't make a good one: then we'd see some fast changes.

Route 66 · 02-08-2008, 12:17 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I was shocked after I purchased this coach (its my first RV since the 60's) that everyone seems so glib/happy/satisfied about the quality of workmanship. It's almost like a brotherhood that enjoys returning to the factory annually to get it done right. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I for one, am not one bit happy about the quality, or the lack thereof, nor do I like returning to the factory for the 5th time to get items repaired.

But, that is the nature of the RV industry.

Doesn't make it right, though.

rebelsbeach · 02-08-2008, 12:33 PM

Newmar is no better, or worse for that matter, than any other RV manufacturer out there....

Don't believe me? All you have to do is take a minute and read the Owner's Forums housed right here on iRV2.

From Alpine to Winnebago, you'll find issues..... even beloved Bob Tiffin's boys and girls have their issues.

As someone said, let Toyota or Honda figure out there's an industry to be picked clean and you'll see how those folks can do it...
Be prepared to get your checkbook out though....

Back on topic, the folks at Oasis are great....

soricobob · 02-08-2008, 12:46 PM

My checkbook is ready, as it was in the 70's, 80's, and 90's when I bought cars. It was rough in the 70's because I lived in Detroit in those days, and buying a car they didn't make was heresy.
Most don't mind paying more for quality, not being told to go to the factory to get it fixed right, it's the suppliers' fault, its an industry-wide problem, we're just one small company, what can we do, etc.

JavaJelly · 02-08-2008, 12:49 PM

I agree w/Dirk. You try to pick the least of the evils. I first owned a Fleetwood Discovery. Dealers could not fix some of the problems including a slide out that would not go in. Because I ONLY spent $160,000 on it I was not worthy to go to the factory for repairs.

Until a manufacturer does it better at a comparable price and starts taking serious market share, it probably won't change.

Honda and Toyota did it to Detroit and Detroit had to change. Although they haven't completely caught up, that is reflected in the price as Toyota and Honda command premiums now.

JerryKelly · 02-08-2008, 04:55 PM

How often is everyone servicing their Hydro Hot? My dealer is suggesting changing the filter and nozzles every 100 hours. This seems excessive. The fuel filter is easy and cheap to replace, but the nozzles require a tech.

Lug_Nut · 02-08-2008, 05:25 PM

Jerry, I put about 650 hours on mine and that was at least 50 too many as it needed service real bad. After that, and learning fully how it operates, I would say 4 to 5 hundred hours or one year, which ever comes first. Believe me, if you don't it will have a high chance of failing.

Peter

RVDude · 02-08-2008, 06:43 PM

Oasis, the furnace, is made by ITR, International Thermal Research in Richmond, BC, Canada.

AquaHot/HydroHot, the furnace, is made by Vehicle Systems in Fort Lupton, Colorado.

The heat exchanger used in our coaches may or may not be made by the furnace folks - there is nothing "special" about any of the heat exchangers used requiring that the furnace manufacturer supply the part.

The front heat exchanger is probably made by someone else. I just opened my glove box and can't find any manufacturer markings on mine. I forgot to look at who the manufacturer is while I saw a couple out at Camp Newmar. I'd almost bet it is made by someone like Evans, like the dash AC/heater unit is. Pop open your glove box and check out you unit. (Just slip the wire restraining cables off the screws and the box will open to the floor. Heat exchanger is right there.)

While at Camp Newmar, I did see maybe 3 or 4 of them having the motor replaced. It is a bit of a bear to pull the exchanger (in order to replace the fan motor), but relatively straight-forward through the glove box.

RVDude · 02-08-2008, 06:56 PM

RE: Servicing - the hijack.

Vehicle Systems in their manuals states ANNUAL maintenance, not an hourly number. 100 hrs is completely and beyond absurd. Call the dealer's bluff and make them show you documentation and get your money back if they did a 100 hrs maint.

Both Oasis and AquaHot are functionally and component-wise nothing different than an oil-fired hot water furnace/boiler in your home. Annual is all you need, and more than needed if not run continuously like your home furnace.

Replace the nozzle and lightly de-soot the burner tube, igniter and photo-cell as well as a filter change. Don't touch the business end of the nozzle either, it'll clog with a micro-dust particle. Make sure to align and manually seat the burner motor housing or you'll crack off the attachment tangs. It's all but a 30 min job. A pair of rubber hose crimps might help with the filter change on some models.

BTW: 704 hrs in less than 6 months and not nary a hiccough (200 of those hours in the last 2 weeks).