Community Forums

cef2lion · 09-07-2010, 09:22 AM

Purchased a 2004 Winnebago Adventurer this past May. I hadn't had much of chance to use it since. I had it back to the dealer for them to replaced two bad jacks they promised to take care of. On the way home from the dealer by the house I was making a left turn at an intersection. I heard a loud crack and pop right under the drive seat. I pulled in at home and look under the front end for a long time. Nothing stood out. I did notice it had a Blue Ox Trucenter installed. No manual that I could find on it. There Web site seems to say there is a dash button to control it. There is one silver button next to the battery boast that I'm not sure what its for.

This past weekend I was going to a college football game with friends. Sitting in traffic near the game I thought the RV had stalled as I couldn't move the wheel. Then the steering came back after tugging on the wheel. A few block up at a left hand turn the steering locked up. I couldn't move the wheel left. I braked to stop and pulled hard on the wheel and it broke free. A number of us checked it over once parked and saw no issues. Its sitting now till I find the source of the problem. Rattled me and my friend till I got control back of it.

Are there known issues with the TruCenter? I have an email into them? I was going to trace the wire from the unit back to see if it leads to a switch on the dash.

Craig

wa8yxm · 09-07-2010, 10:20 AM

You have done a very good job of describing the issues with one run of Tru-Centers. The same run mine came from in fact.

Crawl under the rig.. I recommend taking an air wrench with you (impact wrench) and remove the two nuts from the big bolts at either end of the true-center (Leave the brackets alone) remove the cylinder, if necessary cut the wires. You should get steering back.. I did.

BUT FIRST!!!!
Now. as for that silver button

With the engine off but the ignition on (NOTE this may not be necessary) have someone slide under the rig and listen to the box on that True Center, Optionally remove the cover from the box.

Press the button. IF you hear a loud CLICK or if you removed the cover and SEE the solenoid pull in.

That's the True Center re-center button

DO NOT LEAN ON IT, 30 seconds max, 50 % duty cycle.

If yours has failed. Call BLue OX for an RMA, Try to get the serial number off it first.

Mine is on the bench in Pender just now.

cef2lion · 09-07-2010, 12:21 PM

I got an email back from Blue Ox. They are having someone from the factory get in touch with me about checking it out.

Craig

RickO · 09-07-2010, 12:27 PM

Wow, sounds scary. Glad you got in touch with the factory because you don't need that kind of thing messing with your steering. I have Safe T Steer rather than Tru Center but the Blue Ox people are great to work with and I'm sure they'll get you taken care of.

Please keep us posted.
Rick

cef2lion · 09-07-2010, 02:55 PM

I got contacted by my dealer on the issue. They offer to come and remove the TruCenter till the issue is resolved. They opened a case with Blue Ox and found out they had already been contacted by me. Blue OX factory support just sent me a email to open a claim. I have to get them the model and serial number of the Blue OX. I will do so and will ask if there was a recall on this models serial number or if a replacement is a newer design.

Craig

paz · 09-07-2010, 03:08 PM

Blus Ox had a problem a few years ago with the Tru Center, and they recalled a bunch of them. Ours wasn't included in the recall, but it failed a short time after the recall was announced. The Tru Center locked up when I was making a sharp turn in a campground, and I had to remove the Tru Center before I could move the motorhome.

The Tru Center was off the market for about a year while it was being redesigned and tested. Blue Ox replaced mine under warrany even though it wasn't part of the recall about 8 or 9 months after I returned it to them.

DriVer · 09-07-2010, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cef2lion

I will do so and will ask if there was a recall on this models serial number or if a replacement is a newer design.

Craig, Depending on how old your Tru-Center(TC) is there is a replacement design that was put in service to replace a number of the original TCs. I never did see a recall on this item but the old one was withdrawn and a new design was put forward.

Blue Ox will take care of you, I'm sure of it.

cef2lion · 09-07-2010, 03:12 PM

Thanks. I will know more when I get them the model and serial number of the unit.

Craig

paz · 09-07-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer

... I never did see a recall on this item but the old one was withdrawn and a new design was put forward...

Here is the text of the recall (including model and serial numbers), and here is a link to a discussion on iRV2 from 2006 originally posted by Ed Gray.

edgray · 09-07-2010, 04:21 PM

Nice post PAZ! Thanks for the links you provided.

FWIW, when BO finally replaced my TC the replacement model is much larger and appears to be much more "robust" . I guess I was lucky in that mine broke by stripping the threads out the end, so I did not suffer the "locked" steering scanario others have suffered.

I've not heard of any failures with the latest design, and I hope to get mine installed "one of these days". LOL
Ed

denochs · 09-07-2010, 04:27 PM

Can someone tell me what TrueCenter is and what it is supposed to do for the MH?

Dave

DriVer · 09-07-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edgray

I've not heard of any failures with the latest design, and I hope to get mine installed "one of these days". LOL

On which horse?

PS: I would like to ammend my remarks to .... I don't remember having seen the recall. Of course I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday either!

edgray · 09-07-2010, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by denochs

Can someone tell me what TrueCenter is and what it is supposed to do for the MH?

Dave

Please go here: Blue Ox Steering Controls

Ed

cef2lion · 09-07-2010, 09:53 PM

Where is the model and serial number located? I crawled under and all I see is Blue Ox sticker on cylinder. It has 292-6048 on it. That is all. There is long number etched on cylinder but hard to read. Traced wire back to silver switch in dash. Is there some other box with I'd on it between switch and cylinder? When I press switch I hear click but from in front of radiator area. Blue Ox needs the model and serial number to preceed and I don't see it. I pulled cover off cylinder where wire connects and didn't see anything there.

Craig