Community Forums

jsaund22 · 12-16-2020, 10:12 AM

My wife and I are considering purchasing a 2006 Monaco Diplomat, and I'm curious if there are any aftermarket warranties (extended service plans) that just cover the drivetrain? I'm fairly competent in fixing most things, but I can imagine that a drivetrain issue will very quickly cost a TON to repair. I don't need warranty for appliances, fixtures, suspension stuff, etc. I just want something that'll cover the engine and transmission should something happen.

So my questions are:

1 - Is there anything like that available?

and

2 - Would it be worth it?

glwinger · 12-16-2020, 11:09 AM

You would have to weigh the cost of the warranty versus the repair costs.

If you can find a warranty for a unit this old.
If you do find one, carefully read what is actually covered and how high the deductibles are.

Most aftermarket warranties are very limited. Even with new vehicles, the drivetrain warranty does not cover everything.

Skip426 · 12-16-2020, 11:14 AM

Welcome to iRV2.

When I purchased from a dealer ; my coach was 10 years old at the time ; I was offered several different plans , including a driveline only package .
I considered the price inflated ( almost 10% of the then purchase price of the coach) and refused the package , during negotiations the dealer came back three times with a lower price .

I still refused .
That was 10 years ago , and during the coverage time of the plan I had no issues , that would have been covered.
If you're not purchasing from a dealer, and the coach being 14 years old could limit your options.
I believe Good Sam offers coverage , you could check their web site to see if they have a package for that vintage of coach .

vito.a · 12-16-2020, 11:30 AM

The Monaco Diplomat is a good coach. You could step up one notch to a Camelot or Windsor and get a side radiator.
Several years ago we also priced aftermarket warranties when purchasing our used diesel coach. Back then the prices varied from $4k-7k. This was way too expensive for us.

jsaund22 · 12-16-2020, 11:45 AM

Thanks for the replies. I don't expect to ever need it - my understanding is that for the most part these things are fairly bulletproof. I was just curious, since this'll be our first motorhome. We've done the fifth-wheel thing for a few years, so I'm familiar with fixing camper-type stuff. We just can't travel with a fiver anymore since one of our daughters has some mobility issues that cause her a great deal of pain when riding in my truck.

fagnaml · 12-16-2020, 11:52 AM

jsaund --

Since this is your second posting ever, welcome to the forum! There are many good folks willing to offer help any time.

With regards to your question, the wife and I purchased our first ever motorhome five years ago. It was a 2007 Damon Astoria 3774 diesel pusher with only 4,900 miles of use. Given it was eight years old it was in great condition on the coach side but the chassis side sat idle most of those eight years. As such I was expecting some "none use" repairs which did happen i.e. turbo charger failed, dash board A/C compressor on the engine locked-up (which then shredded the sepentine belt), bushing on stabilizer bars had cracked and rotted away, refrigerator failed, entry step motor failed, etc. I purchased the Damon from a large consignment dealership in the Houston area who offered an extended service contract from Xtra Ride which seemed pricey. So I did some shopping of other extended service contract providers and found that Wholesale Warranties offered the lowest price contract for same level of coverage. I paid ~$3,000 for a three year contract and was glad I did and the cost for the necessary repairs were much higher than the cost of that contract.

I renewed that contract and then transferred it to my current coach and added a three year extension.

Purchasing an extended service contract for any type of vehicle is a financial risk / reward decision. Does a person have a large enough source of emergency cash to "self insure" against unplanned large maintenance/repair costs or would it be better to purchased some insurance in the form of an extended service contract. I'm on the "purchase an extended service contract" end of the spectrum. Others are on the other end of the spectrum and advocae "self insure". The decision comes down to each person's financial situation and risk tolerance for big, unexpected repair costs.

Again, welcome to the forum !

MSHappyCampers · 12-16-2020, 01:26 PM

I have never been a fan of extended warranties on RV's. Dealers make a ton of money selling those! The warranty companies leave themselves too many loopholes to get out of paying your claims.

I know the warranties have paid off for some folks, but I think that, in MOST cases, you would be money ahead to take that same amount and put it into a special bank account to be used only for repairs. JMHO

jsaund22 · 12-16-2020, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fagnaml

jsaund --

Since this is your second posting ever, welcome to the forum! There are many good folks willing to offer help any time.

With regards to your question, the wife and I purchased our first ever motorhome five years ago. It was a 2007 Damon Astoria 3774 diesel pusher with only 4,900 miles of use. Given it was eight years old it was in great condition on the coach side but the chassis side sat idle most of those eight years. As such I was expecting some "none use" repairs which did happen...

I'm a little less concerned about this given that the one we're looking at has 46000 miles and the dealer is including a 90-day warranty. I plan for us to use it plenty in the next three months just to try to shake out any latent, "non-use" issues. I think I've almost decided against the warranty and instead just putting away some $$$ every month, as others have recommended.

Gary RVRoamer · 12-16-2020, 03:17 PM

A drivetrain extended warranty is like fire insurance - you buy but hope you never need it. In other words, disaster insurance.

Most repair insurers won't cover a 14 year old motorhome, but you could contact Wholesale Warranties and ask if they offer one for that coach.

This year-old topic has some additional info for you:
https://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/war...in-429996.html

doc · 12-16-2020, 04:25 PM

Maybe the guy/girl that calls me every other day telling me you warranty is about to expire on my vehicle could help you (just kidding - i wouldn't wish this bunch on my last dealer)

Dutch Star Don · 12-16-2020, 04:56 PM

"jsaund22"....You've selected a high quality well built coach. The engine is an ISL 400 with an Allison 3000 transmission. Both are pretty bulletproof. I think I would pass on the extended warranty.

I owned a 2005 Diplomat for 10 years. Here are some things you should know and can do as time and money permit.

First, I would get the engine and trans serviced (fluid change) to create a baseline. The trans will probably never need to be done again in your lifetime.

Shocks...that particular coach has 8 airbags and 8 shocks (Roadmaster RR8R chassis). The coach will ride better than new with the addition of the Koni FSD shocks all the way around. They will improve front end chatter and it will corner better, with less lean.

Jack system.....that coach uses a three jack system which is automatic. A key point of the three jack system, the front jack must ALWAYS be lowered first, then the two rears adjust the side to side. Not lowering the front jack first can cause windshield breakage. The auto leveling does this automatically.

The jack oil tank is located behind the louvered door, just in front of the driver's side rear tire. A regular key opens the louvered door and then a barrel key opens the second door that contains the dash A/C condenser. Once both are open, you'll find both fuel filters and the jack motor/tank. These tanks were always covered in trans fluid. The breather on top of the tank was made too short. Remove the breather and add a 3" piece of tubing to solve the issue. The tank also hangs off of the front mounts and is not supported in the rear. I added a support under the tank to keep it from being damaged.

The roof line.....in those years and many years to follow, the roof line clear coat always went bad. The only way to repair it, is to have it repainted. I picked the lightest color in my color scheme and had all four corners above the drip rail repainted. The lighter color holds up better.

There is a Monaco Forum group on this website that will be of great help. One of the members, years ago, created a cross brace system for the Roadmaster suspension which TREMENDOUSLY improved the handling of the coach. You should be able to find the info on the Monaco forum.

Lastly, there is a couple of guys who use to work for Monaco that started their own company in Oregon, Source Engineering. They're a Vendor on here. They make an engine fan that replaces the OEM nylon fan. Theirs is more streamline and just as efficient. The fan RETURNS 25 HP to the engine and the change can be felt in acceleration. There is also an engine chip that will add 52 HP. My 2005 Diplomat was a rocket and could pull any grade out west at 55+ while towing a 5K truck.

tankcj · 12-16-2020, 05:04 PM

There were problems with the 2006 ISL. check to see if the coach you are looking at is one of them.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f123/isl...ge-180891.html

jsaund22 · 12-16-2020, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

"jsaund22"....You've selected a high quality well built coach. The engine is an ISL 400 with an Allison 3000 transmission. Both are pretty bulletproof. I think I would pass on the extended warranty.

I owned a 2005 Diplomat for 10 years. Here are some things you should know and can do as time and money permit.

First, I would get the engine and trans serviced (fluid change) to create a baseline. The trans will probably never need to be done again in your lifetime.

Shocks...that particular coach has 8 airbags and 8 shocks (Roadmaster RR8R chassis). The coach will ride better than new with the addition of the Koni FSD shocks all the way around. They will improve front end chatter and it will corner better, with less lean.

Jack system.....that coach uses a three jack system which is automatic. A key point of the three jack system, the front jack must ALWAYS be lowered first, then the two rears adjust the side to side. Not lowering the front jack first can cause windshield breakage. The auto leveling does this automatically.

The jack oil tank is located behind the louvered door, just in front of the driver's side rear tire. A regular key opens the louvered door and then a barrel key opens the second door that contains the dash A/C condenser. Once both are open, you'll find both fuel filters and the jack motor/tank. These tanks were always covered in trans fluid. The breather on top of the tank was made too short. Remove the breather and add a 3" piece of tubing to solve the issue. The tank also hangs off of the front mounts and is not supported in the rear. I added a support under the tank to keep it from being damaged.

The roof line.....in those years and many years to follow, the roof line clear coat always went bad. The only way to repair it, is to have it repainted. I picked the lightest color in my color scheme and had all four corners above the drip rail repainted. The lighter color holds up better.

There is a Monaco Forum group on this website that will be of great help. One of the members, years ago, created a cross brace system for the Roadmaster suspension which TREMENDOUSLY improved the handling of the coach. You should be able to find the info on the Monaco forum.

Lastly, there is a couple of guys who use to work for Monaco that started their own company in Oregon, Source Engineering. They're a Vendor on here. They make an engine fan that replaces the OEM nylon fan. Theirs is more streamline and just as efficient. The fan RETURNS 25 HP to the engine and the change can be felt in acceleration. There is also an engine chip that will add 52 HP. My 2005 Diplomat was a rocket and could pull any grade out west at 55+ while towing a 5K truck.

That's a TON of great information, and good to hear from a former owner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankcj

There were problems with the 2006 ISL. check to see if the coach you are looking at is one of them.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f123/isl...ge-180891.html

Also great information. If I read the NHTSA site correctly, I should be able to simply contact Cummins with the engine serial number and they can tell me if it was part of that recall. If so, they should fix it - correct?

vito.a · 12-17-2020, 10:24 AM

A 2006 coach should have a 2005 engine. Even if it's within the serial number range, Cummins will not fix it. They will simply install a warning light that tells you when crankcase pressure is high.

Here is the post with the dates and serial numbers:
Defect Summary: CERTAIN ISL CUMMINS CM850 DIESEL ENGINES PRODUCED FOR RECREATIONAL VEHICLE APPLICATIONS BETWEEN OCTOBER 17, 2005, AND APRIL 18, 2006, WITH ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER RANGE FROM 46543077 TO 46603939. THE CONNECTING ROD CONTAINS A MACHINING DEFECT IN THE WRIST PIN BUSHING OF THE ROD THAT COULD CAUSE SEIZURE OF THE PISTON PIN.

Consequence Summary: IF ALLOWED TO PROGRESS, THIS COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ROD RUPTURING THE BLOCK CAVITY. OIL AND DEBRIS ON THE ROADWAY COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.