Community Forums

SWMORGAN · 05-29-2023, 05:37 PM

I shouldn't complain...I'm the guy that bought a 17 year old coach to ease into the hobby. First trip out had no problems...just a short trip close to home to familiarize ourselves with all the systems. Second trip out we had electrical problems that I posted about weeks ago. Several hundred dollars in repairs to get things ready for our memorial day trip. Tried to use the awning for the first time yesterday and nothing happens when trying to extend it. Didn't let that ruin our trip and just figured I'd get to it later. Got home a few hours ago and unpacked all our gear. Popped all 4 slides out so we could do a thorough cleaning. Now that we're done I've got a living room slide that won't retract properly. Front part of the slide moves but the rear doesn't. I think I've now spent more in repairs and maintenance than I've made in payments on this toy. Maybe I should have stuck with delta and Marriott?

**Camp CA** · 05-29-2023, 05:59 PM

Be thankful it's not an older powerboat, ask me how I know. Document the manufacturer, model and serial number of all the equipment (jacks, slides, etc.), appliances, etc. and download the owner operating, maintenance and installation manualsand parts catologs to find out how to troubleshoot and repair. You'll get all the kinks out eventually and have the knowledge to make repairs/adjustments.

SWMORGAN · 05-29-2023, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camp CA

Be thankful it's not an older powerboat, ask me how I know. Document the manufacturer, model and serial number of all the equipment (jacks, slides, etc.), appliances, etc. and download the owner operating, maintenance and installation manualsand parts catologs to find out how to troubleshoot and repair. You'll get all the kinks out eventually and have the knowledge to make repairs/adjustments.

We all know that boat is an acronym for break out another thousand. Apparently that's the same for rvs

jacwjames · 05-29-2023, 06:13 PM

Your profile shows you own a Monaco Diplomat, must be a ~2006 model give or take.

Monaco is usually considered a decent brand but I'm biased

Agree that this "hobby" can be exhausting and costly. I haven't kept track of everything I've spent on my rig since we bought it in 2008, ~15 years ago, but it would probably be a considerable amount. To make matters worse in 2021 I decided to do a bunch of work on mine and spent ~$7K PLUS new tires to bring it up to snuff. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

But I believe it's up for travel after doing that work, didn't have any breakdowns last year and my wife just came back from a solo trip without a problem. I'm planning a longer trip next month (fingers crossed).

Only advice I have is to take it one day at a time. If you don't think you can stay in for the long haul get out while the gettin is good.

SWMORGAN · 05-29-2023, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jacwjames

Your profile shows you own a Monaco Diplomat, must be a ~2006 model give or take.

Monaco is usually considered a decent brand but I'm biased

Agree that this "hobby" can be exhausting and costly. I haven't kept track of everything I've spent on my rig since we bought it in 2008, ~15 years ago, but it would probably be a considerable amount. To make matters worse in 2021 I decided to do a bunch of work on mine and spent ~$7K PLUS new tires to bring it up to snuff. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

But I believe it's up for travel after doing that work, didn't have any breakdowns last year and my wife just came back from a solo trip without a problem. I'm planning a longer trip next month (fingers crossed).

Only advice I have is to take it one day at a time. If you don't think you can stay in for the long haul get out while the gettin is good.

2005 38 foot. We'll stick it out for now. The best part of our purchase was we saw it online at camping world...priced at 48k. They screwed up when they put it on their website and it was supposed to be 78k. We had looked at enough coaches to know mid to high 70s was typical for the year and condition. I had a screen shot of the ad from Camping World and they honored the low price. I could sell at any time and not lose any money

ChrisDParise · 05-29-2023, 06:28 PM

About same age as my coach. At about half that age more serious maintenance starts to appear.

I've never deferred fixing big ticket maintenance items and the coach is ready for another 4,000 mile trip this summer.

It is expensive though

jacwjames · 05-29-2023, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWMORGAN

2005 38 foot. We'll stick it out for now. The best part of our purchase was we saw it online at camping world...priced at 48k. They screwed up when they put it on their website and it was supposed to be 78k. We had looked at enough coaches to know mid to high 70s was typical for the year and condition. I had a screen shot of the ad from Camping World and they honored the low price. I could sell at any time and not lose any money

Well that's a positive for sure, gives you some cushion to get it fixed up ready to roll.

Mine was a repo, paid ~50% of what NADA. Didn't have many problems to start with but age is catching up with it though.

Crasher · 05-30-2023, 10:06 AM

We sold our coach last Sept and I am surprised at how much more money we have in our checking accounts. I didn't pay much attention to the year to year costs of ownership until after we sold it. My RV port sits empty now,

, but I don't miss the cost of ownership.

Edit: I must admit that it took me 27 years of fun traveling and camping experiences to figure it out.

Guess I might be a slow learner.

Dodge Guy · 05-30-2023, 11:32 AM

If you try and justify owning an RV, it won’t work out well. Now if you add up the fun you have then it’s all worth it. I also ain’t in it for $100’s of thousands of dollars ! I have a very nice 11 year old gasser with full body paint and 3 slides. Paid $64k for it 4 years ago.
We just stayed at a hotel for a wedding (no campgrounds close and we were only an hour from home) hotel was nasty and expensive! A good hotel for the area would’ve been near $300 for a night!
Now imagine traveling for 2-3 weeks and having to stay in hotels (minimum of $100 a night). That and food gets expensive. And you are sleeping in bed that who knows what happened on! No thanks!

And don’t get me started in flying or cruises!

SoonToBeFT · 05-30-2023, 11:48 AM

There's rarely, but there are absolutely some trips, like fingers crossed this one where we are now after a month away 2 hours from home and our slide wouldn't go in and we pushed on some wires and tested fuses and removed and reinstalled, where something doesn't go wrong!

In over a quarter century of RVing, and in later years extended trips, we've had 2 engine replacements, jacks not deploying and sticking and being very hard to repair. A few scratches here and there, and battery bank explosions from a bad setting from the initial installers. Whenever we put her in to be winterised in the early years every spring we'd have leaks from their over tightening nuts or not doing it properly. In a nutshell we learnt very early on to learn and do whatever we could ourselves and it's been far less troublesome.

On our first RV a 5er the bedroom slide wouldn't go in and the fluid kept being added and added until I discovered a very wet smelly bedroom carpet, and it was the hose that had been placed under the actual bed sliding back and forth with a hole in it.

Over time, you will get to know a lot about your rig, and things happening you will recognise and diagnose and repair for the most part a lot quicker doing it all yourself.

Owning an RV we learnt very early on "Take Deep Breaths, and our mantra It Is What It Is", have stood us in good stead. There truly is nothing like having your own food, bed and especially as we age Potty on board.

Good luck, persevere and take deep breaths = worse things can and do happen unfortunately but you've got this.

LynnD · 05-30-2023, 01:11 PM

There are times that I have sat back and wondered what the heck is wrong with me wanting the motorhome. But we have enjoyed many trips in it and with the cats I know we would be be able to go to these places without it. We started with a fiver and a truck and loved it. The motorhome became necessary because we had the cats and then added a bird that we could not leave at home after her partner died. We have loved having the motorhome so we decided to update it, while traveling to get that done we ended up in an accident that had damage that could not be repaired so it was totaled. We were not replacing it....but it's in our blood and we are now searching for another one, there's too much to see out there! I've been where you are...."Maybe it's time .... " But I just am not ready to accept that. . . YET.

David55 · 05-30-2023, 01:17 PM

Traveling by any mechanism except hitchhiking is expensive. You just have to figure out if traveling and by what mechanism is worth it to you.
_________
Newmar 2023 Dutch Star 4081
2017 Harley Davidson Roadglide Ultra
2022 4 door Jeep Wrangler
2022 F150 Platinum

SWMORGAN · 05-30-2023, 02:35 PM

As it turns out there wasn't much of a catastrophe here. I did some reading and found the motor and drive mechanisms for the slide are all accessible from the basement storage. Climbed in there today to see what might be going on and found a sheared bolt from the motor to the shaft that opens and closes the slide. Quick trip to home depot for a bolt and 10 minutes hunched over and we're back in business again.

Thanks for the comments and encouragement

Gary RVRoamer · 05-30-2023, 02:46 PM

That's not just a "bolt". It is a "shear pin", designed to fail (shear) before the something a lot more expensive breaks. The motor driving that shaft is low speed but high torque, thus very powerful. If the slide binds or jams, that pin/bolt breaks before the shaft twists or the slide crushes somebody's arm. You don't want a really strong bolt in that slot.

This Google search will locate new shear pin bolts and I thionk some YouTube videos about the subject.
https://www.google.com/search?client...lide+shear+pin