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Rob8 · 01-16-2018, 03:43 PM

Hi guys, new member here! I have a 1994 34' bounder with the Ford 460 w/32k miles. A few weeks ago we were about an hour and a half into our trip when all of a sudden we lost all gears. I never heard or felt anything, but coasted to the side of the road and ended up getting towed to a shop. Without actually looking at the MH the mechanic said it needs a transmission replacement and quoted $5600! I told him to not start anything as I wanted to call around for additional quotes. Has anybody had a similar experience or can offer some advice.

...before posting I searched and found some useful info, but wanted to get my situation out there. Also my mechanical skills are very good, just never messed with transmissions.

Any help is appreciated!

keymastr · 01-16-2018, 11:00 PM

Does it still have fluid and what color is it?Transmissions are pretty spendy but that may be a bit high. You could spend $3500 on a built one though.

DENSHER · 01-17-2018, 06:13 AM

I had same engine & transmission in a Class C on E 350 chassis that got hot and dumped the transmission fluid out on the ground. Was a 1000 miles from home and thought it had blown the front seal. Luckily I got in contact with a service manager at a Ford truck dealership, he told me there was a relief valve that may have opened and pumped fluid out. He suggested replacing filter and fluid and test drive if OK and no sign of leak advised increasing cooler size. I did the filter and fluid change and was back running but never upgraded the cooler before trading this one in on a Class A.

A transmission shop will give you a worst case quote (complete rebuild) if you come to them with none functioning transmission. Even if a simple filter and fluid change did restore shift power to it they would not be willing to risk their reputation or have come back without completely disassembling and inspecting the transmission. Cost of doing this will vary with labor cost in your area.

c92vette · 01-17-2018, 06:51 AM

First thought, any mechanic worth his weight will diagnose the problem before offering a solution. Since you wrote that he didn't look at the transmission before giving you a solution I would run fast from the shop and find another. Being you were an hour or so into your trip you should be between 50 and 75 miles from home. Do you know any reputable shops in that area?

Second thought, there is something within the transmission that has failed. Dennis has offered a solution that makes sense. There are many things that can and will fail inside if given the opportunity. My daughter had a Dodge minivan transmission fail on a hill. My SIL and I tore it down and couldn't find anything wrong until the sun shone at just the right angle. A ring gear that drives the output shaft sheared around it's circumference. It looked as if it was made that way. We did a complete rebuild for about $300 in parts. Labor was charged to spare time. My pick up, a Dodge Ram, stopped going forward one morning. Seems the pumps pickup tube from the filter came apart and the pump could not pick up the fluid from the pan. Replaced the filter and tube, $60 for parts, and have driven it 100k miles since.

There's 2 examples of failure. One expensive being a complete rebuild and the other just a filter replacement for less than a day's pay. The point is get to a real shop that won't shaft you. Go on Google reviews and see the rating of your first mechanic and put out a review of your own on him so others will know. Then look up another shop and select it by the reviews. Your mechanically inclined enough to know when you are getting the shaft. The transmission may be toast but at 32k miles I don't totally buy it. I gotta believe it's something simple inside.

Gary RVRoamer · 01-17-2018, 10:03 AM

These days most shops prefer to install a rebuilt tranny rather than attempting to fix it. Pulling a tranny and disassembling for diagnosis and repair is a substantial amount of labor and you could spend all that money to find that a repair is not cost effective anyway. Simply replacing with a rebuilt tranny is less labor and the rebuilder warranties it, not the shop. Swapping a tranny doesn't require transmission repair skills either. If you have the space & time, you could get a rebuilt yourself and do the swap.

That said, $5600 seems a bit high, but I haven't priced anything like that lately. Is this a tranny shop or an RV dealer? With rare exceptions, an RV dealer is just going to drive it over to the transmission shop and charge you a premium price for doing it.

38Chevy454 · 01-17-2018, 04:18 PM

As suggested, first thing is check the level and color of fluid inside the trans. Does it even register on the dipstick? Is it red or brown? Smell like burnt or just like oil?

Could be you just need to refill and it will work, although a fluid and filter change would not hurt if the filter is plugged or many tenthousands of miles since service.

Rob8 · 01-17-2018, 05:00 PM

All, thanks for the quick replies...this is exactly what I was hoping for! To answer some of the questions, the fluid was checked (on a cold engine...didn't think to check it while it was running, waiting for the tow truck, but that's a whole other story), fluid was fresh and healthy and the level was spot on.

I am about 60 miles away and the MH is in eastern (rural) PA, so finding any real feedback in shops hasn't worked out too well...folks in that region aren't using the inter-webs too effectively. I am not going to pay a mechanic $5600 for swapping a tranny that he didn't even look at, but I'm in a tough spot. Aside from phone estimates, my rig is dead in the water miles away and arranging a tow wrecker for a 34' unit hasn't been well received. The more I read and look into E40D transmission issues, I like the sound of inspecting it myself and going from there...only issue would be taking on an additional wrecker fee to then move it from my house to the shop.

Does anyone know a good manual for this type of potential transmission breakdown?

MSHappyCampers · 01-18-2018, 09:50 AM

Hi Rob!

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Sorry for your misfortune! I'm not a mechanic and can't advise you, but wanted to say hello!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Ndrorder · 01-18-2018, 10:14 AM

You might weigh into your decision that a complete rebuild kit from Monster is about $900.

Mr_D · 01-18-2018, 10:31 AM

Usually when something like the OP's problem has I suspect a linkage or control problem and not the trans itself.
And I'd never accept a "diagnosis" from a shop that didn't even look at the rig, especially an unknown shop on a trip that knows you're stuck.

Gary RVRoamer · 01-18-2018, 12:29 PM

If you want it towed, you need a truck tow service. Medium and heavy duty trucks travel everywhere, so the tow services that handle trucks do the same. Towing a big rig isn't cheap, though.

Where is it? If you gave the name of a nearby town, maybe somebody here could suggest a shop or a tow service.

Soppy · 01-18-2018, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob8

All, thanks for the quick replies...this is exactly what I was hoping for! To answer some of the questions, the fluid was checked (on a cold engine...didn't think to check it while it was running, waiting for the tow truck, but that's a whole other story), fluid was fresh and healthy and the level was spot on.

I am about 60 miles away and the MH is in eastern (rural) PA, so finding any real feedback in shops hasn't worked out too well...folks in that region aren't using the inter-webs too effectively. I am not going to pay a mechanic $5600 for swapping a tranny that he didn't even look at, but I'm in a tough spot. Aside from phone estimates, my rig is dead in the water miles away and arranging a tow wrecker for a 34' unit hasn't been well received. The more I read and look into E40D transmission issues, I like the sound of inspecting it myself and going from there...only issue would be taking on an additional wrecker fee to then move it from my house to the shop.

Does anyone know a good manual for this type of potential transmission breakdown?

The oil has to be checked with the engine running , even if the trans is not up to temperature.
Sounds like there was just a simple total failure of a part , which would not entail a complete transmission rebuild. With it being an electronic controlled transmission, it could be a loose plug or broken wire. Spending a little money on proper diagnostics could save you a bundle.

speed racer · 01-19-2018, 06:08 AM

Just my opinion but a good mech. would pull the trans. oil pan to get an idea of the condition of the transmission. In some cases the filter gets stoped up and the trans. loses oil pressure.

Rob8 · 01-20-2018, 07:19 AM

Thanks for the help guys! Today I'm going to lock in a tow company and will have it pulled to my house... looking forward to learning more about transmissions and getting my hands dirty!