Well local Freightliner shop got me.

[pointrow]

Alternator locked up on my motor home with 8.9 Cummins. Had it towed to local freightliner shop. New it wasn’t going to be cheap but $2400. seems kinda steep.
Toe truck was covered by coach net so that is for alternator, belt and one idler.
9 hrs labor because they had to remove the fan drive gear box.
Should have had it towed to my home and done it myself.
Lesson learned.

[okie143]

That is high as it is freightliner rates. I did mine and total was about $500.00.

[asuperheat]

Sucks, sometimes they know you don't have much choice when traveling and towed in. Did they not quote you up front?

Sounds like they took labor for each individual part and added them up. Not exactly fair.

[HDGoose]

Originally Posted by okie143

That is high as it is freightliner rates. I did mine and total was about $500.00.

Did you pay yourself the prevailing wage for the how long it took. Did you also pay employer part of social security, Medicare and provide medical insurance? How about matching retirement contributions? How about insurance for the shop?



When paying someone else to perform tasks, one must pay a fair cost.



Most of us drive our vehicles until they break. And fix what breaks. Would you fly in an airplane maintained like that? Preventative maintenance would avoid most breakdowns.

[twinboat]

The dealer probably charged over $1000 for the parts.

[Mark_K5LXP]

Not unique to freightliner but typical of most any professional service provider. When you perform a repair like this you end up owning it, and they're not going to cut any corners or spare any of your expense to ensure it doesn't come back. On top of that is the margin built into the cost to help cover a return call if there's a problem. These outfits are in the business of making money and solving problems. Most of their customers are commercial, companies that make money with this equipment. To them, it's costing money if the equipment isn't working and what is an expensive repair to an individual is the cost of doing business to most other clients. I view RV ownership as playing a game of chicken in the commercial sandbox and I have to be willing to ante up when something goes south. These are events that happen routinely in the commercial world so if you're going to own a commercial vehicle, it's part of the game.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

[Dav L]

Yowsa. 9 hours...

[FastGlassMan]

I worked for a Freightliner dealer as a mechanic in North Jersey, they were ridiculous, had me clock out with a time clock for every bathroom break and each time I went to the parts counter! Quit after 2 weeks as that is how they paid me, by the job card not the hours I worked. Also was the filthiest shop floor I ever had to work on !

[beenthere]

go to a bus shop

[pointrow]

Update: $150. Of that was for the drive shaft kit and labor to put it back in. The 170 amp new alternator was less than $375. + $170 for idler. The rest was all labor.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Could well be a flat rate shop, where the labor is charged by the book time no matter how long the job actually took. However, most shops that work on motorhomes charge by time & materials rather than flat rate, simply because they have no idea what impediments they may run into trying to work within the confines of a motorhome body. Or how much damage the owner will claim was done by the repair crew.

[pointrow]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Could well be a flat rate shop, where the labor is charged by the book time no matter how long the job actually took. However, most shops that work on motorhomes charge by time & materials rather than flat rate, simply because they have no idea what impediments they may run into trying to work within the confines of a motorhome body. Or how much damage the owner will claim was done by the repair crew.

The labor charge was quoted to me before starting so I believe it was flat rate.

Thanks for everybody’s reply.

[NevadaNick]

They did not get to you if they quoted you ahead of the work

[ernest917]

Don’t get me started on Freightliner!!!!!

In the past they were my “go to” when I had issues on the road and for the most part they’ve all been ok - high but ok....

Two weeks ago my coach started overheating while climbing... I could pull over, let coach idle for a while and then continue on my way....

While in Jackson Hole I contacted Freightliner Help line and was told the closest Freightliner Service center was in Idaho Falls, ID...

I called them on a Thursday and made an appointment for the following Tuesday.... I told them that others with my coach had same issue and it was a bad fan clutch....

Arrived there at 8AM.... We - (me, wife, 2 dogs) went to Truckers lounge where we waited 7.5 hrs only to be told I’d need to bring coach back Wednesday AM because they couldn’t get to it.... Not a happy camper for sure....

Again - had it there early next morning but they didn’t take it in until 11:30....

Having not heard from the by 3:30 I went to service desk to check... Was told fan clutch checked out OK, but I had an air flow issue so they steam cleaned my radiator and assured me that was the issue.... I paid $432.67 and hit the road...,

Didn’t get 70 miles until it again overheated on first climb I encountered....

Limped into Salt Lake on Sunday and called Freightliner there.... Couldn’t get me in until 8/12.....

Recommended a local shop - Advanced RV & Power Sports...

Called this shop first thing Monday AM and got a 9AM appointment on Wednesday....

Arrived at 9 and they had coach in shop by 9:15.....

One hr later during diagnostics which included taking coach up hill close by, they diagnosed a BAD FAN CLUTCH!!!!

They also discovered that the fan clutch relay and fuse were missing..... Said tech at Freightliner couldn’t have tested clutch without them.... Hmmmm....

They replaced those parts and test drove coach again and coach still overheated.....

Replaced fan clutch and eventually got me rolling again...