Texas Motorhome Fix
Sometimes the best we seem able to do is sort of stumble, bumble, and fumble through life. But, recently things were really different - I felt smart. I escaped the mechanic trap. Please let me explain. Auto repair shops give me nightmares - motorhome repair shops are worse. Entering one of these shops is much like handing some unknown person a blank check with your signature clearly affixed. It can be a frightening, gut-wrenching, experience as you see your life savings disappear into one of these grease pits. What made me feel so smart today? I avoided an extended visit to that friendly, smiling mechanic who welcomes you into his shop like a smiling spider into its web. Full of assurances that our mechanical problem is probably a trivial task for his superior mind, he begins his extended investigation to identify the problem. After long, slow walks to the far side of the shop to find a tool, he takes a smoking break while contemplating his coffee break. Motorhomes are complicated machines. There are miles of electrical wires, diodes, relays, air conditioners, refrigerator, TVs, radios, microwave, heaters, stoves, water systems, sewage systems, etc. When searching these systems to find problems, the minutes can turn into hours which can be multiplied by up to $60 per hour for the labor part of the bill.
Let me explain the events that led up to my fleeting smarts. (You can skip this paragraph if you read a previous travelogue titled "Round Trip.") Driving the motorhome in the Texas heat, the speedometer and other gauges on the dashboard began to fluctuate violently. The diesel engine suddenly stopped and would not start again. Coasting to a stop on a narrow highway with a narrow shoulder, I had visions of intensive heat, complicated repairs, and a very expensive tow bill. Trying the ignition key again, to my surprise, the diesel engine roared back to life. This same scenario took place a couple of other times before I reached a city and an RV mechanic. He cleaned the battery terminals and pronounced the problem fixed. After handing him $60, off we went. Then it happened - it died again. By experimenting while driving, and some mediocre detective work, the problem was found to be that any time any 12-volt device - like a fan or air conditioner - was turned on, the new electrical load caused a short in the system and the engine died.
The general approach to obtain RV repair is to phone the nearest RV shop. A secretary usually answers the phone and offers an appointment date about 2 weeks in the future. I ask to speak to the service manager and explain that we are on the road and cannot wait 2 weeks, can he please just take a look at our problem and give us advice? Usually, he finds a way to work us into their busy schedule. But, today I decided that maybe I could fix the problem myself with a little help from an expert. A phone call to the Spartan Chassis Company, which manufactured the chassis of my motorhome, was answered by Fred Goode who provides technical assistance to customers. After a very brief description of my problem, he knew the answer. The muscle tension in my shoulders relaxed a little as he clearly described the symptoms and solutions to my problem. A quick trip to my friendly, local, NAPA auto parts store would solve the problem. Like a kid in a candy store, I purchased an ST80, continuous duty relay as recommended by Fred. It cost only $30. Pat would be so proud of me for saving hundreds of dollars in repair costs. I found myself humming a happy tune while driving back to the motorhome.
Forgetting to disconnect the battery, I zapped the old relay while removing it - my confidence began to lag a bit. But, after installing the new relay, I confidently turned the ignition key. Nothing happened! I reinstalled the old relay and got a normal engine start. Returning to NAPA I explained that their relay was faulty and they recommended a $32 model ST85. It too failed. It seemed unlikely that I would get 2 faulty relays so the problem must be with my installation - right? Switching the wires on the relay to all possible configurations made no difference. On a whim, I stopped into an AutoZone parts store and showed them the NAPA relay. The clerk found a similar relay that cost only $6.48 - it worked like a charm. I returned the NAPA relay, obtained a refund and now I should be able to drive in the Texas heat with my air conditioner turned on. No worries about becoming stalled in the middle of a freeway during rush hour. But, after less than 5 minutes on the road, the diesel engine died again. Replacing the new relay with the old one, together with a major investment in sweat, we were once again on the road. Stopping by the NAPA store to pick up a third relay, I suddenly had a very uncomfortable feeling - where was the relay that I had just removed? It was nowhere to be found in the motorhome - I must have left on the frame after removing it and it had fallen on the road while driving. Shelling out another $32 made me the proud owner of a third NAPA relay. I quizzed the salesman about installation, he assured me that I was using the proper procedure - "the relays I had purchased previously were bad."
Next morning I installed the new relay, found that it too did not work, and again phoned Fred Goode in Michigan. After a less-than-brief explanation of my short history as an incompetent mechanic, he asked: "Did you hook up the ground?" I explained that the old relay had no ground post. "OK," he said in the same tone he would use to explain something to his 3-year-old son, "but the new one must have a special ground wire." I had wondered why the new relays had 4 posts when the old one had only 3 - now I knew. After installing the new ground to the extra post, the system seems to be working fine. I will believe the problem is finally solved when we have traveled about another 5000 miles with no mishaps. Anyway, Pat said she was proud of me, and all is well in gypsy land.
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