Last summer we took a trip to Las Vegas from Denver. We had an air leak and had to stop at a place we had previously purchased our 1st motor home from. I don’t know if I can say which place we stopped. It starts with a T and ends with a T 2 words. They located the air leak and patched it. I asked the service guy if they could check my tire pressure as we had no idea what it was or what it should be. All the tires were at 80, but he said that was not enough so he filled them up to 120. We got to 60 miles before green river Utah when the front tire exploded hurling the RV across all Lanes of traffic. I was in our truck behind my friend. It turned so fast and headed towards the median which had a significant drop off. Had he not got control back by standing up to hold the steering wheel in place it would have hit the dirt and definitely flipped it over. A 40 ft motorhome at 65 mph on a hot dessert road with over filled tires is a recipe for disaster anyway. Make sure you know where your tire pressure should be before you go on a trip. On the side of your tires is a small box with 4 numbers on it it will have 1- 12 as the first 2 numbers and anywhere between 10 to 22 for the last 2. The first 2 represents the month the tires were made the last 2 represents the year. If you don’t change them all at least change your front ones every 5 years even if they look knew. It’s $2.75 a mile plus 165.00 an hour travel time and 220.00 service call per hour for someone to come fix you on the road. As nice as the guy was that blow out cost me $1900.00.
And to continue with the rest of the same trip, on to Vegas. Still feeling the financial pinch from spending a large chunk of my vacation money on the explosion, I wasn’t alot of fun to be around the rest of the way to Vegas. I tried to change my ugly mood swing before we pulled into Vegas. Our 55 mph speed from green river to Vegas didn’t help that much, but I did understand his PTSD. He is pretty sure he dropped many F bombs through that. Not actually planning ahead we didn’t reserve any RV spot because it’s Vegas there is plenty of places. Very true but not all in the best areas or locations to things. All of old Vegas is gone and it was like a completely different city, nothing was familiar… it was dark 30 and I found one on the strip sort of. Oasis Las Vegas RV resort on wind Mill ln. It is actually one of the nicest RV places I have ever seen. Very plush and tropical and clean. I though " oh gosh how much is this gonna be a night". There is rows of parking in front of the huge lobby to check in. He pulled in turned off the RV and took the dog for a walk while I went in to get a spot. They found 1 spot 2 days. Then we would have to go somewhere else. 125.00 a day. I was hot and tired so I decided we were already here might as well be comfortable. Went out to find the spot in the truck then came back to have him follow me to it. The RV wouldn’t start. I went back inside the lobby and told the lady that we couldn’t get it started. Friday night. Oh yes. She handed me a pamphlet that listed the RV techs that they use at this resort. The first guy had plans for the night and couldn’t make it till after 12 or 1. He called me back and offered me a different guy that he uses when he is too busy and visa versa. He was very nice and I took his number down to call him. The first guy said if he can’t come call me back and I’ll try and walk you through a few things to try. The second guy had plans also and had the baby sitter already there. I started to cry cause that’s what I do when too much shit happens. He said let me talk to my wife and see if we can’t swing by on our way. 2 hrs go by and they have been out to see why we are still parked at check in. I called back to first guy he said he sounds like the starter. And told me to go bang on it with a hammer or a stick then try to start it again. I couldn’t even find it let alone bang on it. Another hour and the second guy shows up with his wife but has no tools so he had to go back home to get his work truck. It’s 1100 now but we wait. He thinks it’s something with the ignition solenoid or starter solenoid so he jumps the sylenoid and it starts it so we can get moved to our spot and said he would be back before we had to leave in 2 days. That service call to jump it was 120.00 trip charge plus 125.00 for the service call. 1100 2 days later comes and still no tech still won’t start. So Ii get a call from the office telling me the other people that reserved that spot was here we had to move. I called the guy and told him the office is angry. He called someone to come jump it. He was there in about 1 hr. Jumped the sylenoid so we could move. He was in and done so fast I didn’t even catch his name. However all of our slides were out when he came . We had to turn it off to close the slides. It wouldn’t start again. I had to leave a msg for the first tech so he could call the guy he sent… who was already at another job. Now the office is very angry and has shown up for the third time suggesting I call a tow truck to have it moved. I relay the suggestion back to the tech that they mandate to use off the list they give you. He had the same guy come back and this time he showed me how he did it. But I wasn’t dressed to crawl under the RV. So he explained it to me and where to find it. We spent the rest of the day hunting up a different RV park we could afford to wait on the tech to come. Now on the complete opposite end of town. 2 days not a word. 3 days not a word. 5 days nothing. Soi get on line and research what would be the most common thing to cause this. Everything went towards the starter. I called my son and he said that sounded right. They spot I was in at koa was reserved so we had to move to a different spot but wasn’t able to find how to jump the sylenoid , my son tried to explain it but we couldn’t figure it out. So we called every RV big rig company we could find at 400 on sat no one answered or had the part. And the company that made them had discontinued that starter. Mwe started driving to every auto parts store around that area of town. Trying to explain the discontinued part number and what it looked like. I was tired of waiting on this guy to not show up. We were gonna get the starter and put it in ourselves. Since between 2 of them it was either the starter or the sylenoid. We went under the rig ,located the starter and tried to take it out. If we had the part we could match it with one in stock at a auto parts place. It was frozen on. So I called the guy back and told him I would get a spot for one more day so he could get there. He assured me he would be there. He said he found a place in Calif that had the part and he would have it sent overnight. He quoted me 1500.00 for the part plus 100.00 for shipping. He would be there as soon as the part came in. Like an idiot I said well I know there isn’t one anywhere in town because I have called everywhere. The only one we found even close was at o reilley’s auto parts and it’s only 270.00 for the part. They said that according to their list it should work. He said it isn’t the same one you can’t put a cheap starter in this RV you have to go with parts made for RVs. I said well that explains the cost difference. He said I’ll see you by noon tomorrow. I said ok. Or will be twirling needs on the strip to even be able to stay another day here. Next day comes and about 3 he calls and says he got the starter but they sent one for a Ford fiesta so he has to send it back and wait for the right one. His story was to detailed with information like he had it fabricated before he ever called me. And waited till the end of the day so he wouldn’t have to show up . I had to move from another reserved spot so the guy had to come jump it again. 2 free jump calls but this one I had to pay the trip charge 120.00 plus 125 service call. And pay for another day. 89.00 a day at koa Las Vegas. X 6 days now. We have yet to been to one casino or dinner or show. The next day he shows up with another guy and they both get under the rig and can’t get it off either. It took 2 hrs for them to get it off. The other guy did most of the work on it and seemed to know more then the guy who owned the company. Once it was off they covered the bolt pattern didn’t line up and the outside flange was to big to fit in the spot. So they spent the next 2 1/2 hrs cutting the part to fit. And when it was done they turned the key and nothing. Wouldn’t start. They went back under and didn’t have a clue. The guy he brought said let me take out the ignition here and check it real quick. While I live to tell you this. There was a wire that must have jiggled lose. Because without making a big deal about it the guy told him didn’t you check this? He just gave him the look and they both went outside then the owner came back turned the key and it started. He turned it off and on like 4 times it started right up. Then he handed me the bill. 1300.00 for the starter 100 for overnight shipping. 120.00 trip charge pluss 1st.00 per tec per HR they were there. 5 hrs x 1st.00x2. my bill was $ 2150.00. I had enough vacation. We packed up and left for home never stepping foot in a casino or restaurant or went down the strip even once. Got 150 miles out of Vegas stopped to get gas and it wouldn’t start again. Just then I was really mad, crying mad. It occured to me that that guy kept my starter once they figured out the problem wasn’t the starter at all just a loose wire in the ignition. And he now had a perfectly working 1300.00 starter that they can shake someone else down because they don’t have any other options. Of course I called him and told him it wouldn’t start. He told. Me it wasn’t his problem since it started and we left , it’s no longer his responsibility, it’s our problem and hung up on me. Vegas is not somewhere you ever want to need RV repairs done for real, unless you plan ahead to spend all your vacation money sending techs children to college. I ended up calling the shop that did the tire on the way over and the same guy that came to fix the tire, drove for 2 hrs on his day off to come help us then 2 hrs back home, and only took 200.00. It may have been pricy for the tire but the guy that came on his own time renewed my faith in humanity. His name is cade, if you need service near green river Utah call and ask for him. It’s the only truck stop repair in town.
What a horrible story! I’m so sorry you went through that. Yours is the type of story that makes people not want to travel or go nomad. For every bad story there’s a good story, though. I’m sure I would have went home like you did, too discouraged and upset to try to continue the vacation. I hope things are going better for you now.
Indeed. Sometimes experience from others terrifies me…