Bill NY, the sooner people can accept that a breakdown isn't the end of the world, the sooner they can enjoy their vehicles. At many of our antique car shows we have a broken trophy for those that had an "event" on the way to the show.
I feel better after reading about other people's troubles. It helps put things into perspective.

quote:

Originally posted by DougZ:
...the sooner people can accept that a breakdown isn't the end of the world, the sooner they can enjoy their vehicles.

You bring up a very good point Doug...

I wonder how many people fear taking their coaches on a long drive because they might have a breakdown?

You're not getting pictures or cherishing memories like these taking the Barth to a campground 10 miles away. Not unless you're Lee.

Go to a GTG or take a trip - but get out there and enjoy yourself!!!

It got me because with our 1960 Ex Trailways bus we never broke down once in 10 years of ownership. With the big trucks we got over 1 million miles travelling and had to be towed twice (a broken piston at 999,460 mi on the old truck, then at 1,100,000 mi same truck the bull gear quit). Lesson learned: Do not leave home without your BIG toolbox. And listen to the early signs, it will not cure itself. oh well, hindsight is twenty twenty. On the bright side the repair shop owner and his wife invited us to dinner the second night and we had a good time. You can meet some really nice people out on the road. I know, the sharks are out there too. But I truly believe Carl Feren should be nominated president of the tow away / roadside repair chapter. I admire him for the work and dedication he put in his coach in Hawthorne NV(we met him and Betsy there). No sandstorm or winter freeze was stopping him. Here I was joking we should buy a wrecker and follow everyone to the GTGs, reading all the stories of Mary Rae, Nick and others. I am not complaining, just trying to tell others LISTEN to your motor and do not think you make it home (Murphys law). The alternator was still charging from time to time, the batteries were not down, but then the bearings fell out of the back of it (and it had only 2000 miles on it) and that was the end (it locked up). Now I sound like a whining truck driver. But you know meeting you all up there in Milford was worth it all! Doris

I've been towed twice; once in a FWD GMC with a blown transmission; once with a Brand X SOB with a plugged up fuel system; never in the Barth.

The closest I came in the Barth was on our trip home after buying the coach. Descending from the Siskiyou Mountains in OR, an awning arm detached at the top, hit the pavement, & bounced along
sounding just like a blowout with a ruptured tire tearing up the wheel well. When I got the coach stopped & my heart stopped pounding, I tied the arm back up with some Velcro tape, drove into Ashland, bought a proper-size bolt at a hardware store, bolted the arm back in place, & drove on. My biggest problems were navigating the narrow streets in the older part of town with a toad hooked on, finding an open hardware store with a place to park, & figuring out how to get up high enough to reach the offending bolt. At last I found a loading platform & parked next to it. Took about 3 minutes to finish the job.

I corrected a lot of other problems on the Barth, due mainly to age & neglect, but in 10K miles or so, I never had another problem on the road.

I don't feel so bad now about having blown the engine on our first Barth. I wonder what would have happend if I had just stopped when I heard the big "clunk." Traffic on a one-lane interstate under construction would have backed up for miles, I'm sure, but I bet our wait for a tow would have been considerably shorter!

Lorelei, did you folks get another motor home?
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
Lorelei, did you folks get another motor home?
Jim

yes they did

quote:

Originally posted by Lorelei:
I guess we liked the trip, because we're DOING IT AGAIN! Tim and I bought this coach and are leaving to pick it up. I know. I know. I can't believe it either.