07-12-2023, 05:42 PM
I bought coach #125 in April and drove it without issue from Arizona to it's new home in Oregon, but have been so busy with other commitments that I haven't had a chance to take it out on its first vacation until last week. However, being a nearly 30 year veteran of RVing, I knew it was only a matter of time until something needed fixing.
So last week I found the bathroom exhaust fan screeched like it was being stabbed with a dull knife.
This week, I bought WD-40. Problem fixed! Last week I noticed one of the cabinet doors had a hinge with loose screws. I added a few slivers of wood I found on the ground in the campsite and put them in the screw hole. The screws went in snuggly and stayed tight. (A trick I learned when fixing cabinets as a former home remodeler).
As I pulled into the campsite a few days ago and turned off the engine, I heard a small motor running. Turns out the water pump (#1) was running constantly and water was spewing out of the compartment. It turns out the flex hose connected to the copper pipe had come loose, but the clamp was still on it. I loosened the clamp and pushed the hose back onto the pipe and tightened down the clamp. Problem solved!
I found another cabinet door that had separated at the hinge connection. All I needed was a screwdriver to pull out the retractable portion and reattach.
Had I been a new RVer, I may have been overwhelmed and frustrated. Stuff happens. Problems occur. This is a 1986 model, so I expect things to happen. I'm thankful that Mark and Marion, the previous owners, had gone through and breathed new life and fixed many of the mechanicals prior to selling it to me. Regardless, things break. I know that I am probably "preaching to the choir" in this group.
Despite these little things happening, my wife and I are having a great time in the coach. I love how solidly it is built, how much power it has compared to my former gasser coaches, and the quality that, even in 1986, still stands the test of time. We keep discovering new "features" of the coach. This week we found the switch for the floor "night lights".
So last week I found the bathroom exhaust fan screeched like it was being stabbed with a dull knife.
This week, I bought WD-40. Problem fixed! Last week I noticed one of the cabinet doors had a hinge with loose screws. I added a few slivers of wood I found on the ground in the campsite and put them in the screw hole. The screws went in snuggly and stayed tight. (A trick I learned when fixing cabinets as a former home remodeler).
As I pulled into the campsite a few days ago and turned off the engine, I heard a small motor running. Turns out the water pump (#1) was running constantly and water was spewing out of the compartment. It turns out the flex hose connected to the copper pipe had come loose, but the clamp was still on it. I loosened the clamp and pushed the hose back onto the pipe and tightened down the clamp. Problem solved!
I found another cabinet door that had separated at the hinge connection. All I needed was a screwdriver to pull out the retractable portion and reattach.
Had I been a new RVer, I may have been overwhelmed and frustrated. Stuff happens. Problems occur. This is a 1986 model, so I expect things to happen. I'm thankful that Mark and Marion, the previous owners, had gone through and breathed new life and fixed many of the mechanicals prior to selling it to me. Regardless, things break. I know that I am probably "preaching to the choir" in this group.
Despite these little things happening, my wife and I are having a great time in the coach. I love how solidly it is built, how much power it has compared to my former gasser coaches, and the quality that, even in 1986, still stands the test of time. We keep discovering new "features" of the coach. This week we found the switch for the floor "night lights".
Steve and Linda Burleson
28 years of RVing
Current RVs: 1986 Newell #125 w/2004 Ram 3500
2006 Keystone Raptor Toyhauler 30' stays at the family farm
Previous RVs: 1989 Rockwood Driftwood 35' gasser
1978 Georgie Boy 28'