08-23-2014, 06:30 AM
I have had that happen three times Harry. The first two times were both between Casa Grande and Yuma, AZ. First time I lost my headlights at night. Used Newell's 24 hours emergency assistance number and they had an electrician call me back and walk me through isolating a bad dimmer switch and I was back on the road again. Newell told me which Ford product I needed to replace it. I found one the next morning and replaced the switch.
The second time, I lost power coming up the grade just east of Yuma. Was able to hobble into Yuma, found a truck/RV oil change location and had them change out the fuel filters. I wasn't carrying any spare filters with me at the time, something that I remedied immediately so I could fix it on the side of the road myself were it to happen again. I had gotten a load of bad fuel that had almost totally blocked the fine filter (there are two primary engine fuel filter on my coach plus the one on the generator). When I got to Newport Beach, CA, I found a marine service company that would come to the RV park and polish all of the fuel in both of my tanks and I replaced the fuel filters again. No fuel problems since then.
The third time was early this summer when a front airbag blew out. I called Newell and Chuck Clark immediately overnighted me a new airbag which the commercial truck tire shop I was leaving when it blew out installed for me the next morning and got me on my way again.
Summary, 3 breakdown occurrences in 8 years. One, due to Newell's 24 hour assistance only delayed me two hours total, including finding a replacement part and installing it the next day which would not have really prevented my continued progress. The second issue, I was able to diagnose and IF I had been smart enough to be carrying spare fuel filters at the time, I could have fixed myself in about 20 minutes on the side of the road. The most recent time, I was down for about 20 hours total while Newell overnighted me the part and the truck tire dealer installed it. I had Newell replace the remainder of the front airbags when I was in for service after the Table Rock Lake Rally this summer.
I have had trips delayed significantly more by adverse weather conditions that I wasn't willing to drive in (ice or very strong cross winds that were sidelining the big rigs) than by breakdowns.
The second time, I lost power coming up the grade just east of Yuma. Was able to hobble into Yuma, found a truck/RV oil change location and had them change out the fuel filters. I wasn't carrying any spare filters with me at the time, something that I remedied immediately so I could fix it on the side of the road myself were it to happen again. I had gotten a load of bad fuel that had almost totally blocked the fine filter (there are two primary engine fuel filter on my coach plus the one on the generator). When I got to Newport Beach, CA, I found a marine service company that would come to the RV park and polish all of the fuel in both of my tanks and I replaced the fuel filters again. No fuel problems since then.
The third time was early this summer when a front airbag blew out. I called Newell and Chuck Clark immediately overnighted me a new airbag which the commercial truck tire shop I was leaving when it blew out installed for me the next morning and got me on my way again.
Summary, 3 breakdown occurrences in 8 years. One, due to Newell's 24 hour assistance only delayed me two hours total, including finding a replacement part and installing it the next day which would not have really prevented my continued progress. The second issue, I was able to diagnose and IF I had been smart enough to be carrying spare fuel filters at the time, I could have fixed myself in about 20 minutes on the side of the road. The most recent time, I was down for about 20 hours total while Newell overnighted me the part and the truck tire dealer installed it. I had Newell replace the remainder of the front airbags when I was in for service after the Table Rock Lake Rally this summer.
I have had trips delayed significantly more by adverse weather conditions that I wasn't willing to drive in (ice or very strong cross winds that were sidelining the big rigs) than by breakdowns.