Fleetwood PlantJul 20, 2009
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I drove 450 miles on July 19th, which is a record or close to it for me! There was a lot of construction going on in Illinois and I was glad to get off the freeways and onto US 24. But that meant that I needed to go through small towns, slowing to 25 mph, but going 55 mph between them - about 7 miles or so. It was a long day.
One of the holes in the road that I couldn't go around because of oncoming traffic made the brakes come on in the car! jeez - that wears down the brakes very fast! It corrected itself by the time I came to a near stop, so I continued along, hoping the brakes would cool and all will be fine. Brake assists are a good thing, most of the time! That hole also put a dent in the aluminum wheel on the passenger front side! So of course, you know I was also scared it might have weakened a rusty spot under the coach or something.
But I got to the plant in one piece and got settled before the rain came. I went through the rain in Huntington and that cleaned my front end of bugs, which is always a good thing.
Okay, to the important stuff - a technician came out about lunch time to look things over. He claims I don't have a rust problem at all, but if I want to spend the money to replace all the metal framework underneath, he hopes I will keep the coach for the next 10 years at least because I will never see that money in a trade-in. I explained how 2 service centers told me the slide problem stems from rusted metal that isn't supporting it properly and is causing the whole coach to sag. He discounts that - says every old coach has screws that come loose, causing the plastic wheel coverings to get loose, the cabinets to come away from the ceiling, etc. I don't know what to think. He did say he would drive it tomorrow morning if I wish and give me an honest opinion of how it drives and if the shaking dashboard is anything to worry about. I am having them give me an estimate to fix the slide properly, try to figure out what caused it to rub against the front rubber seal so much, and check that everything is sturdy in the engine block. He thinks it will take 30 hours of labor at $95 and hour and maybe $600 in parts. So, do I want to spend $3600 or more to fix it? If I can feel safe and able to travel to Mexico with a caravan next Fall, I do. If it will last me a few more years while I save for a newer coach, I do. Final decision isn't made yet, but if I keep this coach, my traveling in the summer will decrease a lot. I will probably volunteer at parks where I can work for my camping spot and be outdoors, doing something I like, not cleaning toilets!
