|
Texas | Find Part 2 here: https://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=830998&mid=726...
Dad was dreaming about having a stainless steel motor coach. You know, the ones that cost as much as a nice house. However, there was another way for him to make his dream come true - buy someone’s old lemon… the proper description is a very particular older couples lightly used and meticulously maintained luxury motor coach. Dad found it consigned at a small dealership and they were willing to trade. In typical salesman fashion, Dad was told that the balance light was only on because the batteries needed to be charged. The interior color scheme was not my Mom’s favorite, but Dad told her that we could change it (we never did).
So, Dad traded for the stainless steel motor coach. Unfortunately, charging the batteries did not cause the balance light to go away, and when Dad called the dealership to ask for help, they offered none and quit taking his calls.
While I was hoping to have my own room again (like I had in the fifth-wheel trailer) I was still stuck with a fold out couch. However, this RV was quite fancy and I was now old enough to appreciate the huge mirrors in the bathroom. Additionally, I was given my own closet and six drawers! So, I was quite happy with this motor coach.
My dad is very good at diagnosing and fixing mechanical issues, but this motor coach kept him guessing. Frequently, it would just not start. Before almost every trip, Dad believed that he had found the problem and fixed it. Unfortunately, it continued to outsmart him. This resulted in us being stuck for hours in parking lots, at truck stops, in rest areas, etc., while we waited for the batteries to charge, or Dad was working on it. After several experiences, Mom and I would start asking, “Should you leave it running until we get to the RV Park?” Do to this issue, we were frequently late checking out of RV Parks and also had to cancel our plans on some days. This repetitive problem severely limited my Mom’s interest in taking the motor coach anywhere.
Overall the interior quality of this one was good, but it was also starting to show its age. One day while opening the freezer the handle broke off.
Due to the starting issue and just the passage of time our RV trips became less frequent. One summer, we decided to take what would become our final family RV trip. The first three hours went well until Dad put the motor coach in park and the transmission controller failed. We ended up in a dumpy motel for the night (we should have just made do in the RV), a three to four day delay, and an expensive repair. After that we continued with our trip, but our planned destinations had to be cut back. The next few days of the trip went ok.
Dad did almost all of the driving and Mom would usually sit in the passenger seat, but occasionally I rode in the passenger seat. That is where I was riding one evening when we were on a busy 70mph highway in a large city near the end of rush hour. Dad was doing just under the speed limit when suddenly there was a loud bang and I felt the front passenger side corner where I was sitting sink. The tire had just blown out. The next several seconds felt like slow motion. I believed the motor coach was going to roll, Mom started praying, and I watched Dad struggle to keep control and steer to the shoulder. The motor coach was really pulling hard and Dad was gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hand and using significant arm strength. Thankfully, he was successful in getting it stopped safely and on the shoulder. The motor coach only sustained minor damage. Several hours and another expensive repair later we were road worthy again. Mom later told me that when the tire blew, she decided that she was done with RV’ing.
For the next few years, the motor coach remained parked here or there and always in the way. We believe that it was only used for one or two brief business trips during this time. Finally, it was left parked in the same spot for two years because it would not start. Last year, my parents decided that it was time to stop letting the motor coach sit and deteriorate. If Dad had any reservations, getting it running again was good for squashing them.
First, Dad had to replace all four of the batteries. Then one of them blew up, and by “blew up” I mean big fiery kaboom in the battery compartment. After cleaning this up and repairing the damage as best he could, Dad learned that the explosion had fried the ECM. Of course, due to the age of the motor coach the ECM was no longer being manufactured. Dad had to locate a couple non-working ones and then send them and the fried one to an ECM repair specialist and then wait weeks for them to turn the three ECM’s into one working one. After getting it running again, cleaning and once again “fixing” the start issue it was time to take it to the consignment location.
I volunteered to follow as the back transportation. Dad made a brief stop and turned the motor coach off. True to form, it would not restart. Fortunately, I had jumper cables with me and Dad and another guy were able to jump start it. The rest of the drive was uneventful, and when we were getting close to the drop-off destination Dad stopped to eat lunch. We got fast food and then sat at the RV table eating our last meal in it and chatting about our RV Memories. After that it was time to drop it off.
A few weeks ago it finally sold. The consignment place claims that they got the starting issue fixed and for the new owners’ sake I hope they did.
RV’ing was certainly an interesting experience for my family. While we had some fun, we would summarize many of the trips as being almost fun. Overall, I can say that I have gained a greater appreciation for hotels.
First Photo: The motor coach with an unusual tow-behind.
Second Photo: The blown tire.
 (IMG_0503 (full).jpg)
 (IMG_1399 (full).JPG)
Attachments
----------------
 IMG_0503 (full).jpg (174KB - 120 downloads)
IMG_1399 (full).JPG (138KB - 105 downloads)
| |
|
RV Memories (Part 3)
