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Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Yahoo Message Number: 972
We arrived in Middlebury on Monday at about 1 PM. We got off of I-69 at Fort Wayne and took State 33 and then 13. Some rough roads to say the least and a large detour. Jayco has a rather strange customer lot. There is a dump station and they suggested in their appointment confirmation that we park next to it if possible. Power is only 30 amps. There was water - but only for black flushes as the sign said "do not drink." No WiFi (but, someone in the area left their router open and since I've added an external Hawking adaptor I was able to get a connection most of the time). The lot had been repaved recently and I was surprised at the slope. We put the yellow blocks from CW under one side to raise it two inches. Then leveled. Another fellow who was parked there the night before (his unit was in the service center when we arrived) said he had to do the same thing. For Monday night he parked his 5er near the building where they had two more power outlets (20 amp) and a water tap but no indication as to the quality.


We were told to be up and ready for our Greyhawk to go in to be worked on at 6:30 AM. It was scheduled for 2 days. I asked "why the early start" and answered my own question with "is it so that they can get home to do their farms to do chores in daylight?" and the answer was "yes."

Just after we arrived a Seneca 35GS came out of the service area. DW told me that the owner told her that it had been there since November. I then talked to the owner. Seems that everything that could go wrong did go wrong with his Seneca. It even needed a new transmission. Then, the new one started having troubles (it was put in by an Allison dealer) and he eventually got it to McCormick in Nappanee and they seemed to have guessed the problem before he arrived - too much fluid - it had been overfilled by the Allison dealer. This fellow said that his unit had springs added but that still did not help the handling. He pointed to the overhang and said so much weight is on the back that it is terribly balanced and as a result steers like a pig. He has purchased a 5er and his lawyer is now handling the matter with Jayco. I got the impression he'd be launching a legal action against Jayco. I suggested he join this forum but he doesn't have internet access at the moment. I have his phone number and we may have him aboard in the future to explain the problems he encountered. I've never heard of a MH being back at the factory for almost six months. I'd sure be darn upset if it was mine.

The rest of Monday afternoon was, at the insistence of DW, spent in Shipshewana (so many people told us we had to go there we had no choice - as a crafter and quilter she enjoyed the visit).

Monday evening we went to Goshen for dinner. It didn't take long for us to be amazed at the number of TTs and 5ers leaving the plants (and there sure are a lot of manufacturing plants in this area) for delivery right across North America. The pickups were coming in virtually non-stop, connecting and heading out 24 hours of the day. Some went in convoys of 3 to 5 units. Only very small trailers were put on a float with a few others and then trucked off to their destination. The fellow with the 5er had been parked in the visitors lot since Friday and had talked to several of the fellows who make the deliveries. He said they told him they do very well financially but sure roll the miles miles on their trucks.

Tuesday morning we were up early and set to show the service rep the issues we felt had to be addressed. They wanted us out of the spot so the 5er could use the dump (for some reason they wanted his tanks empty - he couldn't figure out why either).

We ran her through the issues quickly as she was a bit unhappy that we didn't pull away from the dump immediately, and then put the levelers down and moved forward a couple of feet and then stopped to get the blocks out - damned if I didn't forget to remove the wheel chock and it shattered as I drove over it.

After they took the unit into the service area we headed for breakfast and then visited the Jayco visitors center, the Coachman display area (just north of Jayco in Middlebury) then on to Elkhart to visit the RV/MH Hall of Fame and concluded with a drive through Elkhart.

At the Jayco center I asked about the Embark (or is it Embarq?). I was told that it really doesn't exist yet. What they have now is simply an empty box on the chassis with no interior appointments. Near the service center I did notice a couple of dozen Freightliner trucks that were obvioulsy going to be used for this new unit. It appeared from the road that the frame rails were not that long so my guess is here we go again with frame extensions.

At the Coachman facility we wanted to see the new Sprinter based Prism. Well, what was a high interest level dropped to zero in no time. CCC with 2 aboard was only 260 lbs. Coachman has really blown this one big time. One would have to be very foolish to buy a Prism. We looked at several of their trailers. DW pointed out some of the sloppiest workmanship we've seen. She couldn't believe they could put such poorly finished products on display at the factory.

The museum at the Hall of Fame was very interesting. Lots of history and worth the visit. Go-RVing also has a display area and it has a number of TTs, popups, a 5er, a WInnie View 24J, and a Windsport. We had a good opportunity to go over the 24J in detail and compare it with the Prism we'd just inspected. Much better CCC on the 24J now that the GVWR has been bumped about 800 lbs. It has gone up over 600 lbs and we could now make use of it. The Hall of Fame occupies 56,000 sq ft and is undergoing an expansion. They have sure done this facility properly. I'm a Director and Treasurer of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame and Museum (until later in May when my term ends) and we would kill to get a facility like the one in Elkhart.

We got a call on our cell phone from Jayco around noon saying that some paint work would have to be done and could we stay several more days? We could not and thus have to return for a tiny bit of painting (but we will use that opportunity to have any further nits that turn up fixed). The paint shop is about 10 miles away in Topeka. They said the work on our MH would be finished that day so we got back by 2:30 and left by about 3:30. The fellow with the 5er was extremely happy. His unit was a 2005 model, out of warranty, but had been in the dealer 5 times to fix a leak in a slide and other problems. They seemed to do a major fix on his unit replacing a lot of rotted wood and he sure had a big smile on his face.

Now, if you are still awake at this point, on to our repairs.

• The major item that concerned us was the back cap that had slipped and that I had flagged last summer. The same problem turned up on other Greyhawks. They removed the 1 inch screws and replaced them with 3 inch screws (I asked them to do this given that others here had that fix). Of course, they had to re-caulk the seams and that is why they have to repaint. I could not understand why they didn't just use white caulk but they used black on the bottom (because the brown paint goes better on black apparently) and white on the top part of the seam. Thus the need to return for paint work. I should have pointed out how they used white caulk between the cab and the box and painted over with brown.

• The special bronze/brown paint had peeled off a corner of the road side slide that must be all of 4 inches square. That corner cap will have to be repainted. No indication why this paint came off but when we saw it, it made us think that the color scheme was wallpaper. It wasn't - just a lousy paint job on that square. I just noted on the work order report - they replaced the corner cap that peeled.

• No power to the front TV. As noted here a few months ago, I thought it might be tied to the invertor. It was. The breaker had popped. It is installed in such a tight place that I could not make heads or tails of it and even though I thought I'd pressed the reset button that obviously was not the case. It works now.

• Arborite trim next to the bed coming apart. They glued it back together.

• Rear window valance bottom screw would not hold. I put an anchor in and it still would not hold. It seems to be tight now but it remains to be seen for how long.

• Several screws were sticking through the wall opposite the toilet. I wanted them clipped and a one inch wall paper border put across the line they were on. They clipped them, filled the holes but did not put a border on.

• A couple of holes in the floor for electrical lines and water lines had not been sealed (discussed on the forum months ago as others here found the same situation). Well, she said they don't seal them when they build them. So they didn't seal them for us. I'll have to get my can of sealant out and do it. The report said they did a goodwill seal - sure can't see it.

• We have a telephone connection and a cable/satellite connection in the rear road side compartment. There is no hatch or trap door to feed these cables in and if one uses them they have to leave the compartment doors open. Same with the power outlet on the curb side. If you want to plug in a Battery Minder or other charger you have to leave the compartment open. When I reported this to Jayco last summer Les said get them installed and send them the bill. I should have. They said they DON'T put them in - so they didn't. I asked the 5er owner if he had them and he said no. I can't remember what other Jayco owners said here last summer when I asked.

• Rear bumper was about 2 inches higher on one side than the other and one side was about an inch or two farther out than the other. She said that was cosmetic and they don't adjust things like that. I guess she could tell by the look on my face that I was not pleased with that reply. They adjusted it and it is now perfect. They had to redrill some holes.

• Broken exhaust hanger. The report said "customer made temporary repair." The resolution shown on the report - "Inspected -customer repair is sufficient." Now doesn't that surprise you as much as it did me?

• Closet door latch was broken. They replaced it and gave us two more. Clearly they don't last long. :)

• We had a key break off in one of the compartments. We got it out ok. They gave us two more of the famous 751's. That reminds me, someone in the group was going to look into getting the locks changed or rekeyed (Greg, was it you?) since there are only 6,459,876 keys out there that will fit these locks. Did anyone get them rekeyed?

• Screwcover missing off slide topper awning. Replaced.

• Sloppy woodwork - we ordered Glazed Maple but some places looked like they had not been glazed. Little improvement although the report states "cleaned and sealed holes."

• Collapsed wheel cover. You may remember the photos I posted. I had expected them to say "take it to Chev." Nope. Jayco buys those wheel covers and caps in China. So, they replaced it. Just hope the other side doesn't go now as well.

• Jack wiring. When the ignition would be turned on, up would come the leveling jacks. What a PITA. They did the "product improvement" (what a name for fixing an obvious error) and now when we level and put out the slides and later find I have a window open in the cab, I don't have to go through it all again when I turn the ignition on to close the window.

• We had found water in the side compartment under the fridge and on the floor under the fridge. They inspected it and found no evidence of any problems. It has not happened again. This occurred when we got to Florida as the last hour into our park was in an exceedingly torrential downpour. I suspect the water was blown in from the side through the fridge vent.

So, am I happy? Frankly, I wasn't too sure when I left. One thing is certain - it was a lot better than going to my dealer with these problems. We also got our Journey and Ambassador from the same dealer and its service drives me nuts. If you call today for a service appointment it is an 8 week wait. Then, you take your MH in 8 weeks from now and hopefully you will see it again in 2 months. I told the Jayco people I simply would not go through that again. When we move to the WIndsor area in a couple of months we will be 200 miles from our dealer and 208 miles from the factory - no question where we will go. But, we will now have to "board" the MH as we will no longer have a concrete pad and 50 amp power which we have now on a 2 acre lot - and no room to put such nice features in as the lot is a pie and only a small fraction of the size of our current lot. Fortunately, 4/10ths of a mile away there is a trailer dealer who has a secure storage area for $50 per month or $500 per year. The pleasant surprise - it is a Jayco trailer dealer (no Jayco MH dealer in this area on the Cdn side of the border). So, I'm assuming that this dealer will be able to deal with any house problems I may have while still under warranty - and after.

So, am I happy I ask again? Well, I am much happier than I would have been had I taken the Greyhawk to my dealer (let me now call him "our former dealer"). So, I will give the visit a 7.5 on the Bo Derek scale of 10.

You have been reading the short story made long. At least that is the way DW would describe it. :)

My next challenge, changing the Allison filter as we've now gone 5070 miles. Did anyone who did it spill much fluid while taking the magnet off and putting it on the new filter?

Don

Brantford Ontario (soon to be Lakeshore ON near Windsor) & Palmetto Florida (in the winter)
2007 Jayco Greyhawk 32SS (parked next to our Chariot Eagle 42 ft park model in Florida in winter)
http://www.jatexas.com/public/Shadows Page.htm
Toad - 2007 Tahoe LTZ
Blue Ox base plates, tow bar and rear light bar (fits in Tahoe receiver)
Brake Buddy

Prior hardware
06 HR Ambassador 40PLQ Cummins ISC 330/950 9/05-5/07
04 Winnie Journey 39W CAT C7 330/860 7/04-9/05
00 Triple E Commander 34 ft F53 V10 5/03-5/04
Toad 04 Colorado Z71 quad cab 04 to 06 box cap and bedroller

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 973

Don,

Thanks for the report. It read well. With your permission, I would like to publish it on my blog.

I changed my filter a few days ago... it is so easy that you should have the DW do it. I cleaned the old filter really good before I removed it. As she unscrews the filter, just a few drops of fluid will drip if she keeps the filter level as she removes it. Pour the fluid in the filter back into the reservoir, and then remove the magnet and place it on the new filter. Screw the new filter on and she is done. I know others will disagree with recycling the fluid, and obviously you can replenish with fresh fluid. At most a five minute job if you include cleaning up afterward.

Denny

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 974
I have a GALLON of TranSynd so I'm not worried about losing a few drops.

That report on my visit was not really intended for a wider readership than this group.

I would really want it limited to the items that were on my list and what they did with them.

The fellows with the 35GS and the 5er, although not named would be easy for Jayco to identify and I would not want to cause them any grief.

I'll be phoning the owner of the 35GS in a couple of weeks and if he comes on and tells his story you can discuss including in on the blog with him at that time.

Hmmm. 1:40 AM. Time for bed.

D


On 1-May-08, at 12:11 AM,

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 975

Don, I understand....hope you got your taxes done!

Denny

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 976
Don Leslie wrote:

Quote
confirmation that we park next to it if possible. Power is only 30
amps. There was water - but only for black flushes as the sign said
"do not drink." No WiFi

So they don't want you to get too comfortable in their lot, eh? ;-)

Quote
At the Coachman facility we wanted to see the new Sprinter based Prism.
Well, what was a high interest level dropped to zero in no time. CCC
with 2 aboard was only 260 lbs.

Holy smokes, that's just incredible :-( The other concern I would have
with Sprinter based units right now would be with the drive train. My
bro-in-law is a mechanics mechanic and follows the diesel forums
religiously. He was talking about all the problems the Sprinter trucks
are having right now with the Mercedes eng/xmsn combination in the
industrial market. He didn't go into a lot of detail, but said he sure
wouldn't want to own one right now.

Quote
Now, if you are still awake at this point, on to our repairs.

Still here, sounds like an interesting trip in many ways. I'd love to go
to the hall of fame just from seeing it on a tv show recently.

Quote
• The major item that concerned us was the back cap that had slipped and
that I had flagged last summer.

Good to know they used the same repair scheme my dealer did which seems
to be working. Of course it's been in storage since it got repaired so
it hasn't had a chance to beat down the road. It will leave on the 21st
of this month for a 4600 mile journey out west though so that should
road test it.

Quote
it might be tied to the invertor. It was. The breaker had popped. It
is installed in such a tight place that I could not make heads or tails
of it and even though I thought I'd pressed the reset button that
obviously was not the case. It works now.

Any suggestions for the rest of us as to where to look if it happens to us?

Quote
Well, she said they don't seal them when
they build them. So they didn't seal them for us.

Nice, those are no small holes going thru the floor. The sealant did a
good job when I blew it in there, but it's not the neatest job either.
At least it's where no one will ever look unless there is a problem.

Quote
• We have a telephone connection and a cable/satellite connection in the
rear road side compartment. There is no hatch or trap door to feed
these cables in and if one uses them they have to leave the compartment
doors open. Same with the power outlet on the curb side.

So I guess I need to do my own installation there. I had hoped the
dealer might do that with some support from the factory, obviously not.
It's a stupid design to leave them out.

Quote
that was cosmetic and they don't adjust things like that. I guess she
could tell by the look on my face that I was not pleased with that
reply. They adjusted it and it is now perfect. They had to redrill
some holes.

Incredible to use cosmetics as an excuse for shoddy installation. I'm
glad they fixed it.

Quote
They gave us two more of the famous 751's. That reminds me, someone
in the group was going to look into getting the locks changed or rekeyed
(Greg, was it you?) since there are only 6,459,876 keys out there that
will fit these locks. Did anyone get them rekeyed?

Yes it was me. I haven't done it yet, but it's on my brother-in-law's
schedule for next week. He's a locksmith and has a Jayco travel trailer
that he is going to do too. He said the key was whether the little tang
on the back was held in place by a nut or riveted on. Mine are held by a
nut so he says they should be easily re-keyed. We're attacking both
units next week, but I'm guessing he'll probably pull his this week to
make sure it's as easy as he thinks. He's promised it will be done
before we go on our trip so I'll report back.

Quote
• Jack wiring. When the ignition would be turned on, up would come
the leveling jacks. What a PITA.

That's something I need to do on mine. Will the dealers do it? If it's a
simple procedure I'll just do it myself as getting the dealer to do
things like that takes forever. I seem to recall someone posting the
procedure either here or on the forums.

Quote
• We had found water in the side compartment under the fridge and on the
floor under the fridge.

If you run into it again, spray some water around the fiberglass faucet
mount in the shower, that's where mine came from and once I caulked it
and put it back the problem was solved.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 978
Quote

On 1-May-08, at 10:58 AM, Greg Gimlick wrote:

Quote
Don Leslie wrote:

Quote
confirmation that we park next to it if possible. Power is only 30
  amps. There was water - but only for black flushes as the sign said
  "do not drink." No WiFi

So they don't want you to get too comfortable in their lot, eh? ;-)

Thanks. I meant to suggest that might have been the reason. But given how quickly (with the exception of the poor guy with the Seneca there for 6 months) they do the work they shouldn't have to worry about it. We of mixed views as to when we go back for the paint work. We thought perhaps on the way home from a small rally in Sept south of Knoxville TN or on the way back to Florida in October. We do want to see more of the area - it is nice. I've never seen as many Amish carts on the road before. And they really move their horses.
Quote

Quote
At the Coachman facility we wanted to see the new Sprinter based Prism.
  Well, what was a high interest level dropped to zero in no time. CCC
  with 2 aboard was only 260 lbs.

Holy smokes, that's just incredible :-( The other concern I would have
with Sprinter based units right now would be with the drive train. My
bro-in-law is a mechanics mechanic and follows the diesel forums
religiously. He was talking about all the problems the Sprinter trucks
are having right now with the Mercedes eng/xmsn combination in the
industrial market. He didn't go into a lot of detail, but said he sure
wouldn't want to own one right now.


We will probably stay with our Greyhawk for at few more years before thinking about downsizing further. Towing max of 3500 lbs is a problem as it doesn't give one much choice in a toad.
Quote

Quote
Now, if you are still awake at this point, on to our repairs.

Still here, sounds like an interesting trip in many ways. I'd love to go
to the hall of fame just from seeing it on a tv show recently.

Frankly, I wish all of our past MH problems with our Journey and Ambassador could have been handled like this instead of the long drawn out headaches we had. I'll try to put up about 50 photos of the musem and facility if I get some time.
Quote

Quote
• The major item that concerned us was the back cap that had slipped and
  that I had flagged last summer.

Good to know they used the same repair scheme my dealer did which seems
to be working. Of course it's been in storage since it got repaired so
it hasn't had a chance to beat down the road. It will leave on the 21st
of this month for a 4600 mile journey out west though so that should
road test it.

Quote
it might be tied to the invertor. It was. The breaker had popped. It
  is installed in such a tight place that I could not make heads or tails
  of it and even though I thought I'd pressed the reset button that
  obviously was not the case. It works now.

Any suggestions for the rest of us as to where to look if it happens to us?

If it happens again I won't try to go in from over the top by taking out a drawer, I'll remove the wood panel on the front. You just can't see the switches and breakers properly from the top.
Quote

Quote
Well, she said they don't seal them when
  they build them. So they didn't seal them for us.

Nice, those are no small holes going thru the floor. The sealant did a
good job when I blew it in there, but it's not the neatest job either.
At least it's where no one will ever look unless there is a problem.

I think they did put a bit of spray insulation on one of them that had minimal on it before I added more last summer, but the one behind/under the drawers that I filled with the foam from a pool noodle was not touched. I think I'll get my foam can out (hopefully I can get the nozzle cleaned out) and pump it on from above and below. I guess they've never heard of mice in Indiana. :)
Quote

Quote
• We have a telephone connection and a cable/satellite connection in the
  rear road side compartment. There is no hatch or trap door to feed
  these cables in and if one uses them they have to leave the compartment
  doors open. Same with the power outlet on the curb side.

So I guess I need to do my own installation there. I had hoped the
dealer might do that with some support from the factory, obviously not.
It's a stupid design to leave them out.


I'm going to buy 2 and put them in myself and seal them with caulk. Remembering what they are called on the CW site is the problem. I found them on Coast (cable hatch covers) and they range from $3 to $13. Look fairly easy to install - 3 inch hole and the overlapping top has screw holes.
Quote

Quote
that was cosmetic and they don't adjust things like that. I guess she
  could tell by the look on my face that I was not pleased with that
  reply. They adjusted it and it is now perfect. They had to redrill
  some holes.

Incredible to use cosmetics as an excuse for shoddy installation. I'm
glad they fixed it.

That had me wondering as well.
Quote

Quote
They gave us two more of the famous 751's. That reminds me, someone
  in the group was going to look into getting the locks changed or rekeyed
  (Greg, was it you?) since there are only 6,459,876 keys out there that
  will fit these locks. Did anyone get them rekeyed?

Yes it was me. I haven't done it yet, but it's on my brother-in-law's
schedule for next week. He's a locksmith and has a Jayco travel trailer
that he is going to do too. He said the key was whether the little tang
on the back was held in place by a nut or riveted on. Mine are held by a
nut so he says they should be easily re-keyed. We're attacking both
units next week, but I'm guessing he'll probably pull his this week to
make sure it's as easy as he thinks. He's promised it will be done
before we go on our trip so I'll report back.

Look forward to reading the outcome.
Quote
Quote
• Jack wiring. When the ignition would be turned on, up would come
  the leveling jacks. What a PITA.

That's something I need to do on mine. Will the dealers do it? If it's a
simple procedure I'll just do it myself as getting the dealer to do
things like that takes forever. I seem to recall someone posting the
procedure either here or on the forums.


Dealers will do it under warranty. Some here who have done it themselves (I seem to recall one wire has to be connected to a different location) said it did not take long.
Quote
Quote
• We had found water in the side compartment under the fridge and on the
  floor under the fridge.

If you run into it again, spray some water around the fiberglass faucet
mount in the shower, that's where mine came from and once I caulked it
and put it back the problem was solved.

Take care,
Greg

OK Don
Quote

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 984
Quote
That's something I need to do on mine. Will the dealers do it? If
it's a

Quote
simple procedure I'll just do it myself as getting the dealer to do
things like that takes forever. I seem to recall someone posting the
procedure either here or on the forums.

I just did it to my Seneca.

1) Remove the driver side kick panel besides the parking brake. There
were two screws near the door holding mine on. It would be a good idea
to ensure the truck is off and the coach batteries are also off.
2) Locate a small relay with 4 wires attached. My relay was screwed to
the body with a small sheet metal screw. I removed the screw to more
easiliy remove the proper wire from the relay. They just used spade
terminals on the relay on my Seneca.
3) Remove the GREEN wire from the relay.
4) Replace the spade terminal with a ring terminal on the GREEN wire.
5) Attach the Green wire to a common ground screw. There were two
available near the relay.
6) Replace the relay and replace the kick panel. Test the jacks. Make
sure they Emergency Retract when you release the parking brake. Your
done!!!

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 985
gpgofast wrote:

Quote
I just did it to my Seneca.

Thanks for that, I'm going over to the storage place this afternoon to
do a couple of things to it and I'll check this out. I appreciate it.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 995
We are looking at both a Four Winds Kodiak Chateau and an Itasca IQ on the Sprinter/MB chassis. Any more information on the problems with the Sprinter/MB? We had the MB diesel in our MB 320 CDI and it was fantastic. There's an obvious big difference between the two coaches, especially in economy, but for us here in NV, the price is about the same.

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 997

I own a 2007 Four Winds Dutchmen 33K model that is supposedly the "best" of the Four Winds, Chateau, and Dutchmen motorhomes. I will NEVER buy another Four Winds product. But that is me... others may be happy with their coaches. I suggest you check out my blog, www.rvfactor.blogspot.com for information on buying a Four Winds product. And it is a MUST to have the four corners weighed for proper balance. And remember, you will carry around 1500-2000 lbs of stuff in your coach... be sure to have enough carrying capacity.

Denny

Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family favorites at AOL Food.

Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 998
gpgofast wrote:

Quote
6) Replace the relay and replace the kick panel. Test the jacks. Make
sure they Emergency Retract when you release the parking brake. Your
done!!!

Okay, I went over to the storage place and did this today. I was also
installing the GPS and ScanGuage II as projects before the trip out west
later this month.

The bypass seemed to go fine except I don't believe the emergency
retract is working when I release the parking brake. I need to go back
over and check that out but I ran out of time. Somewhere in the process
of doing the work today I blew a fuse. Suddenly no power to the
cigarette lighters and ScanGuage. Well the book says the fuse panel is
behind the dash on the passenger side. That would be technically
correct, but they don't mention you need a wrench to remove two bolts
and a panel under the air bag to get to them. I kept looking and looking
and finally decided to remove the panel. Sure enough it's back there,
but not convenient by any means when you need a wrench to find it.

The power post 20a fuse was blown and I replaced that. I ran out of time
so while I know the GPS and ScanGuage are working I didn't test the
emergency brake/jack system to see if it retracts when I release the
brake. That will come Monday I guess. Hopefully nothing is shorted. The
wires were as you described and all seemed fine. I may have blown the
fuse when I unplugged the scanguage without shutting off the truck first.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1000
I do not think the ScangaugeII will blow a fuse. You may have shorted
a wire on the relay or GPS connection.

Re: Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1001
I know I blew the fuse in 2 aux plugs and cigarette lighter when hooking up the trailer while the lights and engine were on... need to turn off when hooking up trailer or car.

Ron Hall wrote:

Re: Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1005
, Greg Gimlick
wrote:
Somewhere in the process

Quote
of doing the work today I blew a fuse. Suddenly no power to the
cigarette lighters and ScanGuage.

That is the "Power Post" fuse #8 (20A). It seems to blow pretty
easily, I have popped 2 fuses there. This last time, I purchased a
20A breaker (fuse) that will reset when power is removed from it and
hopefully, I won't have to go in there again.

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1006
Some comments re: Your Jayco Factory Fixes...
Don,
Well the good news is they earned your 7.5 rating... so the glass is 3/4 full :)
When I hear of these sorts of factory service experiences I always recall the Tiffin owners I've talked to over the years who always gave the factory 10.0++ ratings.
The Jayco factory tech's must have been rather heavy-handed while re-attaching the rear cap. That's too bad as it will now require a return trip. When I finished the job on mine it only required a little touch-up paint.
I thought the responses you received on the exhaust pipe hangers & the rear bumper was literally shameful! At least you were able to prevail with the bumper.
Perhaps the item that surprised me most was their refusal to seal the holes in the floor. I'm not sure about your 32SS model but on my 33DS there is a hole directly over the generator area that feeds directly into the bottom of the wardrobe. Somehow I have the feeling that there is likely an RVIA direction/guideline about these sorts of situations that can allow CO to leak into the living area. Maybe having a CO detector takes them off the hook for any concern on their part.
Best of luck in your move... sounds like when you get relocated you'll be in a far better situation to facilitate future service requirements.
By the way did you ever get a chance to meet and talk to Les Carriveau?
Bill

Re: Visit to Jayco for warranty fixes

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1007
Bill, I never did get to meet Les because what was to be 2 days turned out to be one day. I was going to contact him on Wednesday, but by then we were in Windsor with our new grand daughter.

I'm not too disappointed about the exhaust hanger. The reason for that is that the fellow with the Seneca that was in for 6 months said his broke, they welded another on and it broke again. I figured my solution is likely better and perhaps closer to how it should have been done from the start - with more flex allowed. My fix will allow it to move a bit going over bumps but the wire acts as a secondary support and it keeps it from hitting the frame.

http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakChassisClassC/photos/view/edcc?b=4

I was surprised they didn't have caulking to match the paint color. Frankly, I'd have been OK with white right down the cap. But, they had to put a new corner cap on the curb side slide and that has to be painted.

I too found their attitude with respect to the openings (holes) in the floor for water and power lines to be strange. They provided me with a visit evaluation form to complete and I've been wondering about putting it in a different envelope and sending it to their president with a few observations.

I should get the survey done and see how many of the 137 participants have Kodiak MHs and how many are Jayco.

I've had some thoughts about the suitability of the Kodiak chassis for MH use and I'm going to put those in another message shortly. On RV.net today someone mentioned that he heard that GM was going to put out a 4500 chassis for MH use. I assume that means the Kodiak/Top Kick 4500 which has a GVWR of 17,500 and a GCWR of 26.000. That is probably a good size and would provide some advantages over Ford at 14.500, until the manufacturers overload it again, or stretch the frame rails to far behind the rear wheels and destroy the balance, or stretch the wheelbase (which they referred to in that video) and kiss the GM warranty goodbye.

Don



On 3-May-08, at 2:19 PM, berfle624 wrote:

Re: Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1008
Bob Barbee wrote:

Quote
That is the "Power Post" fuse #8 (20A).

That's the one.

Quote
It seems to blow pretty
easily, I have popped 2 fuses there.

That's discouraging.

Quote
20A breaker (fuse) that will reset when power is removed from it and
hopefully, I won't have to go in there again.

I'd be glad to not have to go there again, what a pain. Did you just go
to an auto parts place and ask for a breaker to fit that spot? I can't
say I'm familiar with such a thing although I know there are "slow blow"
fuses.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1009
, Greg Gimlick
wrote:

Quote
I'd be glad to not have to go there again, what a pain. Did you just
go to an auto parts place and ask for a breaker to fit that spot? I
can't

Quote
say I'm familiar with such a thing although I know there are "slow
blow"

Quote
fuses.

Greg,

The pins are the same as the mini fuse, but it looks like a little
can. There is one very close to the #8 fuse and it just so happens to
be a 20A, but I did not remove it. It the parts store, Napa or
Autozone, they have a section of fuses and the circuit breaker in
there with the fuses. The first time the fuse blew was when I had the
CB Radio installed and attributed it to that, the second time, I have
no idea what blew the fuse. There was nothing going on in the cab of
the motorhome that I can recall. We were parked in Portland, OR.

Re: Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1010
Bob Barbee wrote:

Quote
There is one very close to the #8 fuse and it just so happens to
be a 20A, but I did not remove it.

Okay, that's the one I was referring to as a "slow blow" and it's in the
#19 spot for acc or something like that. I assumed that was the one
blown initially but the continuity test showed it to be fine. I'll pick
up another one of those to have on hand for the next time. Thanks for
the suggestion.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Ignition/jacks bypass

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1022
I believe it is called an Automatic Circuit Breaker and it is designed
to fit in a mini fuse holder. Our Power Post fuse blows whenever the
cigarette lighter is pushed in so I just took it out, don't smoke
anyhow. Anyone know where I can buy a dust cover to protect the
cigarette lighter socket for dust and debris?

Paul

, "Bob Barbee"
wrote: