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How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Yahoo Message Number: 5369
Hi Gang, I need some advice...

Our coach has been at a shop for almost two months (7 weeks as of Tuesday Spetember 7th). It is in the shop because during a trip, the check transmission light went on and caused the tranny to go into safe mode (locked into 3rd gear). The 1st Allison repair facility we took it to was unable to diagnose the problem, they spent an honest week working on it. They then took it to a Chevy dealer, without our authorization, who then outsourced the work to a commercial truck shop.

About three weeks into this ordeal, I drove the 350 miles from my home to the shop to talk face-to-face with the owners, so that there would be no mis-communication over the phone. I left feeling pretty confident that they would be able to locate the problem and fix our RV.

Anyways, a month has passed and it is still not fixed!

I am torn as to how to proceed. My instinct tells me that I just need to go get the RV and get it back home any way I can. But how can I do that? I have coach-net, but do I risk doing further damage by having it towed 350+ miles? Or do I just wait it out?

What do you guys think?

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5370
I'd start calling Chevy Truck HQ or Allison for some answers or Coach Net tech for and answer or see where they would tow it for to an authorized repair facility.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed
From: "rich_panganiban"
Sender: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:54:40 -0000
To:
ReplyTo: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [KodiakChassisClassC] How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Hi Gang, I need some advice...

 Our coach has been at a shop for almost two months (7 weeks as of Tuesday Spetember 7th). It is in the shop because during a trip, the check transmission light went on and caused the tranny to go into safe mode (locked into 3rd gear). The 1st Allison repair facility we took it to was unable to diagnose the problem, they spent an honest week working on it. They then took it to a Chevy dealer, without our authorization, who then outsourced the work to a commercial truck shop.

 About three weeks into this ordeal, I drove the 350 miles from my home to the shop to talk face-to-face with the owners, so that there would be no mis-communication over the phone. I left feeling pretty confident that they would be able to locate the problem and fix our RV.

 Anyways, a month has passed and it is still not fixed!

 I am torn as to how to proceed. My instinct tells me that I just need to go get the RV and get it back home any way I can. But how can I do that? I have coach-net, but do I risk doing further damage by having it towed 350+ miles? Or do I just wait it out?

 What do you guys think?

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5371
Without more info on your MH like year and model its kind of hard to help.
Best place for service on a Allison is a Allison dealer or GM MD dealer.
Coach-net should be able to find a qualified repair place for your problem.
Best
Ron Hall

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5372

Well we had a similar problem but the Cummins engine shut down. We had it towed (on Coach Net) almost 400 miles to get it to Cummins. They resolved the problem or so we thought but eventually spent 5 days camped out in Freightliner in AZ. That was the last straw so we finally traded it in for a SEneca. So, if you have Coachnet or something similar I would just have it towed home and get it fixed where you have confidence in them and can deal with it face to face.

Nedra Denison
Gourd & Pyrographic Art & Supplies
www. SawdustConnection.com
www. GourdSupplies.com
www. Pyrography101.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PyrographicArthttp://www.pyrography101.com/


Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5373
Ron, Rich has a 32SS almost identical to mine.

This has to be very frustrating. Rich, have you called Allison's tech line (1-800-252-5283)? I'm not sure that will help, but it sure won't hurt.

Don

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5374

I would start by calling, and emailing(follow-up to phone calls) for a written record to Allison.

Roger

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5375
Thanks everyone for the responses.

When we originally pulled off the highway, we called the Allison Tech Center and they referred us to the first shop we went to. Unfortunately, the transmission is no longer under warranty, of course! I have not contacted Chevy, because I was assuming they would just pass me on to Allison.

Hi Ron, as Don said, we have a 2007 Jayco Greyhawk on the 19.5K # chassis with the 8.1 gas engine and a Allison 1000 5 speed transmission.

Nedra, when you had your coach towed 400 miles, was there any damage from the towing? I have this picture in my head that any time you have a 30+ ft. motorhome towed, there is a huge potential for some serious damage due to the long overhang. Is this not true?

Hi Don, hope you and the Mrs. are well. Yes, this situation has gone BEYOND frustrating.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5376

We had a 38 ft motorhome and the only damage was done when they tried to pull into the driveway at Cummins. That was because it was at night and we came in the back gate that they left open for us. It was not equipped for entry by motorhomes.

If you call Coachnet just make sure they have someone come who knows how to deal with motorhomes. Request a flat bed but some tow places don't have them and but have experience with motorhomes. Unless you have a very long overhang it should be ok. Ours was fine except for that one problem. If it had been towed in there during normal business hours and gone in the main driveway it would not have been a problem. The tow guy ended up paying for the repair to the hitch wiring and it was only $150.

Nedra Denison
Gourd & Pyrographic Art & Supplies
www. SawdustConnection.com
www. GourdSupplies.com
www. Pyrography101.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PyrographicArthttp://www.pyrography101.com/


Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5377
I forgot about the one difference - we have the 6 speed.

I don't know if GM will be very helpful. It would be nice but they sold Allison, which I thought was foolish as it was a good money maker for them.

I would think Allison should be able to help with the diagnosis and thus another call to them might produce some benefits.

Don

.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5381
You don't want the transmission spinning, so either disconnecting the drive shaft or pulling both axles shafts is a must. If the shafts are pulled, make sure they install blank flanges on the hub to keep the gear oil in the transmission.

The main cause for the damages on that thread is the fact that class A motorhomes tend to have a low front and a fairly long front overhang. Any towing company that can handle a MD truck should be able to handle a Kodiak based RV. The issue will be how much they can lift the front without dragging the tail.

Good luck

From: rich_panganiban
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, September 10, 2010 2:02:31 PM
Subject: [KodiakChassisClassC] Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

I'm leaning towards towing our coach back home. Here's my biggest fear:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/18898229.cfm

Do you guys know of any specific towing requirements for the Kodiak? Wrecker type, shaft disconnect, etc?

Thanks again for the help.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5382
I say you call Allison and tell them to get someone that know what the fuck they are doing to their registered repair facility.

From: Sam Houston
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, September 10, 2010 11:40:51 AM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???


You don't want the transmission spinning, so either disconnecting the drive shaft or pulling both axles shafts is a must. If the shafts are pulled, make sure they install blank flanges on the hub to keep the gear oil in the transmission.

The main cause for the damages on that thread is the fact that class A motorhomes tend to have a low front and a fairly long front overhang. Any towing company that can handle a MD truck should be able to handle a Kodiak based RV. The issue will be how much they can lift the front without dragging the tail.

Good luck

From: rich_panganiban
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, September 10, 2010 2:02:31 PM
Subject: [KodiakChassisClassC] Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

I'm leaning towards towing our coach back home. Here's my biggest fear:

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/18898229.cfm

Do you guys know of any specific towing requirements for the Kodiak? Wrecker type, shaft disconnect, etc?

Thanks again for the help.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5383
Vic, I had a good contact at Allison in warranty admin but she retired. From one of her emails I was able to get to another fellow there today and he now had Rich's details and he will be getting a call from their Regional Customer Services Manager. Keeping fingers crossed for Rich.

Don

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5386
.....nice.

From: Don Leslie
Sent: 10 September, 2010 2:55 PM
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???


Vic, I had a good contact at Allison in warranty admin but she retired. From one of her emails I was able to get to another fellow there today and he now had Rich's details and he will be getting a call from their Regional Customer Services Manager. Keeping fingers crossed for Rich.

Don


On 2010-09-10, at 5:47 PM, Victor Burns wrote:

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5469
So with the help from Allison Transmissions (thanks Don Leslie), the Allison tech was able to diagnose and repair our issue. After two months and three shops, it took him an hour to diagnose the problem and a few more hours to repair it. Turns out it wasn't computer related but connector issues related to the Chevy oem harness. The technician replaced 51 terminals!

Looks like I'll be able to drive the mh home...hooray!

Thanks for your support.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5470
Rich, this is great news and I know you were probably at the point of just giving up...it is depressing. I also have a 2007 Greyhawk Kodiak 32SS. I would be very interested in knowing if the problem was just a "fluke" type thing or is it something that all of us with that setup need to have checked or be aware of? I am not positive, but I think you have a Greyhawk Kodiak, what year and model? Thanks for keeping everyone up to date on this.

Mike

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5472
The saga continues... I couldn't wait to pickup my mh today. After making the five hour trip to the shop and going through my pre-trip checklist (air, oil, towbar, etc), I start to head home with my toad in tow. No more than 20 miles out of town and the check transmission light goes back on. Of course this defaults the tranny into limp mode.

So here I am typing this at a Costco parking lot waiting to be towed in the morning.

The good thing is I've had so much communication with the folks from Allison that I have all of their cell numbers on my speed dial!

Mike, my coach is a Jayco Greyhawk 32SS on the Kodiak chassis.

Wish me luck tomorrow.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5480
Do I ever wish you luck. I sure hope Allison jumps right on it and fixes it so it stays fixed.

Do keep us posted.

Don

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5497
Hi Nedra, I ended up having our motorhome towed 200+ miles back to Southern California. All of my anxieties were put to rest after talking with the wrecker operator (who happened to be the owner of the tow company). Watching him do his thing was quite amazing. He said the Kodiak based motorhomes are quite easy to tow because of the stout I-beam under the front axle and the added ground clearance.

Originally, I had asked about the feasability if using a Low-boy flat trailer. He said because the RV is about 12' tall, the Low-boy adds about 3' which would exceed the max height of 14'5".

Anyways, the only potential I saw for damage was the addition of the light bar and the wiring harness that extended the length of the motorhome. A lot of hardware being attached to the RV body. The driver was very liberal in using shop rags to protect my coach's paint.

Hopefully you all will never have the need to have your Kodiak towed, but know that it isn't that difficult.

I posted pictures on the photos page of this forum. I believe it's titled "Kodiak being Towed".

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5498
Quote

On 2010-09-21, at 2:12 PM, rich_panganiban wrote:
Quote
Hi Nedra, .......................

I posted pictures on the photos page of this forum. I believe it's titled "Kodiak being Towed".

Rich, what happens from here? Will Allison be looking at it again near your home? Link to your photos.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KodiakChassisClassC/photos/album/1091727649/pic/list?mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&dir=asc

Don

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5501
Hi Don, currently my coach is at one off their repair facilities here in L.A. They are digging pretty deep to find the root cause of my tranny issue. As soon as I get this issue resolved, I will post here a to what that cause was.

In the meantime, Allison Transmission has been super accommodating throughout this whole ordeal.

Nice to have the MH be 30 minutes away instead of 350 miles away!

Rich.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5502
Rich: I too live in the Los Angeles area. I had some minor Allison trans. problems and took my motor home to:
VALLEY POWER SYSTEMS ( autorized Allison repair facility)
425 S. Hacienda Blvd.
City of Industry, Ca.
(800) 924-4265 Allison foreman:Jesus Gradilla
They did a super job and no problems since.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5503
Hi Russ,

Thanks for the info. Coincidentally, my coach is there right now. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Rich.

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5535
Finally a conclusion to our 9+ week saga.

In the end, I had my MH towed back home to Southern California and taken to one of Allison key repair facilities. I believe it is Allsion's distibutor for the SoCal area. They started working on it on Monday and by Wednesday, they had diagnosed and repaired the issue.

Our original issue is the check transmission light went on which caused the transmission to go into "limp" mode which locks the tranny into 3rd gear.

The solution was quite a few loose pins in the GM OEM connector that connects to the Allison Transmission COntrol Module (TCM). The other piece of the puzzle was a failed Internal Mode Switch (IMS). The IMS is locates inside the tranny and was accessed by "dropping" the tranny pan.

My suggestion to anyone that may have an Allison transmission issue in the future is to call the Allison Tech line immediately, get your coach to an authorized Allison Transmission Repair facility. If the facility you take it to is unable to diagnose the problem within a couple of days. Have them call Allison ASAP.

Thanks for all of your support...

ESPECIALLY to Don Leslie for getting the "ball rolling" with Allison.

Ahhhh, lessons learned through adversity!

Re: How do I get our RV home from 350 miles away???

Reply #24 –
Yahoo Message Number: 5536
I also experienced a Allison problem, living in the Los Angeles area I also took my MH to Valley Power Systems the authorized ALLISON repair facility in Southern Calif. They analyzed the problem (bad electriacl connection@ transmission) and had it fixed in 2 days. No problems since. Their ALLISON foreman Jesus is very knowledgeable.
Good luck and glad the problem has been resolved. Was any of it covered under warranty?