Freightliners Pompous Attitude

[Long range Leeb]

Another loving entry for my 404RB motorhome I paid cash for.....

FREIGHTLINER ISSUES (chassis)

Transmission has malfunctioned several times. Usually within 10-15 minutes of motor start up, and usually when Vehicle is pointed slightly downhill. As in when entering freeway onramps.

1-may-2017 breakdown #1
Fuel up RV and eat at truck stop. Motor been off approx. 45 minutes. Start motor and head to onramp. Check transmission light comes on, then shift inhibit light comes on. Now stuck in second gear on freeway onramp. Pull over, transmission fluid level OK as best we can see on dipstick. Start motor and all OK. Continue to head home.

2-may-2017 breakdown #2
Overnighted at truck stop. Started motor, on about 10 min, heading to freeway. Same as 1-may-2017, check transmission light comes on, then shift inhibit light comes on. Now stuck in second gear on freeway onramp. Pull over, transmission fluid level OK as best we can see on dipstick. Start motor and all OK. Continue to head home.

3 and 4-may-2017
Cannot make error happen again.

5-may-2017
7724 miles. Take RV in to Stewart & Stevenson, an Allison transmission shop in Odessa Texas. Long story short, Transmission Control Module changed. Test drive and OK now.

24-may-2017 Breakdown #3 and #4
Coming out of RV park near Atlanta Georgia, less than 1 mile travelled. Check transmission light comes on, then shift inhibit light comes on. Turn off motor turn on motor and off we go. About another mile later, check transmission light comes on, then shift inhibit light comes on, again stuck in second gear on freeway onramp. Pull over, call Freightliner. Get directed to one shop, then another, neither can hslp us as it is an Allison Transmission problem not a Freightliner problem. Getting no help, we decide to head toward the factory service center for school and get this repaired.

25 and 26-may-2017
9133 miles. At Factory Service Center for Freightliner School in Gaffney SC. Initially get told that we need to have an appointment to get the coach worked on. Then they decided they could possibly work us in. Replaced Transmission Control Module told us that is the problem all is good now.

1-June-2017 breakdown #5
Charlotte NC, 0615 hrs, motor been on about 10 minutes, check transmission light comes on, then shift inhibit light comes on. Now stuck in second gear on freeway onramp……Again. Pull over, turn off motor, wait 20 seconds, turn on motor, go home without further incident in the next 1400 miles.

13 to 22-jun-2017
10646 miles. Take RV to Freightliner facility in Odessa Texas. Long story short they have it for 10 days, tell me that it is an intermittent electrical problem (which we already know it is) and need to leave it for about 3 weeks until they can get to it. Charge me $176.


23-aug-2017
Get a call back from Freightliner as have sent them and Forest River a scathing e-mail.
The Freightliner Factory has contacted the Service Center in Odessa Texas, I am to take RV to Freightliner in Odessa, Friday 25-aug-2017, where they and Stewart & Stevenson (Allison transmission) will work on it together.

Chassis Summary;
Freightliner has been incapable and reluctant to address this transmission problem in a timely manner. Seems a never ending blame game of Allison, or Forest River, or that Freightliner franchised shops are too busy to warrant a new product that I have paid for in full. They owe me.

Pretty good example of good old American Workmanship and Service.

RV is in the shop for the 4th time as we speak.

[TakeItEasy]

I hope they get it fixed this time. I would be very frustrated if I was in that position.

[Iwannacamp]

I am playing with it... several people with this code are speed sensor connections.

Sill looking

[Iwannacamp]

I'm sure this isn't the same...it is interesting

http://www.centralstatesbus.com/Recalls/R02GC.pdf

[larryo]

I pulled our rig with a sportchassis (m2 freightliner) and had a similar problem. Took it to an Allison shop. There is a wire harness going from the tranny to the control module. It has over 100 wires in it. One was broken.

[Long range Leeb]

Came out of shop, for the 4th time a few days ago. They had the thing for 3 days, drove over 400 miles......and.......found........nothing!!!

[BamaBob]

Call Forest River

[Long range Leeb]

BamaBob,
I have contacted Foreat River, and to make a long story short, they have told me to bite a wall.
Leeb

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by Long range Leeb

BamaBob,
I have contacted Foreat River, and to make a long story short, they have told me to bite a wall.
Leeb

I am assuming that your Motorhome is a Coachman Sportscoach RD.

Have you contacted the Coachman Owners Association yet? (Coachmen Owners Association - The official owner's group of Coachmen RV, manufacturer of world-class recreational vehicles.)

Also, here is the Coachman Warranty Administrator's contact info:
Ron Levitz - rlevitz@forestriverinc.com - (574) 825-8212

Since your major complaint is with the Chassis, Are you a member of the Freightliner Owners Chassis Club? This is a great resource for Chassis owners and you might want to explore contacting them for assistance: [https://www.fcocrv.org/]

The current President is Steve Batorson, president@fcocrv.org, (520) 444-6772

I am pretty sure that one of these two POCs can help. Just remember - and I KNOW you are very frustrated at this point - these folks are not directly to blame for your chassis problems, so a nice calm call stating your issues with a request for assistance and advice will go a long way in helping you remedy your situation.

Let us know how things go!

[Ortep]

Pretty soon you should be able to play the "LEMON LAW card" and get out from under this POS rv.

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by Ortep

Pretty soon you should be able to play the "LEMON LAW card" and get out from under this POS rv.

Guess what does not apply to a RV? Yup, the lemon law

[quicky06]

Originally Posted by BamaBob

Guess what does not apply to a RV? Yup, the lemon law

State lemon laws generally do not cover rv's but federal law does. Search for MAGNUSON-MOSS WARRANTY ACT

[Long range Leeb]

Oh believe me it does here in Texas, which is very consumer friendly in this department. Have just met a couple that had similar problem a few years back, from same dealer. They got resolution!

[silver]

I don't think you wrote to the forum for help or advice but here goes. Make sure the Freightliner facility is an OASIS one. Others will not know what to do. If your Transmission a Allison 3000 you have a chance. In any case have Freightliner connect the Transmission to the Allison diagnostic laptop and monitor it during a test drive. You will need to push them to do this. Simple communications across the 1639 bus. Useless effort if not an OASIS shop!!! Best case is pull the TCM and replace or at the least have it taken to an Allison shop for a complete Diagnostic. (The TCM, not the entire coach) A replacement TCM should be no more that $500 part cost. If you are that frustrated it could be worth it. Believe me I know what I am talking about. Your other alternative is to get pissed off by this advice and complain some more.

FYI, Bob gave you some good contact points. And stop the scathing emails and treat the repair people nice. They did not cause the problem. It is hard but worth it.

Soap box put away.

[Long range Leeb]

Greetings Silver,
You are correct in that I not seeketh advice, but I do want people to know the depth of the ineptitude of Freightliner and Forest River. The construction quality and inability to get things fixed which should have been right the first time are downright deplorable.
The vehicle has most recently been at one of their Oasis facilities, they drove it over 400 miles and could not make it reproduce any problem. This is with someone that they told me that "they had flown out from the factory" to help with. The vehicle had also been to their Factory Service Center in Gaffney SC. Had a breakdown a week after it had been there. Am I impressed?? Only Negatively impressed for sure!!
The TCM has already been replaced.
I have never been rude or sharp tounged at the repair people, they appear to have tried. They also appear to be simply overwhelmed by the volume of what they are left to clean up. My patience has run out.

Why did I settle for a chassis with a Cummins motor and Onan Generator?? Simple, worked with a vehicle with Cummins Motor in the 1980's, when the oilfield crashed, we had to keep going with what we had. Those Cummins motors kept going well past the 600,000 mile range and all we did was keep up basic maintenance. Spent the last 24 years in the oilfield in the middle East and Africa, (believe me that there are not any maintenance oriented societies there by any stretch of the imagination) the Onan generators kept on going. What else kept going in spite of poor maintenance?? Guess what, the Toyota land cruisers. Had an old, seriously old inline 6 back in 2004 in Algeria, it kept going. Ignition switch went out so we just hotwired the thing with alligator clip jumpers. It never left me stranded and started every morning. Same with the old land cruisers I drove in Yemen in the mid 1990's. The Mitsubishi Canters and Fuso trucks, they just kept going too.

Looks like my made in America data set, where stuff worked, from years ago is not only outdated but wrong in this day and age.

It appears to me that in order to get the last 10% of fuel economy that what has been lost is 90% of the reliability. 14,000 miles and six breakdowns, is this acceptable American Workmanship at all?? Short answer is NO.

2 weeks ago, coming through Moriarity NM, on cruise, 63 mph, felt a funny downshift. Instrument cluster goes out completely. No problem, am level, brakes are pneumatic, traffic light, hold on baby for the ride!! About 5 seconds later everything comes back on. At least I was not headed down in to Tijeras canyon. Would be there in 15 minutes.

Will see what breaks tomorrow, I will be disappointed but not the least bit surprised.

Regards

[silver]

I do agree with you about made in america quality of Freightliner chosen components. The industry desperately needs competition in the motorhome chassis/components market. I have a Berk with 41000 miles. So far I have had to replace

Tail pipe
alternator
AC pump
Idler puley
two belts
fan clutch
radiator
TCM

I always comment that long haul truckers would not stand for this on their tractors. I think companies may use inferior or lower grade parts on consumer products. I have also found that NON OASIS shops do not want to work on motorhomes and turn you away. I ether need to drive to another state for for an OASIS shop or do it myself.

FYI The light Bar Control Unit (ICBU) controls the 1639 bus and manages traffic to all the other computers. It is also responsible for the coach dash appearing to shut down while in motion. You may want to press for that to be replaced.

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by silver

I do agree with you about made in america quality of Freightliner chosen components. The industry desperately needs competition in the motorhome chassis/components market. I have a Berk with 41000 miles. So far I have had to replace

Tail pipe
alternator
AC pump
Idler puley
two belts
fan clutch
radiator
TCM

I always comment that long haul truckers would not stand for this on their tractors. I think companies may use inferior or lower grade parts on consumer products. I have also found that NON OASIS shops do not want to work on motorhomes and turn you away. I ether need to drive to another state for for an OASIS shop or do it myself.

FYI The light Bar Control Unit (ICBU) controls the 1639 bus and manages traffic to all the other computers. It is also responsible for the coach dash appearing to shut down while in motion. You may want to press for that to be replaced.

Ditto here - I have had a horrible time with both our Equalizer Hydraulic and Schwintech slides but, these are components merely installed by Forest River, not made by them. They could have just as easily failed in a Entegra or Tiffin.

As for the ICBU, there was a recent recall from Daimler on the dash system. Not sure if it is related to your issue or not, but you may want to have an oasis center check it out. (BTW, I FULLY agree with Silver! Taking your coach to a non-Oasis center is like asking a shade tree mechanic to do maintenance on your coach! )

Like Silver, I really believe that the QC process in the industry really need improvement - every one of those companies should be made to hire a Lean Six Sigma Expert to whip their QC and product durability into shape!

As for your problems with Freightliner, did you call the folks I had mentioned earlier? Were they able to help?

If you are still not getting the help you need, perhaps this person can help you:

David Hoover
Manager, Customer Support, Freightliner Corp
(864) 206-8392

Again, I share your pain my friend. We are fulltimers so when something goes amiss in our coach (and it has several times over the past year!) that is our HOME so it can/will stress the heck out of you!