My time in the repair shop...maybe 21 days

[cunninham]

Issue #1:

Coming home (+300KM) from MacGregor Provincial Park (Southwestern Ontario Canada), when I went to unhook the trailer from my truck, the Electric Jack failed...there was no power when I tried to raise or lower the jack, nor did the LED lights in front of the unit work.

I re-connected the 7PIN cable to the truck thinking if it's a battery issue maybe the small charge that comes via the 7PIN would work in powering the jack..it didnt...so I used the manual crank and was able to raise and than lower trailer hitch off the ball of the truck.

Later that day after unpacking etc...I disconnected the trailer battery and took that in to a local battery shop near me (Battery Boy) and had the battery tested...which it passed...I'll swap out the in-line fuse from the Power Jack today and see if that is my issue...if not...then I'll look to replace the 2018 unit with a new one if the replaced fuse doesn't work

2nd issue:

The following morning our truck (2015 ECO-DIESEL RAM 1500 3.0L) had a large pool of coolant laying on the driveway...I just had the water pump repaired a week before I left for MacGregor at the local Chrysler Dealership, so obviously something cracked\broke...now the truck is under an extended warranty for 2 more years so that repair won't cost me; however the arrival of the new parts could take upwards of 21 days, which leaves me canceling our next booked camping trip for Aug 16 - Aug 20 and may even put at risk the booked trip set for Aug 28 - Sept 3rd

Sux to be me...

[Cabinfever97]

Can you rent a truck to take your trip(s)? Or hire someone to get the camper to your destination. I have never done this, but I have looked into where a 3/4 or 1 ton can be rented if the need ever came up. Wouldn't be cheap, but maybe a possibility.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by cunninham

Issue #1:

Coming home (+300KM) from MacGregor Provincial Park (Southwestern Ontario Canada), when I went to unhook the trailer from my truck, the Electric Jack failed...there was no power when I tried to raise or lower the jack, nor did the LED lights in front of the unit work.

I re-connected the 7PIN cable to the truck thinking if it's a battery issue maybe the small charge that comes via the 7PIN would work in powering the jack..it didnt...so I used the manual crank and was able to raise and than lower trailer hitch off the ball of the truck.

Later that day after unpacking etc...I disconnected the trailer battery and took that in to a local battery shop near me (Battery Boy) and had the battery tested...which it passed...I'll swap out the in-line fuse from the Power Jack today and see if that is my issue...if not...then I'll look to replace the 2018 unit with a new one if the replaced fuse doesn't work

2nd issue:

The following morning our truck (2015 ECO-DIESEL RAM 1500 3.0L) had a large pool of coolant laying on the driveway...I just had the water pump repaired a week before I left for MacGregor at the local Chrysler Dealership, so obviously something cracked\broke...now the truck is under an extended warranty for 2 more years so that repair won't cost me; however the arrival of the new parts could take upwards of 21 days, which leaves me canceling our next booked camping trip for Aug 16 - Aug 20 and may even put at risk the booked trip set for Aug 28 - Sept 3rd

Sux to be me...

This is where owning a multimeter and knowing how to use it comes in handy. No guessing whether there is power, whether it is the battery, the fuse, the switch or the jack motor. 5 minutes and there is no swapping/replacing parts until it works.

[cunninham]

Enterprise Rentals has RAM 1500 5.7 HEMI that rents for $100/day....I have a brother-in-law that owns the same but his is a 2008...the problem with borrowing his is if it broke down, I'm on the hook right so I think I'll cancel the 4 day site for next weekend and pray that's the only cancellation I have to make while I wait out the repair(s)

[Cabinfever97]

Originally Posted by cunninham

Enterprise Rentals has RAM 1500 5.7 HEMI that rents for $100/day....I have a brother-in-law that owns the same but his is a 2008...the problem with borrowing his is if it broke down, I'm on the hook right so I think I'll cancel the 4 day site for next weekend and pray that's the only cancellation I have to make while I wait out the repair(s)

I just checked our local Enterprise, they said they have 3/4- and 1-ton crew cabs that would be about $100 a day. How far is next weekend's CG from you?

[NMWildcat]

Things seem to happen to me in threes. So be careful

[cunninham]

I'm booked at Wheatley...coming from Chatham Ontario....not far...40min drive maybe...35-40kms

[kenandterry]

Originally Posted by cunninham

I'm booked at Wheatley...coming from Chatham Ontario....not far...40min drive maybe...35-40kms

Not sure how much truck you need, but we recently saw a couple towing their trailer with a U-haul pick up truck. I don’t know their rates, but you might check that out.

[Cabinfever97]

Rent the truck to get it there then the day home. Just two day rental then. I wouldn't mind the extra hour involved for my trip.

[cunninham]

Just an update...the issue with the electric jack was the power cable itself...there was a small splice in it...likely caused the week previously when I pinched the 7Pin cable when backing up into a very sandy base site where I jack knifed.

....still waiting on the truck's water pump to come in at the dealership...hopefully its not a 21 day wait

[RobbieH]

I had a 2014 year model of the Ram 1500 with the 3.0 liter diesel. Watch out, they are known to have timing chain guide issues around the 80,000 mile mark. I guess lucky for me mine hit the 80,000 mile mark just about the same time as we downsized from our Class A to the TT we have now, and that truck was not up to pulling the tall trailer very well, so we traded it in. I loved that truck, it was a Limited with the air suspension so it was super comfortable, but it didn't like my Rockwood parachute behind me.

[Aussieguy]

Just how much of a leak you got?
may just need the bolts tightened proper
-------------------------------------------


waiting that long for a water pump is crazy

Summit racing will ship one tomorrow
would take me a couple of hours to put it in

can't see any real difference in the front mount belt driven pumps I have installed
old OFF... New ON

$145.00




No damn pump /warranty is gonna cheat me outta the few pleasures I got left in these old bones.

[cunninham]

The coolant leak is substantial...total failure of the water pump/seal

[Aussieguy]

2 days is too many for me
tell your dealer to go buy a pump from someone else if they telling you 21 days?

Or tell them you going to install a aftermarket one so you can go on your trip and they can install their one when you get back

[Dragonmaster]

If you can find a pump a “good” tech can do them in 4 hours. Many take 4.75hours for regular techs in dealers these days. Too many things in the way.

[kenbrady]

I tried to rent a uhaul pick up to move a pop up and they didn't allow it because they don't have break controllers.

They said a cube van would be possible.

[cunninham]

Dealer called me today to let me know the water pump and the associated parts are scheduled to be in on Monday Aug 26th so I might have the truck back on Wednesday or Thursday of that same week...at the latest....however...as I know how the term *scheduled* and *at the latest* usually goes, I changed the dates to my upcoming 6 day trip to Inverhuron Provincial Park from Aug 28th - Sept 3rd to that of Sept 18th thru to Sept 28th

I'll give em a bit of a window to have the issue fixed and it gives me a bit of a window to test out the *fix* before hooking up and travelling out +600kms round trip.

The truck is under full dealership warranty until May 2027 or 130k KM (whatever comes first...currently sitting at 92k KM) so with any luck if an issue with the timing belt should rear it's head, I'll hopefully still be under warranty w/it...if not then FML

[cunninham]

Dealership got the parts...I'll have my truck back tomorrow Aug 30th