2003 Monaco Coach Dynasty

WE HAD A HORRIFYING EXPERIENCE DUE TO A MASSIVE FUEL LEAK ON JAN 12, 2018, LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER SERVICE HAD BEEN HAD BEEN COMPLETED AT CUMMINS CROSSPOINT ON OCT 18, 2017. CUMMINS HAD REPLACED THE ENGINE HARNESS ON THE ISL-400 ENGINE OF OUR MONACO MOTORHOME AS A RESULT OF AN EARLIER FUEL LEAK THEY DISCOVERED IN MAY OF 2017. CUMMINS CROSSPOINT ASSURED US, AFTER WE ASKED AT LEAST THREE TIMES THAT ALL FUEL LEAKAGE ISSUES HAD BEEN CORRECTED. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE FUEL LEAK ON JAN 12TH WAS THE RESULT OF IMPROPER INSPECTION OR POOR WORKMANSHIP BY CUMMINS CROSSPOINT, OR IF IT IS THE RESULT OF DESIGN FLAWS OR INITIAL MANUFACTURING ERROR; HOWEVER THERE APPEARS TO BE NO OTHER EXPLANATION. AS WE EVENTUALLY LEARNED, THE MASSIVE LEAK WAS A RESULT OF THE #5 FUEL LINE BECOMING TOTALLY DISCONNECTED AS WE DROVE. IT APPEARS THAT THIS LEAK OCCURRED OVER THE LAST MILE OR SO AS WE NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING CORRECTLY AND WE EXITED THE IINTERSTATE A SAT DISABLED WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK THAT ARRIVED THAT EVENING. AS WE SAT WE SAID A PRAYER OF THANKS THAT WE'D NOT BEEN INJURED OR KILLED BY A FIRE THAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED. AT NO TIME DURING THE INCIDENT WAS THERE A DASH WARNING LIGHT TO INDICATE THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. CLEARLY CUMMINS CROSSPOINT FAILED ON THREE SERVICE OCCASIONS, TO PROPERLY IDENTIFY AND RECTIFY THE FUEL LEAK WHICH THEY KNEW EXISTED, SINCE THEY REPLACED WIRING WHICH THEY TOLD US HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY SAID FUEL LEAK. THIS IS A FAILURE WHICH NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO A CUMMINS ?MILLION MILE? ENGINE. COMPRESSION CONNECTORS SHOULD BE ENGINEERED SO AS NOT TO FALL APART BY THEMSELVES. AFTER THREE FAILURES OF THE CUMMINS ORGANIZATION TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, WE HAD THE REPAIR DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT DIESEL ENGINE REPAIR SHOP. WHEREAS THE FUEL LEAK HAS BEEN REPAIRED THE ORIGINAL DESIGN FLAW IN THE CUMMINS ISL400 ENGINE REMAINS.

GOODYEAR G670 RV TIRE: "RIVERING"- TYPE TREAD WEAR LEADS TO STEERING PULL AFTER LESS THAN 25,000 MILES OF USE. FRONT TIRES SHOWED RIVERING (WEAR BETWEEN 1ST AND SECOND TREADS) AFTER ABOUT 24,000 MILES. AS RIVERING BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED, THE STEERING PULL/DRIFT QUICKLY BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED. SWAPPING THE FRONT TIRES LEFT TO RIGHT CHANGED THE PULL TO THE OTHER SIDE. SUSPECTED TIRE DETERIORATION AND/OR INTERNAL BELT SHIFTING INTERNALLY AS CAUSE. I DECIDED IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE USE SO THE TIRES WERE REPLACED ALTHOUGH TREAD WEAR WAS MINIMAL. *TR

WE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM NORCOLD REGARDING THE 1200 SERIES REFRIGERATOR IN OUR RV. THE RECALL LETTER HAS TO DO WITH A TEMPERATURE SENSOR. I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER IN THE NORCOLD LETTER (800 767 9101) AND THE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT MY REFRIGERATOR WAS PART OF THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH A TEMPERATURE SENSOR RECALL REPAIR WAS DONE BACK IN MARCH ON THIS SAME REFRIGERATOR. THE NORCOLD REPRESENTATIVE COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE SAME REPAIR NEEDS TO BE RE-DONE. WE REMAIN SKEPTICAL OF THE CORRECTNESS OF NORCOLD'S STATEMENTS. THE NORCOLD REPRESENTATIVE THEN GAVE ME A LIST OF PHONE NUMBERS OF RV SERVICE CENTERS NEAR WHERE WE ARE PRESENTLY TRAVELING AND TOLD US TO CONTACT ONE OF THEM. HE ALSO TOLD US THE REPAIR PARTS WERE "PRESENTLY UNAVAILABLE". AFTER CALLING THREE SERVICE CENTERS, WE FOUND THAT ALL OF THEM SAID THAT IT HAD BEEN DIFFICULT RECEIVING THE NORCOLD PARTS IN THE RECENT PAST. ONE SERVICE CENTER SAID THAT ALTHOUGH NORCOLD HAD TOLD THEM 2-3 DAYS TO GET PARTS IN THE RECENT PAST IT HAD ACTUALLY TAKEN 3-4 WEEKS. NONE OF THE SERVICE CENTERS COULD GUARANTEE WHEN PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE ALTHOUGH ONE OF THEM TOLD US THAT NORCOLD ANNOUNCED THEY WOULD *NOT* BE SHIPPING PARTS UNTIL LATE DECEMBER. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE MADE A TENTATIVE APPOINTMENT WITH THE NEAREST REPAIR CENTER FROM NORCOLD'S LIST, WE ARE STILL AWAITING WORD AS TO WHEN THE NORCOLD REPAIR PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. IN SUMMARY, WE DO NOT KNOW WHY NORCOLD HAS ANNOUNCED THAT A RECALL/REPAIR WHICH WAS ALREADY DONE, NEEDS TO BE DONE AGAIN. FURTHERMORE NORCOLD'S STATEMENTS THAT THEY CAN NOT IMMEDIATELY SEND THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR LEAVES US FEELING WE ARE NOT RECEIVING THE WHOLE TRUTH FROM NORCOLD. *TR

BRAKE CALIPER BOLT CAUSES TIRE DEFLATION THE BOLT (CAP SCREW) ON TOP OF THE FRONT LEFT CALIPER ON MY 2003 MONACO DYNASTY SLOWLY CAME LOOSE. AFTER BACKING OUT APPROX 1/4" - 3/8" IT STARTED TO SHAVE A NOTCH INTO THE TIRE VALVE. AT FIRST THERE WAS A SLOW LEAK (LESS THAN 1 PSI IN A DAY); AFTER A FEW WEEKS THIS INCREASED TO A 10 PSI LOSS IN ONE DAY; THERE WERE NO OTHER SYMPTOMS. PROBLEM WAS FOUND BY A LOCAL TIRE SHOP AND VALVE REPLACED. CAP SCREW EVIDENTLY IS THERE TO HOLD THE BRAKE PAD KEEPER SPRINGS IN PLACE. THIS DESIGN AFFORDS MINIMAL CLEARANCE TO TIRE VALVE STEM AND MAY EXIST ON OTHER MODELS WITH THE DANA (SPICER) FRONT AXLE/DISK BRAKE ASSEMBLY. IF PROBLEM HAD GONE FURTHER IT MIGHT HAVE LED TO RAPID TIRE DEFLATION AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. MONACO WAS INFORMED AND SENT PICTURES OF CALIPER AND VALVE. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST OCCURRENCE THEY HEARD OF, THAT IT WAS DUE TO IMPROPER TORQUE THE BOLT WHEN IT WAS ASSEMBLED. (VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2002). MONACO AND DANA SAID PROBLEM SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH BOTH MONACO AND DANA ENGINEERING PERSONNEL AND OFFERED THEM OPPORTUNITY TO INSPECT VEHICLE. THEY DECLINED. *JB