Need Slide Out Room Shear Bolts?

“Martine, can you send me some slide-out shear pins?” They hear that frequently at Premier RV Services in Junction City Oregon.

Which coach(s) is likely to have this problem?

Tribute, Inspire and Allure motorhomes with the Power Gear electric slide out room equipment running their slide out rooms do seem to shear those pins. 

The slide-out mechanisms equipped with the shear bolts are connected to a drive shaft. There are four shear bolts per slide out, one on either side of the motor and one at each end of the extension arms. These bolts are located next to the motor and in the bay under the slide room arm. The two bolts located under the slide out room arm are less visible (and less accessible).

What causes the bolts to shear off and break?

Bolts can become worn down if the room gets out of sequence/bound up. If the gears that turn the shaft fail to turn in sequence (i.e., “teeth” get off), then the timing is off and the bolt is over stressed. The bolts by design absorb pressure from the motor and the shaft and will sheer to protect the motor drive shaft mechanism if necessary.

Overloading the slide out room can cause bolts to break.  As a preventative measure, move these items off the slide room until it is retracted.  

If the bolts shear off, the slide out room can not be operated until the shear bolts are replaced.  It is a good idea to carry an extra set of slide out room shear bolts.

Nuts may work loose on their own from the back of the bolt. Do not replace the shear pin with just any  bolt that is threaded that fits in the hole. It requires a “shouldered*” bolt. *Shouldered bolts have an unthreaded shoulder that is larger in diameter than the threads. Also known as stripper bolts.

You may wish to call Premier RV Services, Junction City, OR, 541-998-2640 if you have need of sheer bolts.  Martine Montgomery, Parts Department, will be happy to order these shear bolts for you. Gary Obermire, Service Manager, can answer any questions you may have regarding this subject (or any other service issue you may wish addressed). 

Website: www.PremierRVServices.com

Dealing with the Foggy Motorhome Windows Issue?

Do you have an ugly black seal dangling between your double pane windows? Or, are your Windows Fogged?  This fogging happens when the seal on the double pane fails and moisture gets between the two panes causing the fog.

Seals can fail for many reasons. In the case with many Country Coach and other brand motorhomes, they may have fogging issues due to a particular window manufacturer's (Se-Gi) faulty window seal design for a period of time. It can also possibly be caused by people adding window tints, or when storing, putting the reflective material in the windows to keep the heat out which may possibly trap the heat between the window and damages the seal. 

However you came to have this issue, Premier RV Services, Junction City, Oregon is one fantastic resource for a fix for this foggy window issue.  Premier RV removes the windows, takes them apart, cleans, reseals, and installs them. It is a labor intensive process but at Premier in Junction City, OR they have an outstanding technician who is very adept at addressing this service issue.

(If replacing a particular fogged window is a more feasible solution, they have great glass resources to handle that as well.)

You may wish to contact Premier RV Services in Junction City, Oregon for a quote should you have need of these services.  Office Telephone: 541-998-2640, or 541-554-3997 (Gary Obermire’s cell). Website: www.PremierRVServices.com

Country Coach Dryer Vent Potential Issue

Dryer Vent Potential Issue

Dryer Vent Potential Issue in Intrigue, Magna and Affiinity model dryer vents

as shared by Damon Rapozo

“…Brian Vandewalker [service technician] has noticed on some Intrigue, Magna, and Affinity models that the dryer vent is separating from the sidewall. Once this happens it allows water to enter the sidewalls...

 The factory originally glued in the vent. Since the sidewall expands and contracts at a different rate than the ABS plastic on your dryer vent, it works its way loose and can start to allow water in the sidewall.

The fix recommended is to remove the vent, clean everything really good, then use the casting holes on the back side of the dryer vent as mounting holes. Drill out those casting marks, then screw the vent to the sidewall. Finish it off with a good sealant... Next time you are in for service at your favorite service center, you might ask them to examine your dryer vent…” –Damon Rapozo

Converting Motorhome Dry Spline PTO to Wet Spline PTO

Oregon Motorcoach Center’s Jim Cooley addresses the topic of

Converting Motorhome Dry Spline PTO to Wet Spline

“How Do I Know if I Need to Convert My Motorhome’s Dry Spline PTO to Wet Spline PTO?”  The owner of a 2009 Allure 38 foot motorcoach told me that all Country Coaches had a serious PTO (Power Take Off) transmission issue and that there was supposed to be a recall. The recall never happened due to the company shutting down. I have a 2008 Founders Edition Allure 43 footer with a 425 HP Cat engine. I had never heard of this issue or recall. Does my unit has such a recall problem? How do I go about getting it fixed?

Converting the dry spline PTO to a wet spline PTO is without a doubt one of the most frequent updates we do. Country Coach did initiate a recall campaign to correct these, but the only models on the recall list were Affinity and Magna lines. In reality, the updates are needed on Intrigues, Allures, Inspires and Tributes, too. (The Tributes that need the updates are the ones with the side mounted radiator.)

The problem is not a transmission issue, but rather the actual Chelsea PTO that is mounted on the transmission. This PTO drives the hydraulic pump which in turn controls the engine cooling fan and many times the power steering.

The affected coaches start at around the 2004 model year, roughly. When damage occurs, it is the hydraulic pump that is damaged. Damage may occur on coaches with as little as 18,000 miles and some coaches with as much as 50,000 miles not have any signs of wear. It depends on how the original installation was greased by the installer.

To determine if you have the issue, look at the passenger side of the Allison Transmission. Look for the red housing that will be mounted to the side of the transmission. To the right of the PTO is the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump will either be aluminum in color or it will be blue. To the left of the PTO you will find a hose. If this hose is connected at the PTO housing to an elbow and not a ‘T’ fitting, you need the update.

If you are not certain what to look for, give us a call and we would be happy to assist. Without repair there is the risk of the hydraulic pump going out. These pumps are quite expensive and lead time is about 8 – 10 weeks to get them. Oregon Motorcoach Center has parts in stock for these conversions.  

Telephone: 541-762-1505

www.oregonmotorcoachcenter.com