Our coach: 1991 Foretravel, U225, 36', Foretravel proprietary chassis, 5.9 Cummins.
Our story: An old coach for sure. We bought from the owner of a small trucking company who did his own maintenance. We quickly learned it was poor maintenance at best and spent a lot of money over 3 years bringing it up to date.
This should not be taken as anything other than a glowing review of East Valley RV Specialists and its employees as I review their work through 2 intervals of 2014 and 2015. But the story begins in 2012. It started when my wife's ex husband (also family friend) developed leukemia and needed help. We arrived in Phoenix in August and with our rv parked in the street in front of the house for 8 weeks, drove him to treatments preparing for a bone marrow transplant. We went to Seattle for 5 months for transplantation, returning to Phoenix the next February, 2013 with the rv parked in the street for 7 weeks.. Home that October, we thought he would recover fully. February of 2014 brought a recurrence of the disease. Now terminal we returned to Phoenix immediately expecting him to die in 12 weeks. We arrived to find he was again on chemo to give him as much time as possible. Responding to the chemo, we decided to travel the southwest. We needed new dash air.
We went to East Valley RV Specialists for a full service and dash air. They checked the coach over and found several things wrong. They did the air, charging system repair and a number of smaller tasks. OK, we're ready to travel? No. The forward roof ac quit. I called a mobile guy on Friday and he was there on Monday and replaced the ac in the street. On the road to the Grand Canyon, Page and Kanab we had air. On the return into the valley the air quit. Returning to EVRV they found a leak and quickly had me on the road. Again it quit. No problem, I needed other work done, they could have for a couple weeks. The third visit I thought they had it. Now late in September we were headed back home as our patient was responding to the chemo and his cousin would winter in Phoenix and carry on with his care.
April, 2015 were preparing to go to Branson, MO and Hot Springs, AR with plans of returning to Phoenix in June. Getting ready for Branson as I was backing into the driveway I heard a noise. I discovered a 6" bolt backed out of the alternator and destroyed the fan. The alternator had been replaced by EVRV. My brother and I replaced the fan and we were ready to go. The dash air was not working and on the return to Phoenix issues developed with the generator, HWH and, after having engine work done on the fuel pump and power steering pump before we hit the road, the low side hose came completely off the ac compressor.
Happy to see me? They were quick to get me in and had the dash air going again. We were all very enthusiastic as they had it charged, were driving it for several days and it was performing perfectly! Meanwhile our patient is responding very well to new chemo. He had a port installed in his chest and was getting chemo 5 days per month with 2 visits to the doctor each month. When I picked up the rv it felt like it didn't have the turbo. Returned again and they found a hose routed improperly over the accelerator linkage. I took off again and still no turbo. I took it to Cummins Red Mountain where they discovered the air fuel control tube had broken. It must have been ready to go after the work done before leaving home. They ordered the part but got me on the road with a temporary hose.
We had time to travel. We went to Tombstone, Bisbee and Benson. On the way back the dash air quit yet again. No problem taking it back as I needed the storage anyway after learning it's illegal to park the rv in the street in Phoenix. First I returned to Cummins for the sensor line. While there they replaced the lower radiator hose and serpentine belt. Now it gets scary. I had a new belt onboard. I also had an old belt there that was too long. Since they didn't have a belt on hand I told them to use my belt. The mechanic used the wrong belt. I went to Loves to diesel up and the belt started squealing. I thought the ac compressor had locked up. I cut the ac belt and it still squealed. Returning to EVRV they discovered the Cummins mistake. They opened a work order and had me on the road with an open work order. They asked me to return after our trip for another look at the ac.
Next we were off to San Diego and Los Angeles and had dash air the entire time. I had a bill to settle so I returned the coach to EVRV. Now it really gets good. Now you have to believe they thought something may be amiss as I leave their facility with the ac working properly having been tested, driven and rechecked only to have it die again. That was not the case. These guys had a plan. Arriving early for work before the noise levels rise they pressurized the system and searched the hose run. They discovered a bad crimp on a union in the high side hose over the battery compartment. Great news. read more