Hi Everybody - Here's what happened:

Drove up to Bishop where our bird was sitting on Wednesday. On the way I stopped at Hesperia to check out Commercial Engine Service. It's a big, first class facility. I met and talked with Dan Hashaway, the owner. He said he had three mechanics with DD two stroke experience and that if I brought our bird in we would be scheduled. It's $125/hr for RV work. He also gave me three referrals on towing. Based on that meeting and the recommendation from Paul Potter, I decided to move the bird there - less of a distance (therefore cost) to tow, within reasonable reach from home in Oceanside (1.5 hour drive).

I continued on to Bishop. I told Britt that I wanted to move the bird. He was quite happy to get rid of it, saying we were likely to end up unhappy with each other anyway. He had quoted $200 for diagnostics when it first got there August 24. I paid him $230 which covered that plus the time and disposal cost on the oil and coolant that he'd drained. Since I would have been paying $100 for storage that month, I figured it was a net $130. Not too terrible a penalty, considering.

Britt only has one mechanic, his lead, qualified to work on an 8V92. He was clear that it would have been a real problem to leave the bird there.

I then called Good Sam and told them they had taken me to a shop that while qualified in theory was completely unable to get the job done. Bishop is the biggest town within 250 miles. The only places with qualified shops were in Carson City / Reno, Fresno / Bakersfield (over 9,000 foot passes and roads too tight for a tow), and Hesperia / Victorville. They agreed to pay for the tow to Hesperia! They couldn't find a tow company who could schedule the tow the next day, so I gave them one of Dan's references and got it towed in to his shop the next morning, for free. Plus a $40 tip to the driver, Dale.

All in all, I'm happy with the latest choices, and thankful for all the great advice here. They start work on Bluefire on Monday, and I should have a decent idea of what it will cost next week. And I still have an option from Vance Butler in Alpine (San Diego area) to take an 8V92 from an MCI bus, with 150,000 miles on it, up to the shop in Hesperia. So, I think we're in much better shape now.

And I'm gonna start leaving that fan on all the time... Once we're on the road again!

Greg

--- In "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com", "P & D" wrote:
>
> Very good,
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> If you need anything let me know and we can help since they are local to us
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> Paul & Debbie Potter
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> Hesperia CA
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> 1987 PT38
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> From: "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com" [mailto:"WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com"] On Behalf Of Greg Young
> Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2010 10:25 AM
> To: "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com"
> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Motivating a mechanic
>
>
>
>
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> Thanks for the referral, Paul. I talked to Dan this morning and he's interested in the work. I'm going to Bishop tomorrow to talk to Britt up there and make a decision. If I decide to pull it I'm going to call Good Sam and tell them the shop they chose is not working on the coach and they should tow it to a shop of my choosing.
>
> Greg
> 86 PT40 Bluefire Currently feeling very abandoned in Bishop CA
>
>
> From: P & D
> To: "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com"
> Sent: Mon, September 20, 2010 7:23:32 PM
> Subject: RE: [WanderlodgeForum] Motivating a mechanic
>
>
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> Hi there
>
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> We have used commercial engine service and they have done a good job for us and always been pretty quick about it.
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> Hope that helps
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> Paul & Debbie Potter
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> Hesperia CA
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> 1987 PT38
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> 8205 Caliente Road
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> Oak Hills, CA 92344-0954
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> (760) 947-1293
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> On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 9:37 AM, Greg Young http://us.mc812.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=gregy1@...> > wrote:
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> Hi everybody -
>
> Bluefire is still sitting in Bishop CA at Britt's Diesel, awaiting a quote for repairs. So far I have only a verbal "about $10,000," the same as I had the day it was towed in there. The tow truck driver warned me that Britt might need some motivation, because he's got big rig truckers in and out every day on deadline, and we're just a one time RV that he can put off. So far he's put us off successfully for more than three weeks. I guess I should be happy I'm getting free (so far) storage!
>
> I did get a quote on a used 8V92 from Vance Butler for $3500, so I have at least one option, though I have no idea about the condition of the engine (Vance says it's good) or what it would take to get it transported and installed.
>
> So my question is what do you do to motivate a mechanic like Britt to actually get to work on your dead coach? I'm getting quotes on what it would take to tow Bluefire to Victorville or someplace else short of L.A. that would have a choice of shops. Can anyone recommend a towing service or mechanic in the Victorville area, or anywhere else south of Bishop on the 395/15 corridor to San Diego? And other than threatening to take the business elsewhere (which Britt might actually see as a good thing getting Bluefire off his lot) what can I do to get him to respond?
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> Thanks again!
> Greg Young
> '86 PT-40 Bluefire currently on life support
>
>
>
> Each time you judge yourself you break your heart.
> -Kirpal Venanji
>

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From: Markus Meyer
To: wanderlodgeforum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, September 24, 2010 9:16:06 AM
Subject: RE: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: Motivating a mechanic