Pricey repairs

[mbulriss]

Winston,

I think you've got to put this into perspective. I think the question is not:
are all Wanderlodges so expensive to repair? Rather the question should be: are
all Recreational Vehicles so expensive to repair?

My feeling is that if you are not somewhat handy and adventuresome, the answer
is absolutley "yes". All RVs are complicated machines with lots of parts
stuffed in every nook and crany. It's bascially a house going down the road.
If you are going to have someone else perform each and every maintenance item
and little repair, then it is going to be expensive, no matter what RV/motor
coach/bus you get. Ralph can chime in here, but I think he and every other
repair facility charges the same shop rate for Wanderlodges as for plastic
palaces. So for routine repairs, they are no more expensive. A roof top air
conditioner of "x" btu cpacity, or a house water pump, is the same price
whether on a Winnebago or a Wanderlodge.

It is true that Wanderlodges are extremely heavy built machinery, so mechanical
repairs/parts/maintenance can be much more than a gas powered vehicle. But
relative to the class of coach, the Wanderlodge is no more expensive than a
Prevost for mechanical repairs. Can they be expensive? Absolutely. That's why
most people recommend a good size safety net of cash in your budget for repairs,
just in case.

As regards your specific example, you did not mention which style of 91 you were
referring to. On a 91 PT (don't know about the SP) there are actually two
alternators. One is on top of the engine and easily accessed through a hatch
cover under the bed. The other is below the engine and behind the rear bumper.
I have not had to remove either, but after adjusting the belts and looking at
the one behind the bumper, I do not recall seeing anything that led me to
believe that I would have to remove the bumper to get it off. Even if I had to,
that can't be more than 20 minutes work with the proper power tools that every
repair facility should have. Let's see, at $75 per hour, that example comes up
to 20 hours of labor to remove and replace an alternator?! I think we are
missing part of the story here. If that story you were told is true, my guess
is they saw him coming and took him to the cleaners (once again, probably).

I repeat my opening belief that if you are not somewhat mechanically inclined
and adventuresome, then any RV is going to be expensive to maintain and repair.
Within its class 8 category, the Wanderlodge is not anymore expensive than any
other comparable coach.

Mike Bulriss
83 PT40 "Stagecoach" - For Sale
91 PT40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, Texas

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "winbarrows" wrote:
>
> I was going to look at a '91 Bluebird Wanderlodge until a gentleman
> told me a series of horror stories about repair bills on his. Like if
> you need to change the alternator you have to remove the bumper
> and all the belts on the engine. He got a $1500 labor bill for that.
> Question: are all Wanderlodges so expensive to repair? -winston
>



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