Pricey repairs

[winston barrows]

< removing the bumper the un install and re install is maybe 4 hours.>>
Hi, Ralph,
According to the owner, the book is three hours bumper off and three hours
bumper on for six hours. This is what he writes:

I took my unit to Buddy Gregg, in Knoxville TN for service. $115.00 per hour.
the cost of parts will not be the shock. The shock is getting something done,
done right, and done to the high expectations that Bluebird owners possess. By
way of example, shortly after purchase, the fuel gauge went to "empty" even
though it was clearly full. Buddy Gregg traced the repair to the sensor located
at the top of the fuel tank. This is accessed through a door on the floor of the
coach, which was overlayed with 3/4 inch plywood and the marble floor. the
estimate to fix? $6-700, plus the $10.00 sending unit, but they could not
replace the marble they would have to chisel out of the floor. Everything in a
Bluebird is like that. I asked them to look at the alternator/battery system
because the green dash light sometimes came on (which I now know is normal).
They replaced the alternator. Cost of alternator (which I now do not believe had
any problems) $350; Cost of labor to replace alternator?
$1,500. why so expensive? because they had to take the bumper off, and then
take off all the belts and hoses in the engine. three hours off, and three hours
on ( that is just the labor for the bumper). You don't even want to know what
Caterpiller charges to look at Bluebirds. Caterpiller likes dealing with
businesses that own tractors. Hell if you bill your tractor out for 2 or three
hundred per hour, you can afford thousands to have a GED trained technician tell
you you need a fuel filter, and then hand you a bill for $2,000, (labor at $130
per hour) plus materials (a $75.00 filter which should have been what was
checked within the first hour). Of course, they have to bill 2 to three hours to
put paper on the floor of the coach so they don't track in sludge, and then
fabricate tools because they do not generally work on Bluebirds and their tools
don't work.

The original price you pay for a Bluebird doesn't really matter much. It is the
beginning of a process that is akin to placing a vacuum cleaner on you wallet
and watching the money dissapear. End of owner email text.
It seems to me that part of the responsibility of this forum should be to
educate folks on the scale of economy of Wanderlodge ownership. A lot of people
think Buddy Gregg is a reputable dealership and I'm not saying they aren't
(especially since I've had no experience with them). So my logic is if such a
competent repair shop costs so much, then what's it going to cost to go to the
guy you'll educate?

"Ralph L. Fullenwider" wrote:
Hello Winston:

Mike B gave you some pretty good answers to your question. And yes, some
repairs can be costly, no question there. Blow a 12R 22.5 tire and wheel
wells along with various other damage can occur.

As to the pricey alternator job, I agree it was pricey but necessary? Even
removing the bumper the un install and re install is maybe 4 hours. Perhaps
something else happened, like a broken bolt that had to be drilled out.
More than likely they 2 tech's on the job and charged for each tech.? That
is not right either, in my book. It would be interesting to have seen that
bill and what the write up was. No I am not defending that shop, in fact I
would be dubious of it.

Part of what this and other Forums were started for was to help one another
as we can and also to list the "known" good shops around the Country to
take the birds to and then on the other hand, to know what shops not to
take them to. This Forum is intended to be a clearing house of seeking
answers to problems and so forth. Even if your not doing the repair work <
which, as Mike pointed out, will save one some money> one can come to the
forum's to try to get a better idea of what to expect when taking a Coach
to a shop. Information among us, is a powerful tool, and one that can help
you recognize if that shop or repair facility is running high on costs.

Repairs on Birds, Prevost, Newell or any high line Coach will usually run
higher in some respects as they are far advanced machines with more
amenities than most others. With that advancement, comes the fact that a
tech has spent many an hour just learning the how the systems work and
those systems change almost daily at times. So yes, shops do ask for a
higher wage and get it because we are way past bailing wire and stickum.

In my shop, I charge the $75.00 per hour plus parts rate and I work on
Birds. Though, as Mike told you, I have worked on Vectra's and bounders and
Fleetwood products at the same price. I am also one tech that prefers the
customer to be with me, if he/she so chooses as I am working on their coach.

Bottom line is, information, data, questions and answers on the forum gives
anyone a powerful tool, and most of us have learned to use it along with
learning to do some things by our on hand. And in truth, most of those that
do some of the work, learns the systems in them, end up having a greater
sense of Ownership and the resultant pride that goes with. There is nothing
wrong with Birds and you won't find a better coach for not only fun but
safety out on the road.

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm



At 06:50 PM 10/18/2005 +0000, you 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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