Shock mount: Re: Temps

[Pete Masterson]

I guess the jacks toggle the dump relay when they're activated to level the coach. I do note that if I forget to dump the suspension before lowering the jacks that the coach doesn't settle down as much as when I dump first, wait a few moments, then deploy the jacks. (That usually ends up leaving me way up in the air -- and that often makes the first step from the ground a real challenge. Wife just says it's good exercise for us.)

Since I live some 6 to 7 hours away from CCW's facility -- and because it kept looking like we were _almost_ done, I was suckered into hanging around. I did have my laptop and Internet connection, so I was able to handle some of my business and keep in touch. I was also able to search for parts when their inexperienced service writer was having problems finding some of the bits and pieces.

When I first described what I wanted done over the phone (to a now no-longer-there employee), he first said, oh, they'd need the coach for 3 weeks or so...! When I said I planned to be on board, the time estimate evaporated down to "2 or 3 days"... When I got there, he was long gone and the new service writer didn't expect me. <sigh> I probably should have re-confirmed the appointment a few days before I drove down. I'd made the initial appointment about a month before the planned date to be sure they'd be ready for the service. Everything took longer to a lot longer than I would have guessed. Some of it was due to the inexperience of some of the staff and some of it was due to unanticipated issues (such as taking 2 days to get a computer to read the DDEC codes -- with the IT guy trying different things, getting different computers, wires, adaptors, calling the software support folks, etc. etc.).

The length of the stress crack and the shape of the torn metal causes me to believe that this was damage that was long in coming. Had I known that it was a "known issue", I certainly would have been checking it frequently and I may have been able to have it attended to before it was so seriously compromised. I'm unhappy with the repair performed at Henderson's in that it led me to believe that I didn't have to worry, since it was fixed. So my inspections were misdirected when I first heard the popping sounds. (It didn't help that it sounded like it came from the opposite side of the coach, but I now realize that was an aural distortion caused by the furniture, etc. inside.)

Yeah, it really hurt to have a $250 shock ruined, too.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jun 19, 2008, at 9:12 AM, bumpersbird wrote:

Pete & PT-42 guys,

My left front shock mount was also torn up. My BB guru said it's a 

known problem???!!!&&#@$%^&*WHAT THE !@#$%^9)_.

The fix, just weld it back up! What the F@#$!

After installing new shocks a few months latter I replaced all the 

airbags. When they lifted the front end up with jacks and the front 

axle was hanging with all it's weight and no air bags attached the 

shock must have just pulled everything down, ripping the mount off the 

frame. Of course the new Koni was toast.

The mechanic was under the coach and I queried him, Hey DUDE, I think 

you missed something here. Well it got fixed, he was a certified 

welder, they did add some gussetts as I recall. I'll try to get some 

photo's of mine as well just to compair notes. The work on my coach was 

done at Prevost Nashville.

If this is known problem. I would say anyone with a PT-42 95 to 97 

might want to check for a potential problem.

Dang Pete 10 days in the parking lot! I think I might have rented a car 

and gone home. I've been there to and sometimes you think well their 

almost done and bang, you find something else to get fixed.

My coach has an air compressor although it's not really very good, well 

it's just loud. I can air up the bags befor hitting the STOW/STORE 

button. So I either air up from Aux. compressor of from the engine 

compressor before I let her down. I never had a problem doing it that 

way. In my coach it doesn't matter if the jacks are up or down the air 

bags will inflate or deflate on command. 

Kurt Horvath

95 PT-42 WLWB

10AC 

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[bumpersbird]

Maybe your coach air and leveling system function that way due to no
aux. air compressor. I dunno, just a thought. You know not all birds
are the same. I'm sure your coach being all electric and mine having
propane App's. could account for some of the system diffrences. I
know propane doesn't apply to the systems were talking about but an
all electric coach is diffrent than mine.

I will keep an eye on my shock fix also. At this stage of my life I
don't trust anybody's craftsmanship, been bitten too many times.

I was just in the middle of installing the mounting brackets for the
extra cooling fans on the right side engine louvered door, and I
scratched the you know what out of the paint :{) Mad at myself for
not keeping to protocall when drilling through thin metal.

Oh well another beauty mark.

Kurt Horvath
95 PT-42 WLWB
10AC


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Pete Masterson
wrote:
>
> I guess the jacks toggle the dump relay when they're activated to
> level the coach. I do note that if I forget to dump the suspension
> before lowering the jacks that the coach doesn't settle down as
much
> as when I dump first, wait a few moments, then deploy the jacks.
> (That usually ends up leaving me way up in the air -- and that
often
> makes the first step from the ground a real challenge. Wife just
says
> it's good exercise for us.)
>
> Since I live some 6 to 7 hours away from CCW's facility -- and
> because it kept looking like we were _almost_ done, I was suckered
> into hanging around. I did have my laptop and Internet connection,
so
> I was able to handle some of my business and keep in touch. I was
> also able to search for parts when their inexperienced service
writer
> was having problems finding some of the bits and pieces.
>
> When I first described what I wanted done over the phone (to a now
no-
> longer-there employee), he first said, oh, they'd need the coach
for
> 3 weeks or so...! When I said I planned to be on board, the time
> estimate evaporated down to "2 or 3 days"... When I got there, he
was
> long gone and the new service writer didn't expect me. <sigh> I
> probably should have re-confirmed the appointment a few days before
I
> drove down. I'd made the initial appointment about a month before
the
> planned date to be sure they'd be ready for the service.
Everything
> took longer to a lot longer than I would have guessed. Some of it
was
> due to the inexperience of some of the staff and some of it was
due
> to unanticipated issues (such as taking 2 days to get a computer
to
> read the DDEC codes -- with the IT guy trying different things,
> getting different computers, wires, adaptors, calling the software
> support folks, etc. etc.).
>
> The length of the stress crack and the shape of the torn metal
causes
> me to believe that this was damage that was long in coming. Had I
> known that it was a "known issue", I certainly would have been
> checking it frequently and I may have been able to have it
attended
> to before it was so seriously compromised. I'm unhappy with the
> repair performed at Henderson's in that it led me to believe that
I
> didn't have to worry, since it was fixed. So my inspections were
> misdirected when I first heard the popping sounds. (It didn't help
> that it sounded like it came from the opposite side of the coach,
but
> I now realize that was an aural distortion caused by the
furniture,
> etc. inside.)
>
> Yeah, it really hurt to have a $250 shock ruined, too.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> El Sobrante CA
> aeonix1@...
>
>
>
> On Jun 19, 2008, at 9:12 AM, bumpersbird wrote:
>
> > Pete & PT-42 guys,
> >
> > My left front shock mount was also torn up. My BB guru said it's a
> > known problem???!!!&&#@$%^&*WHAT THE !@#$%^9)_.
> >
> > The fix, just weld it back up! What the F@#$!
> >
> > After installing new shocks a few months latter I replaced all the
> > airbags. When they lifted the front end up with jacks and the
front
> > axle was hanging with all it's weight and no air bags attached the
> > shock must have just pulled everything down, ripping the mount
off the
> > frame. Of course the new Koni was toast.
> >
> > The mechanic was under the coach and I queried him, Hey DUDE, I
think
> > you missed something here. Well it got fixed, he was a certified
> > welder, they did add some gussetts as I recall. I'll try to get
some
> > photo's of mine as well just to compair notes. The work on my
coach
> > was
> > done at Prevost Nashville.
> >
> > If this is known problem. I would say anyone with a PT-42 95 to 97
> > might want to check for a potential problem.
> >
> > Dang Pete 10 days in the parking lot! I think I might have rented
a
> > car
> > and gone home. I've been there to and sometimes you think well
their
> > almost done and bang, you find something else to get fixed.
> >
> > My coach has an air compressor although it's not really very
good,
> > well
> > it's just loud. I can air up the bags befor hitting the STOW/STORE
> > button. So I either air up from Aux. compressor of from the engine
> > compressor before I let her down. I never had a problem doing it
that
> > way. In my coach it doesn't matter if the jacks are up or down
the air
> > bags will inflate or deflate on command.
> >
> > Kurt Horvath
> > 95 PT-42 WLWB
> > 10AC
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>

[Pete Masterson]

Hey, it's probably better than the "beauty mark" I acquired from a big rock in a stupid "round about" in the center of a narrow street.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

On Jun 19, 2008, at 11:04 AM, bumpersbird wrote:

Maybe your coach air and leveling system function that way due to no 

aux. air compressor. I dunno, just a thought. You know not all birds 

are the same. I'm sure your coach being all electric and mine having 

propane App's. could account for some of the system diffrences. I 

know propane doesn't apply to the systems were talking about but an 

all electric coach is diffrent than mine.

I will keep an eye on my shock fix also. At this stage of my life I 

don't trust anybody's craftsmanship, been bitten too many times.

I was just in the middle of installing the mounting brackets for the 

extra cooling fans on the right side engine louvered door, and I 

scratched the you know what out of the paint :{) Mad at myself for 

not keeping to protocall when drilling through thin metal.

Oh well another beauty mark.

Kurt Horvath

95 PT-42 WLWB

10AC

--- In "WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com", Pete Masterson  

wrote:

I guess the jacks toggle the dump relay when they're activated to  

level the coach. I do note that if I forget to dump the suspension  

before lowering the jacks that the coach doesn't settle down as 

much  

as when I dump first, wait a few moments, then deploy the jacks.  

(That usually ends up leaving me way up in the air -- and that 

often  

makes the first step from the ground a real challenge. Wife just 

says  

it's good exercise for us.)

Since I live some 6 to 7 hours away from CCW's facility -- and  

because it kept looking like we were _almost_ done, I was suckered  

into hanging around. I did have my laptop and Internet connection, 

so  

I was able to handle some of my business and keep in touch. I was  

also able to search for parts when their inexperienced service 

writer  

was having problems finding some of the bits and pieces.

When I first described what I wanted done over the phone (to a now 

no- 

longer-there employee), he first said, oh, they'd need the coach 

for  

3 weeks or so...! When I said I planned to be on board, the time  

estimate evaporated down to "2 or 3 days"... When I got there, he 

was  

long gone and the new service writer didn't expect me. <sigh> I  

probably should have re-confirmed the appointment a few days before 

I  

drove down. I'd made the initial appointment about a month before 

the  

planned date to be sure they'd be ready for the service. 

Everything  

took longer to a lot longer than I would have guessed. Some of it 

was  

due to the inexperience of some of the staff and some of it was 

due  

to unanticipated issues (such as taking 2 days to get a computer 

to  

read the DDEC codes -- with the IT guy trying different things,  

getting different computers, wires, adaptors, calling the software  

support folks, etc. etc.).

The length of the stress crack and the shape of the torn metal 

causes  

me to believe that this was damage that was long in coming. Had I  

known that it was a "known issue", I certainly would have been  

checking it frequently and I may have been able to have it 

attended  

to before it was so seriously compromised. I'm unhappy with the  

repair performed at Henderson's in that it led me to believe that 

I  

didn't have to worry, since it was fixed. So my inspections were  

misdirected when I first heard the popping sounds. (It didn't help  

that it sounded like it came from the opposite side of the coach, 

but  

I now realize that was an aural distortion caused by the 

furniture,  

etc. inside.)

Yeah, it really hurt to have a $250 shock ruined, too.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

aeonix1@...

On Jun 19, 2008, at 9:12 AM, bumpersbird wrote:

Pete & PT-42 guys,

My left front shock mount was also torn up. My BB guru said it's a

known problem???!!!&&#@$%^&*WHAT THE !@#$%^9)_.

The fix, just weld it back up! What the F@#$!

After installing new shocks a few months latter I replaced all the

airbags. When they lifted the front end up with jacks and the 

front

axle was hanging with all it's weight and no air bags attached the

shock must have just pulled everything down, ripping the mount 

off the

frame. Of course the new Koni was toast.

The mechanic was under the coach and I queried him, Hey DUDE, I 

think

you missed something here. Well it got fixed, he was a certified

welder, they did add some gussetts as I recall. I'll try to get 

some

photo's of mine as well just to compair notes. The work on my 

coach  

was

done at Prevost Nashville.

If this is known problem. I would say anyone with a PT-42 95 to 97

might want to check for a potential problem.

Dang Pete 10 days in the parking lot! I think I might have rented 

a  

car

and gone home. I've been there to and sometimes you think well 

their

almost done and bang, you find something else to get fixed.

My coach has an air compressor although it's not really very 

good,  

well

it's just loud. I can air up the bags befor hitting the STOW/STORE

button. So I either air up from Aux. compressor of from the engine

compressor before I let her down. I never had a problem doing it 

that

way. In my coach it doesn't matter if the jacks are up or down 

the air

bags will inflate or deflate on command.

Kurt Horvath

95 PT-42 WLWB

10AC

------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

------------------------------------

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[Ed]

and I discovered that Koni shocks for BB buses
> > are not on every auto parts store shelf. As luck would have it,
the
> > shock ordered overnight from Hayward (No. CA) was lost by UPS! To
> > avoid keeping me over another weekend, they arranged to remove an
> > identical shock from another coach (which had recently had new
shocks
> > installed) and got me on the road. (The shock ordered for my
coach
> > went on the other coach when it eventually arrived.) However,
this
> > little incident added 2 days to my stay.
> >
> > Since the shock mount had reached imminent failure enroute to
CCW, I
> > actually feel lucky that it happened to let go while located in
the
> > service area at CCW as compared to any other possibility. (I'm a
> > little surprised that it wasn't seen until the failure occurred --
but
> > I guess they just missed it.)
> >
> > I guess the lesson here is, if you have a 95-97 PT-42, be sure to
take
> > a look at your front shock mounts carefully. BB apparently used a
> > variety of designs (from what I hear) and it's probably because
> > they've had some troubles with that component in the past.
> >
> > Oh, yeah. The popping noise is gone.
> >
> > Pete Masterson
> > '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> > El Sobrante CA
> > aeonix1@...
> >
> >Hey Pete

Looks like I just might be your organ (shock) donor. My 94 pt40 was
in the CCW facility for some rework and the shocks were recently
replaced. Enjoy it and hang on to it.

Ed in Huntington Beach
94 PT40 WLWB
OC BIRD

[Pete Masterson]

Indeed you were. I'm glad to hear you confirm that you recently had new shocks!. You (by now) have an even newer one on your right front.

PS. I peeked inside -- you have a nice looking coach.

When they saw my coach, they said "hooray -- perhaps we can solve the puzzle we have with the florescent panel lights on that '94." And a couple of technicians quickly started studying the wiring in the front compartment below the driver's seat on my coach. Alas, my equivalent control box has different wires (and different numbers of wires), so it didn't help... Sorry.

Pete Masterson

'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42

El Sobrante CA

"aeonix1@mac.com"

<snip>

Looks like I just might be your organ (shock) donor.  My 94 pt40 was 

in the CCW facility for some rework and the shocks were recently 

replaced.  Enjoy it and hang on to it.

Ed in Huntington Beach

94 PT40 WLWB

OC BIRD