[Archived]

Maybe Mother Nature is telling you with all the trouble the engines and refrigerators have that you should stick with your motor home.

The bottom line is our coaches have a lot going on. Service and repairs are going to be necessary. The more complex, the more service. Maintaining 4 slides is going to be 4 times more effort than one slide as an example. The engines are no longer simple mechanical devices. They won’t even run without power to the “brain” and they have more sensors than you can shake a stick at. All if takes is for one sensor to fail and the “brain” may opt to shut you down, or derate the motor, or at the very least intimidate you with a CEL until you get the sensor fixed.

Your transmission is getting as complex as the engine. Then stir in an emissions system with all of its complexity and its a wonder the damn things even run.

As to refrigerators our second coach had an Amana and it was a piece of garbage. We replaced it with a Bosch and that refrigerator was wonderful. We have had a series of Sub Zero refrigerators at our homes, but our last one is a maintenance hog. Following up with the one in our coach and it is turning out to be as troublesome as the Amana.

I do know that new coach owners for over 20 years spend more nights camping at Prevost and their converters than they do in RV resorts.

[Archived]

Think about this statement: “I do know that new coach owners for over 20 years spend more nights camping at Prevost and their converters than they do in RV resorts.”

Then think about the picture … outback of the shop sit many of your customers with problems on the products they bought from you, parked next to each other, socializing with each other, likely talking about the problems they are individually and collectively having with the product they bought from you.

As someone running a business … something I would look forward to every morning!

[jack]

The problem with thinking a collection of owners talking about their coach has a significant impact isn’t quite correct.

First, relatively speaking there are going to be few new owners at any converter or service center at any time. And those are dealing with infancy issues. Those new coach issues can likely cover almost anything from slide adjustment, to minor air leaks, to fixing something that failed prematurely.

As the coaches age then more serious problems emerge and two widely discussed here aren’t going to stop a person who wants a new coach from buying one. Then we have to recognize the new owner could have house issues so there is a lot of potential for first year infancy repairs sorthing out the complexities of a new coach.

But I have learned new owners shake it all off. Yes they are inconvenienced, and yes it is time consuming and expensive getting down to Prevost or the converter,. but as the coach matures those issues get resolved and then only bigger problems that impact a lot of owners get the broad based discussions. Most recently they have been delam, charge air coolers and slide issues. The delam problem appears to be handled to everyone’s satisfaction, the defective CACs are being replaced with the ones that should have been used in the first place, and the design and experience with slides has made what was once a big issue now an occasional one.

The refrigerator problem from my limited perspective has little to do with the coach and more to do with the manufacturer of the refrigerator. How appliances are chosen probably revolves around their size, market acceptance and ability to be adapted to an RV. How it will perform is anyone’s guess. I don’t know why my first Sub Zero in my home was nearly bulletproof, but subsequent Sub Zero refrigerators have been lousy, including the one in my coach. But I am also confident if I were to buy a different brand it would be a chance purchase with no assurance of long life in the coach.

[Archived]

jon:

Is the issue with the fridg or drawer units? these older Liberty’s seem to have plenty of refrigertation from Sub Zero so assume they must have been rather dependable as surely they weren’t the cheapest.

if you did change given drawer units beneath, what would fit ?

Thanks,

[Peter]

My 05 Liberty had a Sub Zero and shortly after I purchased it the condensor fan failed,Sub Zero sent one no charge,the 08 has the same one and there haven’t been any problems yet.

[Doug]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub-Zero_(brand)

Sub-Zero is based in Madison, WI … a little over two hours from Liberty’s shops in North Chicago. Maybe that had something to do with Lliberty and Sub-Zero.

[Archived]

So far in less than 2 years I have had the Sub Zero condenser fain fail. They really are proud of that fan which costs almost as much as a basic refrigerator. Then at the Branson rally the refirgerator stopped working again, and this time it appeared to be one of the four switches that turn it off if a freezer drawer is opened.

So for now, considering the repairs to the one in the house also Sub Zero can place their products where the sun don’t shine.

[Archived]

My Jenn Air refrigerator stopped cooling this weekend. It still runs but not cooling at all. My refrig is 6″ off the floor. What is the best method to use to move it out for the repairs without a lot of heavy lifting?

[Ron]

We use a 1/2 plywood cut to fit in the opening in front of the refer. then 2×6 material screwed to the plywood. That is the correct heigth for many coaches. You can measure your height and adjust material accordingly…

[Archived]

Thanks Jeff. I will try it.

Best of luck on your new adventure.

[Corey]

I replaced mine this last year with an LG. side by side doors with a freezer below. Get a counter depth style. I got stainless steel and it looks fine. Worried about putting some laminate on it, but just went with the stainless.

Yes, you have to take out the passenger side front window. My shop broke mine getting it out, so they had to replace it.

Take a look at the thread under renovations. There’s a whole section about this topic.

[BillyD]

If the compressor is running but you are getting no cold air you might want to see if the fan inside the freezer is blowing. Mine fried and I installed a new motor myself a few days later when I could source the part. Mine had a removable back panel in the freezer and you had full access to the coils (frozen solid so I knew the fridge worked) and a quick look at the fan made it obvious that the thing was toast. I bought a compter fan and taped it in place until I could get the right fan but it kept my stuff cold!

[Archived]

The fans are running but it seems the compressor is not running the best I can tell. It is putting out no cold air at all. I will have to get it pulled out to check it. At least it is in the barn and we are not on the road right now.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Archived]

Usually the refrigerator compressors are pretty reliable and problems arise from multiple causes. A circuit board or relay may have failed. Refrigerant could have leaked out and with the loss of refrigerant a pressure switch could have cut off power to the compressor (as a safety feature).

If it is possible to jury rig power directly to the compressor you will by pass all the other possible causes and will learn if the compressor will run. If it runs then the search begins to find the cause.

On our previous coach I had a refrigerant leak that a replacement evaporator coil solved, then I had problems with the evaporator fan and then the condenser coil fan, after which I threw in the towel and replaced the refrigerator.