LEAVIN LAS VEGAS

[belfert]

Would other roadside assistance programs have covered this?  Coachnet would have covered either a tow or a mobile mechanic for my brake that locked up.  I did end up freeing it up myself and driving to a shop.  If the airbag mount had come loose due to a bad weld or fatigue would Caochnet have covered it?

If this is considered a collision your regular insurance might pay for the repairs.

[boxcarOkie]

Would other roadside assistance programs have covered this?  Coachnet would have covered either a tow or a mobile mechanic for my brake that locked up.  I did end up freeing it up myself and driving to a shop.  If the airbag mount had come loose due to a bad weld or fatigue would Caochnet have covered it?

If this is considered a collision your regular insurance might pay for the repairs.

Man, man.  As usual, you guys are missing the point.  It is not the cost, that is not the issue, it is THE SERVICE that is the problem.  I don't operate on a shoestring and I can cover what it costs to maintain & service or repair my stuff.  It is sitting in the hot sun for three to four hours waiting on some dumb____ to make a decision to get someone out to the location.

I don't expect Coachnet or anyone else to repair my bus, but I do expect them to send me people promptly, people who have their equipment in good working order, people who will bring what it is that I need, instead of ME having to run all over Clark County to find the stuff. 

They knew I needed a welder, they knew I needed a tire, they knew I needed an air bag. 

When the people they called finally showed up, they had nothing.  I had to go get the air bag, I had to go and purchase the tire, I had to make all of the arrangements personally while the person they called sat on some freeway with a broke down service vehicle.  The only guy that had his act together was the welder and that is it. 

He got a tip in the end.

When I am shelling out my hard earned cash I don't expect to be some Coachnet gopher running parts.

SERVICE ... That is what it is about.  It is pretty self explanatory.

BCO

[luvrbus]

Get you another service you not going to better yourself but you can try

good luck

[boxcarOkie]

BCO,

Sorry to hear about your breakdown in AZ.   Sounds like you were on 93S.

I thought Eagles had Torsoelastic suspension??  Who designed and built your air bag mounts?  Maybe the mounting points aren't structurally strong enough to support the shock impact(dynamic load) which can be exponential to the static loading.  I would think about having the front torsoelastic suspension rebuilt as a permanent fix.

Maybe you should move that heavy toolbox (with all those screwdrivers in   ) to one of your back bays!!!!

Steve Toomey
PAbusnut

You are correct, they do.  Mine is shot on the left side, I cannot replace it nor can I adjust it.  The right side is okay, still adjustable, I air-bagged it two years ago.  The set up is basically sound, it was the road conditions that caused the problem, and that is the bottom line.  I-40 out of Needles is nothing more than a cow trail and other roads in the Southwest are the same.  America's infrastructure is crumbling from neglect and will continue to decline in the future.  What they are spending on the roads in this country is a mere pittance of what they need to be spending.

I took your advice, and took out two phillips, one slotted and a couple of hose clamps ... I feel better already.

BCO

[boxcarOkie]

Get you another service you not going to better yourself but you can try

good luck

I had progressive and it was not all that much better, I don't know what is out there Clifford, but I am going to look it over.

BCO

[boxcarOkie]

I love the way you write Boxcar but be it I speak redneck I have no clue as to what actually happened.  What destroyed the tire?  I for one hope you don't sell your bus.  I enjoy the bus porn you post especially after you post a pic of your latest project.

Wal to answer your inquiry?  The bracket that holds the air bag broke and it in turn kicked out the bottom plate, which rubbed the inside dual in two places and ultimately caused the tire failure and ruined the tire.  If anyone is wondering, the replacement tire was $460 and some change 16 ply - Off brand.  

I am not going to sell the bus, but trust me, I am going to make some changes, and like a fly at the company picnic I will continue to come on here from time to time and share my particular brand of insanity with all of you.

Now isn't that special?

BCO

[luvrbus]

Don,I am not trying to pick on you but say the AZ highway caused it to break then you drive another 40 or 50 miles to the RV park on lake Mead and park for a couple of days you didn't notice anything different when you where parked ? 
fwiw I waited on AAA Plus 16 hours in Oregon for a boogie tire blow out and when the guy got there he had 2 ton jack and a 4 way automobile lug wrench took till the next day for AAA to get me up and running but it wasn't hot at 6000 ft you may want to take AAA Plus off your short list

good luck

[Chopper Scott]

I'm glad you decided to share your story here Don. I can see the frustration in having a vacation curtailed and sure wish you had made it here for a visit. Chin up. It could have been a lot worse.

[Len Silva]

They say there is a good side to everything.  While I feel for your problems, this and some other recent similar posts may be a wake up call for the dreamers and wannabes who think they are going to cross the country in a thousand dollar bus.

[boxcarOkie]

Don,I am not trying to pick on you but say the AZ highway caused it to break then you drive another 40 or 50 miles to the RV park on lake Mead and park for a couple of days you didn't notice anything different when you where parked ?  

good luck

Read into it what you wish, for the record it says "South of Hoover Dam we bottomed out violently," which isn't 40-50 miles from the campsite.  No, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary when I parked (we smelled rubber but it quickly went away), the bus was tilted a little, I chalked that up to a unlevel park space. 

This Lake Mead campground is Ace's if you want to stay in a quiet place, has all the facilities, the lake is close by and access to the casino isn't far away.  You might even get The Van Man thrown in for good measure ... He is a real hoot.  

Unlike some people ... I am not perfect.  I did not note anything out of the ordinary, sorry.

This entire ordeal, accident, call it what you may, was caused by piss poor roads in Arizona and I am not backing up on it Clifford.  That is the bottom line and end of the story.  I also agree, I am not a big fan of AAA either.  

BCO

[wal1809]

I do understand your frustration.  Buying a road package to me is no different than buying insurance.  I don't trust insurance companies as I never come out ahead with an insurance company.  So I quit buying insurance.  I took out the highest insurance deductable allowed by the finance company (home insurance).  We have a $5000 deductable.  I lost the house roof the other day and I have to pay out of pocket for a new one.  Of course my wife was angry until I showed her we have saved a lot more by insuring ourselves and paying for our own roof than if we had relied on the insurance to pay for a roof.  I think I will save my money from a roadside service and pay as I go.    

[boxcarOkie]

They say there is a good side to everything.  While I feel for your problems, this and some other recent similar posts may be a wake up call for the dreamers and wannabes who think they are going to cross the country in a thousand dollar bus.

Well, it is good to know, and with all things, you learn a little and you move on.  This is what happened to me and I just reported on it, you on the other hand, might have an entirely different tale or story to tell.  All this Monday Morning Quarterbacking it isn't going to change what happened one iota, and it doesn't take away from the facts.  

It is home now, it will be fixed, we will make another trip in 2013 and hopefully it will be ALL THE WAY and not just part of the way.  I agree with your quote about second hand buses.  The owner of a second hand bus knows how hard it is to drive a bargain, eh?  I am already in the hunt for a lighter trailer and/or smaller toad.  People who do not learn from their mistakes are prone to repeat them ... this aint gonna happen again.

BCO

[boxcarOkie]

I do understand your frustration.  Buying a road package to me is no different than buying insurance.  I don't trust insurance companies as I never come out ahead with an insurance company.  So I quit buying insurance.  I took out the highest insurance deductable allowed by the finance company (home insurance).  We have a $5000 deductable.  I lost the house roof the other day and I have to pay out of pocket for a new one.  Of course my wife was angry until I showed her we have saved a lot more by insuring ourselves and paying for our own roof than if we had relied on the insurance to pay for a roof.  I think I will save my money from a roadside service and pay as I go.    

With all things, there simply isn't one definite answer, I think each policy or service ought to be inspected and recognized for what it is worth.  I really don't know if there is such a thing as a good road service agreement if you want to know the truth.  Clifford did not have good luck with AAA in the past Progressive hasn't met my needs, and I have heard some horror stories about Good Sam.

Who knows?

If you can, cash and carry is your best bet.

BCO

[luvrbus]

Yep Don but you are long way from a 1000.00 bus so I don't see the comparison myself

good luck

[thomasinnv]

Don, glad you made it home OK. It's better that you had the funds to get it temporarily fixed and back home, than to still be sitting there waiting for some back yard mechanic to come and bubble gum it together for ya.

Clifford, sorry to hear of your physical problems with your ear. Will be praying for a speedy recovery.