Why Most Ford Dealerships Won't Service Motorhomes | Ford F-53 | Differential Pinion Seal Leak
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ต.ค. 2024
- We're Joel and Emma, living tiny in our former school bus with our two pups. Follow along as we make this home on wheels a perfect Cozy Living Machine!
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Good morning
You have a great attitude with the challenges getting the rear serviced.
I have been following you when you got the Esteem.
I am so resistent to get my first RV, because of people like yourself that deal with issues with owning one.
I am mechanically inclined
But what I need to adapt is your attitude, by having a laugh and staying in the solution, which I always get fom you.
Keep that sense of humor and you will be alright.
Stay safe
Good morning! And thank you! I figure that it's all part of the journey and I still feel lucky to have such a nice home on wheels and the opportunities that I do which I think helps keep things in the right perspective for me. I hope the videos are helpful though and being mechanically inclined, I'm sure you'd be in much better shape than us who still have PLENTY to learn about anything mechanical! 😂 I hope you do find a good rig that you love and get to enjoy. 😊
The only shop I have found that works on motorhomes is in Portland Oregon, I had to go to them for warranty work on my F53 chassis, I found out through Ford they are the only dealership on the west coast. It’s in a congested area and the parking is tight, very friendly and helpful, they also did our first service, great customer service.
Here in Portland? Thank you.
That’s why after an older Dodge Class A, a Worhorse and Ford Class A my retirement motorhome is a class C. A big box stuck on a van chassis! Never had a problem with service at a Ford dealership or even Joes tire shop if I needed a tire. Nice informative Vid.
I have found even that changing lately. Very few Ford dealers will do any warranty work on motorhomes anymore. I have to suspect their reimbursement for RV warranty work must be so low they just choose to say no,
It is a great time to be a mechanic.
I am a retired mechanic and once again I recommend that the rear differential vent is checked when the seal is replaced if not before. If the vent is blocked or if there is a hose attached and it is kinked the rear end will pressurize and blow oil past seals. You are about to go through a major expense and hassle so checking that vent is really important. In addition if the pinion seal has failed it is likely because of the pinion bearings so make sure whoever does the work does not simply install a seal and ship it, there are other components that need to be checked. Good Luck.
As much as he's driving around, chuck it all but the housing.
In the 70's they said. If you need to break it open, replace all the bits and start fresh. Any "piece work only" was illusory as all the other parts were just as worn.
Differentials, transmissions, master cylinders, etc..
I have a Thor class c on a Ford chassis and it’s awesome. I’ve had it for five years with no major issues.
Love your videos! We have a 2021 jayco 31fp. Absolutely love it but have the same complaints you guys had with it. Mostly paint issues. We were actually thinking of upgrading to this exact same unit! We’re a family of 6 so we need the bunks. How does the class a compare to the class c? Power, noise while driving, handling? What is the carrying capacity of your new rig? Our class c is maxed out with all of us in it. Thanks!!
Thank you!! And it's such a shame, the Jayco class Cs are SO CLOSE to being just perfect motorhomes, but they just miss the mark... Big family there, that's awesome! So in terms of beds, if you get the drop down bunk, you''ll have no problems at all finding somewhere for everyone to sleep! Very comfortable in here.
In direct comparison: the unit feels much more torque-y, but I suspect that's a lot to do with the tuning since they're the same engine (we shift at higher RPMs with this unit and it feels faster overall!)
The noise is less, no squeaks from the panels shifting while driving and the motor is quieter all in all, though we have our shades that seem to love to slap around and we need to add a bit of a bumper to address that (VERY minor thing). Handling is much better, much more solid and less "tippy" though we do have the Liquid Springs and that has made a world of difference! Driving this is MUCH easier once you find your edges -- the turn radius is a huge deal, very nice. Cargo Carrying Capacity would be >4k but with Liquid Springs, we're just over 3,880 or so! This unit doesn't at all feel like we're lacking in anything at all and in fact, we have much more water, storage and space than we know what to do with! We don't even use our mid-bath hardly ever being just the two of us for now! 😂
I too had to shop around for a shop to do a recall. I did find a commercial Ford dealer with a shop which did do the job. That was recall number 1. I now have recall number two which they will also have to fix.
My local Ford Truck Center serviced my 2 Ford gas Motorhomes. They never had a problem and did a great job every time.
Why would a brand new Motorhome need work?
Mine only needed routine maintenance
My guess is your differential cover gasket has a leak. You can do it yoursellf with the time you spent driving around and calling.
Every time we get close to buying an RV, we run across something like this that instantly puts a stop to the one we were thinking about buying. We were thinking of buying one of small Thor's with a ford engine because we own a a 15 year old F250, it's diesel, been a great truck, however if we couldn't find a ford dealership to work on the Thor, that would be a nightmare at our age we are just not willing to deal with.
Yep, exactly right. There is finally another dealership that JUST began working on motorhomes here in Washington, but it's so rare to find, and who knows which ones will close down next. For repairability and service, I would absolutely steer clear, until you've called around to confirm that you have a few shops willing to get you in with something over 10 feet in height, 23 or more feet in length, and as a motorhome! Sorry to put a damper on things for you guys, but I hope this helps and maybe you fill find a few shops!!
Isn't there a Ford big truck dealer in the area?
Did take ford f53 or Freightriner chassie
I'm in the same boat as you are. I bought a 2023 holiday rambler eclipse 35r. It has a lot of electrical problems. So I'm taking it to the factory in Decatur, Indiana
Our experience out here on the west coast with the factory service center has been pretty great so far, so I'm sure they'll get you squared away!! 🤞
My post is probably late but, just try and find a large truck repair service. We have several in Indiana that are apart from dealerships. They have Semi Wreckers and work on anything a ton or larger gas or diesel. Don't know how far your driving that thing with low or no oil but I'd make sure they replaced the entire differential...seals, pinion gear, ring gear, etc. Everything but the housing!
You're spot on, that's what I ended up doing! And we have pretty full oil, so it hasn't dipped low at all, thankfully, it's just the slow leak! We have our appointment soon enough, thankfully.
He’s laughing in this video to keep from crying😂😂
Basically. 🤣
Question: What is the issue with your differential? Or is it the drive shaft? How many drive shafts do you have on this Motor Home? This should have been tested before final assembly?
It's a rear differential e-brake pinion seal leak. It works and functions as it should and there was no (apparent) leak when we picked it up, so either it was well cleaned or it's been just a slow enough leak that nobody noticed until it sat in a clean shop for a few hours. I'm not sure how many drive shafts, I would think just the one but it's too wet outside to want to crawl under right now. 😂
@@CozyLivingMachine Roger that! I have had my problems with Ford vehicles and sold my last one last year. Henry Ford must be kicking in his grave with some of these antics. From defective engine head gaskets ( on a new car) , not enough paint ( on a new car) to detail, excellent German DCT clutches mounted on junk metal with USA techs makes me wonder: Why can't Ford FIX it, BEFORE you sell it? Ford The Blue Oval where QUALITY is "Job One"??? Please pray tell me what is Job Two? I am now a Toyota fan. No problems yet.
@@crimestoppers1877 Whoa. That's insane! And same here, I love Toyota's quality. I had and enjoyed my Subaru Outback a while back and I loved our Ram truck but I don't generally trust that company...
@@CozyLivingMachine For passenger cars I have always been a Honda man. Usually new Accord sedans. After two runarounds with Honda Service department that knows less about cars than me, I decided to switch. My favorite vehicle YT channels are Scotty Kilmer, The Car Care Nut, Car Wizard and Automotive Press. So far, I love my little Corolla sedan SE. I change oil at 5,000 miles or less.
@@CozyLivingMachine Problems with Ford Motor Homes? th-cam.com/video/csl63ON0sAg/w-d-xo.html
Good morning to all 🤗.
I hope this issue will be resolved soon.
I start feeling pain in the 🍑.
Good luck.
Hello!! 👋
Check the vent line from the rear differential to make sure it is not blocked or kinked in any way preventing it from venting pressure as it heats up, then remove the plug on the rear end and stick your finger in to check if you can feel fluid. If you can you have not leaked a large amount, if it were me I would top off the fluid and drive it like it is. Check the fluid every so often to make sure it is still good and it will run like that for quite a long time. No sense spending cash for something that you can nurse along for thousand and thousands of miles until you can find a real equipment shop to fix the issue. You might find the vent is blocked causing the issue and save yourself a bunch of money.
Thanks for the tip! It looks clear and when I blow air in, it blows back after, no immediate resistance! It looks like there is still fluid. We will get it checked out at this shop since it's under warranty, but it is good to know as long as it has fluid we don't have too much to worry about!
Ford should take responsibility. It’s their product.
“Don’t have a lift” is a copout.
They can do most stuff with floor jacks
When you say the differential is leaking, is it coming from the pinion seal?
Yes indeed!
I really can’t see how that’s such a big job to replace or how they can’t just do it on the ground. It seems like the word Rv just turns mechanics and shops off!
It is ridiculous that Cord can turn their backs on the consumer. They should be mandated to have to service all cord units and they should be mandated to stop building the chassis for motor homes if they won’t service them. Absolutely insane
At 5:00 into the Video, perfect way to practice a 3 point turn... I'm quite frankly amazed at how many issues with a new RV, its discouraging me from buying an RV. I'm not sure if you can take it back to the dealership, get your money back ? Seems like just buying a bunch of problems... I commend your positive attitude and outlook though... Your channel is the only " Honest RV review " channel I have seen... the Freightliner service center in Sumner is only 10 minutes away from my house. I wish you let me know you're gonna be there, I would have taken you out to lunch ! The Rock wood fired Pizza is just up the hill towards Lakeland Hills... Very very good pizza, I highly recommend them.
I know how you feel. I had recall letter and i called my local dealer and said the same thing no RV and they're pointing fingers to other dealers. Goodluck!
Oh man. At least I know we're not alone with this issue! Good luck with your recall too! 😊
Did you have this much trouble getting the E450 worked on?
Unfortunately, yes. We couldn't find anyone to work on it and gave up after calling about 10 shops. There was more of an "is this normal?" sort of things, rattles and clanking and such instead of this actual confirmed issue that we're seeing now. But nobody in Washington will touch these motorhomes, period. All because of the way that manufacturers modify these units and they don't get paid enough shop time to work through some of that as well, and then potential damage and such and the dealership being out of pocket for that, as we've been told. Both class A and class C motorhomes out here, unfortunately. 😕
@@CozyLivingMachine This is horrible, good luck.
Man you have a great attitude in dealing with this. If someone gave me a new class A, I would sell it ASAP, I'm a class B person but I would never live in it fulltime. Good luck!
I'm wondering how you get your tires so close to the curb without scrubbing them up?
Hahaha I've gotten pretty good at lining things up and if you go slow enough, you can feel when the tires are barely touching, that helps!
What’s wrong with rear end? I missed it
Rear differential ebrake pinion seal leak!
You have a great attitude, it seems like owners of class B's or real super C's are the only ones that don't have this issue finding service. good luck
i used to work at a ford dealership that USED TO work on class A motorhomes , now they no longer choose to , this is the route of many ford dealerships lately, if ford wants to sell their products to rv chassis builders , they should put pressure on their dealers to do so , as crazy as it sounds , ford is offering no fantastic deals on the f53 chassis , and since they are the only game in town for class A motorhomes , since gm is no longer building it, they have a monopoly , im sure if gm was taking care of business and serving the rv community , things i do believe would be so different , and with ford having many issues with their new f53 chassis with leaking diffs and chassis needing reprograming for abs light on , the 800 number is a joke, they will direct you to the nearest dealership what will , which may be many miles away or have to wait numerous weeks or months for an appointment since there are so few dealers and so many rvs
I definitely agree! It's a shame, and if Ford can't be held accountable, who can? I'd like to think that this will be settled in a class action if enough people get ticked off enough that our warranty is essentially useless until we can find a third party facility or happen to be lucky enough to have a dealership near us... But who knows! It's a strange situation right now.
👍 Sorry to hear of this problem.
Thanks! Hopefully it will be behind us in a few more weeks!
The lack of service options for Ford chassis motorhomes is the reason I won't even consider purchasing one now. I'm now only looking at ones based on Freightliner chassis. Won't even bother with ones on the Ford, Ram or GM chassis which is unfortunate because there are some nice ones out there.
We have never had a problem getting our diesel serviced in the Seattle area-We use Freightliner Northwest in Mount Vernon Washington and they have been terrific 😀🚌🇺🇸
I figured that might be the case, getting more north and a little less busy, that's great!!
Man that really sinks, I not understanding why Ford is not able to fix that in same shop where they work on F650 frames, what frame do you have ?
Same here, I have no clue why not! 😂 Ford F-53 26K chassis on this rig!
@@CozyLivingMachine very cool, just searching to see what other motorhomes are built on the same frame.... Cool facts I found: The Ford F-Series chassis began in the 1940s. Through the decades, it saw significant generation changes. In 1980, the sixth generation saw a medium-duty truck chassis that offered two different gas engines or three different diesel power plants. The early F-Series chassis would compete with the Chevrolet or Oldsmobile chassis, but ultimately win out as the motorhome foundation of choice.
The seventh-generation F-53 was the “nail in the coffin” for the other competitors. In 1998, Ford’s new generation chassis had the structure, length, and everything RV manufacturers wanted. It came paired with the new Triton Workhorse engine. The V10 pumped out over 300 horsepower and would climb from 420 to 457 lb./ft. Torque.
Sorry you’re having to deal with this, thanks for explaining the process though! Off topic but do you guys travel with a full tank of water or try to keep it on the lower end or empty while traveling?
Hoping to share and help others! We travel with a 100% full tank and even refill if we see the opportunity and we're 75% or lower!
He is not the only one. I have viewed other videos of Ford chasing owners and yhey have the same story. That let me know not to waste my money on a Ford based rv.
@@CozyLivingMachine good to know! I’m not sure if you’ve even had the chance to test this but I’d be curious if there’s even a difference in MPG versus tank(s) full or empty.
I feel sorry for people who buy these gas Ford rv's. Ford will not stand behind them and nobody else will touch them. Don't want a gas rv anyway, but the service desert for these Ford based rv is ridiculous. They will sell you these, but they won't tell you about this.
Yep, and you have dealers telling people all the time many right here on TH-cam "it's on a Ford chassis & if you break down there are Ford dealers all over the US to get it serviced." LIE! 😡
Have to say I would not be laughing like you are if I was dealing with the issue. You have a great attitude.
Sorry to hear about your troubles. We are in Grants Pass, Oregon. We are RV Steering and Suspension experts. If you ever need help with any of that we can help you! :)
Thank you! We have kind of a funky suspension setup with "Liquid Springs" but funny enough we're having all sorts of fun noises and such currently. We may just have to swing by at some point as well for an inspection and some help!
Well I just left the Redding area where I'm from and now in AZ too bad I didn't know that
It will be a long time before I get back that way
So sorry you are getting the cold shoulder. Ford needs to man up and provide after sale quality repair centers for the big boys. You were so excited to get your new home. My husband can be on the phone all day finding repair shops. Me...blow it up.
HAHAHAHA blow it up. 🤣 I'm right there with you, I think that if the third party shops won't work on them (understandably, knowing the reasons) then Ford definitely needs to open up shop and take care of the product! End to end service. Thankfully, we still love this rig, we just hope that it's taken care of soon and we can let that little bit of stress go as well!
There is a shop in Victoria BC that works on class a rvs! Road trip? Lol! If it is warranty work they do or not I don’t know but they do have the proper lift.
I figured in the USA with all the RVs there, that there would be more shops.
Or can't an rv dealer that sells that brand work on it?
Unfortunately the RV techs aren't the mechanics that can touch the chassis, at least around here! That would be ideal though!
Don't say the word warranty when your trying to make the appointment , because if you do it's and automatic no on the repairs. You have to pay up front then fight with ford to get your money back.
This is DO weird, both of the two nearest Ford Dealerships to me, sell and service FORD F53 motorhomes.... SO WEIRD!
It is terrible. I had a recall on a suspension part and had to go out of state to get it done.
It's just terrible user experience all around.
I can assure you diesels can be as bad or even worse. Every shop van work on the engine (just engine), but not every shop know diesels. Semi truck shops really don't like diesel pushers, because the more difficult engine access. Guess how do I know?😅 Thus, I am forced to do them all.
Ford and the amazing "you find it" warranty. Seems to me that Ford could easily have a list of willing shops for servicing their products. I think Ford should have a manufacture rep who would inspect the finish product RV to insure that nothing in the RV build interferes with the Ford chassis. Best wishes.
I completely agree, though I'm sure it comes down to doing the most with the least amount of investment! 😬 And thank you!
Hi what you need to have service on
Rear differential ebrake pinion seal leak!
Good morning ! How frustrating to say the least 😡 Sure hopes it gets fixed soon ! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 I really think that Ford really has dropped the ball , but I guess dealerships are independently owned and they can’t be forced to do what they don’t want to 🤬 I was surprised the other day when we passed a Peterbilt repair shop that had a huge sign that said “We work on motorhomes” too bad it was out of the area for us. Great video ! 😎🇺🇸👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Good morning!! Isn't that frustrating? I just couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous this whole situation seems! 😂 I do hope that Ford makes the decision to open up their own repair facilities and ensure that their customers have a resource and can honor their own warranties. And that's a very interesting point about the Peterbilt shops... 🤔 I passed one and wondered if they might be able to handle the work but then after the Freightliner experience figured they wouldn't touch it. If this current shop falls through, I will absolutely be giving those guys a call! Who doesn't love a good semi truck anyways? 🚚😂
@@CozyLivingMachine it’s more than frustrating ! 😡🤬 I look forward to see how it goes with the shop you’ll be going to 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
@@georges4562 You and me both! If this doesn't work out though, we have a long trip back to the Ohio factory and Ford WILL be fixing it. 🤣🤣🤣
@@CozyLivingMachine 🤦♂️ I hope it doesn’t come to that
if gm was still building class a motorhome chassis , ford will have competition, but since they dont , they do as they please
Yes, most Ford dealers will not work on motorhomes. The reason I have been given is their size. Luckily, I do have one Ford dealer that will work on motorhomes, but it is 50 miles away.
Yep! That's what some may say, but Ford has their bay sizes listed and it seems to have a lot more to do with the pay and work involved on these rigs! I do wish we had one closer than 50 miles out here, ours is about 200 miles from us currently, others aren't even that lucky!
Dude! Your components are heavy enough, you can just do what you want. Turn left there and just push that lil ol' van out of your way! :-)
Hahaha That's very true, I'm not sure what I was thinking! 🤣 I'll be welding up some nice push bumpers soon enough. 😎
Joel you guys are too kind to Holliday Rambler. They sold you this vehicle knowing you wouldn't get it serviced. There is a need to get the same kind of regs that the auto industry has.
Think about it. They sold you unit with a differential problem and knew it and took your money for it.
You should get together with other F-53 RV chasis owners and go to a lawyer and do a class action lawsuit against Ford and Ford dealers, as a Breech of warranty.
They aren't denying repair so there is nothing to sue over.
Because they are big, difficult to work on and pretty much nothing is accessible.
Not ONLY Ford, but GMC/Chevy is the same way..They won't even do a simple oil change or a state inspection...I'm NOT too happy about it..Finding someone to trust to work on mechanical issues is a problem..NOT even a Truck repair shop will touch an RV...
Thankfully we found a truck shop that doesn't mind at all, but they're getting fewer and fewer I think.
Everything built today is junk. Everything.
I made my living as an ASE Master Tech for over 35 years. You say everything made today is junk? I've got news for you, I have been hearing that for 40 years and it has been true all along. At least today vehicles last twice or three time longer than they did in the 60's. The torque and HP are through the roof with better fuel mileage and very low emissions. Now if you own a vehicle that is in fact junk (most Ford products) then you did not do your research and will pay for that.
@Jim M nothing built today will last as long as they were built before... stoves, fridges washer, dryers... life expectancy is maybe 10-12 yrs? And maybe cars and trucks may be more fuel efficient than before, but the craftsmanship is junk.. plastic garbage. Houses today built cheaply. Idk where you live, but call your local car repair shop and see what the waiting time is in to get your vehicle fixed. Trust me, they're not working on the older cars. Newer technologies don't always mean better.
Shame on Ford! I know you don't think this is funny but your laughter after all of this is driving me nuts!
Much easier to laugh at the absurdity than to stress about this, no matter how insane it might be! 😊
You have no idea what I went thru with a new Thor 2023. No more Thor. Bought a New Mar. if it needs anything it’s going to the factory………………
This has to be very frustrating. Shame on Ford.
It's definitely not my idea of fun, that's for sure! But for them to have extensive knowledge about this issue and not take any steps to remedy the problem for their customers seems rather unacceptable in my mind. 🤷♂️
Shame on the RV and Ford manufacturers, they should have a better process for repairs. I am sorry both have egg on their face.
It’s pretty bad when ford can sell the chassis and not stand behind it. I bet if all Rv owners bitched things would change.
Agreed!
There is a simple solution, don’t buy ford.
You don't even know how right you are. I am a retired mechanic and you will never see that garbage in my garage.
No one else makes class c motorhome chassis like Ford.
Sell the damn thing. Goodluck;
😂😂