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| Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147318] |
Fri, 21 October 2011 18:04  |
bess
Messages: 46
Registered: September 2011
Location: Illinois
Karma: 0
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Hi, My Husband and I just purchased a 1976 Birchaven a couple of months ago. Where we are in Illinois there is a Mechanic from the Old School who knows about working on a GMC Motorhome as he worked on them back in the 70s when they were under warranty. I took it to him before we Purchased it so he could tell me everything that was wrong and to make sure we had him to work on it. We are Seniors who can do No Mechanical Work ourselves and are worried about going on any long trips because we are concerned if we do happen to have a breakdown - how do we find someone who knows what they are doing. We can't have it towed all the way back home. We talked to an elderly gentleman a few weeks ago that took his to a Chevy Garage and after paying thousands to get it fixed - it is in worse shape then when he took it in. . . I also read on the forum about the couple in the same boat we are that had his towed to a Chevy Garage and was there 6 days. We don't want this to happen and we know you have to have a Mechanic who knows what they are doing. I know there is the Black List & that most GMC Motorhome Owners work on their own Coaches which we cannot do. Is there any Lists of Mechanics that know how to work on them if you have to be towed?
Bess Brenenstall
Elvaston, Illinois
1976 Birchaven
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| Re: Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147325 is a reply to message #147318] |
Fri, 21 October 2011 19:45  |
Gary Mau
Messages: 152
Registered: February 2004
Location: Davenport, Iowa
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Bess,
Let me be the first to welcome you to the forum. You'll be glad you finally figured out hot to get on here.
I've been doing my best to help Bess out and encouraging her to join the forum. Okay everybody, do your welcome thing!
Gary Mau
Former 76 Royale owner
Davenport, IA
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| Re: Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147327 is a reply to message #147318] |
Fri, 21 October 2011 20:33 |
Dennis S
Messages: 3046
Registered: November 2005
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Bess,
Welcome to the GMCnet and congratulaitons on your GMC purchase.
Here is a link to some service providers -- read the comments to decide if they may be helpful to you.
http://bdub.net/GMCServiceComments.pdf
Having your local mechanic inspect the GMC prior to your trips is the best preventive you could take. Even new coaches fail, so having a plan for how to deal with any problems while on the road makes the difference. Start with a few short trips and build confidence.
As for the Black list -- lots of us are not mechanics, but we can offer some local directions and may know someone who can help, depending on the type of problem you develop. And a fellow GMCer can be a calming voice on the line.
Many GMC owners also depend upon Jim K at Applied and Jim Bounds at the COOP for telephone help.
Safe travels.
Dennis
| bess wrote on Fri, 21 October 2011 18:04 |
Hi, My Husband and I just purchased a 1976 Birchaven a couple of months ago. Where we are in Illinois there is a Mechanic from the Old School who knows about working on a GMC Motorhome as he worked on them back in the 70s when they were under warranty. I took it to him before we Purchased it so he could tell me everything that was wrong and to make sure we had him to work on it. We are Seniors who can do No Mechanical Work ourselves and are worried about going on any long trips because we are concerned if we do happen to have a breakdown - how do we find someone who knows what they are doing. We can't have it towed all the way back home. We talked to an elderly gentleman a few weeks ago that took his to a Chevy Garage and after paying thousands to get it fixed - it is in worse shape then when he took it in. . . I also read on the forum about the couple in the same boat we are that had his towed to a Chevy Garage and was there 6 days. We don't want this to happen and we know you have to have a Mechanic who knows what they are doing. I know there is the Black List & that most GMC Motorhome Owners work on their own Coaches which we cannot do. Is there any Lists of Mechanics that know how to work on them if you have to be towed?
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Dennis S
73 Painted Desert 230
Memphis TN Metro
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| Re: [GMCnet] Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147330 is a reply to message #147318] |
Fri, 21 October 2011 20:39 |
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USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Bes,
Welcome to the Family!
Here's a link to a Billy Massey's (aka Bdub) Website, from this website you can find just about everything you want to know about a
GMC. As you can see most of the links below come from there!
http://www.bdub.net/GMCLinks.html
Below is a link to a document that has a list of mechanics that GMC Owners have dealt with both good and bad:
http://www.bdub.net/GMCServiceComments.pdf
There is a VERY good GMC Mechanic located in Marysville, Ohio; his name is Tom Hampton and his wife's name is Nina.
Here are his contact details:
Grandview Motorhomes
13880 West Weaver Road
Marysville, Ohio 43040
Tel: (937) 644-4238
It might be a good idea to take your GMC there and have him go over it with a fine tooth comb. Please be advised that he is a one
man show and you'll have to make a booking about three months in advance.
Should you have a breakdown it would be good to have copies of the following documents in your GMC:
1) Operators / Owners Manual
Link: http://www.bdub.net/manuals/ops76/index.html
2) Maintenance Manual: X-7525
Link: http://www.bdub.net/manuals/X7525/index.html
3) Maintenance Manual Supplement: X-7625
http://www.bdub.net/manuals/X7625/index.html
3) Parts Book: 78Z
Link: http://www.bdub.net/manuals/parts/index.html
4) GMC Motorhomes International Parts Interchange List (This is part of the benefits of being a member of GMCMI)
Sign up here: http://www.gmcmi.com/
5) Black List
Link: http://www.bdub.net/Black_List/GMCAssist.pdf
It would be helpful if you created a signature that provided your location as below.
Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
AUS '75 Avion-The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
USA '75 Avion-Double Trouble TZE365V100426
-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org [mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Bes Brenenstall
Hi, My Husband and I just purchased a 1976 Birchaven a couple of months ago. Where we are in Illinois there is a Mechanic from the
Old School who knows about working on a GMC Motorhome as he worked on them back in the 70s when they were under warranty. I took it
to him before we Purchased it so he could tell me everything that was wrong and to make sure we had him to work on it. We are
Seniors who can do No Mechanical Work ourselves and are worried about going on any long trips because we are concerned if we do
happen to have a breakdown - how do we find someone who knows what they are doing. We can't have it towed all the way back home.
We talked to an elderly gentleman a few weeks ago that took his to a Chevy Garage and after paying thousands to get it fixed - it is
in worse shape then when he took it in. . . I also read on the forum about the couple in the same boat we are that had his towed to
a Chevy Garage and was there 6 days. We don't want this to happen and we k
now you have to have a Mechanic who knows what they are doing. I know there is the Black List & that most GMC Motorhome Owners work
on their own Coaches which we cannot do. Is there any Lists of Mechanics that know how to work on them if you have to be towed?
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Regards,
Rob M. (USAussie)
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
'75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
'75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
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| Re: Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147342 is a reply to message #147327] |
Fri, 21 October 2011 23:07 |
bess
Messages: 46
Registered: September 2011
Location: Illinois
Karma: 0
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Member |
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Hi Dennis, Thank You for your Help and the Link to Folks who work on GMC Motorhomes. As long as I have a Plan in case something goes wrong - I tend to do fine. It's not having a Plan for "Just In Case" that keeps me from going farther.
Bess Brenenstall
Elvaston, Illinois
1976 Birchaven
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| Re: [GMCnet] Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147344 is a reply to message #147330] |
Fri, 21 October 2011 23:21 |
bess
Messages: 46
Registered: September 2011
Location: Illinois
Karma: 0
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Member |
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Hi Robert, Thank You for the Links you provided and the Help. As long as I will be able to find someone who knows how to work on my Motorhome while away from my own area - it will make me feel a Lot Better. I am just one of those who feels better to have a Plan in Advance. Thanks a Million - bes
Bess Brenenstall
Elvaston, Illinois
1976 Birchaven
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| Re: Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147345 is a reply to message #147334] |
Fri, 21 October 2011 23:34 |
bess
Messages: 46
Registered: September 2011
Location: Illinois
Karma: 0
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Member |
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Hi Jim, That is one of the First Things I did right after I bought the Birchaven - I got AAA RV Plus. I figured that if I had to be towed even one time - the Towing would be more than the AAA RV Plus fee. I tend to always worry in advance. If you ever need help in the Carthage IL area - Roger Law at Law Auto Service & Repair can help. Thanks for Your Help. I really Appreciate it.
Bess Brenenstall
Elvaston, Illinois
1976 Birchaven
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| Re: Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147348 is a reply to message #147318] |
Sat, 22 October 2011 00:55 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Your best bet for on the road troubles is to look on the Black list and call someone local to where you are.
The next option is to call Jim Kanomata or Jim Bounds. I do not think Jim K. ever sleeps. I have called Jim K. on Sundays and had him answer the phone.
After that, call one of the members on the list that you recognize from this forum. I have taken help calls from people looking for advice or assistance in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, California, New York, Yukon Territory, and Alaska to name a few distant ones. I'm located in Indiana near Chicago. The most recent call I got was from a GMCer in California asking to get a transmission from Indianapolis to a coach broken down in Knoxville, TN. We got it there the next day.
Lastly if you have Internet access, post a request here. If you do not have Internet access, telephone someone on the list and ask that them to post something for you to this forum.
On our last trip transporting a coach from California to Indiana. My daughter called GMCers in California, Missouri, Florida and Michigan with GMC questions.
You are not alone out there, There are always many people watching this forum.
There are a a lot of GMCs running around out there with drivers who never do their own work. Some of them are members here just like you. You are in the right place.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147351 is a reply to message #147345] |
Sat, 22 October 2011 07:58 |
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Matt Colie
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 7
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Senior Member |
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| bess wrote on Sat, 22 October 2011 00:34 |
Hi Jim, That is one of the First Things I did right after I bought the Birchaven - I got AAA RV Plus. I figured that if I had to be towed even one time - the Towing would be more than the AAA RV Plus fee. I tend to always worry in advance. If you ever need help in the Carthage IL area - Roger Law at Law Auto Service & Repair can help. Thanks for Your Help. I really Appreciate it.
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Bess,
Welcome to the family/cult/asylum.
You have already been given most all the good advice except for one piece.
If you do not have the service manuals, parts list and GMCMI parts interchange* onboard, get them and carry them. These days, I have to suggest that you don't buy the dead tree books, but you can download the required manuals from the Bdud site listed previously. If you do not carry a computer, get them written on a CD that you can carry. *When you become a member of GMCMI, you will get the Parts Interchange every year. That only comes as paper.
"But we can't do the work - Why do we want the manuals??"
Because.... If you have a problem out in East (fill in a remote location), and there is a competent mechanic that knows what he doesn't know, he can read the "books" you stowed onboard and possibly/probably get you going again. Without those books, he has about a snowball's chance.
It would also be a good idea to load your sigfile (Control Panel/Account Settings/Preferences-Signature) with name, location, coach description) so when you ask the next questions, any reader will know what you are dealing with and if he is in striking distance to assist.
And lastly, you will soon find that a GMC becomes more a part of your life than just something you own. As a lifelong waterman, I liken it to the relation that we have with our boats, so, I offer all new owners a version of a waterman's greeting.
May the Good Lord bless this coach and all those that set forth within her.
Welcome Bess and family
Matt
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit
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| Re: [GMCnet] Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147364 is a reply to message #147348] |
Sat, 22 October 2011 09:47 |
Jim Bounds
Messages: 842
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Not meaning to make this sound like gratuitous advertising, I felt one of the really great features Of the GMC is both how easy the beast is to find parts and work on as well as the support group that is available to get help from. i have a deal where members get my home & cell number. I get calls all the time helping folks in need. To me, it's great to be in a position to actually help people in a time like that and have been involved in many loops getting coaches on the road back on the road. I know we talk about this all the time but if you don;t think it important, ask someone with a Revcon or Airstream how much better they would feel if they had the number of a shop in their back pocket for 24/7 contact. Without that, you really are out there on a wing & a prayer! The Black list is great, I use it all the time looking for help-- all of these things really do make a GMC the viable option it is to spending big bucks on new. We're not
just a pretty face!
Jim Bounds
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________________________________
From: Ken Burton <n9cv@comcast.net>
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Sent: Saturday, October 22, 2011 1:55 AM
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling
Your best bet for on the road troubles is to look on the Black list and call someone local to where you are.
The next option is to call Jim Kanomata or Jim Bounds. I do not think Jim K. ever sleeps. I have called Jim K. on Sundays and had him answer the phone.
After that, call one of the members on the list that you recognize from this forum. I have taken help calls from people looking for advice or assistance in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, California, New York, Yukon Territory, and Alaska to name a few distant ones. I'm located in Indiana near Chicago. The most recent call I got was from a GMCer in California asking to get a transmission from Indianapolis to a coach broken down in Knoxville, TN. We got it there the next day.
Lastly if you have Internet access, post a request here. If you do not have Internet access, telephone someone on the list and ask that them to post something for you to this forum.
On our last trip transporting a coach from California to Indiana. My daughter called GMCers in California, Missouri, Florida and Michigan with GMC questions.
You are not alone out there, There are always many people watching this forum.
There are a a lot of GMCs running around out there with drivers who never do their own work. Some of them are members here just like you. You are in the right place.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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| Re: [GMCnet] Finding a GMC Motorhome Mechanic while Traveling [message #147378 is a reply to message #147364] |
Sat, 22 October 2011 10:58 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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| Jim Bounds wrote on Sat, 22 October 2011 07:47 |
... i have a deal where members get my home & cell number. I get calls all the time helping folks in need. ...
... all of these things really do make a GMC the viable option it is to spending big bucks on new. We're not just a pretty face!
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I haven't had to have any work done by anyone else on the road, but I have heard of times when our GMC vendors "remotely" fixing GMC's by coaching "local" mechanics over the phone. The only thing you have to find is a mechanically inclined person, with a shop and tools, who will listen to an expert on the phone. As far as parts go: These days, both of "the Jims" can get GMC specific parts delivered "almost" anywhere rather quickly.
ALSO:
It is a good idea to carry a set of manuals (paper or CD/DVD). Even if you do not do the work yourself, When you have instructions, it is easier to get quality work done.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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