| This is why we need to know and understand our vehicles. [message #258228] |
Fri, 08 August 2014 21:20  |
thorndike
Messages: 406
Registered: January 2011
Location: Conifer, Colorado
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Over the past few years I have been slowly working on the GMC trying to get it in a reliable condition. When I bought it in 2011 I was assured that a tremendous amount of work had been performed by a known GMC shop. On the surface it sure looked like it and that went a long way toward convincing me to write the check and drive it home.
Some of you may remember my trip reports from my trip from New Mexico to Northern Va. and the subsequent issues that I discovered on the way.
Well, recently I went through the paperwork that came with the coach and discovered several receipts documenting the work that had been 'done' and paid for.
- I found that the PO paid to have the fuel lines replaced but it appears that only the easy to reach fuel lines were replaced. The hard to reach lines were not touched but I would bet that the PO believed that all the lines were done.
- I also had a strange ridge appear across the floor of my coach just to the left of the door after I replaced the body pads. I have been under the coach thinking I had either torqued the coach when jacking it up causing the floor to buckle or misplaced a couple body pads which lifted the floor out of line. Upon reading the receipts I found, it turns out that the gmc shop charged nearly $600 to have the floor leveled with a plywood sheet from the left of the door to the rear. Exactly the area that is raised now. So if the shop had found the cause of the floor problem, they would have replaced the pads instead of charging more money for a job that didn't need to be done.
My takeaway from all of this is that nothing is more important than knowing your coach inside and out. This will allow you to know what work you can do yourself and what needs to be paid for. If you do have to pay for work to be done, you will know what to look for to verify the quality of the work.
Bob
Robert Peesel
1976 Royale 26'
Side Dry Bath
Conifer, Colorado
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| Re: [GMCnet] This is why we need to know and understand our vehicles. [message #258250 is a reply to message #258228] |
Sat, 09 August 2014 06:35  |
Kingsley Coach
Messages: 2691
Registered: March 2009
Location: Nova Scotia Canada
Karma: -34
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Senior Member |
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Bob
Quite some time ago I realized that to get a job done correctly, you have
to do it yourself. If it comes out poorly you have only yourself to blame,
but at least you saved the cost of paying someone else to screw it up.
This site is an Extreme example of the kindness of mankind and the bonding
of common interests. Feathers may get ruffled occasionally, but there is
Always someone who will help you out with guidance and physical assistance.
Mike in NS
On Fri, Aug 8, 2014 at 11:20 PM, Robert Peesel wrote:
> Over the past few years I have been slowly working on the GMC trying to
> get it in a reliable condition. When I bought it in 2011 I was assured
> that a
> tremendous amount of work had been performed by a known GMC shop. On the
> surface it sure looked like it and that went a long way toward convincing me
> to write the check and drive it home.
>
> Some of you may remember my trip reports from my trip from New Mexico to
> Northern Va. and the subsequent issues that I discovered on the way.
>
> Well, recently I went through the paperwork that came with the coach and
> discovered several receipts documenting the work that had been 'done' and
> paid for.
>
> - I found that the PO paid to have the fuel lines replaced but it appears
> that only the easy to reach fuel lines were replaced. The hard to reach
> lines were not touched but I would bet that the PO believed that all the
> lines were done.
>
> - I also had a strange ridge appear across the floor of my coach just to
> the left of the door after I replaced the body pads. I have been under the
> coach thinking I had either torqued the coach when jacking it up causing
> the floor to buckle or misplaced a couple body pads which lifted the floor
> out of line. Upon reading the receipts I found, it turns out that the gmc
> shop charged nearly $600 to have the floor leveled with a plywood sheet
> from the left of the door to the rear. Exactly the area that is raised
> now. So if the shop had found the cause of the floor problem, they would
> have
> replaced the pads instead of charging more money for a job that didn't
> need to be done.
>
> My takeaway from all of this is that nothing is more important than
> knowing your coach inside and out. This will allow you to know what work
> you can
> do yourself and what needs to be paid for. If you do have to pay for work
> to be done, you will know what to look for to verify the quality of the
> work.
>
> Bob
>
> --
> Robert Peesel
>
> 1976 Royale 26'
>
> Side Dry Bath
>
> Sterling, Va
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
--
Michael Beaton
1977 Kingsley 26-11
1977 Eleganza II 26-3
Antigonish, NS
I am not an alcoholic; alcoholics go to meetings.
I am a drunk; I go to parties !
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GMCnet mailing list
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| Re: [GMCnet] This is why we need to know and understand our vehicles. [message #258297 is a reply to message #258250] |
Sat, 09 August 2014 16:36 |
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Loffen
Messages: 1087
Registered: August 2013
Location: Norway
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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Just one of the reasons why I prefer to buy a vehicle that most people would call a wreck and repair and restore it my self, but I do understand that most people will not do that for several reasons.
And I allways stay away from shops repairing or selling vehicles allways.. I can not say that they all will cheat you, but I am a guy that has been working on cars since I could walk and know how tempthing and easy it is to take a shorth cut that the customer never would notice and make some easy money.
So if you buy a vehicle that has got a lot of work done to it, well it is totaly up to you, but you should check up the work that has been done, and are you leaveing your vehicle to a shop it is easy, just demand that they take pictures, a lot of pictures 
1973 23' # 1848 Sky Blue Glacier called Baby Blue and a 1973 26'-3 # 1460 Parrot green Seqouia Known as the Big Green,
And sold my 1973 26'-2 # 581 White Canyon lands under the name Dobbelt trøbbel
in Norway
[Updated on: Sat, 09 August 2014 17:47] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: [GMCnet] This is why we need to know and understand our vehicles. [message #258298 is a reply to message #258297] |
Sat, 09 August 2014 17:24 |
Otterwan
Messages: 946
Registered: July 2013
Location: Lynnwood (north of Seattl...
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Not everyone has the time, space, or skill to work on their own coach (fortunately I do). Then they are at the mercy of others, and you have to take them at their word that they know what to do. Reminds me of a quote from Firefly when Wash claimed he had been in a firefight.
"Wash: Hey, I've been in a firefight before! Well, I was in a fire. Actually, I was fired from a fry-cook opportunity."
1977 Birchaven, Lynnwood WA - "We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us."
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| Re: [GMCnet] This is why we need to know and understand our vehicles. [message #258345 is a reply to message #258298] |
Sun, 10 August 2014 01:20 |
bhayes
Messages: 263
Registered: March 2010
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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Otterwan wrote on Sat, 09 August 2014 16:24...Reminds me of a quote from Firefly when Wash claimed he had been in a firefight.
"Wash: Hey, I've been in a firefight before! Well, I was in a fire. Actually, I was fired from a fry-cook opportunity."
In the years since we purchased our GMC, we've searched for suitable nickname. Your Firefly quote gave me an idea: "Aim to Misbehave"
Bryan Hayes
'76 Eleganza II
Salt Lake City, Utah
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