When Everything Breaks in an RV
Our streak of bad luck continues! After a drone crash in New Orleans, broken stairs, and a camera that went swimming, it’s finally time for RV engine problems.
Galveston, Texas is one of the few places in the country to still allow overnight beach parking/camping in an RV. We spent a few days on the beach of the Bolivar Peninsula before running out of fresh water and deciding we needed to head into town. The mighty 8.1L displayed the dreaded “reduced engine power” warning upon startup. After some internet research (as well as a simple gut feeling) this was not going to be a good RV problem to have.
When we originally started shopping around for RV’s we knew that anything used would eventually have problems. In fact, its well known that even brand new RV’s come with their own set of problems. It’s just kind of something you have to bake into the cost of travel.
In addition to having to replace the throttle body on this rig we had a lot of work done before we even left. While the RV appeared in fantastic condition when first went for a test ride we did find problems as our mechanic helped us really tear into it. Two months prior we had put new brake pads all around, replaced a rear axle seal, fixed a swing arm mount, and purchased two new steer tires for the rig.
In retrospect we’re still really happy with our RV. Choosing a gas engine means that repairs aren’t ungodly costly (looking at you diesel pushers) and there is a lot of maintenance/repairs I can do on my own. The engine only had 41k miles on it when we first purchased it which is relatively low. If you’re thinking about pulling the trigger on an RV of your own remember that there will be costs to stay up on running. It’s not like these things are built like 1996 Toyota Camrys after all.
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