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The modern units we're driving are truly high tech machines -- but they're surely not perfect. Sooner or later most of us will experience the challenge of being stranded somewhere, When that moment arrives we need to know the basics about the steps we should take -- and in what sequence. We had just such an experience in our new motorhome, a 36' Country Coach Intrigue. The engine is a Cummins 350, and is designed to obey the commands of the computer which controls it. We were on a lonely stretch of two lane highway east of Burns, Oregon, when we got our wakeup call. Without warning a light began flashing on our dash saying "low oil pressure". I glanced quickly at the dash gauge, and it was reporting normal oil pressure. That fact apparently wasn't known to the computer however, because it next flashed a much more serious message: "Shut off engine". While I pondered precisely how convincing this computer-generated message might prove, it gave me the ultimate demonstration: It just plain shut down the engine. And there was no arguing with it. Most of our regular readers are aware that I'm one of those mechanically challenged persons who knows little to nothing about why an engine works, or how to fix one when it doesn't. So there we were, 10 miles east of Burns, Oregon, and some 140 miles from the nearest Cummins dealership in Bend, Oregon Happily we were paid up on our roadside assistance plan, because we were truly a long way from any major city. And we certainly were shut down. Wow, what did RVers do before cell phones! But this was the first time I'd ever considered -- who should I call first? The towing folks? Cummins? Country Coach? I opted for the latter, and quickly had a helpful service rep from Country Coach on the line. He gave me some things to check on, which I did -- but still no go. So I asked for as much detail as I could absorb about the procedure for readying the coach for towing, and then called the toll free number for our roadside assistance carrier. The one call I didn't make was to Cummins. About eight hours later, after a super heavy duty tow truck was dispatched from Bend (140 miles away!) our rig arrived at Cummins Northwest in Bend. We thought Cummins knew we were coming --an assumption we shouldn't have made. A sign on the door told us they'd be closed, starting tomorrow, for the next three days for their annual inventory procedure. As it turned out, this proved to be ample time to diagnose the problem (a faulty sensor) and replace the errant part. We never did have "low oil pressure" -- but the sensor had erroneously reported that fact to the computer -- which had in turn responded with the obligatory shut down. With the benefit of hindsight, it was clear to me that I had been less than fully informed about how to respond to this type of mini-crisis. It also occurred to me that other RVers might benefit from a bit of more expert opinion on this. So I emailed Kevin Kiscoan at Country Coach's Dynomax Chassis Service center, and posed four questions that I thought were important. He replied to my email, and while part of his reply is likely "Country Coach specific" information, I think these questions and answers make helpful reading for any RVer -- so with Kevin's permission we're reprinting the below: What should I do if the engine is shutting down? It's obvious we need first to get safely off the road, but also (and unlike what we did) position the RV so that a tow truck can get in front of it. That would have reduced the risk of damage just getting us safely back out onto the highway. I see with hindsight I should have backed off the highway onto the only available driveway in sight, not driven forward into it. You have a very good point there, getting off the road is important, but my comments are more directed towards after you're already off the road and have gotten over the initial shock. First, check all fluid levels and look for any obvious leaks that might indicate a problem. Turning the ignition key on to see if you have power could be a big clue for the type of situation a person might have. Secondly, check breakers, fuses, etc. In some cases this may be all that is needed to get going again. On some engine applications, such as the Cummins ISC, the engine can be restarted after the ECM (electronic control module) has shut it down. The power is de-rated and please note that there is the risk of damaging the engine. To restart the engine would be useful in an emergency, "get off the road", type situation only. In your case, you could have traveled on to Cummins under your own power, because the dash oil pressure gauge or your Silverleaf could have verified that the oil pressure was actually good, but I would travel on with the engine company's permission only. Who do I call if my engine shuts down? Caravans for Hire has a 24 hours Roadside Assistance service or you can call our office where we will be able to come up with a suggestion that a non-mechanically inclined person might not think of. Most tow companies will tow when it is unnecessary, just because it is not their job to troubleshoot. What Should I do if my caravan/RV needs to be tow? The tow truck driver should always remove the drive line. The air suspension needs to be charged. The reason the ignition needs to be on is because the air solenoids that allow air to pass through to the bags gets their 12 volt signal through the ignition. It should be ok to leave it on for 140 miles or more. All components not needed should be turned off -- headlights, dash fan, etc. If the tow truck driver can feed the air suspension from his truck, then that would be preferred. The ignition would still need to be on however. I also suggest strapping the mud flap up so it doesn't drag. Check for any damage while being towed The tow truck driver is not responsible for re-attaching the drive line -- the shop will have to do that. Getting the tow company name and number is also important, just in case something is found later when the service shop begins working on the unit. I hope this information helps, please also refer to our chassis users guide to get more information. Being towed is always unpleasant, but being uninformed can make it worse. NOTE: This online manual is a work in progress and is subject to change at any given time. It is also a generic peace of work and is meant only as a general guide. Each Caravan/RV is distinct and individual in it's own right, do not take anything written here literally as it may or may not apply to the exact Caravan/RV you will be using. | |||||||
