Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

We're on the road in Macon, Missouri. Got here last night and stayed
in Long Branch State Park. Noticed a horrendous squealing when I
pulled into camp. Same sound again this morning. Turns out the water
pump idler pully mechanism met its demise. Great local mechanic came
out to the campsite and diagnosed it. I initially thought it was the
water pump. Bird is in his shop right now while he dissasembles the
idler, seeing if the bearings can be replaced rather than putting in a
new ($400!) idler. When he took it off it was way too hot to handle
and disgorged about a quarter of a cup of rust. No indication of a
grease zerk that I could see. I'm at the public library at the
moment. The retrofitted swing out radiator is a godsend. He had the
front end open in twenty minutes. He had tried to change it out at
the campsite but the bolts were too tight to loosen without opening it
up.
Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said sorry we
can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing bill if you
can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to sign up for
the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.

Kerry
82 FC 35
Denver

Kerry: Sorry to hear about your troubles. FMCA or Good Sam are the only
good road service for an RV. They will tow you as far as necessary to a
shop. I know people who have been towed over 200 miles! Cheap insurance.

Bruce

I recommend FMCA highly, they once paid for a tow on my previous (non-
Bird) motorhome from Tyronza, AR all the way home to a shop in
Memphis...about 40 miles. Never said a word, just took care of me.

Scott Forman
82 FC35RB
Memphis

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "davidkerryedwards"
wrote:
>
> We're on the road in Macon, Missouri. Got here last night and stayed
> in Long Branch State Park. Noticed a horrendous squealing when I
> pulled into camp. Same sound again this morning. Turns out the
water
> pump idler pully mechanism met its demise. Great local mechanic
came
> out to the campsite and diagnosed it. I initially thought it was
the
> water pump. Bird is in his shop right now while he dissasembles the
> idler, seeing if the bearings can be replaced rather than putting
in a
> new ($400!) idler. When he took it off it was way too hot to handle
> and disgorged about a quarter of a cup of rust. No indication of a
> grease zerk that I could see. I'm at the public library at the
> moment. The retrofitted swing out radiator is a godsend. He had the
> front end open in twenty minutes. He had tried to change it out at
> the campsite but the bolts were too tight to loosen without opening
it
> up.
> Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said sorry we
> can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing bill if you
> can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to sign up for
> the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.
>
> Kerry
> 82 FC 35
> Denver
>

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "davidkerryedwards"
wrote:
>
> We're on the road in Macon, Missouri. Got here last night and
stayed
> in Long Branch State Park. Noticed a horrendous squealing when I
> pulled into camp. Same sound again this morning. Turns out the
water
> pump idler pully mechanism met its demise. Great local mechanic
came
> out to the campsite and diagnosed it. I initially thought it was
the
> water pump. Bird is in his shop right now while he dissasembles
the
> idler, seeing if the bearings can be replaced rather than putting
in a
> new ($400!) idler. When he took it off it was way too hot to handle
> and disgorged about a quarter of a cup of rust. No indication of a
> grease zerk that I could see. I'm at the public library at the
> moment. The retrofitted swing out radiator is a godsend. He had
the
> front end open in twenty minutes. He had tried to change it out at
> the campsite but the bolts were too tight to loosen without
opening it
> up.
> Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said sorry we
> can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing bill if
you
> can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to sign up for
> the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.
>
> Kerry
> 82 FC 35
> Denver
>

Kerry:
I had the exact thing happen to me as we pulled into a camp ground
in Dease Lake, BC. It's a long story but it took the folks up there
1 full week to get me the correct part and it costs over $1000.00
(they flew in the wrong parts twice and trucked in missing or wrong
parts twice). I kept the old idler pulley and rebuilt it when I got
back for around $60.00 and now carry it as a spare. You are
correct, no grease fitting - there is a pair of lifetime sealed
bearings in there
Harry Saddock
83FC35
South Windsor, CT


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "davidkerryedwards"
wrote:
>
> We're on the road in Macon, Missouri. Got here last night and
stayed
> in Long Branch State Park. Noticed a horrendous squealing when I
> pulled into camp. Same sound again this morning. Turns out the
water
> pump idler pully mechanism met its demise. Great local mechanic
came
> out to the campsite and diagnosed it. I initially thought it was
the
> water pump. Bird is in his shop right now while he dissasembles
the
> idler, seeing if the bearings can be replaced rather than putting
in a
> new ($400!) idler. When he took it off it was way too hot to handle
> and disgorged about a quarter of a cup of rust. No indication of a
> grease zerk that I could see. I'm at the public library at the
> moment. The retrofitted swing out radiator is a godsend. He had
the
> front end open in twenty minutes. He had tried to change it out at
> the campsite but the bolts were too tight to loosen without
opening it
> up.
> Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said sorry we
> can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing bill if
you
> can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to sign up for
> the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.
>
> Kerry
> 82 FC 35
> Denver
>

Kerry
Fmca service uses coachnet, which I found very good, the three year deal will
pay for itself in
one tow

guy smalley
86 pt 40


> > up.
> > Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said sorry we
> > can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing bill if
> you
> > can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to sign up for
> > the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.
> >
> > Kerry
> > 82 FC 35
> > Denver
> >
>

Kerry, I replaced the same bearing when I replaced the water pump.
You can get the bearing from NAPA, it is a sealed bearing, and is
pressed in, mine DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS PRESSED IN BUT IT WAS..no
need for a new pulley. They are kinda expensive. Have the mechanic
use an impact socket, a press, and press the old bearing out. Stand
way back there is a whole lot of pressure there.

When they towed you, did they use extra high supports on
the "stinger" of the tow truck?? If not check and make sure they did
not crush the oil pan, could be another bad day!!

Also, join FMCA, buy the emergency road service for 100.00 and have
piece of mind. You can do it all online http://www.fmcadot com

ScottB
86FC35
SC

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "guysmalley"
wrote:
>
> Kerry
> Fmca service uses coachnet, which I found very good, the three year
deal will pay for itself in
> one tow
>
> guy smalley
> 86 pt 40
>
>
> > > up.
> > > Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said
sorry we
> > > can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing bill
if
> > you
> > > can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to sign up
for
> > > the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.
> > >
> > > Kerry
> > > 82 FC 35
> > > Denver
> > >
> >
>

Thanks. I contacted the mechanic with the part numbers for the
bearings, cap and retainer that Tom Warner sent me. I don't know
yet if he got that info before purchasing a whole new idler pulley.
Not to worry about towing mishaps. If you have Allstate's RV
Roadhelp they'll never make a towing mistake because they can't find
anyone to tow you! After the mechanic came out to the campsite and
determined it was the idler pulley, I ended up driving the Bird to
the mechanic's shop since it was only 5 miles away. He was going to
replace the pulley at the campsite but the bolts were too tight to
loosen by hand.
I just joined FMCA and RV-Coach road service.

Kerry
82 FC 35
Denver

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Scott"
wrote:
>
> Kerry, I replaced the same bearing when I replaced the water pump.
> You can get the bearing from NAPA, it is a sealed bearing, and is
> pressed in, mine DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS PRESSED IN BUT IT
WAS..no
> need for a new pulley. They are kinda expensive. Have the mechanic
> use an impact socket, a press, and press the old bearing out.
Stand
> way back there is a whole lot of pressure there.
>
> When they towed you, did they use extra high supports on
> the "stinger" of the tow truck?? If not check and make sure they
did
> not crush the oil pan, could be another bad day!!
>
> Also, join FMCA, buy the emergency road service for 100.00 and
have
> piece of mind. You can do it all online http://www.fmcadot com
>
> ScottB
> 86FC35
> SC
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "guysmalley"
> wrote:
> >
> > Kerry
> > Fmca service uses coachnet, which I found very good, the three
year
> deal will pay for itself in
> > one tow
> >
> > guy smalley
> > 86 pt 40
> >
> >
> > > > up.
> > > > Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said
> sorry we
> > > > can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing
bill
> if
> > > you
> > > > can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to sign
up
> for
> > > > the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.
> > > >
> > > > Kerry
> > > > 82 FC 35
> > > > Denver
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

Quick update. Mechanic was able to find all the parts and rebuild
it. It needed the shaft also since both bearings had frozen, spun on
the shaft and destroyed it. We contacted the mechanic Monday morning
at about 9:30. He was out our campsite by 12:30. We had the Bird at
his shop by about 1:30. He had the idler pulley out in about twenty
minutes when we left as he was looking for parts. He ordered the
parts that afternoon, had them freighted in, rebuilt it the next
morning and we were on the road by 10:30am. All for $363 including
parts of $90 and welding our step which had broken a couple of days
before. If you ever need a mechanic in Macon MO, Ronnie's Garage is
the place.
Have since visited Cahokia Mounds State Park and are currently in New
Harmony, Indiana. Cahokia is a great example of a large stone age
city and New Harmony is a veritable shrine for socialists since it
was started by religious millenarian socialists and then bought out
by the secular utopian socialist, Robert Owen. Paul Tillich,
probably the greatest American philosophical theologian of the
twentieth century has a memorial garden here. We're staying at
Harmonie State Park.
Thanks to everyone for your help. Heading further east tomorrow.

Kerry
82 FC 35
Denver

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "davidkerryedwards"
wrote:
>
> Thanks. I contacted the mechanic with the part numbers for the
> bearings, cap and retainer that Tom Warner sent me. I don't know
> yet if he got that info before purchasing a whole new idler
pulley.
> Not to worry about towing mishaps. If you have Allstate's RV
> Roadhelp they'll never make a towing mistake because they can't
find
> anyone to tow you! After the mechanic came out to the campsite and
> determined it was the idler pulley, I ended up driving the Bird to
> the mechanic's shop since it was only 5 miles away. He was going to
> replace the pulley at the campsite but the bolts were too tight to
> loosen by hand.
> I just joined FMCA and RV-Coach road service.
>
> Kerry
> 82 FC 35
> Denver
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Scott"
> wrote:
> >
> > Kerry, I replaced the same bearing when I replaced the water
pump.
> > You can get the bearing from NAPA, it is a sealed bearing, and is
> > pressed in, mine DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS PRESSED IN BUT IT
> WAS..no
> > need for a new pulley. They are kinda expensive. Have the
mechanic
> > use an impact socket, a press, and press the old bearing out.
> Stand
> > way back there is a whole lot of pressure there.
> >
> > When they towed you, did they use extra high supports on
> > the "stinger" of the tow truck?? If not check and make sure they
> did
> > not crush the oil pan, could be another bad day!!
> >
> > Also, join FMCA, buy the emergency road service for 100.00 and
> have
> > piece of mind. You can do it all online http://www.fmcadot com
> >
> > ScottB
> > 86FC35
> > SC
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "guysmalley"
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Kerry
> > > Fmca service uses coachnet, which I found very good, the three
> year
> > deal will pay for itself in
> > > one tow
> > >
> > > guy smalley
> > > 86 pt 40
> > >
> > >
> > > > > up.
> > > > > Allstate's RV Roadhelp is useless. They more or less said
> > sorry we
> > > > > can't help you, you're on your own. We'll pay the towing
> bill
> > if
> > > > you
> > > > > can find someone to tow it, but we can't. I'm going to
sign
> up
> > for
> > > > > the FMCA service, it can't be any worse.
> > > > >
> > > > > Kerry
> > > > > 82 FC 35
> > > > > Denver
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>