Those of you perusing here often may be frustrated a bit on my tardiness….. Days are blowing past with how busy we are. It’s true I have stories I’ve started and not finished, attention spans as we get older shrink… yeah, I’ll use that excuse but more the truth is something new pops up … it’s like a toddler, shake another rattle in front of him and he’ll toss the last one… there it is!
Delivered a couple more coaches… full mechanicals projects and including all that goes with a delivery… shakedown…. recovery and eventual flight…. it’s a busy affair! One yesterday we had lists of all sorts of issues we founf… one we did not have on the list was air ride…. the system worked like a champ before.. no reason to address it right? Wrong… generator started, roof AC on, packed and everyone in their seats… the air ride system failed! Douuuuuuu……. With shut-offs we stabilized the rig… looks like we’ll fix it over the phone when the family gets home!
See it’s less important the list of things you want done … what’s more important is trying to figure out where to stop! 40 years allows strange things to happen to any mechanism. All you can do is investigate as much as you can and have backups not if but when something occurs. We had a backup so the bus can roll.
So it’s “welcome to my world”…. It’s OK and we all bend with the breeze so the world will continue to turn but after a bit all of this breeze waving gets consuming.
Hey, did a “Motorhome Rehab Ranch” video on brake pads. I don’t want to say I’m some definitive authority on this subject…. I explained our view of pads based on issues we feel are important. Brake pads are another one of those subjects like tires, oil and fuel injection….. there are no “BEST” , there is however better given a defined set of parameters and that’s what I try to explain our position.
These are thing I have learned from years of hands on working on these things. There will always be contrasting views and I’m good with that. Bringing this up, I have had many ask how I can give away much of my intellectual property …. as they call it…. and stay alive? I mean this IS what makes “specialty dealers” special in their own way… it’s their understanding and knowledge you pay for when they say build you a motor……. it’s much more than the sum of the parts. Each specialist will have his own list of concerns and solutions… some will be the same while there are always a few things held back if for nothing more than to keep the value of the things you are doing have value.
There was a guy who wanted on of our motors but didn’t want to pay $7500 for a roller motor designed for his coach. So thinking he would save money tried to listen to everyone on the internet, copy as much as he could learn about our motor then had another shop install it. The motor failed and he got in a pissing contest with the builder… the installer and then himself for trying to be cheap. I hated all of that… I did want to help him, it’s kinda what I like to do but at the same time it was blatent he wanted to shortcut things. The shame is it’s the way the system is set up… no one wants to take any responsibility …….. you can have:
Quality
fast work
fair price
Pick 2 because if you try and force all 3 someone in the chain of events will suffer….. that’s just it!. OK so now we think we know the problem, how do we fix this! It’s no good for you or for me……… you guys want the understanding, I enjoy helping so how do we do this…. how CAN I help and not just run my check book out and close up?
I have been thinking much about this because it’s so much more than just tailoring a motor… it’s how to seal and flexible aircraft designed body structure… it’s how to renew brakes and not get in harms way. I mean these are the things all of you guys want to do out there…. different strokes for different strokes…. some of you own one of these as an object for your frustrations and brother you picked a good one! Others just like it and want to travel and be seen with one… you guys are what we build machines for. Hey, I like to be here for you other guys too but our shop is designed for the guy that really wants to use his coach and do the best for it.
Great and that’s great, there are many groups of us within the GMC enthusiast community. So for you that really wanna learn this stuff, maybe do it yourself … let me help. I understand that I can structure “member videos” on the “Motorhome Rehab Ranch” site. I enjoy teaching things we do but if you really want to learn every trick and really how to DIY then become a member of Motorhome Rehab Ranch and we’ll start to produce member videos of that exact work.
Oh I can hear it through the lap top screen… “Oh crap, no more free stuff! Now he’s gonna rip us” Oh stop it! You know I help folks every day and give out my personal cell number freely….. and that will not stop. You need something , I want to help but remember you can’t have all 3…. it’s not fair so lets be fair to each other….. become a Ranch Hand and I’ll bare all as they say.
This in no way means the Daily Pose here or the videos on Motorhome Rehab Ranch will stop… all that stays the same and going. I have a new IT guy who is going to help me now…. bout time right! … there is so much opportunity in social networking, communication by internet and this new computer world we have created…. lets us it a little!
So soon, we’ll put this together and you guys who are building a motor, give me a call and lets talk. Gonna take a little to get this set up so lets build one together the old skool way… gimme a call!
My cat “Danzig” is still mad at me for leaving him last weekend 
Man that’s rough sitting in the chair.. looking for a little lovin and he sits next to you back in your face….. brutal!
Yooooooo, look what showed up at our place yesterday! A German UniMog!
The Preds are no more so the wrap needs to come off , body rust fixed and a new coat of color squirted on. This will be fun!
Next on our list of fun, we’re installing a quad bag system here “on the ground”. Usually the guys use the lift… it’s full so this is how you do it at home. 
First open both of your 54 pound boxes and lay out the parts to see that they are all there and to get familiar with them all. 
Segregate pieces to be used for each side and maybe test fit them a bit. Then Jack up the coach, drop the air from the original bag cutting the line as close to the old air bag as you can… we want as much length as we can get 
BTW, look at the shocks on this coach a minute. Rear shocks on a GMC bogy system must be gas charged in the expansion stroke instead of the always compression stroke. There are only 2 shocks designed this way and only 1 I would consider using. Nuff Said, that’s KYB and that’s merely my opinion..
So anyway, loosen the 4 vertical bolts holding the bogy to the frame… slide the rear section of the 2 piece quad bag construction and bolt it in with 4 new longer bolts 
one of the air bags will be connected to it then bolt the front of the fixture holding the other air bag to the 2 front pin nuts and 4 securing together bolts and that’s it! We charge @ 6 hours labor to install. Call and buy it thru me and I’ll be there over your shoulder. Heck I’ll do that any way but to appreciate and accept the tips you respect me buy the purchase… thank you. Quad bag system on, wheel well cleaned and sealed and shocks replaced and this project will be done.
Moving on, nowhere to park I had to have Marylin park in the driveway… that’s 42 coaches! Took the Honda home yesterday to blow out the carbon
That occurred….. gotta go… thanks for coming by and stay tuned as we roll out the “member videos” on Motorhome Rehab Ranch….. see ya later.
