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I have my motorhome at a truck repair garage.  The mechanics there tell me they are having a difficult time sourcing the parts needed. Does anyone know where I can get parts and part pricing.  I have only asked for an estimate for the repairs necessary to get the coach back on the road. Just in case the website doesn't add the information below. My Coach is a 2000 Monaco Knight 36Z build on a Roadmaster chassis.  What was supposed to be an economical entry to my dream is turning into a large nightmare.

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I would start by downloading the latest Monacoers Parts List which is on this web site.

Then I would look for a thread that talks about RV Salvage yards where you will find an extensive list of locations to look for hard to find parts.

All depends on what parts you are in need of, etc.

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All motorhomes as well as heavy duty trucks are built using parts available from various manufacturers.  It's even a challenge to find parts for a 22 year old truck.  

In most cases the part is available with some searching.  You just need to know where to search and that depends on the type of part you need.  

I would recommend you look into doing some (or most) of the repairs yourself.  At $150 per hour labor rates you can quickly spend more money than your coach is worth.  Plus, as you are finding they will prioritize the working trucks and put you at the end of the line.  

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What problems are you having that need to be done to get your coach "back on the road".

I'm a pretty good DIY'er and with the help of this forum and IRV2 I have been able to fix most of my problems.   Haven't had a problem finding parts (YET).  I've spent a lot of time collecting information on my coach including parts lists for most of the components used on my coach, maintenance information, troubleshooting info. 

So ask questions, lots of good people here that might be able to help.   That's what I do.

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Ditto Jim J.  If you look at the MH as a hobby and are willing to attempt to do the work yourself, getting it roadworthy is possible.  With the help of the fine folks on this forum there hasn't been anything on our MH we haven't been able to repair.  Ask questions and be as specific as possible.  In addition, pictures of what you are working on go a long way in helping rectify the problem.  God Bless, Ed, Sylvia and Sage

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Since we are on the subject of parts, let me add this famous quote - " Don't shoot the messenger ". My service center is also experiencing frustration.

We are having a helluva time sourcing certain parts. We try and maintain an inventory of popular parts that seem to be in demand but the manufacturers are getting hit with component shortages. Other manufacturers closed down during Covid and have been trying to play catch up since. Combine this with ransomware that hit 2 large awning manufacturers and the factory backlog is horrendous.

We quit ordering certain parts such as Carefree slide topper assemblies. We can order them but never know when they will arrive so dropped that product offering from our list. We ordered a pallet load of awning springs this year and it took 6 months to get them. Coleman has yet to finish off manufacturing a particular AC unit because of a 50 cent plastic part they cannot get. Hundreds of these units have been made but cannot get shipped till their part source in Asia manufactures this plastic part and ships them to Coleman.

I could go on and on with examples but wont waste the bandwidth. One blessing for us is we have yet to run into a shortage of Penguin II AC/Heat pump units. We have a National supplier who keeps us stocked. I lost track of the number of Penguin II installs we have done. It seems all the units from the early to mid 2000's are starting to fail. As a matter of fact I have a huge trailer load of old AC units to haul to the recycler and I am adding to the pile every week. We have also experienced backorders on some thermostats and circuit boards.

One other issue - prices. The price increases on parts have been staggering. For those of you who replaced your AC units 2 years ago count your lucky stars. The price increases on Penguin II units have nearly doubled in the last year and a half and every time we place an order they go up again. Other parts that we order, we are seeing large price increases.

Until our economy and parts shortages stabilizes ( God knows when that will be ) I can predict an ongoing increase in prices on parts along with continued shortages. I will pass on a tidbit though. I am finding some hard to find parts availability through out of the ordinary channels, namely Mom and Pop places that have old parts sitting on shelves collecting dust. But to find them takes a great deal of patience and a whole lot of googling.  Kind of reminds me of an old Amish farmer in Elkhart who had a barn filled with new Monaco factory parts. He bought them all at auction. People would show up looking for a part and he would hand them a lantern and escort them into the barn to find the part they wanted.

Several years ago I was trying to track down some obsolete Carefree parts. I contacted an out of the way parts supplier who sent a guy back into their darkened warehouse. He found a treasure trove of these parts and I bought their entire inventory out. When the shipment arrived the boxes were layered in dirt and dust. Inside were brand new gleaming parts. I sold out the entire inventory in less then a year. One has to search hard sometimes for old obsolete parts.

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Last year I was working on my rear AC unit, my wife said it made a hell of a racket when she started it up but then quieted down.  I suspected that the rubber support bushings were bad (I had to replace the front AC motor in 2015 and found the rubber mounts bad).  So I tore into it and sure enough, but while I was at it I decided I might as well replace the motor.  I could not find one anywhere. 

So I made the painful decision to just go ahead replace both the AC's.  Went with the Penguin High capacity 15K units.  PPL had them on sale ~$2700 delivered.  Plus another $245 for the MicroAir thermostat. 

So from what I'm hearing from Chris I may have made a good decision. 

 

Luckily I was able to change them out myself. 

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Thank everyone for their replies. I intend to do some repairs on my own. Unfortunately, the coach has been sitting for 8 years and although the engine is running the brakes are not working.  One hose for the power steering is blown. I don't have the equipment or knowledge to work on the brakes. Don't know if I could replace power steering hose. On top of that I would have to get the coach towed to my home and judging for what it cost to get it towed to the mechanic, the cost would be at least $1000. It is about 20 miles from the mechanic to my home and the best way to get there is freeway.  

When I bought the motorhome, the previous owner didn't tell me how long it was sitting. He told me it had new batteries and tires.  I didn't see any water damage. The inside of the coach just looked filthy and in need of a good cleaning. I thought some WD-40 and exercising of moving parts would solve most of the issues.  Little did I know.  Just another lesson of "If a deal sounds to good to be true, IT IS."

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Well, hopefully you were able to negotiate a good price for the coach to offset what you have to deal with now.

That's where a good thorough inspection of the entire coach pays off in the long run,

However, just because a person is "certified" in NRVIA inspections doesn't mean they possess the knowledge about all of the sophisticated systems that can be found in our Monaco coaches. Don't ASK me how I know that!

I would have done a better job inspecting my Dynasty than the certified person I had hired in Salk Lake City Utah.

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Rory, it sounds like you are somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of work the MH needs.  It's kinda like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.  At this point you may be better off finding a good road service truck mechanic to tackle the brakes and power steering hose issue.  When we purchased our MH in San Antonio, it had been sitting for three years.  We started it up, drove to a Sams parking lot and spent the night.  The next day we made less than 25 miles and the air alarm came on.  Fortunately we were able to pull off the expressway into a parking lot and our brakes locked up. Unfortunately we only made it to the no parking fire lane.  At the time we hadn't purchased any towing insurance for the MH.  We discovered there was a freightliner dealer less than 8 miles away.  Called them and they suggested a couple of tow companies.  It was going to cost $800.00 for the tow.  Looked at IRV2 and found where someone had a similar experience and they used a mobile truck mechanic.  We located one online and called him.  He came out, diagnosed the problem.  The air dryer for the air system had crapped out.  He disconnected the hoses and bypassed the dryer.  We were back on the road in a couple of hours and only $200.00 out of pocket.  $100 for the service call and $90 for an hours labor and $10 for the coupling.  When we go back home I replace the dryer with one puchased on amazon. You might consider calling a mobile mechanic and have him diagnose the issues.  Then you purchase the parts and pay him to come back out and replace the parts.  You might be able to get the work done to get it home for less than the towing charge.  Just and idea to consider.  Also, IMHO stay away from MH dealers for your chassis work.  Use truck repair outfits.  Some of the local mom and pop places do good work and don't try and screw you.  Check with the folks who own MH's in your area and find out who they use.  Good luck on your project.  God Bless ya'll Ed, Sylvia and Sage

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A good shop should be able to fix those problems pretty quickly I would think 

The brake parts are pretty common ans Notn2bars suggested should be readily available.  Same thing with the air system, which may be causing your brake problems. 

Same with steering hose, depending on where it is failed you may get by with a repair hose coupling, these can be field fitted.  

If you can get more information from the shop as to what kind of problems they are having I'm this group can provide some guidance.   

 

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On 9/1/2022 at 6:53 AM, throgmartin said:

Kind of reminds me of an old Amish farmer in Elkhart who had a barn filled with new Monaco factory parts. He bought them all at auction. People would show up looking for a part and he would hand them a lantern and escort them into the barn to find the part they wanted.

Makes me think of a joke...An rv owner and an Amish guy walk into a barn....

But I can't figure out anymore of it.  Lol

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just to give everyone an update. The truck mechanic, where the MH was towed, has finally received the majority of the parts. Hopefully, they will start on it this week. I will keep you updated.

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I know I’m for the most part just repeating a few things….

 

Brake parts…easy to source as long as you know where to start. The aftermarket works has a ton of info….especially if you have a serial number for the axle and go to the manufacturer for an initial identification such as Dana / Meritor

 

Overall parts……this place is the best place to start. This forum has a wealth of knowledge better then most RV techs. One thing I have learned….get eyes on every part and system of your coach whether it works well or not. Understand how it works, if possible, and will make it easier. We bought ours back last December and still have a ton to go through and fix…some minor…some a bit major. Out of the gate we had a substantial issue with our one piece windshield that was taken out by the dealer…..what a disaster but now fixed after 6 months. Sucks to say but either learn it and attempt to repair, or have deep pockets……and a lot of patience either way.

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9 hours ago, Chuck B 2004 Windsor said:

One thing to remember when dealing with windshields is Do Not Use sealants that cure hard that are used on auto windshields.  Use sealants that cure SOFT so the glass can sort of float in their gaskets.  That way you will not have to deal with stress cracks.  

Absolutely true! Our windshield nightmare turned out to be a very long process. Long story behind it as well. Essentially our windshield was replaced due to rock damage (before buying the coach). Then after it “popped out” traveling in Ohio through horrible construction after we purchased…the fiberglass cap “relaxed” and required extensive work at REV for a 3 inch spacer to be put in the roof of the front cap, pushing it forward, and creating a better angle. Common on the one piece windshield as a solve all remedy. That was the best of 3 options proposed. Anyone who has dealt with the common issues of the one piece windshield knows all about it. Supposedly the spacer eliminates continuous problems. Way more to the story but that is the very supper short version.

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On 9/1/2022 at 9:40 AM, jacwjames said:

Last year I was working on my rear AC unit, my wife said it made a hell of a racket when she started it up but then quieted down.  I suspected that the rubber support bushings were bad (I had to replace the front AC motor in 2015 and found the rubber mounts bad).  So I tore into it and sure enough, but while I was at it I decided I might as well replace the motor.  I could not find one anywhere. 

So I made the painful decision to just go ahead replace both the AC's.  Went with the Penguin High capacity 15K units.  PPL had them on sale ~$2700 delivered.  Plus another $245 for the MicroAir thermostat. 

So from what I'm hearing from Chris I may have made a good decision. 

 

Luckily I was able to change them out myself. 

PPL, what is this? When I search on line, I get an assortment of different companies . Is it a specific company?

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