A temporary delay in our adventure

Man-made mechanical devices are far from perfect, and when you live in one it can be a bit more inconvenient when problems arise. We took our Motorhome into for annual maintenance at a Freightliner dealer and found out that a fan belt had partially broken due to road debris. Even worse, pieces of the fan belt destroyed a wiring bracket near the engine.

Fortunately, no major damage was done because there is a fail-safe clutch device which keeps the radiator fan running. But we had to wait for parts and spent some time at the Hampton Inn near Stockton.

Not exactly the stuff of California Dreams

When you own a Motorhome with engine problems, it's recommended to have it serviced by the chassis manufacturer, in this case Freightliner. The Delta Truck Center off I-5 services trucks, trucks and more trucks... they don't really understand motorhomes. 

Delta Truck Center, our 2nd home over the past few days

Diesel motorhomes have the engine in the rear and the radiator blocks the engine, but there is a panel inside the coach (in the rear bathroom!) to gain access. The truck mechanics didn't really get this - they wanted to pull the radiator which is a 14 hour job! I had to guide them inside the coach and remove the panel for them. 

Engine access panel in the rear bathroom of the coach

We are hoping that the repair will be completed soon so we can leave the Hampton Inn and re-start our vacation. While Stockton is not exactly nirvana, Lodi and 120 wineries are within 30 minutes so we are managing to pass the time!