Camp Freightliner: Day One

Eric drove our motorhome to the Freightliner Custom Chassis Service Center for our Chassis Checkup.  We are having the 30,000 mile maintenance schedule done on our 2004 Winnebago Vectra.  We bought it used in 2011, with 11,000 miles on it.  Because of the low mileage, we believe that this is the first full maintenance check done on the chassis.

Freightliner offers a two day training class called Camp Freightliner.  We made our service appointment to coincide with the first of the classes.

Camp Freightliner

starts at 8 am.

Our instructor, Mike Cody,

Senior Service Trainer,

is surrounded by RV equipment.

There's a lot of Show & Tell

 at this two day class.

The visual presentations are
necessary to show the different
systems in the Freightliner
Custom Chassis.

Our Camp Freightliner Manual, 

Freightliner Service Directory 

& handouts.

There's so much to cover!
We're going to be busy
every minute.




Lunch is brought in and after everyone sits down with their plates and drinks, Mike continues reviewing systems that are included in the chassis.  He discusses maintenance issues with the class.  Some things can be done by owners and some things need to be done by Freightliner techs.

Part of maintaining our motorhomes is purchasing the correct equipment to do the basics.  Eric bought antifreeze, a special tool to remove the tire hubs, a couple belts to keep as spares and a few more cool things we can use to keep us rolling down the road.

Eric speaks to the tech who did the maintenance on our motorhome and gets our old air filter.  The date stamp on it is 2003.  It's the original air filter, as we suspected.  The filter is supposed to be changed every year even if it is not driven. The elements deteriorate over time. Our filter has been in there for 10 years. Wow. We got lucky. If one comes apart it can cause thousands of dollars of damage in the engine. Fluids and filters have been replaced.  Seals have been checked for leaks.  The brakes and bearings and electrical connections were checked as was the entire air brake system.  A few minor problems were found and fixed.  I now feel more confident about our motorhome's soundness and safety.

Just outside the classroom is

a chassis for us to inspect.

Here's the engine

The rear mounted
radiator. (Ours is side mounted)

Here's a picture of an airbag &

 axle assembly to the front tire.

The chassis is "alive" with tubes
& wires.

The front of the chassis has the 

steering wheel, gas & brake pedal.  

Chassis at this stage are ready to

 ship to the "Body Builders,"  the 

companies that build the 

motorhome interior & exterior. 

Our chassis was made here in 

2003 & shipped to Winnebago 

in Forest City, Iowa for 

further assembly.

After we inspect the chassis and ask Mike questions, it's time for dinner.  Bryan Henke, Manager of Product Marketing, talks to us about the state of the RV industry.  He describes how Freightliner Custom Chassis weathered the downturn in 2008 and the company's current share of the motorhome chassis market.  There were questions about the future of motorhomes - aerodynamic design, fuel economy, alternative fuels.

Eric and I leave with our motorhome for the campground.  It's time to hook up to utilities and spend a few minutes relaxing before looking over our class materials.  Tomorrow will be another long day with lots and lots of information to go through.