Feb 03, 2019
We had to move the RV for repairs
I may have mentioned that we need to have the radiator for the generator rebuilt. It is impossible to take it out of the RV here on the Isla. So we unhooked certain things, moved various items, packed up inside and out and prepared to drive away. Gosh we sure have a lot of stuff.
And a complicated set up here and there. So we were off to Mazatlan to a shop that would allow the RV tech to get under the front end and remove the generator.
Eric led us to the work site well into Mazatlan. Colin had to do a U-turn at this intersection but it was too tight for us and Colin had to back up and go forward inch by inch to make the turn.
But we made it and soon we had arrived. That bus on the right was where we needed to end up but first they had to replace the tires.
Two of these were being installed.
Eric told Colin that these tires still had wear in them. They are good until they burst. Glad we won’t be taking that bus anytime soon.
So here were the ramps we went up for clearance to the generator. We had to wait an hour before getting to this position.
It was not a large shop. Lots of spare parts laying around.
This was our maximum elevation. We needed to add our jack pads at the start of the ramp as our back end was going to bottom out.
Eric started his disassembly.
He worked for over an hour to get to this point. The orange strap had been added to raise the generator in order to remove the mounting frames.
Eventually they brought in this small table on wheels to drop the generator onto. The small jack under the table was too low so they added a wheel hub with a piece of wood on top and the generator was just on top of all of that.
As they attempted to lower the generator onto the table they needed the bar to keep generator level as it was being lowered. The bar was under the back of the generator.
Eric on the other side of the bar.
Now there are four guys holding the generator up, two on the front bar and two on the back bar.
So four guys are holding the generator with the two bars and the wheel hub and piece of wood were kicked away. 400 hundred pounds of generator being held with two steel bars.
Bit by bit the generator was dropped down to the table.
However the RV was still too high to slide out the generator.
Eric really had to do some heavy thinking. So the four guys raised the generator again with the straps and bars, each holding about 100 pounds. The table on wheels was kicked away and bit by bit the generator was lowered to sit on top of a few wood pieces.
Sort of like getting a tooth pulled, now there is a big hole.
Eric pulling the generator out from under the RV, just barely!
And there it sits. Eric will now take the generator apart and expose the radiator which he will need to rebuild from scratch. It took a full two hours to get the generator out.
Meanwhile we drove back to the peace of the Isla. We re hooked and unpacked and got the RV pretty much back to normal both inside and outside. Colin was not stressed but I was. What if Eric couldn’t get the generator out? What if someone got hurt ? What if the RV pitched forward off the ramp? So now we wait until the radiator gets rebuilt. Then we have to do it all again in reverse. Except Eric needs to come up with a plan to lift that heavy generator back into place.
So happy to kick back with Laura and Alan with a glass of wine and watch the sunset.
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Howdy, I see why you were stressed out, taking that generator off was like pulling teeth WITHOUT anesthesia ! Correct me if I’m wrong, but the the placement of the generator is kind of intricate & inconvenient, isn’t it ? All the RV generators I have seen are placed on the side of vehicle, and elevated about 2 feet from the ground making it easier for them to be pulled off as needed. Oh well, que sera, sera ?! Hope it gets fixed / replaced soon. My regards: Lucy.
Yes is this particular RV the generator is built in right under the front end of our Class A. Usually in a large RV you don’t see them as they are tucked away but each RV if different. If the shop had the proper tools it would have gone quicker. Amazing what Eric accomplished with one sling, two steel bars and a few pieces of wood. We are lucky to have him here.
What a job, I would be stressed as well. I hope the repair and re-install go well!
I didn’t realize until we drove away exactly how stressed I had been. I had no energy, the stress zapped my body. This morning I get my weekly massage, life is returning to normal.
I don’t think I could have watched them do that. Talk about a boatload of stress. Fingers crossed for the return of the generator.
I am beginning to think that I just might stay here when Colin takes the RV back but then I am the navigator. I went to be at 10PM last night, I was so tired.
Perhaps the shop has a large rolling floor jack; that plus various wood blocks will do the trick.
All the best,enjoy your blog & adventures??
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Have a look at that tiny jack under the rolling table, that is the only jack that they had in that shop? Mexicans are amazing mechanics. Glad you are enjoying the blog and the adventures:)
Nice that they finally got the generator out and hopefully the rad rebuild goes smoothly.
We have full confidence in Eric rebuilding the radiator. I’m worried about the install.
Wow, that would have cost a fortune in Canada, and I am not even sure you could find someone decent to do it. Glad you have the right tech on the job.
In Canada we would have gone to a large Freightliner truck repair facility where they have all the bells and whistles as tools. However they would not even try to repair something like this and would have ordered a new generator of which the part alone is $10,000.00 not to mention the labor. We have no idea how much this is going to cost us, certainly a few thousand dollars. Will let you know when we know.
Ouch! A bit expensive but definitely much cheaper than the U.S. would cost. Anxious to see what the repair is and the cost. A bit of a hassle but might just pay off in the end.
It will pay off in the end but no say by how much.
A stressful day but it’s over and you can relax for a while. Mechanics can be very inventive when the need arises. I’m sure they’ll be able to come up with something. At least the repair shop isn’t hours away from your base location. I think you are fortunate to have Eric as well.
We are so blessed to have Eric. He really thinks like a Mexican and we trust him.
Be certain to test the Generator before they reinstall it. With the lack of proper tools it will take longer for the generator to go back in.
I never allow Kathy around anything that will cause her stress and that would have had her going over the edge.
Be Safe and Enjoy the warm temperatures.
It’s about time.
No worries. Eric has already said that he will run it for an hour prior to installing it but thank for the heads up. We had no idea it would be that stressful to me ( not to Colin at all ) but is does take both of us to move our RV around the city.
A small two ton floor jack from Harbor Freight would have done all that in half the time. Once you got the front end high enough.
Hey, welcome to the comment section of the blog. Sadly there was no such thing here to do the job at this shop in Mexico. We had to go with what our trusted mechanic had to use.
You and Colin have great confidence in Eric to handle these things because he has done so over many years. As a professional, Eric would not have taken on a job like this if he felt he could not succeed under such, shall we say, primitive working conditions. So try to relax and put your faith in him and his work. Think of it this way; you and Colin have two homes; major repair or replacement work is inevitable during the homes’ lifetimes. For example, it’s about time to put a new roof on our house, but I knew the time was coming when it had to be done when we purchased it.
Oh, we totally trust Eric but I am still allowed to have some stress about the situation. There is no one else we would trust to do the job but still it was not an easy situation. In actual fact Erick went bolt by bolt. He told Colin that he had no plan and just went with the feel of it all but he knew he could do it.
Contessa , Just kind of curious, but you mentioned your generator needs a rad. Am I correct. If so a new radiator is not that expensive. To take it out and get one recored is even cheaper. Why would you replace your generator ? Am I missing something here?
Also I noticed a palapa on your site. How does that work? do you have to lease the site ?
Good luck on your repairs.
Welcome to the comment section of the blog Iggy. Nice to have you here. Somehow you missed the big picture. We only need the rad replaced but in order to do that the entire generator had to be removed in order to get to the radiator, they were in the same sealed box.
As to the palapa, we had it put up seven years ago and have done repairs off and on. No we do not have a lease on this site but we book the site year after year with an annual deposit.
Hello. Contessa, Thanks for the warm welcome. You’re right. I did miss the big picture. Thanks for setting me straight and for the info on the palapa. I hope the generator fix goes well. Eric is good and knows his stuff. By the way, my wife and I enjoy your blog and because we couldn’t make it down this year, we are happy to see you’re pics and blogs. They send some warmth our way in this Alberta cold snap.
So happy to have you here. Sometimes if you miss a post you miss a detail 🙂 So happy that I am able to bring some warmth to you and your wife. As you may know, I grew up in Edmonton and I am well aware of the severe weather conditions Alberta has dealt with in the past few days. Hope you make it here next season.