2000 Holiday Rambler Ambassador

DRIVING OUT OF HOUSTON, TX, I SMELLED BRAKES SO I PULLED OVER TO ALLOW THE CALIPERS TO COOL. FOUND THE RH FRONT CALIPER WAS VERY HOT AND SMOKING. I LET IT COOL FOR 1/2 HOUR AND CHECKED FOR FREE MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL. EVERYTHING SEEM OK SO I PROCEEDED. NO MORE THAN 1/2 CITY BLOCK, THE SMELL RESUMED AND THEN THE ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. THE ABS SENSOR ON THE RIGHT FRONT WAS BURNED UP AND THE CALIPER WAS SIZZLING HOT AND THE WHEEL LOCKED UP. THIS IS THE NINTH THERMAL BRAKE FAILURE I HAVE HAD ON THIS MOTORHOME. THE SAFETY RECALL THAT WAS DONE IN 2002 DID NOT CORRECT MY PROBLEM. THEY ONLY INSPECTED MY CALIPERS AND SAID THAT I HAD THE NEW STYLE INSTALLED AND THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED. BOSCH NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS BEFORE SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS HAPPENS. *TR

DRIVING OUT OF HOUSTON, TX, I SMELLED BRAKES SO I PULLED OVER TO ALLOW THE CALIPERS TO COOL. FOUND THE RH FRONT CALIPER WAS VERY HOT AND SMOKING. I LET IT COOL FOR 1/2 HOUR AND CHECKED FOR FREE MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL. EVERYTHING SEEM OK SO I PROCEEDED. NO MORE THAN 1/2 CITY BLOCK, THE SMELL RESUMED AND THEN THE ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH CAME ON. *TR

AGAIN ON 18 NOV 08, ON A TRIP TO KEY WEST, FL I HAD THERMAL BRAKE FAILURE. THIS TIME THE LEFT REAR CALIPER PISTON FAILED TO RETRACT FULLY AND CAUSED THE PAD TO DRAG ON THE ROTOR AND THIS RESULTED IN AN EXTREMELY HOT SITUATION, WITH SMOKE SMELL AND THEN AN ILLUMINATED ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. THIS IS THE 8TH FAILURE WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED SINCE WE HAVE PURCHASED THIS MOTORHOME. MONACO REPRESENTATIVE CONTINUES TO STATE THAT THERE IS NO BRAKE PROBLEM WITH THEIR UNITS AND PLAINLY STATED ON OUR LAST PHONE CONVERSATION, THAT THEY DON'T PLAN TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT MY OR ANY ONE ELSE'S COMPLAINT CONCERNING THIS MATER. IT IS A BOSCH PROBLEM, BUT THE SYSTEM IS INSTALLED ON A MONACO MOTORHOME. *TR

THERMAL BRAKE FAILURE ON FLORIDA STATE ROAD 33 JUST NORTH OF GROVELAND, FL. ON 8 OCT 08. RIGHT REAR CALIPER OVERHEATED AND CAUSED BURNED BRAKE SMELL AND RESULTANT FAILURE OF THE ABS SENSOR. PISTONS FAILED TO FULLY RETRACT WHICH CAUSED THE PADS TO DRAG ON THE ROTOR AND CAUSE HEAT BUILD UP. THIS IS THE 8TH FAILURE SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THIS MORTORHOME NEW APRIL 2000. RECALL IN 2004 ONLY INVOLVED AN INSPECTION FOR MY MOTORHOME AND THEY DETERMINED THAT MY INSTALLED CALIPERS THAT WERE INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY IN 2003 WERE PROPER. I STILL BELIEVE THAT I DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER CALIPERS DUE TO THE CONTINUED THERMAL BRAKE FAILURES. I SEND A COURTESY COPY OF EACH COMPLAINT I FILE TO MONACO. MONACE REPRESENTATIVE MR. MICHAEL BECKER CONTINUES TO STATE THAT THERE IS NO BRAKE PROBLEM ON HOLIDAY RAMBLER MOTORHOMES AND THAT THE RECALL CORRECTED THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. THE BOSCH REPRESENTATIVE WOULD NOT DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 HOLIDAY RAMBLER AMBASSADOR. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, BUT HAD ALREADY TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE NOTICE. THE ABS SENSOR WAS REPLACED TWICE AND ALL OF THE BRAKING COMPONENTS WERE REPLACED ON MAY 12, 2003 UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V278000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS). THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES EXHIBITED ELEVATED TEMPERATURES THAT COULD LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC DETERIORATION OF THE WHEEL END COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE BEARINGS, RACES, SPINDLES, KNUCKLES, SEALS, HUBS, ROTORS, PATCH BOLTS, CALIPERS, BRAKE PADS, AND ABS SENSORS. ON MARCH 28, 2008, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE COMPONENTS FAILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,411 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,896. UPDATED 04/23/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED 2ND FAILURE WAS ON 03/08 @ 51,896 R/REAR LOCKED COMPLETELY REBUILT AND REAR BRAKE. UPDATED 04/23/08 *TR

I WENT TO LEAVE FOR DAYTONA LAST THURSDAY(2/7/08) WHEN I GOT TO THE HWY, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. SO I GOT IT BACK TO MY LOT( USING THE PARKING BRAKE) AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS BRAKE FUILD RUNNING OUT ON THE GROUND AND THAT HOLIDAY RAMBLER HAD ASSEMBLED THE BRAKE LINES ON THE BOTTOM INSIDE OF THE FRAME AND THEY HAD ALL RUSTED OUT, I REPLACE ALL LINE AND BLEED THE BRAKES, BUT THEY ARE NOT ADIQUIT TO STOP THIS 36' MOTOROME, COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE!!. I AM BACK IN OKEECHOBEE, BUT I AM SCARED TO DEATH TO DRIVE IT, IT IS NOT ROAD WORTHY. *TR

THERMAL BRAKE FAILURE WHILE IN TRAFFIC AT PADUCKA, KY. LEFT REAR CALIPER OVERHEATED AND CAUSED STRONG SMELL, SMOKE AND RESULTANT FAILURE OF ABS SENSOR. PISTONS FAILED TO FULLY RETRACT AND THE PADS WERE DRAGGING ON THE ROTOR CAUSING THE HEAT BUILD UP. THIS IS THE 7TH FAILURE SINCE WE PURCHASED THIS MOTORHOME NEW IN APRIL 2000 . RECALL IN 2004 ONLY INVOLVED AN INSPECTION FOR MY MOTORHOME AND THEY DETERMINED THAT MY INSTALLED CALIPERS THAT WERE INSTALLED BY THE FACTORY IN 2003 WERE PROPER. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TO BE CORRECT AS I CONTINUE TO HAVE SAME PROBLEM. MY CALIPERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED DURING THE RECALL INSTEAD OF JUST AN INSPECTION! I REPORT EACH FAILURE TO MONACO AND THE REPRESENTATIVES STATE THAT MY CALIPERS ARE CURRENT AND OK. BOSCH WILL NOT DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH ME. THEY STATE THEY WILL ONLY TALK ABOUT THIS TO FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. *TR

THERMAL DISC BRAKE FAILURE AFTER 3RD APPLICATION OF BRAKES ON MOUNTAIN DECENT. RIGHT FRONT CALIPER OVERHEATED AND CAUSED THE PISTONS TO FAIL TO FULLY RETRACT RESULTING IN THE PADS TO DRAG ON THE ROTORS AND CAUSE SMOKE, BRAKE OVERHEAT SMELL AND ILLUMINATION OF THE ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH. THIS IS THE 6TH FAILURE SINCE WE PURCHASED THIS MOTORHOME. RECALL IN 2003, DID NOT RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I REPORTED OVERHEATING OF THE BRAKES TO MONACO JUNE 2002- THEY HAD CUMMINGS AT OCALA, FL REPLACE ALL THE BRAKE COMPONENTS ON THE FRONT AXLE. AGAIN IN JULY 2003 I HAD OVERHEATING OF THE BRAKES, SMOKE AND ABS FAILURE- MONACO HAD PLANT 9 REPLACE ALL BRAKE COMPONENTS ON THE FRONT AND REAR. IN 2004 MONACO HAD A RECALL INSPECTION- RESULT WAS THAT THE REPLACED CALIPERS WERE THE NEW APPROVED CALIPERS. I CONTINUE TO HAVE OVERHEATING OF THE BRAKES; SOMETIMES IN FRONT AND SOMETIMES IN THE REAR, ( ABS SENSOR ALWAYS ARE BURNED UP). NOW AFTER ONLY 27,000 MILES SINCE THE LAST REPLACEMENT OF COMPONENTS, THE BRAKE PADS ARE WORN OUT. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TWICE TO THE TECH AT MONACO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEIR ANSWER IS THAT THEY DID THE RECALL IN 2004; THEREFORE, THE PROBLEM OF OVERHEATED CALIPERS WAS RESOLVED. ABOUT EVERY 90 DAYS I HAVE TO REPLACE A BURNED OUT ABS SENSOR AT A COST OF $90 EACH TIME. I STILL HAVE OVERHEATING OF THE CALIPERS AND COMPONENTS. THE STYLE CALIPERS THEY INSTALLED DID NOT RESOLVE MY PROBLEM. MONACO (TECH'S) NOW STATE THAT MY COACH IS A 2000 THAT HAS 60M MILES ON IT; THEREFORE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY STATE THAT IT NOW IS MY PROBLEM. *NM