quote:

Originally posted by Allan:
Bill h:
Are you serious about carrying a spare fuel pump?

Yes. I am a spares nut.

quote:

Has there been a fuel pump issue with the TBI engines?

Here in my driveway there has been. My pickup died in the Elks parking lot and my SUV died in an Airport lot. Same year. Glad they were close to home. This is not uncommon on TBI chevvies. I would ask that question on a pickup truck forum for a wider range of replies. Since Bill NY does truck road service, he might have more experience to report.

quote:

Is my fuel pump electric or mechanical? I am not sure where to look for it.
best,
Allan of Solvang

Electrical. Gotta drop the tank and remove it from the top of the tank. Oh, yeah, new seal and intake strainer, too. Not too hard. Just a puzzle ring.

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
Since Bill NY does truck road service, he might have more experience to report.

Nope, don't work on commercial or RV gaso's jobs...

But, then again, some Penske trucks that I'm "Forced To Work on" have failed and ah, oh yeah, and my personal pickup truck.

Yep, they fail.

Bill h:
OK, my spare fuel pump is on order, with strainer! I too believe in spare parts. Thread drift again: I recall driving home from Barth in Indiana with my brand new Barth in 1997, only to have the 100 Amp Alternator short out in Kansas. (A main wire had its insulation removed by welding nearby and had shorted to the frame.) I went to the local highway repair shop and two yahoo repairmen removed the alternator and started to disassemble it. Why, I don't know, because it was not really repairable. At that point one literally said of the alternator, "I ain't never seen one of them there things before." Then, I knew I was in trouble! Next, the repair man broke one of the bolts that held the alternator together. My wife and I spent three days in Fort Hays, Kansas waiting for the replacement alternator and the only place to go for entertainment was a Mexican restaurant with terrible food. We had lots of Margerittas while waiting. I rented a car and took my wife to see the "famous buffalo herd" at the local University ... turned out to be three old buffalo which were molting their hair. Ugly! Then, we went to see the "Ft. Hays State Park." The guide showed us a hole in the ground and said, "That's where the cook stove used to be." He then unlocked a creaking door into a dark museum building and proudly pointed to a display case. The best line was when he said, "That's were the old rifle used to be before they stole it." So, it was no fun waiting for parts in Hays Kansas. So ... spare parts are a great idea.
best regards,
Allan of Solvang

Yeah, Kansas is neat. I spent way too much time there. Never did find a decent Mexican restaurant, either.

You shoulda called me. The best way to deal with an alternator failure is to parallel the coach batteries with the chassis battery and drive down the road with the generator running. Roof air works better, anyway, and the fuel burn turns out to be almost a wash. Deal with the alternator when you get home to your shop who has "seen wonna them there thangs before".

Speaking of spares, how old is your fan belt? 10 years could be about it.

Napa sells two grades. The Mexican one will squeal and drive younger people or women crazy. It will masquerade as an air conditioner clutch bearing.

We saw a whole bunch of buffalo just a little north of you. Good-looking ones, too. Well, the cows are always ugly, but the bull was magnificent. Just walking around on a ranch.

Golly, I wonder how many other original Barth owners we have here. Most of us are Barth newbies. Do wanna tell us about your factory visit?

Response to Bill h:
First, thanks for the tip on a failed alternator. Of course! Why did I not think of that? Just putting the batteries in parallel would work, because the house batteries charge from the 120 Volts, which would be provided by the generator (and it feeds from the same gas tank as the engine)! I will remember that now.
And, thanks for the "heads up" on the fan belts. As a matter of fact, I just replaced them, with what should be the correct units by ordering from the "Workhorse" company that bought out the old Chev. product line. (They ask for the VIN number to determine the correct parts.) And, I did the upper and lower radiator hoses as well, just for good measure. And, here was the expensive item: four new rear tires, which were in excellent condition, but 11 years old (one can tell the age from a code on the tire). Michielin says, "no tire is good after ten years," so I replaced them just to be safe.
Yes, I actually bought two Barths new from the factory. The first was a 28'1989 Regency. We loved it, but I liked driving a shorter unit, so we then traded it in on a 1996 Chassis (1997 Model) 22' Barth, still in Regency style. The reason my wife and I liked Barth was this ... we would fly to Indiana, drive to the factory and select all aspects of the interior, including the floor layout and cabinet designs, colors and fabrics, etc.. In fact, for my current unit, I drew up preliminary drawings for the interior layout and cabinets which were then translated into production drawings by the factory staff. The high quality cabinets were made in an Amish wood shop nearby. I remember that a Mr. Vanlandingham was the supervisor at Barth. We spent several days at the factory for both units doing a "shake down cruise" before driving back to California. Nevertheless, there were some problems with the first unit on the drive home. But, Barth was great in providing parts and reimbusement for any repairs. The factory was somewhat rough and ready, but that fit the heavy nature of their work. And, in 1997, I could see that they had many inexperienced workers. I recall that they were making a large quantity of small chassis units for Japan. I really don't know why they went out of business, but I suspect it was a question of management and the economy. Our first unit was the anniversary special model, with a really elegant interior. The factory was in Milford, Indiana. Breakfast was $1.29 for eggs and bacon in town, and there was a great steak restaurant in the next town with delicious food. Everyone in the restaurant wanted to see our Barth ... they knew of the factory but had never been in a Barth. So, everyone from the restaurant went out to see the interior of our Barth. The owners of the restaurant were so nice that, because they were an Amway distributor, they gave us a case of cleaner as a gift. What nice people in Indiana; the salt of the earth.
best regards,
Allan of Solvang