I would like to ask for some help/advice from anyone willing to respond. We will be traveling home in a few weeks from Southern Ontario to Northern Manitoba in our NEW TO US, 2004 American Tradition. We crossing at Sarnia Ontario and will be travelling through the USA. Looking at my Triptrek® from CAA it looks like we will be travelling close to Decatur, Indiana. I was thinking about making a detour to the south to stop into Camp Decatur. I figured a tour of the plant would be good for myself and my family to see where our coach was built and how they build them. Without sounding too naive I am unfamiliar with how long any warranty there is on the coach. I have read the coach manual(s) and most of the appliances and systems seem to have a warranty period of one or two years. I have what I think is a loose toilet and a slight problem with the leveling jacks. How early would I have to book an appointment? As well when I purchased the MH I did not have the usually walk through that many others speak of when purchasing a coach like this to help with how all the systems work and how they run. It has been a little bit of a learning curve but seems to be going well so far. Would there be someone who could run us through a tour of this bus for a couple of hours? I know it is 4 years old but I figured being relatively young they might be willing to spend some time with me for future business. What should I expect and how long should I consider staying? I understand there is hook ups but no pavement and a large rail/truck yard in the area is it that much of an annoyance and what are the cost? I just don’t want to have any surprises travelling home. Sincerely Blake

I too have an 04 Tradition.

American Coach factory service is nothing short of fantastic. They may take care of somethings under warranty even though your basic 1 year overall and 3 year structural warranty has expired, but if it is not covered they will still repair it for a very reasonable price. Their hourly rate is relatively low and they do not pad the bill with extra hours. American just completely replaced the jacks on mine at no charge, because they said the originals jacks had a problem and would have been covered under warranty if I had brought it in earlier. Can't beat that!

Appointments at the AC Service facility in Decatur need to be made months in advance, especially in the busy summer months. However, they do accept walk-ins. You may have to wait 2-3 days to get in, but usually they can accommodate you. Best to be there at 6 a.m. Monday morning (that's when service opens) and get on the wait list, but be prepared to stay all week.

I suggest that you call American Coach Customer service at 1-800-435-7345 right away. You can often get questions answered over the phone (they are more than wiling to answer "how do I" questions) and you can also get directions and information about service. They might even have a cancellation and you can get on their schedule. Be sure to have your coach's Fleetwood ID number (FIN) handy when you call.

There is also an American Coach Owners group on Yahoo that is an outstanding resource for AC owners. Go to American Coach Yahoo Group to join.

Thanks for your post Gary. I will do as you suggest today. I have already joined the American Coach Yahoo Group and get an email summary sent and read them religiously. Maybe you have a list of must have items for your coach? I am still learning as I go here and am not too shy to ask for advice or help. Any problems or concerns you have heard reguarding our 2004 Coaches? Again thank you very much for your reply and I look forward to hearing from you and others in the future.

"must have" is pretty much a personal choice. There aren't many creature comforts missing from even the most basic American tradition!

We switched the tube tvs over to LCDs, for picture quality and to reduce the size of the big boxes that project into the front and bedroom areas. When you are in Decatur, contact Greg Mies at From Trees To These (cabinet shop) and get some ideas what he can do for you. He will likley have some other enhancements you will fall in lust with, so hang on to your wallet! Greg is a great guy and is very reasonably ppriced. He is located just several miles outside of Decatur - call him at 260-592-7397. He has a web site but seldom responds to emails, so calling is the best bet. Or drive by and see him at the shop.
From Trees To These

2004 was a redesigned model-year for AC and there were some initial electrical problems (e.g. headlights dim)and jack problems. Ask AC to check your vehicle records for upgrades to the headlights and jacks - they will know if it has already been done and most likely will do it free if it has not been. I would also have the factory check the roof seam seals while you are there - they will find any seams that need re-caulking and fix as needed and they don't charge much at all for this - I think it was only 0.4 hours of labor for mine. Better to find it now than suffer a leak later.

Blake you can also get repairs on a drop in basis. If you get there on Sunday and on Monday 6am be at the service dept and they will give you a number. Usually in a few days you are on the road and running. They will do up to six things without a problem. You can call the service dept and they will tell you about drop in service. from what you are saying everything you have is good for drop in.