A diesel pusher leaving Sugarmill Woods has 2 obvious directions. North, US-19/98 carries US-98 traffic toward Perry. South, the Suncoast Parkway interchange at US-98 starts a toll-road run toward Tampa. Either way, the coach is a heavy diesel vehicle first, and RDI Power works on that part of it: the engine, the transmission and the chassis underneath. Our shop is in Brooksville, about 17 road miles and 30 minutes from the middle of Sugarmill Woods.
Engine, Allison and chassis work for Sugarmill Woods coach owners
Most diesel pushers share a recipe: a Cummins or Caterpillar engine in the rear, an Allison automatic ahead of it, and a chassis with air brakes and air suspension. We work on each part of that recipe.
- Engine. Hard starts, low power, smoke, derates and coolant loss on Cummins ISB, ISC and ISL engines and Caterpillar C7 and C9 engines, among others. RDI Power is Caterpillar certified.
- Transmission. Fluid and filter service, shift complaints, leaks and code diagnosis on the Allison.
- Air brakes. Compressor, air dryer, lines, chambers, slack adjusters and the leaks that make a compressor run more than it should.
- Suspension and steering. Air bags, leveling valves, shocks, steering gearboxes, tie rods and the driveline back to the rear axle.
The living quarters are a different trade, and our technicians stay on the chassis and drivetrain.
Rear-engine heat on a coach headed out the Suncoast Parkway
A rear engine lives in a tight, hot compartment, and its radiator and charge air cooler often sit where they collect road dust and oily film. Once the fins load up, a coach that ran cool last season starts creeping hot on a long highway run in July, even though no single part has failed. That is why an overheating complaint starts with cleaning and inspecting the cooling stack, checking the fan drive and pressure testing the system before anyone condemns a radiator. Heat also ages the belts, hoses and wiring in that compartment faster than in a front-engine truck, so we look at all 3 whenever the hatch is open.
Pre-trip checks before US-19/98 north toward Perry
Months parked do their own damage. Batteries discharge, fuel ages, brake slide pins stick, air systems collect moisture and seals that sat still start to weep. Before a long trip up US-19, we check fluids and leaks, belts and hoses, air brake operation and adjustment, air bags and shocks, tire condition and age, and the Allison’s fluid level and condition. Our RV maintenance checklist for long-distance travel covers the list in more detail, and any shift complaint is worth reading about on our Sugarmill Woods transmission repair page before you go.
Campground visits near Sugarmill Woods
A coach that will not start, or should not be driven, does not always need a tow. Our mobile technicians can come to a campground, such as the county-run Chassahowitzka River Campground a few miles southwest on Miss Maggie Drive, to diagnose the coach and handle many brake, cooling, fluid and chassis electrical repairs on site. Work that needs a lift or a transmission out of the coach comes to Brooksville, and we will tell you which kind of job yours is before anyone drives out.
Booking the Brooksville bays from Sugarmill Woods
Call (352) 433-3800 before you head over, so we can plan for the coach’s length and height and set aside the time. Each Sugarmill Woods coach we work on leaves with a digital inspection, pictures and notes included, and our labor on it is warrantied for 3 years or 36,000 miles. More about our motorhome work is on the RV service and repair page, and coach owners closer to the springs can read our Homosassa Springs RV repair page.