Here is a message from Brett Howard about his purchase of the Wildwood Service Center in Florida. He spoke to a group of Beavers at the Lima Beaver County Fair Rally and we are excited that the deal has finally gone through.

Hello My Beaver Friends,
     I have a bit of good news I would like to share with you all first. Before I get started, I must say this would not have happened without all of your overwhelming support. Your encouragement is what gave me the courage to make this move. I passed up on several other sure things to make this step. Without the support, I am sure I would have never taken this step.
     Our last major road block was removed last Friday when the Bankruptcy Court approved our purchase of the Wildwood Facility. We will be closing on the transaction Friday of this week and will begin scheduling appointment for the week of September 28th.  We are going to start out with a fairly small crew, and will be adding as the work load increases. Our desire is to become the Best RV repair facility in the country. Our focus is going to be Service. We have also signed on as a Monaco RV towable dealer, and will be accepting consignments.
     As I mentioned, we are going to be starting with a very small core group of employee’s.  Many of you met my business partner Alan Shapiro, a fellow member of BAC, who has enabled us to make this happen. He will be actively working with us in the beginning stages of the business. If you have visited Wildwood, more than likely you met Caroline Champion. She is also an owner/partner. I will also mention a group that has already started and is helping clean and organize the facility. Former techs, Mike Hawkins, Todd Hensley, Brian Smith, Dave Becker, Mike Ferranti, and in parts Jodi Howard, and Allen Cockcroft.  We have been talking with many of the other former employees, and plan to continue to bring them back as we grow.
     We would appreciate the opportunity earn your business. We are working on several promotions with details to follow. We are also planning on having a Grand Opening Rally in early December. Several owners have volunteered to help us organize the event. Any one else interested in assisting please contact me directly.
     Our Labor rate is going to be $100.00. We are going to charge a facilities charge of $20 per overnight stay. Our techs are going to be working on a Hybrid Flat rate to insure efficient and Quality repairs.
     The best way to contact me is Brett.Howard@AllianceCoachOnline.com, if it is an emergency feel free to call me on my cell phone at 352-516-4144. Caroline can be contacted at Caroline.Champion@AllianceCoachOnline.com. If you would like to schedule an appointment please email Service@AllianceCoachOnline.com. Our phone should be back on in the next 2 weeks, and we will have the same numbers. Our main number will be 352-330-3800, but please keep in mind it will be about 2 weeks before it is in service.
     
Thanks Again!!!!
Brett Howard
Brett.Howard@AllianceCoachOnline.com
352-516-4144 cell

PS:  If you have not sent or given me your email address please send me an email with your contact information and I will get you added to our mailing lists.
BCH.

Goin in the 21 to the "Old Camp Monaco" now Alliance Coach. Will be two minor items but will report on how it goes. Mr Howard answered my e mails promptly and so far has made a good impression.

Picked up the coach today and feel they did a good repair (slide seals).   They quoted a "maximum" of 12 hours labor at $100 per hour and used them all according to the bill. So plan on paying for what you get done.

How many slides? and is that all they did?  

One slide on our 1997 Patriot replaced the side wipe and upper outside  seals and recaulked.  They used the old Monaco water tester to check there work. They did not do anything to the inner or bottom seal. My son just had a bedroom bottom slide seal done under warranty by South Trail in Ft Myers and their time was about the same along with labor rate.

They were having a "discussion" with someone with an extended warranty about authorizing up to two hours for diagnostic time to see if something was covered by the extended warranty. I do not know what it was for so do not know if the time was fair, just the coach owner thought it excessive.  

They do collision and body work as well and have been open about a month so do not have a track record yet but seem do do good work and had at least 20 coaches in bays and one (Beaver) in the camp area. Two couples were in the lobby area waiting for work to be done.

BALUSKI, Martin & Ellen's coach was there when we dropped ours off. Maybe we can get their experience also.  

Received this from Wildwood Service Center after I had e-mailed him>

Mike,
    Yes we are up to 18 employees and currently all but one are former Monaco employees.  Look forward to seeing you all soon.
Thanks
Brett Howard

Hello Friends of Alliance Coach,
    
    We are now open for business and taking appointments. Please call 352-330-3800 or email Service@AllianceCoachOnline.com to schedule.
Thanks Again for your support and we look forward to seeing you all very Soon.
Brett Howard
866-888-8941
352-330-3800

Note Alliance Coach is now a sponser of BAC. Located at the old "Camp Monaco" in Wildwood, FL. Labor rate is $100 per hour cpmpared to the Lazy Day rate of $120. Their add is a link to contact information.

Met a Beaver Patriot Thunder owner at Lazy Days Rally Park over the weekend and they were happy to hear Alliance and Brett Howard was open for business. A monaco owner a few spaces down was also pleased to hear it also. They both related good experiences with Brett Howard when Monaco still owned the service center.

Has anyone had any service work done lately here at Alliance Coach?  We just got back from a Monaco sponsored rally in Prattville, AL, where Alliance had brought in new coaches.  This was for the Navistar/Monaco sponsored LPGA event.  It was very nice and they were gracious enough to give us free gratis for all.
So, we need to have several issues addressed for our 1997 Beaver Marquis, such as a leak on side of Girard Awning, slide adjustment and seals looked at and paint issues on top front of coach.

So, would like input if anyone has had service work done of late.
Thanks,
Sharon Fischer

They replaced the slide seal on our 1997 Patriot, and we were satisfied with their work.  We would use them again, as they have a good reputation, and most of the technicians worked at there when it was the Monaco Service Center.  

I recently had my Beaver in there for several issues. This was the second time I have used the facility, and the first since Monaco declared bankruptcy. The work was done well and on-time. I highly recommend them.

Our 2000 Beaver Marquis is at Alliance Coach,Wildwood.FL for basement a/c repairs.  We were quoted over $4000 in labour alone to remove the SCS unit from the coach and   re install it; the repair was extra! We are wondering if Good Sam's will cover such   exorbitant billing.

Jeremy,
I am no expert on what Good Sam will pay for a repair, but I would say that the likelihood of them being willing to pay over $1000 an hour for a repair is 0%.

Gerald

Hi Gerald,
  Alliance Coach labour rate is $110 per hour. They reckon it will take 40 hours plus to remove and reinstall the SCS unit in my coach. The repair with an outside HVAC guy is extra.
I have to call Good Sam's Extended Service Plan tomorrow and find out what they will cover.

Jeremy,
I can R&R (remove and replace) your SCS unit in less than 4 hours. There is no way that anyone can justify a 40 hour estimate to R&R your basement A/C unit. They either have never done one before or they just do not want to work on it.

Roy Mueller removed the basement A/C unit in Lamar's Marquis one evening in the parking lot at SCS so that SCS could repair it the next day. Then he reinstalled it the next evening, so that they could leave the next morning. That was in a gravel parking lot with hand tools, not in a shop with air tools. A 40 hour estimate to just R&R is absurd.
  
Gerald