Motorhome Windshield Wiper Problems

As most of you know by now, Louise and I spent the winter in South Texas (to avoid winter in Oklahoma!).  Things went pretty well with the exception of the windshield wipers on the Holiday Rambler motorhome.

On the way down, the wipers quit working in the "up" position and I had to look around them to see the mirror for the entire trip down.  Fortunately, we didn't have any rain!  After a couple of weeks there, I decided to try to fix them.  I checked the usual things like fuses and connectors with no luck.  I then decided that the motor had quit and I ordered a new one for $220.  This decision was not based on my being able to test the current motor but on the fact that the motor had been replaced once already.  The manufacturing date on the motor was a year later than that of the motorhome!

As you might guess, the motor did not solve the problem.  I called Holiday Rambler to see if I should go through one of their dealers or a Ford dealer, since I was giving up.  The motorhome is based on a Ford F53 chassis.  The gentleman I talked to was very knowledgeable and told me to check the "wiper control module" before I took it anywhere.  That module is located on the firewall behind the brake and accelerator pedals and was very easy to take out.  One whiff and I could tell that the unit was fried!

After a quick trip to O'Reilly's Auto Parts and another outlay of $122, I had a new one.  When I plugged it it, sure enough, the wipers started working again.  The moral to the story?   Don't buy a new wiper motor till you check this part!  It fits all types of Ford products, including trucks, Taurus's, and others.