My wife and I got back to Minnesota on  Wednesday. I backed into my son in law's driveway to do some work to the trailer before going to the campground for the summer. I was talking to my SIL and turned around. I looked at the trailer and almost crapped my pants! The roof was lifted and torn due to it sliding out from under the front cap (I had a repair done for the same problem done in February in Texas under warranty. The trailer is now at a dealer and with the roof like it is and the spongy floor needing replaced they want to send it back to the factory........... BTW, this trailer is just under a year old so it is under warranty. This picture is at the dealership.

Edited May 26, 20186 yr by MnTom

Yea and she will still get mad because there is a lot of back ground noise and I can't understand her, BUT there was (is?) a clear understanding when it comes to used fifth wheel trailers.

this is what i had from a leaking roof. all fixed now. 

That reminds me of a slide in camper I bought knowing it had a leak. It took me most of one summer to rebuild it. It was a decent camper, but boy, was it heavy!

13 hours ago, MnTom said:

But when your wife says NO then you need to listen..........

Need to send her down to meet with the warranty guy. When gets down to it this water damaged rv is now used and depreciated. Thats because of the major difficulty in floor repairs running under the outside walls. Insulation in wall /floor cavities also tends to not dry out Acts like an enclosed sponge and causes further rot to the inner/ outer skin and frame. That OSB board and any particle board turns into oatmeal in a hurry with moisture. 

 

 

              

Yea, I hope there isn't any water damage. It did rain the first night it happened. After that the dealership has been keeping it inside every night. So that means they move it out and back in every day so I'm sure it is a royal PITA for them too. The warranty guy is about 100 miles away at their main showroom so he probably doesn't much care how much of a pain it is.

I hope it comes out really well and they do the right thing..... not find an issue a short while after the warranty is up.

2 hours ago, JAG1 said:

I hope it comes out really well and they do the right thing..... not find an issue a short while after the warranty is up.

 

100 percent agree.  

2 hours ago, JAG1 said:

I hope it comes out really well and they do the right thing..... not find an issue a short while after the warranty is up.

Well, believe it or not, the warranty on the roof is ten years!! At least the dealer said it, BUT the floor warranty is one year and that year was up on June 2! The problem was reported and documented before the warranty was up, so it is covered. I do know how to fix the floor, but if they will all the better.

Hey!! Miracles do happen!! I convinced my wife we can buy a cheap camper to stay in while waiting for ours to be fixed!! WOO HOO!!  I found what looks to be a decent trailer. The problem is it is on Craigslist (flag#1), it is real cheap due to her husband passing away recently (flag#2) and 'she' said "If you are interested in buying this camper and would like to know more info about the process, please let me know asap." Her wording in the email.(flag#3)........... It is supposed to be a 2002 Keystone Montana Mountaineer 315RLS. We'll see... I can buy something like this for the summer and turn around and sell it to recoup most if not all of what I paid for it.

You pretty comfortable on drying them out after you get it back?    (We've had a couple leakers over the years)  our last leaker a retired boeing guy last used to be in "passenger comfort" dept shared his method.  If so let me know... Will take awhile to write up.  

I hope I don't have to dry out a one year old trailer that is supposed to be stored inside!! If I do I will not be in a good mood.......... You did get my curiosity up as to how to dry them out, though!

Hm.... Does this sound "familiar"?......... The last email from "her":

Thanks so much for getting back to me. Right now I'm located in Keesler Air Force Base from Biloxi, MS, training and getting ready for leaving the country. My presence won't be necessary because I had prearranged the deal with the eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection program. The camper is here in the custody of the Military Logistic Department, ready to be delivered to its hopefully future new owner. You`ll get free delivery and it will arrive at your address within 3 days with all the necessary documents for registration. In addition, you will have 5 days to try out prior to making any purchase and if by any reason you find something you don't like about it you can send it back at my expense. If you are ready to buy it, please reply with your full name, shipping address and phone#, so I can notify eBay that you are selected as my possible buyer, and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure.

Funny?!?! The posting disappeared! I was going to report it too..........

 

24 minutes ago, MnTom said:

I hope I don't have to dry out a one year old trailer that is supposed to be stored inside!! If I do I will not be in a good mood.......... You did get my curiosity up as to how to dry them out, though!

Hm.... Does this sound "familiar"?......... The last email from "her":

 

 

 

Funny?!?! The posting disappeared! I was going to report it too..........

 

 

Scam!!!

 

To confirm if a scam or not ... pull up base phone book on line and see if they even have a section call that.  

 

Kessler is a fun base.  Across runway the national guard base... is it still there?  Kessler is just far enough away from McChord afb (WA)  get seperate rations.  Kessler always parked us on nat. gaurd side.

I have seen several of these while looking vehicles on Craig's list a while back. Very similar story, in the military, transferring, ship the car to me, and such. The cars and the prices were to good to be true. First one I saw was a little fishy and then a few days later I came across the exact same story, only the names and cities were changed. I reported it to CL but they just kept telling me all the things I could do about it. Buyer beware.

I am guessing Kessler is still there. I am in north central Minnesota. Funny how the ad had an address about an hour north of me and then all the sudden it isn't there.... Make you go HMMMmmm! I replied SCAM, SCAM, SCAM and the posting went away.....

Most bases do have a "lemon lot".  Used to cruise by on way to gate going home.  Never have I seen a good deal.  

 

I asked a friend in Germany To see what vp44 are going for over there.  As lots more cars use them.  Was going to buy a cheap one out of junk yard and turn in as core over here.  No big bargains buy the time you convert dollar.

Edited June 3, 20186 yr by 015point9

I hope you keep us posted MnTom.

 

Just want to say that it would be difficult for me to sell my current RV. I've fixed so many things and added so many upgrades that I would hate to go thru all that again. I saw the warranty workmanship one time and said no more for me and went with my own warranty. I fixed failing structure twice besides leaks. Taking everything apart you could readily see the piece rate workmanship symptoms in the really crappy hurried work from the factory. 

 

38 minutes ago, JAG1 said:

I hope you keep us posted MnTom.

 

 

I plan on it.

I just got back from talking to the dealership where my trailer is. They told me last Friday to call the Warranty Manager at their main store. I called him three times during normal business hours and he never called me back. Since we (wife and I) were in the vicinity I stopped to see what was going on. The Service Manager told me he got "bitched at" by the Warranty Manager because he doesn't want to deal with customers! WOW...... Anyhow, as of this morning they are waiting on warranty authorization from Forest River and need to arrange transportation. Hurry up and wait.........

Sounds like the warranty manager might need a new a line of work.

Send Driply over there in the big chicken costume... he'll straighten him out.

 

Note the size of that beak!

3 hours ago, MnTom said:

I plan on it.

I just got back from talking to the dealership where my trailer is. They told me last Friday to call the Warranty Manager at their main store. I called him three times during normal business hours and he never called me back. Since we (wife and I) were in the vicinity I stopped to see what was going on. The Service Manager told me he got "bitched at" by the Warranty Manager because he doesn't want to deal with customers! WOW...... Anyhow, as of this morning they are waiting on warranty authorization from Forest River and need to arrange transportation. Hurry up and wait.........

 

Another reason I hate warranty. It always seems to take long getting something fixed. Even a vehicle with warranty it seems to take forever to get through the channels and get the parts and work done. Like my warranty claim, VP44 at 50k miles took over 8 hours to be installed. Shop labor rate is 4 hours. Now today I can install VP44 in about 1.5 to 2 hours and be running the longest thing is getting the part shipped here. 

 

Funny tidbit an extended warranty company sent me a letter that I could get extended warranty on my truck for a price. Here what happened...

 

 

I'll most likely continue to buy used RV's and used vehicles. 

I didn't plan on having them fix the floor. The roof issue is how they got involved. I know how to fix the floor and have it way more solid than original. I figured what the heck, let them see what they can do since I have heard of other trailers having the same issue and they wound up back at the factory too. I was waiting for my wife and looked at a Trailer Life magazine today. In it was a request for help to get reimbursement for a new roof that did what mine did. The total cost of that roof was $9047 and change!!