Gray Tank Falling Off 7 Month Old Sunnybrook

[TeJay]

Now you are getting the idea. What they say and what they actually want you to do is often not the same. If you install a 35-gallon plastic tank to hold water/waste and support it on the side by a small lip that sticks out on the top, install 2-3 straps that are not tight along a bottom that you know is going to sag when you fill it, which will also compromise the sides and top edge and then you expect it not to fall out or at least stress those straps, you are asking for problems and you are going to get them. They may give a weight rating with full tanks but the industry does not expect you to travel with any of them full.

Common sense says, "With the tank full and the bottom sagging why not place a piece of angle iron along the bottom or a piece of 1/2" plywood to distribute the weight across the entire bottom." What would a piece of plywood cost the TT industry? Maybe 4 bucks. Give me a break.

Save a buck here, save a buck there and it all adds up to a cheap build.

TeJay

[Swamp Man]

The next time you talk to Sunnybrook, record the conversation. Have the owner's manual in front of you (which you have read cover to cover to see if there are any instructions about traveling with a full tank) and ask to have the problem fixed. If they give you problems, ask them if the trailer can be towed with the tanks full. Ask them if it says it in the owners manual. Ask them how you over fill a tank, and ask them if the indicators are always accurate. If they say no the indicators are not accurate, ask how do you know if the tank is overfilled? Ask if it is in the manaul. Get all of this recorded. Then tell them that is a warranty issue as you did not over fill the tank, and so on. If they refuse, you have a really good item for a lawsuit.

[Francesca]

Since you stand accused of destroying the tank/install by using it the way it's intended, I hope you're not using the black tank, too.

Or the door, the cupboards, the bed, the windows, the hitch...the list goes on.

The warranty only covers the things you don't use.

[myredracer]

That is insanity and makes no sense! What's the point of having a warranty?Broken tank support straps are all too common, but not on such a new unit. You could try going to a frame shop that is a government certified inspection facility, if you have them where you are. Then submit a copy to your dealer and the factory. If you do have them, you want to find one that is proactively going to help. Some just don't want to get involved with something like this.

I would try and find an individual at the factory/head office that has some decision making power and is in the know about this sort of thing. Hard to find such a person with some brands. Talk to him/her and explain your case. I would even go so far as to intimate that this will be all over the RV forums.

I would suggest taking this to the Trailer Life magazine RV Action Line. They seem pretty good with getting solutions.

Frames are not well built these days and some are just plain poorly designed, poorly built, and barely able to carry even just the UVW weight. (Ask me how I know). Curious as to who makes the frames on this line? Lippert or in-house? Lippert is famous for blowing people off and saying you overloaded your frame and it's your fault. Don't accept it - fight it.

Just goes to show that a long-standing well-known name doesn't mean a thing in the RV industry. If I was in the market for a new trailer and heard that, I wouldn't go near a Sunnybrook.

[Pollyanna]

ood News....

I finally got a call back from Paul Maciejewski, the warranty manager today.

He says he doesn't know why the other guy told us, and the RV repairman, that they won't cover it and he will handle that on his end. He said to call him with the bill and he will authorize the repair under our warranty.

Thanks for all your support and advice...Now we just have to get the repair done

[Swamp Man]

What do you want to bet that they have folks who surf the internet and saw some of the posts here?

[wingnut60]

What do you want to bet that they figured he would drop it after the first call and fix it himself?
Sunnybrook USED to be a well-built trailer (I owned 2), but sometiime around 2004-5 the quality began sliding if you can believe the numerous internet threads. I would also guess that Winnebago is all about production and profits, not sure that will turn into a better trailer.
Joe

[Stan.Birch]

Originally Posted by wingnut60

What do you want to bet that they figured he would drop it after the first call and fix it himself?

I suspect you are probably correct. Standard answer from those manning the the front line telephones. That way you don't have to train them. In fact they don't even have to speak English; they just have to know one word: Nope!

Originally Posted by wingnut60

Sunnybrook USED to be a well-built trailer (I owned 2), but sometiime around 2004-5 the quality began sliding if you can believe the numerous internet threads. I would also guess that Winnebago is all about production and profits, not sure that will turn into a better trailer.

Years ago, I did an online search for Sunnybrook. I didn't read all 1830 hits, but I couldn't find a single negative comment associated with the Sunnybrook name. All the comments were glowing reports about the quality, and how great Sunnybrook was.

When I bought my new rig, my warranty experience with Winnebago was a nightmare. Sounds as if nothing has changed over the years. I am looking for a new rig, and Winnebago didn't even make it to the bottom of the list.

[seacat]

Thanks for the feed back. Sure is good to hear things do work out.
Hope it gets repaired for you.

[Pollyanna]

I'd love to be able to update this thread and tell you everything is fixed.....but it isn't!

We finally got a Mobile RV repair company to come out and do the repair. It turned out the plumbing was never properly hooked up and the tank support brackets weren't properly installed. Apparently, the tank shifted during travel and the leaking began.

They redid the plumbing and I asked that we give it a few days to insure there were no leaks before they reinstalled the underbelly material. Well, a few days later, we let the tank fill and it started leaking again. Now Winnebago is accusing me of overfilling it again...WTH? If it's properly installed/repaired it shouldn't leak! I'm so disappointed in Winnebago and the Mobile Repair Company.

And they also found a cross member that wasn't welded to the frame when he inspected the underneath, so that has to be fixed too.

Oh, and Paul Maciejewski is no longer there, and the original warranty person got promoted to that position....so I'm dealing with the first guy that told me the tank was leaking because I overfilled it.

[Superslif]

O when it rain....It pours...I mean leaks....

I think you need to start to document everything that has happened so far. There should be no reason they should live up to "their" poor workmenship

[wingnut60]

So sorry for your troubles. This is not different from any other warranty issue.
Begin to document EVERY contact with SB/Winnebago--hopefully you have all this already. Somewhere along the line you may find someone who will listen to your problem. IF NOT, go to Trailer Life Action Line and send them your situation. More often than not, a valid complaint is resolved.

I have never understood why mfgs will not stand behind their warranties, yet when the publicity hits thru TL or some other publication, there is almost always a reasonable solution. Negative publicity on the internet is anathema to the mfgs--just make sure you keep your communications on a high level, don't start bad-mouthing them or mention legal action.

I owned 2 SBs before the quality started downhill--lots of info on that if you care to look it up. They were really great units and luckily I found the negative info before I upgraded to a fifth wheel.

Joe

[Bumper]

Polly, so sorry to hear of your problems! I remember how happy you guys were when you made the decision to buy your new fiver!!

Hopefully it will be taken care of soon.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by mamestra

I'm not sure caissiel why your tanks would be any different than any other Hartland product, I don't think that they build in Canada so tank capacity should be the same regardless of where it was purchased.

I agree!