Community Forums

HarlenReed · 08-27-2013, 06:33 PM

The part of the roof that catches air is the front main ridge where the fiberglass meets the membrane and there is a long plastic cap there with 8 or so screws holding it all in place. Air only gets in the 12"-18" space between this seal and the MB A/C unit while driving at highway speeds 60+. Roof slightly puffs up and "flutters" in this very small space like a slightly loose ratchet strap holding something on a flatbed 18-wheeler. Roof is not torn, noticeably loose nor has water entered the roof there. I've seen it peeled back at the dealer, though I did question how they would adhere it to the decking now as you said. What's done is done, it's my rig at the end of the day. How do i "return" it and get another brand? Do you mean trade it in? There's no way in hell ExploreUSA is going to just take it back and give me another one. I just had to trade in my 2012 GMC pickup with 12K miles because GM (Sewell GMC) wouldn't fix the 6-5 shudder on my allision transmission. They just kept re-programming it. It got so bad after 5 attempted fixes we had no choice but to buy a new F-250 because the dealer wouldn't do a damn thing and I bought it new from them. Should i be contacting the manufacturer myself about the problems with my trailer? I honestly didn't think this was that big of a deal! This is not my first TT, although this one has had the most issues :/

jesilvas · 08-27-2013, 07:12 PM

I would go to the manufacturer with all those problems that should've been caught.

But I digress, that's for another thread.

cekkk · 08-27-2013, 07:27 PM

Did you look into Texas' Lemon Law? I don't know what it covers, cars, pickups. I hope you got a Ford or Dodge. Or did you reward GM's bad behavior?

HarlenReed · 08-27-2013, 07:37 PM

I have purchased many "lemons" in my day. Texas has a stringent lemon law, and it's too much stress for me to try to go down that road. I have now traded off 2 new GM vehicles because of them refusing to repair them. Both were equity situations where I felt I got a good deal at the end. We've all had lemons, we've all been there. Thanks everyone for your input, I will contact the manufacturer and see if they will help. I sincerely doubt they will though.

TeJay · 08-28-2013, 07:29 AM

We've just had 3 brand new and ordered TT's That was our first mistake because we started with a Fleetwood Tioga 23' in 1978, then a DS in 1999 on the F-53 chassis. In 2010 we decided on the TT route with a 2010 F-150 to pull it. That's when the mistakes began. After 3 TT's in 4 years we now have a 2014 Winnebago Vista 30T and we are very happy. Yes there will still be issues but nothing like the TT industry junk that they sell.

Here's why:
Overall there are NO self-adjusting brakes,(they came out in cars in about 1960), NO shock absorbers, Name one other item that travels down our highways that has no shocks, except boat and TT's). Frames that are paper thin and therefore even when leveled and supported with 8- jacks it's still like walking on a trampoline. Axles and tires that are designed to support the max weight just barely. There is no safety margin and that is a disaster waiting to happen and it scares me. The industry still insists on using drum brakes because they can get away with it. Even though drum brakes are being replaced almost exclusively by disc brakes, because they work and cool much better than drums. Yes I realize there would be extra cost because of the hydraulics involved. I also believe some American engineer can come up with a good way of making disc brakes work on a TT. Wheel bearings are usually china brands and I don't believe their QC is up to par with even Japan.

IMHO the TT industry operates from the fact that 80-90% of TT's after the first 3-4 years will sit on the side of the barn or house and see very little road time. Therefore they can construct on the lower side of safety and quality and that increases their bottom line.

Here's why I know this. We got a TT in 2012 that had a max weight of 7,000#. It came with 2-3000# axles. The dealer called the factory at 9-AM and they said NO, NO, NO. we will not change the axles. I did not realize the dealer had called them. At 10:30-AM that same day I called the factory and within 2 minutes the approval was given and two 3,500# axles were on their way to AR. Why did I get it done??? Because I am a consumer that realized the problem. I was shocked and asked the guy, "Did the decision to ship the axles change because I figured it out?" and he said, "Yes." That tells me a bunch about the TT industry.

That is a factual story with no exaggerations. If anybody wants to check it PM me and I will send you the necessary contact people at the dealer.

The salesman that sold us our DS told us that up in the TT capitol of IN. you could throw put up a few pole barns and become a TT manufacturer. There are also fewer outside controlling or monitoring agencies that regulate the TT industry. That is not the case with the MH industry.

We've had out last TT. We'll deal with towing a TOAD for transportation when we reach our destination. That's a lot easier than dealing with the cheap building of the TT's.

TeJay

jdmcalhany · 08-28-2013, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtjt

I have a 2011 caliber made by heartland. I do not like it.Taking it to many times to the shop to be fix. Always something wrong with it.
What is a good trailer to buy.Is a Dutchman or a Coachman good. What do you think. Looking for 27 foot to a 29 foot with one slide out. looking for a 2013. What is a good brand to buy. (Bumper Pull)
jtjt

We have a 2012 open range. It is 29 ft with tongue. After having the quality of a Winnebago view we found it hard to find a smaller TT made as well. Open range is a newer company and we have been very happy with it. Anything you bounce down the road is bound to have something go wrong , sometime. Our is at factory right now for repair. There was some delamination starting on one side and it is covered under the 2 year warranty. They have been very good to deal with. We pulled this with our f150 . When it comes back though I think we are going to sell it and go Bach to a small motor coach. Probably another Winnebago

tunafish · 08-28-2013, 12:50 PM

Hi,

We have a bright yellow Minnie Winnie 2451 and we love it. We pull it with a Ford Expedition Limited (5.7 gas V8, full towing package). We have the Elite WD hitch (looks like a Husky) with sway pads on both sides (the dealer originally only put on one). In retrospect I probably would have bought the reese straight line hitch as the friction pads are noisy. Weight is about 5,000 dry and 7,500 gross. We have a little sway at 70 mph but probably due to needing a little more vehicle than the Expedition (F-150 with an SUV body basically). We're still experimenting with moving the load around.

We probably should have chosen the 2301 (same size, bigger bath, no bunks, outdoor kitchen). But we like the bunks for added easy access storage. Not that you need it, there is tons of storage in this unit. We looked at a lot of TT before we settled on the Minnie. Workmanship seems very good. It is all dark wood though so it is dark inside with the lights off. The entertainment unit separates the bedroom from the living area very efficiently. Lots of privacy, you're not just separated by a curtain. There were the usual fit and finish problems but the dealer resolved them very quickly (Campingworld). Mechanically everything seems fine so far. We bought it in June and July/August here in Tampa is brutally hot, so we haven't taken her very far yet. We'll start traveling in Sept.

We'd recommend it, go to a show, check one out, with one slide they won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it could be yours. Other good ones we have seen are the Coleman and the Remington (they both look like they came out of the same shop). These are bigger, with more slides, etc. but keep in mind all of that adds weight. You'll need a bigger truck, bigger fuel bills and more service and tires.

Good Luck

Bill

cekkk · 08-28-2013, 01:51 PM

Tunafish, that's a nice looking rig. I looked online at a green one. A couple comments if you don't mind.

The Expedition has a 5.4. Our new one claims 310 hp & 365 lbs. of torque. Still a bit underpowered even though they add a few HP each model year. But very reliable in our experience. This is our fourth. It's fully capable of handling your trailer. I'm assuming you have the tow package, not just a hitch.

Finally, I see the Winnie has ST tires on it, 14". No matter the size, Special Trailer designation tires are all rated at no more than 65 mph.

capsfloyd · 08-28-2013, 09:37 PM

Forest river flagstaff 2012 , FR831RKSS. Very good quality ,

TeJay · 08-29-2013, 05:33 AM

I mentioned that we had 3 TT's. The last two were Flagstaff 26FKWS. They were very nice and the build quality was also very good. The two TT's were identical. One was 2013 and the other 2014. Why did we buy two???? The first one was totaled in a Pilot service area by a dump truck.

I said the build quality was good and it was. The fit and finish was also excellent. I really liked the Tor-Flex independent axles and self-adjusting brakes. That is a decent axle. What we didn't like was the flimsy frame. With 8 jacks under the frame (4 on the corners, 2-scissors under the center frame and 2 under the slide) it still flexed like a trampoline. It was also easy pulling. I was going to put shocks under it but we traded it for the Winnebago listed below.

TeJay

Cumminsfan · 08-29-2013, 10:44 AM

Tejay, you should've bought an Arctic Fox TT. They build their own frames and don't skimp on payload. Consumers need to be aware of RV deficiencies and not buy those TT's. If you didn't look at the axle ratings and the TT's GVW then it's your fault. I think you were just trusting the RV makers too much. A little research and you should've been looking at the suspension as well as overall build quality. A perspective buyer needs to literally crawl under the TT and look at how it's put together, open all cabinets and see if the left a pile of sawdust in there or they tucked everything neatly away. Consumer awareness is the only thing we have as consumers in this battle.

bluepill · 08-29-2013, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

A perspective buyer needs to literally crawl under the TT and look at how it's put together, open all cabinets and see if the left a pile of sawdust in there or they tucked everything neatly away. Consumer awareness is the only thing we have as consumers in this battle.

Hey, you just gave me a great idea for rainy days or when the DW goes out shopping.

I'll take a camera with me to a dealership, snoop around the different units, and take photos of all the defects. Then I will start a new thread here on IRV2.

Sounds like I'm gonna have to upgrade my camera's memory card to 64GB.

TeJay · 08-30-2013, 07:23 AM

I think the phrase is, "Hind sight is 20-20." You are correct we should have done our homework and we thought we did. We just were not thinking that they would short change us on frame, tire and suspension quality. Even after we realized some of the deficiencies we tried to get FR to install 4,000# axles and 15" tires but they said it couldn't be done. I accepted their statement at the time but also realized that they just didn't want to do it.

As far as the Arctic Fox line of TT's I didn't ever see them listed by anybody. They would have been a unit that we would have looked in to but they just never came up on the radar. I really think we are better off with the MH. Winnebago makes a good product and we are happy so far.

TeJay

samiam95124 · 08-30-2013, 12:41 PM

So my trailer is a Jayco jayflight SLX 185fb. I got the trailer because it had the floorplan I wanted, a queen full time bed for just me and my wife, A reasonable bathroom and it fit in my driveway, which in the big city can save the cost of the TT over a period of 20 years in storage fees, besides having the TT available at home (San Jose is very enthusiastic about ticketing trailers on the street). Also, I didn't want a slide out. Besides being a hassle, its just another thing to go wrong, and any openings in the sides invite water incursion, which to me is the #1 boogeyman with TTs.

Jayco appears to get a "moderate" rating from most here. I actually found quite a few QC issues with the trailer, but after reading here, I guess we got off well. Here's a list, keep in mind that we have only taken the TT out once.

1. The bed was inadequately supported, and broke quickly. The bottom is the water tank hatch and a front plate, plus a hinged section that was simply "stiffened" by a two 1x1 1/2 studs screwed to the bottom of the bed. One of the screws ripped out shortly after me and my wife tested it and no, we are not that heavy. Probally 300 pounds between us. It seemed that they were trying to keep the hinged opening clear of obstructions, since it opens to the trunk. I didn't care, so I bridged the space with studs and removed them from the hinged plate. End of problem.

2. Lots of screws that didn't get fully inserted.

3. I saw a few bathtub screws that didn't look tight, and on trying to tighten them, I found they were "stripped". I quoted that because I took them out, found out that they terminated in hollow space in the wall, they were not backed by a stud in the wall, which I found poor. Based on what I had seen elsewhere, I decided to pull all the screws, caulk them and replace them.

4. There were a lot of metal shavings lying in the water heater and refrigerator compartments after removing the outer doors.

5. The TV antenna boot on the roof had come loose from the glue placed there.

So nothing serious, I fixed it all up. Just a bit shaky for my confidence in the general quality for this maker. I still like the floorplan, and I am making various improvements in the vehicle, including adding tank flushing attachments and power system improvements.