2014 36rl

[Dave6532]

I picked up my new Redwood 36RL and really enjoy it so far. We are having a few issues The microwave is possessed!!!! I called the manufacture and they are sending me a new one!!! We have a few broken plastic clips that hold the trash can in place and the sliding glass door in the bedroom. Also, our bathroom door is bowed and the company has yet to repair it. Also, our bedroom slide goes out too far and our main bedroom door won't close. They told me they would add more wood behind the frame so the bedroom door would close. Also, our keypad is not unlocking/locking properly. So many issues on an expensive trailer I was told the bedroom is not set up for sat cable. I have a really nice winged dome Directv. The main living room gets reception however, I cannot find which coax cable to attach the bedroom to. Explorer said it is not wired for one. Does anyone know where to order the plastic hooks for the drawers and sliding door. I really don't want to call the company AGAIN!!! Oh...I have lost 6 light bulbs as well. Only had the camper 3 weeks!!!

[Tobys Home]

Wow.!.? The only place we got clip replacements was from the factory. After that I switched them out with closet door clips with rollers. Try Redwood again they have helped us with lots of the small parts. Good luck.

[johnboytoo]

Welcome Dave!
Sorry for the issues... Takes the luster off that new vehicle shine pretty quickly doesn't it..
I too have been 'challenged' by having our 38gk for 4 months and it being at the dealer almost three of those months (so far - it's still there )

Are you dealing with ExploreUSA ? Which one ?

[atom ant]

Hi Dave- Congratulations on that new Redwood!!

Expense doesn't have anything to do with it, Expensive means its a camper with a lot more features than an inexpensive camper. Same little things happen on the high end. The Dealer (Canton Explore USA) showed me a $175K MS in the shop that was re-leveling itself whenever it felt like it and would crush the guys coolers stored under the frame and knock his water glass over.

Anyway -

The plastic clips are available at the Dealer, or at Camping World. I carry 4 spares now, because I keep catching the closet door.

My bedroom door is doing the same thing, and that was my fix, but I think I will have the Dealer do it when we go in for our annual.

The Frigidaire convection microwave is truly having some issues. Yours is not the first. You might unplug it when not using it until they replace it.

The DW has fits with the keypad, but I seem to be OK with it. I keep the lock lubed and we all seem to be OK. Make sure you swipe it first to turn it on, or it misses the first number you enter.

I assume the Dealer is saying Redwood "messed up" on the bedroom wiring, as according to the attached wiring diagram for the 36RL, the bedroom IS wired for satellite from both the roof and the street. Don't let them charge you for that, unless Redwood tells you this drawing is no longer valid and they quit wiring that TV. I installed my antenna myself, and everything was there.

Keep your chin up, to me, its all just part of owning an RV.

[Dave6532]

I am dealing with the one in Denton, Texas. They have been nice and addressed most of the issues however they feel I am crazy on a few. I have been trying to deal with Redwood myself first and then the dealer last. I hate to bring it in yet again. We are full timers. Giving up our RV is a headache.

[Dan]

Dave
As with most RV's there are lots of problems to get ironed out but "most" seem to be minor just annoying especially when it's hung up at the dealer/repair shop for "extended" period of time(s)


Dan

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Dave6532

I picked up my new Redwood 36RL and really enjoy it so far. We are having a few issues The microwave is possessed!!!! I called the manufacture and they are sending me a new one!!! We have a few broken plastic clips that hold the trash can in place and the sliding glass door in the bedroom. Also, our bathroom door is bowed and the company has yet to repair it. Also, our bedroom slide goes out too far and our main bedroom door won't close. They told me they would add more wood behind the frame so the bedroom door would close. Also, our keypad is not unlocking/locking properly. So many issues on an expensive trailer I was told the bedroom is not set up for sat cable. I have a really nice winged dome Directv. The main living room gets reception however, I cannot find which coax cable to attach the bedroom to. Explorer said it is not wired for one. Does anyone know where to order the plastic hooks for the drawers and sliding door. I really don't want to call the company AGAIN!!! Oh...I have lost 6 light bulbs as well. Only had the camper 3 weeks!!!

Dave, hopefully things will work out. Unfortunately, this is your home unlike a lot of Redwood owners on this forum. Although, there are a few full timers.

I am a potential buyer and have been paying attention to the Redwood forum(s). The other one is Redwoodrv forum.

I must ask, when you say that the bedroom door won't shut. Are you saying that the won't latch to the door jam or will not close because the door jam is to narrow? I've heard of the Microwave/convection doing what you're saying. Redwood's having troubles with the microwave/convection. I haven't heard much about the clips. Guess you'll have to get a bunch of clips like Atom Ant suggest.

Just FYI. If your traveling with your Redwood there is a lot of talk of the pantry door opening while traveling. There is a thread on this issue with pictures of the fix that many have used. They're using different hitch pins on individual drawers in the pantry.

One last question, did you purchase the early 2014 or the later 2014? The early one is styled like the 2012's & 2013's. The later 2014 is manufactured September on. It has a redesigned front nose (cowling). Also, it has several new features inside and out. Unsure whether those are having similar problems.

I hope that any repairs that need to be done at the dealer can be done once.

Good luck! Congrats.

[Dave6532]

Thanks!! The diagram really helped. I will look and see if I can get the sat to work today. All trailers will have issues at anytime. Just kinda frustrated it started on day 1

Dave



QUOTE=atom ant;20509]Hi Dave- Congratulations on that new Redwood!!

Expense doesn't have anything to do with it, Expensive means its a camper with a lot more features than an inexpensive camper. Same little things happen on the high end. The Dealer (Canton Explore USA) showed me a $175K MS in the shop that was re-leveling itself whenever it felt like it and would crush the guys coolers stored under the frame and knock his water glass over.

Anyway -

The plastic clips are available at the Dealer, or at Camping World. I carry 4 spares now, because I keep catching the closet door.

My bedroom door is doing the same thing, and that was my fix, but I think I will have the Dealer do it when we go in for our annual.

The Frigidaire convection microwave is truly having some issues. Yours is not the first. You might unplug it when not using it until they replace it.

The DW has fits with the keypad, but I seem to be OK with it. I keep the lock lubed and we all seem to be OK. Make sure you swipe it first to turn it on, or it misses the first number you enter.

I assume the Dealer is saying Redwood "messed up" on the bedroom wiring, as according to the attached wiring diagram for the 36RL, the bedroom IS wired for satellite from both the roof and the street. Don't let them charge you for that, unless Redwood tells you this drawing is no longer valid and they quit wiring that TV. I installed my antenna myself, and everything was there.

Keep your chin up, to me, its all just part of owning an RV.[/QUOTE]

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by Dave6532

I am dealing with the one in Denton, Texas. They have been nice and addressed most of the issues however they feel I am crazy on a few. I have been trying to deal with Redwood myself first and then the dealer last. I hate to bring it in yet again. We are full timers. Giving up our RV is a headache.

Dave, I'm curious which parts they thought were crazy?

When we took delivery, my bedroom door was fine. It wasn't until after we installed the W/D that the slide started going out far enough that the door wouldn't reach the jamb. Mine will actually pass through the jamb. I'm wondering if the additional weight of the W/D made it change a little. (It's amazing the door works anyway. Hard enough to keep a door true in a standard jamb, let alone one that has to hang in a collapsible jamb for travel). I looked at it yesterday and it would seam I could pull the jamb and add a little wood behind it and replace the jamb.

[Dave6532]

Dave,

I really love our Redwood, however I have just had a few issues like most owners. I own the early 2014. I looked at the later 2014 but they did not have a 36RL there. We looked at the 38GK as well. Explore RV addressed most of the issues and will have to bring the RV in after the 1st of the year so they can work on it. I am going to go ahead and buy lots of the clips!!! My wife is a little rough on them Bull in a china cabinet!!! I feel you will really enjoy the Redwood over the others. I cannot wait to start on a few accessories like most of the other owners. I am going to purchase LED bulbs next week.

Dave

[Dave6532]

Atom,

Our worked perfectly when we picked it up. We had a horrible ice storm here in Dallas and that is when it started. It happened one day and then the next it was back to normal. When I took it in to ExploreUSA, it happened to them!! I was so happy it happened to them!!!!!! They are going to add some cedar behind the door jamb to repair it, however they have to contact Redwood to add this to the warranty. We don't have a washer and dryer yet but we will. I have been looking at a few different brands besides RV style ones. I have to be very careful concerning size.

Dave

[atom ant]

Cool, let us know how the jamb turns out. Yours will probably get done before ours.

[Dave&Ginny]

There's always problems with buying a new RV. Unlike cars, these things seem to take forever to get all the little issues worked out. My wife wants to see the new MB floor plan and she's talked about wanting to end up with a high end diesel pusher. Either way I just see another year of working out issues. For that reason I think I'll try talking her into waiting a year.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

There's always problems with buying a new RV. Unlike cars, these things seem to take forever to get all the little issues worked out. My wife wants to see the new MB floor plan and she's talked about wanting to end up with a high end diesel pusher. Either way I just see another year of working out issues. For that reason I think I'll try talking her into waiting a year.

As far as 5ers go I believe that's a true statement. About two years ago there was an article that wrote about 5th wheel units and how they compare to a diesel pusher. Diesel pushers have been the notorious standard for full timing. As a whole, there are less problems with the diesel pusher units. Talking to many different diesel pusher owners, that's what I'm getting for information.

The standard for a 5th wheel is that it spends more time sitting around and being used less than a diesel pusher. Hence less R&D into quality assurance.

A friend of mine has a 2012 Meridian on a Freightliner chassis. That unit is right in the low $300,000.00. He's had it for two years with no issues. Virtually nothing. His discussions with me are not of issues. It's always about where he is going or where he's been. That's the type of dialogue you want.

Everyone has an opinion on this subject, either way. I personally, am not ready to spend the additional money on a diesel pusher. I'll put up with the not so perfect 5er, for now.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by Dave

As far as 5ers go I believe that's a true statement. About two years ago there was an article that wrote about 5th wheel units and how they compare to a diesel pusher. Diesel pushers have been the notorious standard for full timing. As a whole, there are less problems with the diesel pusher units. Talking to many different diesel pusher owners, that's what I'm getting for information.

The standard for a 5th wheel is that it spends more time sitting around and being used less than a diesel pusher. Hence less R&D into quality assurance.

A friend of mine has a 2012 Meridian on a Freightliner chassis. That unit is right in the low $300,000.00. He's had it for two years with no issues. Virtually nothing. His discussions with me are not of issues. It's always about where he is going or where he's been. That's the type of dialogue you want.

Everyone has an opinion on this subject, either way. I personally, am not ready to spend the additional money on a diesel pusher. I'll put up with the not so perfect 5er, for now.

Man I have heard the complete opposite. The technology is greater on the pusher and as a result, they fail a lot. We have friends we camp with that have had nothing but fits with his Freedom, from not having any hot water, to no 12V power at all when not plugged in, to complete shutdown on the mountain passes at about every 3rd pullout. After sharing our showers with them for a week, we finally waved goodbye after seeing them on the side of the road, again, with the four way flashers on. By cell phone, he said the engine completely shut down and he has to wait for it to cool down.

That same week, a guy knocked on my door to tell me he was staying in our site after we left that day and would it be ok to move over his firewood. He asked how we like our 5er, and said he wished so bad he decided on a 5er vs his pusher. He said it has the worst electrical of any RV and spends more time behind a wrecker than any vehicle he has ever owned, and when he opens the back door to see what is wrong, it is all completely foreign technology to him. He said a typical tow bill is $1,200.

I would have to say from my perspective, 5er issues are small potatoes compared to the issues you can have with a pusher.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by atom ant

Man I have heard the complete opposite. The technology is greater on the pusher and as a result, they fail a lot. We have friends we camp with that have had nothing but fits with his Freedom, from not having any hot water, to no 12V power at all when not plugged in, to complete shutdown on the mountain passes at about every 3rd pullout. After sharing our showers with them for a week, we finally waved goodbye after seeing them on the side of the road, again, with the four way flashers on. By cell phone, he said the engine completely shut down and he has to wait for it to cool down.

That same week, a guy knocked on my door to tell me he was staying in our site after we left that day and would it be ok to move over his firewood. He asked how we like our 5er, and said he wished so bad he decided on a 5er vs his pusher. He said it has the worst electrical of any RV and spends more time behind a wrecker than any vehicle he has ever owned, and when he opens the back door to see what is wrong, it is all completely foreign technology to him. He said a typical tow bill is $1,200.

I would have to say from my perspective, 5er issues are small potatoes compared to the issues you can have with a pusher.

At least you helped a fellow RVer!!!!!

[johnboytoo]

We are still awaiting ExploreUSA's 'fixes' on ours... many promises and no delivery

but two couples we camp with regularly have high end DP (IMHO)
one has only had some small issues, but the other has spent more time in the shop than ours !

And as stated, their cost are multiples of ours...
an oil change on my truck is $100, theirs is $500 or so

And, when we camp,
we are always in or around ours -
more covered seating outside and
more inside seating for the group of 8 to 10 that usually get together...
(with the biggest TV for watching the football games !)
but the ottoman has to be used to seat that many inside

[atom ant]

Don't get me wrong, we will probably have a DP when I get older and retire so we can pull toys, but I watched a elderly gentlemen at the campground open the back of his and stared at it, poked at it, and the pulley was bigger than his head, and he stared some more, and then he went inside and called a wrecker. I would be in the same boat - just a blank stare if it didn't start.

[usaf1949]

We just got our 2014 36RE on the 25th of Nov and are absolutely in love with it. Yes, like any new item we have some issues, but I know that they can be fixed with little headache. We have been RVing since 86 and have owned both side of the coin...an Allegro Bus was my last pusher and it had as many "issues" as the 5th. It doesn't matter if you have a 5th or DP, it is always a headache when it has to go in for repair. Big difference in the price of repairs............ I'll stick with my 5th. Good luck with yours!

[rlm1247]

Comments such as the price of the unit does not matter in regards to the workmanship. Sorry I disgree, regardless of the price if it's $30,000 OR $300,000, the so called craftspeople building any unit should have enough pride in their workmanship to do the job right the first time. Not having the dealership repair their mistakes, etc. The people making these units are paid by the number of units they turn out not by the hour, which explains lack of workmanship. I have a friend who works for a RV company and it is amazing how many units arrive and the final production point for final inspection and the number of items incorrect, not completed, missing, etc., the final inspection people are expected to fix these items. If it were my company any employee not doing the job would be required to fix their problem and not be paid for doing so as well as not expecting someone else to fix it for them. Having purchased a new Redwood and having it for four days before it went back in for repairs that took 53 days and still not correct. How would an employee feel or think if it was their unit being repaired, etc. or would they buy a unit they worked on knowing it was not correct?