Frustrated with Door

GCAKIA · 03-12-2016, 12:15 AM

My wife and I bought our second Redwood about 2 years ago; a beautiful 2015 39 MB. We live in it full time.

Almost from the beginning, we had problems with the front door not closing properly. Needed to use two hands and hold the handle out, close the door and release,...then hope it closed properly. The reason it took us almost the full 2 year warranty to get it replaced/fixed was that it required we leave the RV with the dealer for a full week. One hour to replace the door and a week to paint it. You can imagine what a pain in the rear this was to take what you need to live on for a week, pay for a hotel and then put it all back when it's done.

Well, you guessed it. We got home and within days the same problem began to re-occur. It's now been home a week and it's progressed to the point it's just as bad as before we took it in. I understand quite a few folks have had this same problem. Any suggestions for a long term fix? I plan to call Redwood Customer Service on Monday.

atom ant · 03-12-2016, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCAKIA

My wife and I bought our second Redwood about 2 years ago; a beautiful 2015 39 MB. We live in it full time.

Almost from the beginning, we had problems with the front door not closing properly. Needed to use two hands and hold the handle out, close the door and release,...then hope it closed properly. The reason it took us almost the full 2 year warranty to get it replaced/fixed was that it required we leave the RV with the dealer for a full week. One hour to replace the door and a week to paint it. You can imagine what a pain in the rear this was to take what you need to live on for a week, pay for a hotel and then put it all back when it's done.

Well, you guessed it. We got home and within days the same problem began to re-occur. It's now been home a week and it's progressed to the point it's just as bad as before we took it in. I understand quite a few folks have had this same problem. Any suggestions for a long term fix? I plan to call Redwood Customer Service on Monday.

Tell them to replace the door with the older one - ours is perfect. That new door stands between me and ever owning another Redwood. They are awful.

GCAKIA · 03-12-2016, 12:26 AM

Are you referring to an older model door? Replacing this door with the previous door that was just replaced wouldn't fix anything.

Gary

RWJSIM2003 · 03-12-2016, 12:32 AM

I am picking our RW up this weekend from the shop. It had taken them 5 weeks to replace and repaint the door. I am praying that I don't have the same issue again that we had before with it separating at the hinge seam.

Here are couple things that helped us when we first started having issues.
1. I sprayed the door hinge with CRC about once every 2-3 weeks this made the hinge not as hard to open and close. I will be doing this from day one with the new door.
2. Regularly check the screws that hold the lock on the inner face of the door where it meets the door jam. I found ours would come loose and when it came out a little it would make it hard to shut the door. I put some locktite on the screws so they would not back out from all the slamming of the door.

Good Luck Hopefully neither one of us will have to get the door replaced a second time. But I have seen others that have had it done more than once. very Frustrating.

Shane Wood · 03-12-2016, 12:41 AM

They are in the process of replacing my door for the second time. I have a mobile rv tech that comes to our park. Once the new one is installed they will send out a painter to paint it in place so they can match the stripes. You do not need to take it to a dealer to have this done.

atom ant · 03-12-2016, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GCAKIA

Are you referring to an older model door? Replacing this door with the previous door that was just replaced wouldn't fix anything.

Gary

Older model door. Ours is not the -"anti-sail" version, and I love it.

When Redwood switched Vendors in 2015, we started hearing tons of complaints. Some have been so stiff they even ripped the door frame out of the wall.

Char & Steve · 03-12-2016, 12:51 AM

Been through the same problems. I brought the RW back to the factory in October and they installed two new complete doors and painted. So far they seem to be working well but have not headed out anywhere since the install.

I can't see any dealer being able to uninstall and install in one hour if they were trying to correct a problem and do a good job. I would question this for sure.

Steve

**Dave&Ginny** · 03-12-2016, 01:00 AM

The good news is that they are in the process of assembling a better team at Redwood. I believe there will be many changes for the better. I think you'll see some of the Redwood's original dreams returning.

Jim & Mary · 03-12-2016, 01:19 AM

Dave what on earth is convincing you of this?

travelin' texans · 03-12-2016, 01:52 AM

Is there not some way to drill/bypass the anti sail part of the door or just replace the hinges with the pre '15 hinges?? What a royal PITA!!

GTXRAS · 03-12-2016, 04:04 AM

Not happy to hear this as we are waiting for a door/frame assembly to ship now to replace the POS we have been dealing with for year. I was hoping they would have fixed the problem by now.

**Dave&Ginny** · 03-12-2016, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim & Mary

Dave what on earth is convincing you of this?

Jim, I had a conversation with someone in the know. Believe me a lot of things are going to be changing for the better. There's a complete shake up at Redwood and the Redwood owners will benefit.

It's a happy time

atom ant · 03-12-2016, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

Jim, I had a conversation with someone in the know. Believe me a lot of things are going to be changing for the better. There's a complete shake up at Redwood and the Redwood owners will benefit.

It's a happy time

Dave you can really pour on the syrup pretty thick sometimes.

Owners never benefit from the change. Prospective owners maybe, but we become the legacy owners. The only possible improvement that could impact a legacy owner is improved warranty - but most of us here today will be out of warranty before the shake up settles down enough to help us at all.

And back to reality - has any RV company ever improved from a shake up or buy out? The trend seems to point to the opposite direction.

**Dave&Ginny** · 03-12-2016, 05:32 PM

Brad,

i'm being told that they threw the bums out and their intention is to bring Redwood back to what it was originally intended to be.

It's my hope that they go back to the pre-Jim time where you could call the company and get parts shipped to you. That's what led many of us to Redwood. The attitude toward the customer needs and not just working for the dealers.

atom ant · 03-12-2016, 07:13 PM

Sounds like the GOP rhetoric

Interesting to see how they plan to bring Redwood back to where they were, when not a one of them were around to know what it was. All the founders have been bounced out on their ears.

Andy talked to me about the parts issue, and it wasn't to protect the Dealers. It was because they got slapped for not collecting sales tax across state for parts shipments, so the immediate fix was to go through the Dealers. Ultimately the Tiara RV distribution fixed all the problems as far as I'm concerned. I've gotten anything I want shipped direct to my house and the parts have been exactly correct. I fear this rumble is going to even screw that up.

Time will tell, but a group of snake oil salesman telling you they are going to fix what wasn't necessarily broke is pretty typical. Redwood has some quality issues, but believe me, Keystone is not the group to fix that.

GTXRAS · 04-04-2016, 10:34 PM

About a week ago I worked on the entry door to see if I could “fix” it.
Went to Lowes and got some ¼ 20 Tee Nuts and 3 foot ¼ 20
threaded rod. I drilled one hole 31 inches up from the bottom and
another 42 inches up. Our door was separating the worst around the
middle hinge and latch. The hardest part was getting the threaded rod
through to hit the hole on the other side. I used a 5/16 steel tube to
drive through the Styrofoam to make it easier.
I bent the threaded rod so I could hang onto it while tightening the Tee Nut.
Used 90 degree snap ring plyers to tighten the nuts. Will need to get a Pin nut
wrench if I need to do this on the new door.

I drilled the holes close the fiberglass so when tightening I would not just
crush the Styrofoam. Got all the play out the frame and tightened it up
against the fiberglass panel. I also removed one each of the top and bottom hinges.
The door now closes like it should, light pressure and it latches.
My wife can open and close it finally.

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GTXRAS · 04-04-2016, 10:34 PM

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spindrift · 04-05-2016, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

Brad,

i'm being told that they threw the bums out and their intention is to bring Redwood back to what it was originally intended to be.

It's my hope that they go back to the pre-Jim time where you could call the company and get parts shipped to you. That's what led many of us to Redwood. The attitude toward the customer needs and not just working for the dealers.

Not yet. I just called and made an attempt to have a new skylight shipped directly to me...no such luck. Gotta' say, when I was back in New Joisey and had a relationship with my dealer, this wouldn't have happened.

**Dave&Ginny** · 04-05-2016, 05:04 AM

Sorry to hear that Tom. I was hoping they were going to be more cooperative toward the owners. Without the owners (buyers) they won't need those pesky dealers that they somehow seem more loyal to.

rob_fla · 04-05-2016, 12:12 PM

That is disappointing and frustrating, not the way to treat their target market fulltimers that are moving all over the country.

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