My new 38GK

Willranless · 08-28-2013, 01:24 PM

I picked up my 2014 38GK Aug 20th. We are selling our house and moved into the 5th wheel. We love the floor plan and features that were not available in our Open Range. We expected some issues and we were right.
1. Refrigerator did not cool properly because masking tape was left over the vent holes in outside cover
2. Island light did not work due to a loose wire behind the switches
3. This is MAJOR. The Living Room slide is binding at the back and the Kitchen slide is dragging on the carpet so much that they do not want to come in or go out. The LR slide pulled the seal off the outside. I put it back but when I try to bring the slide in it starts to bind again. There is not enough clearance at the rear of the slide. It also hits the valance inside and the couch cushion. Apparently the slides need the coach to be perfectly level and I mean PERFECT or they won't move. And why should I have to "calibrate" the Auto Level? That's what's it is supposed to do automatically. It took several tries and auto level sequences to get the slides pulled in to move the coach out of my driveway (concrete and more level than you will find at any campground) Now I have it set up in my RV Park, but it will have to go back to the dealer for repairs.

lwg · 08-28-2013, 01:48 PM

Most of that should have been caught with the PDI. FWIW our coach wasn't truly level with the auto level either. We ended up having to set that up ourselves (just did it today). Prefer it that way actually as I can give it the slight tilt I want for the AC condenser runoff.

Hopefully you're issues will be fixed correctly and you'll be a happy camper. We definitely are. Had plenty of issues of our own but would still recommend the product.

pipeliner798 · 08-28-2013, 02:34 PM

The slide malfunction is exactly what happened to mine last night and ripped up 3 squares of lineolium and the wall. After 4 major problems in first 3 days I call it my 2014 driftwood

Willranless · 08-28-2013, 03:00 PM

I'm hopeful that the dealer will be able to fix it. But when I get it back you can be sure I will cycle the slides every other day for a while to make sure it stays fixed. Even though we plan to live in it full time, when I need it to move, I want to be confident the slides will operate properly when I hit the switch. Now is when we find out the true nature of our dealer and Redwood.

spindrift · 08-28-2013, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pipeliner798

The slide malfunction is exactly what happened to mine last night and ripped up 3 squares of lineolium and the wall. After 4 major problems in first 3 days I call it my 2014 driftwood

It really, really suks that this has happened. Here's hoping that Redwood works with you in a professional manner. Best of luck.

Willranless · 08-31-2013, 08:59 AM

Well it looks like our house is sold, so we will be living full time in our 38GK. My post started on a somewhat negative note so I would like to mention a few things we love about our Redwood and a couple of observations for improvement. This floor plan has finally brought together a number of features that we could only find separately in various brands and models. At the top of our list is the shower. Its roomy, and a one- piece unit. Two large pantries with rollout drawers in kitchen. Dishwasher. Recessed lighting - I'm a tall guy so now I don't have to duck under ceiling fixtures. Also love the wall switches. Second sink and medicine cabinet in bedroom. Bedside table and chest. Huge closet. LED light in awning. Disc brakes.
Now for some things I've noticed that could be improved
1) the ice maker supply line is exposed to the outdoors and will definitely freeze in cold weather unless I put heat tape on it
2) the power center is located directly below the toilet area. A leak from the supply line or toilet will be a disaster.
3) I don't understand the reason for glass panels in the bedroom and bathroom doors. They should be solid.
Now if we can get these slides fixed I'll be a happy camper
Randy

atom ant · 08-31-2013, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willranless

1) the ice maker supply line is exposed to the outdoors and will definitely freeze in cold weather unless I put heat tape on it

I agree. You might note the refrigerator itself uses heat tape on the line and valve, but nothing on the feed line other than insulation. I guess to use in real cold, the icemaker has to be shut off and drained (valve under the sink).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willranless

3) I don't understand the reason for glass panels in the bedroom and bathroom doors. They should be solid.

Strange how we all have different tastes. The frosted glass panels in the bedroom door is actually on of the things we loved, and I'm jealous you have one in the bathroom door (ours does not). I think the glass panel doors in the bedroom has been pretty common across the industry, as we also saw them in the new Montanas we looked at 5 years ago. Some did have day-night shades on them though, which might be an idea for you.

Willranless · 08-31-2013, 01:08 PM

Just to clarify, the bathroom door I was referring to is between the Kitchen and the Bathroom. The glass is opaque but you can still see the silhouette of the person behind it. It's just me and the DW most of the time, but sometimes we will have guests. I'd just like a little more privacy getting out of the shower.The door to the WC is solid. As for the bedroom door, I like a dark room when I take my afternoon nap. But as they say, "to each his own"

SW1117 · 08-31-2013, 03:31 PM

I like the glass inserts as well. As far as seeing in the shower, my DH says he can't see anything. That was one of my concerns for when my Daughter comes to visit. He insists it's not a problem. If it becomes one, I will find a solution.

travelin' texans · 08-31-2013, 07:58 PM

My DW put limo tint on the glass of all the doors and cabinets with glass so you cannot see what's behind them. Looks very good and inexpensive fix.

homeguy · 09-01-2013, 08:33 AM

our bathroom door is solid with no glass, so know issue with it. The bedroom door has a frosted cover on it. goes on like shelf paper but has a frosted look, called rain, that looks like the shower doors in your home

Willranless · 09-22-2013, 06:01 PM

Well I thought we were in the clear as far as leaks in the roof but I was wrong. It rained all night Friday and my wife felt a drip on her when she was near the fireplace. The water was dripping from the return air vent. There was a significant amount of water in the duct, so I went up and checked the A/C unit and found that water was in the return duct there too. I'm not sure how the water is getting in. The thermostat wire was pinched under the foam seal between the A/C and roof, but one of the mounting lag bolts will not tighten securely either. I sealed it as best I could, but I will have to get the dealer to fix it permanently when I take it back for the slide repairs. I checked the other unit and it was dry. But we have visible damage to the ceiling in the Living Room.

**Dave&Ginny** · 09-22-2013, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willranless

Well I thought we were in the clear as far as leaks in the roof but I was wrong. It rained all night Friday and my wife felt a drip on her when she was near the fireplace. The water was dripping from the return air vent. There was a significant amount of water in the duct, so I went up and checked the A/C unit and found that water was in the return duct there too. I'm not sure how the water is getting in. The thermostat wire was pinched under the foam seal between the A/C and roof, but one of the mounting lag bolts will not tighten securely either. I sealed it as best I could, but I will have to get the dealer to fix it permanently when I take it back for the slide repairs. I checked the other unit and it was dry. But we have visible damage to the ceiling in the Living Room.

This sounds like the seal between the a/c unit and the roof. They can fix it easy enough and it's a common problem with many RVs. Sorry to hear this happened to your Redwood.

Willranless · 10-09-2013, 10:22 AM

At the dealer today for service on the slide and a/c. Hoping for the best.

johnboytoo · 10-09-2013, 01:02 PM

Good luck Will !
Ours is back at the dealer too for some tweaks, but no leaks (that we noticed) and it STORMED on us last weekend...

re the opaque shower door, we have a large master bath window like that in our S&B and the wife keeps the shade down there

and in the redwood, she opened the WC door as a further block

I tell her I can't see anything anyway... but that's because I liked the silhouette

Willranless · 10-09-2013, 10:31 PM

Well I am happy to report that things went well on the repairs. They adjusted the slide and it works fine now. I'm also fairly confident they were able to permanently fix the leak around the a/c unit. I plan to inspect that repair soon to see how it looks.

atom ant · 10-13-2013, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

My DW put limo tint on the glass of all the doors and cabinets with glass so you cannot see what's behind them. Looks very good and inexpensive fix.

I was thinking of just lining the back with black construction paper. does the tint block out things even if it is up against the window?

travelin' texans · 10-13-2013, 10:57 AM

Yes! We did'nt like being able to see everything in the cabinets & closet when the doors were closed. Gives it a good apearance with black tv and black microwave.

Willranless · 10-14-2013, 11:11 PM

A couple of observations about the 38GK: If the window for the Water Closet is open, the Entrance Door could shatter it if the door swings back too fast and hits it. ( hasn't happened to mine yet, but I don't open that window much for that reason).
When I am flushing my black tank, I've noticed that the flow will completely stop for a minute or so and then whatever is stopping it will break loose and flow resumes normally.

atom ant · 10-15-2013, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willranless

When I am flushing my black tank, I've noticed that the flow will completely stop for a minute or so and then whatever is stopping it will break loose and flow resumes normally.

That sounds kind of weird. Have you seen a picture of what the flush actually looks like? There is nothing that could stop the flow necessarily.

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