New 2020 Redwood 4001LK - Thoughts

[Edward & Benita Roberts]

Originally Posted by randy.rayford

I see several comments about the 2020 4001 LK. My first day on this site and glad to be here. My wife and I plan to buy 2021 4001 LK in December. I am somewhat concerned about towing with rear kitchen.
I plan to get 2021 F350 6.7 SRW with Anderson hitch. I still have research to do on hitch weights and overall towing 16,800lb.

We own a 2021 4001LK (purchased in August, full timers). I'm going to agree with everyone's recommendation on going with dual rear wheels towing this trailer. You'll want the stability. I have airbags. My research pointed me toward the Anderson hitch, but the truck I bought already had the lower half of a B&W 25K Companion. I just had to purchase the head and really like it. It comes out in two pieces, so I am able to remove it myself.

As for the 4001LK, research! Check the Facebook pages. Search "4001LK" on them and any forums you can find. Many will state, "Every new RV has some problems" and then blame things on user error or unrealistic expectations. Research and look for the difference between "typical issues" and major problems. We regret our purchase, mainly because of towing issues and the resulting damage, and have been disappointed in Redwood's response, or lack thereof, to say the least. And when it comes to suspension problems/failures, they aren't relegated to this model alone. As I scour sites and forums looking for information I'm shocked at the number of failures that could have resulted in catastrophe.

Perhaps I'm being harsh, but I'm just not one to say, "It may possibly be dangerous to tow and it sure breaks a lot of things, but I love the floorplan so it's all good." I guess I just expect a luxury item at this price point to be able to do what it is sold to do: live in full time and be towed on the road.

READ, READ, READ. Don't just take my word on buying one. Some people will still sell you on one, and that's fine. We won't. But if you do purchase, you're gonna want that dually.

[ljvda1221@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Edward & Benita Roberts

We own a 2021 4001LK (purchased in August, full timers). I'm going to agree with everyone's recommendation on going with dual rear wheels towing this trailer. You'll want the stability. I have airbags. My research pointed me toward the Anderson hitch, but the truck I bought already had the lower half of a B&W 25K Companion. I just had to purchase the head and really like it. It comes out in two pieces, so I am able to remove it myself.

As for the 4001LK, research! Check the Facebook pages. Search "4001LK" on them and any forums you can find. Many will state, "Every new RV has some problems" and then blame things on user error or unrealistic expectations. Research and look for the difference between "typical issues" and major problems. We regret our purchase, mainly because of towing issues and the resulting damage, and have been disappointed in Redwood's response, or lack thereof, to say the least. And when it comes to suspension problems/failures, they aren't relegated to this model alone. As I scour sites and forums looking for information I'm shocked at the number of failures that could have resulted in catastrophe.

Perhaps I'm being harsh, but I'm just not one to say, "It may possibly be dangerous to tow and it sure breaks a lot of things, but I love the floorplan so it's all good." I guess I just expect a luxury item at this price point to be able to do what it is sold to do: live in full time and be towed on the road.

READ, READ, READ. Don't just take my word on buying one. Some people will still sell you on one, and that's fine. We won't. But if you do purchase, you're gonna want that dually.

We tow with a dually and have the B&W Companion hitch also. If don't mind, could you share what specific towing and suspension issues you've had? Thanks

[randy.rayford]

Originally Posted by Edward & Benita Roberts

We own a 2021 4001LK (purchased in August, full timers). I'm going to agree with everyone's recommendation on going with dual rear wheels towing this trailer. You'll want the stability. I have airbags. My research pointed me toward the Anderson hitch, but the truck I bought already had the lower half of a B&W 25K Companion. I just had to purchase the head and really like it. It comes out in two pieces, so I am able to remove it myself.

As for the 4001LK, research! Check the Facebook pages. Search "4001LK" on them and any forums you can find. Many will state, "Every new RV has some problems" and then blame things on user error or unrealistic expectations. Research and look for the difference between "typical issues" and major problems. We regret our purchase, mainly because of towing issues and the resulting damage, and have been disappointed in Redwood's response, or lack thereof, to say the least. And when it comes to suspension problems/failures, they aren't relegated to this model alone. As I scour sites and forums looking for information I'm shocked at the number of failures that could have resulted in catastrophe.

Perhaps I'm being harsh, but I'm just not one to say, "It may possibly be dangerous to tow and it sure breaks a lot of things, but I love the floorplan so it's all good." I guess I just expect a luxury item at this price point to be able to do what it is sold to do: live in full time and be towed on the road.

READ, READ, READ. Don't just take my word on buying one. Some people will still sell you on one, and that's fine. We won't. But if you do purchase, you're gonna want that dually.

Thanks
We will not get dully so I need to find RV with less weight. I really like the 4001 LK though.

[xtasee]

Originally Posted by randy.rayford

Thanks
We will not get dully so I need to find RV with less weight. I really like the 4001 LK though.

I believe that when I ordered my 31SL, it was about the only Redwood that works out with SRW. The 3401 could work for you. Check it out before you give up on Redwood.

[randy.rayford]

Originally Posted by xtasee

I believe that when I ordered my 31SL, it was about the only Redwood that works out with SRW. The 3401 could work for you. Check it out before you give up on Redwood.

Thanks, I will

[Edward & Benita Roberts]

Originally Posted by ljvda1221@gmail.com

We tow with a dually and have the B&W Companion hitch also. If don't mind, could you share what specific towing and suspension issues you've had? Thanks

The major towing issues have been the number of items broken in our kitchen and the developing ridge in the kitchen floor. We have had everything from dishes to plastic refrigerator door shelves (broken in half). The floor seems to be "folding" across the kitchen, from the back refrigerator door over to the oven. It seems we are not alone, especially with people who have the factory suspension, which appears to be woefully inadequate.

Details about tire pressure and temp (I use a monitor), speed, etc. have been posted in the Facebook pages.

We have not yet experienced a break of our springs or other components, but I kind of expect it before Redwood responds. Judging by other posts, this is not limited to our model but is quite widespread with Redwood. And searches with the NHTSA reveal recalls on other models/manufacturers already. I'm sure they'll catch up with Redwood eventually.

[JDRAGO1]

Originally Posted by lsbtex

We just took delivery of our 4001, and we love all it offers. Our paint scheme is the white and black. I think your questions would be better answered by a dealer. Good luck!

Just bought the same one in the same color.. We have been in it all weekend, but have not used it yet. Tows great and it is beautiful! Really nice iece of equipment.

[kart racer]

Customer service is " talk to your dealer". I have been dealing with this 1 week old 4001 LT's heating. The furnace ductwork is a mystery. All the heat goes into the bedroom and very, very little into the living, 1/2 bath and kitchen. Closing off the bedroom vent does nothing as it seems to be on a separate ducting from the rest.

Do you think I can get a diagram of the ducting!!! No way. Does anyone else have this no air blowing out of the living, 1/2 bath and kitchen vents issue?

Does anyone have a diagram of the venting system in a 4001?

[woodman1]

Originally Posted by kart racer

Customer service is " talk to your dealer". I have been dealing with this 1 week old 4001 LT's heating. The furnace ductwork is a mystery. All the heat goes into the bedroom and very, very little into the living, 1/2 bath and kitchen. Closing off the bedroom vent does nothing as it seems to be on a separate ducting from the rest.

Do you think I can get a diagram of the ducting!!! No way. Does anyone else have this no air blowing out of the living, 1/2 bath and kitchen vents issue?

Does anyone have a diagram of the venting system in a 4001?

I do not have a diagram, nor do I own a 4001. We own a different model, but ours failed much the same way, heat in the bedroom and bath, but nothing to the rear of the 5th. So, I pulled off the basement wall panel and discovered that one of the furnace ducts had pulled away from where it was attached to the duct which led to the living/kitchen area. No surprise, it had been poorly attached with just some aluminum duct tape. I called customer service at RW and spoke with a rep and told him what I found. It's not easy accessing and doing a repair in cramped quarters, nonetheless; with a little ingenuity and imagination, I repaired the connection and reinforced the attachment with a trip to a hardware store for supplies. It will never separate again. You'll need a good light and some patience, but you might find the same problem. BTW, our unit was under warranty and our dealer wasn't nearby, so I did the repair myself and mailed RW the pictures and supply costs. About a month later, I got reimbursed and you guessed it, my labor was free. At least I got it done.

[kart racer]

Thanks. I too am a long way from the dealer. We do not move this RV around and asked before buying, if they come to us to fix things. The answer was yes. I will see today. Not counting on it.

So, tell me more. Were ducts viable as soon as you took off the underbelly cover? My furnace seems to be right under the shower. So no way to see things from inside.

We have tried different things. While there is some hot air coming from the living room, kitchen vents; it is very little. Not sure if that is normal. The bedroom air BLOWS much like a house vent would. Wondering if the ducting has just come partially off.

[Ford truck guy]

my Mobil technician had to remove the thin wall in the basement to access the furnace, he then removed all of the feed tubes to access the main plenum.

that is where he did most of his work from.. My ducts were not accessible from the underbelly unless the tanks were removed.

The pictures below tell the story.. top 2 were original, bottom was remanufactured by the mobile tech.

[kart racer]

Wow. Was a mess hey. I guess we can't expect much for $100,000.00 plus RV.

Looks like your guy did a good job with the fix.

[Ford truck guy]

He did... the guy is a small, 2 person RV Repair shop that has been doing it for 40 years... all by word of mouth, no advertising.

He runs it from outside his house and usually only does mobile repairs but agreed to do this at is shed/shop.

Only used it once since the repair, so I am looking forward to the next tow in April.. Want to see how the new duct is holding up.

Before - you could hold a lit match directly at the kitchen vent ( 4 ' from the furnace ) and it would flicker, but stay lit.

After - no way a match will stay lit now

He is in Central/Eastern New Jersey if anyone needs help...

Rick Worth - Central Jersey RV Repair

[Ecannon69]

Originally Posted by ljvda1221@gmail.com

Hello Redwood Forum!
My husband and I just returned from the Tampa RV show where we saw the new Redwood 4001. Has anyone taken possession and if so, what do you think? Any issues so far? Very interested in your input.

Thanks so much,

Lisa Van
Sweetwater, TN

After loosing our 2019 GD to a fire this summer we did a lot of looking before we purchased our next 5th wheel. We live full time for work so we spend enough time in it to know what is important and what isn’t. We went with a 2021 4001RK and have zero regrets with our decision. We have had zero issues and I would say my only minor complaint is the lack of under belly storage. But the storage inside more than makes up for that. Oh and it takes more care to keep the nice full body paint looking clean all the time, thank god for a cheap trailer washer. Lol

I would definitely recommend the unit. Well built and good flow for living. Good luck on your decision.

[2on-2off]

Take a look at the 4150RD. We wanted the half bath so we went with the 4001LK but really liked the 4150RD. If we did not need the half bath, that is the one we would have gone with. It's a beautiful unit.



While we love our RV, I'm not a fan of the rear kitchen. We have to put everything from the fridge into a cooler before traveling. All of our plastic bins in the fridge are busted as well as one of the freezer drawers as that part of the rig takes a beating while driving down the road. (RW is replacing our fridge). We have been told by another member that if we add the MorRyde IS and disc brakes, that problem will be solved, which we plan on doing in the spring.



Hope this helps.



Mark and Leslie (full-time RVers)

[Jim & Mary]

I would advise to make a reservation for that install now, if you want to have the IS installed as I understand they're about a year or so backlog now. Give them a call.

[Ford truck guy]

Originally Posted by 2on-2off

Take a look at the 4150RD. We wanted the half bath so we went with the 4001LK but really liked the 4150RD. If we did not need the half bath, that is the one we would have gone with. It's a beautiful unit.



While we love our RV, I'm not a fan of the rear kitchen. We have to put everything from the fridge into a cooler before traveling. All of our plastic bins in the fridge are busted as well as one of the freezer drawers as that part of the rig takes a beating while driving down the road. (RW is replacing our fridge). We have been told by another member that if we add the MorRyde IS and disc brakes, that problem will be solved, which we plan on doing in the spring.



Hope this helps.



Mark and Leslie (full-time RVers)

The IS installation will not happen in the Spring.. at least NOT the spring of 2022.. I was talking to Gary Wheeler last week about something separate and he told me they were out till late 2022 - early 2023

[mhs4771]

That's the same info I received for Gary a couple of weeks ago. They're now booking into 2023 for IS.

[jandee]

We purchased ours because we love the floor plan. Here's the "however". The vinyl on the recliner sofa is now peeling off with less than 6 months use and the table is cracking where it was put together. I researched to try to repair the sofa and there is no long term solution other than replacing. We've had to fix the ducts and a leak with one of the slides. We've owned other RV's so we're aware these problems are small compared to other companies so we're pleased. Just information for potential buyers.

[lsbtex]

2020 RW 4001lk.
We ended our trip in October 2021 after 6,000 miles from Texas to California (San Francisco) 35 days on the road, a couple of issues one being our leveling system would act up occasionally and since the two year warranty was coming to an end I went through the RV with a magnifying glass for warranty work. No issues with towing on our 2014 Ram 3500 SRW towed with the 25K Air Safe Hitch, Roadmaster suspension and, other Banks products. Was a fantastic trip, the wife and I enjoyed many locations (won't go back to CA again!) we just love traveling throughout the US.