help with used purchase

tessa · 11-17-2016, 02:05 AM

HI all - looking to purchase a Redwood and have question, I know this is our first post but need help to make an offer in the next few days

saw a 2015 Redwood fifth wheel (with 9 months of transferable warranty left) the other day and through some research I found out a tree branch went through the slide out.

I called the dealership that repaired it and was lucky enough to talk to the service tech who knew about it. He said the branch went through the roof and made a hole. No structural damage- just the roof.

The repair looks like they just patched the hole and painted elastomeric over the roof. Saw some signs of staining in the lens of the ceiling light and by the cabinet wall.

the patch is about 12" square and is solid when we pounded on it

checked for delam and didn't see any, the slide goes in and out just fine. The seals are all good and when I pushed up on the ceiling it felt like the other slide ceilings.

The dealer who traded the unit had no idea about the damage- the customer bought a front living fiver.

The sales price is right on for a unit with no damage but I would like to offer them less in case I run into issues or maybe even forget the deal and move on, unfortunately it’s the dream floor plan and colors in and out….. You know how that is.

Advice or thoughts- run away offer 10k less I don’t know

Thanks

**Dave&Ginny** · 11-17-2016, 05:06 AM

Was it really repaired correctly? I believe if it was done right you wouldn't see the patch on the roof because they should have replaced the entire roof membrane. For this reason I think I'd walk away from this one.

I've been around RVs most of my life and I don't believe there's such a thing as offering too little. The most they can say is no and most dealers have the prices set too high too begin with. On a new unit a 30% discount is not unusual and when a dealership takes in a trade they usually damn near steal it.

ted 95 · 11-17-2016, 05:38 AM

the bottom line is how well was the repair done. Did they get a sizable amount of water in the unit with the roof hole. For me the roof should have been completely replaced. What was the bill for the repair and what was the insurance check. (what did they make off of it). You have not said what they are asking. This spring I bought a 2015 38 GK accident free. With 1500 miles on it. And he left a bunch of stuff.hoses cables, black water . all in all $1500+ of items. When i bought it the coach had 14 months warranty left on it. And I got it for around 42 US. I had it verified from A-Z. My dealer spend 14 hours looking at items as small as the wheel bearings to the seals on the roof. Good luck find out how the tree went through the rook. Storm or road accident. Make sure you verify the alignment.

tessa · 11-17-2016, 12:36 PM

thanks for the replies
I agree the repair was not done 100% right. the only sign of damage is where they patched the roof and the stains, other than that there is no visible signs of damage.
looks like the owner had them either do a quick repair without using their insurance or they did the quick repair and pocketed the rest of the cash.

her is the link to the ad #6FW2742A - 2015 Redwood Residential Vehicles Redwood RW38RL for sale in Little Rock AR

we are 61k that was prior to me finding out about the damage.
is there a way I can check the alignment? curious for this or a future purchase

I will most likely walk away unless they accept a number low enough to rebuild the slide and then some

**piper guy** · 11-17-2016, 01:49 PM

I think if it was me - and I really wanted it - I would tell the dealer that I'm having an independent RV inspector look at the unit and also I would make an offer considerably less. The 38 RL is not a unique unit and there are quite a few of them on the market nationwide.

**Dave&Ginny** · 11-17-2016, 03:41 PM

I agree with Vaughan. After finding the damage the first part of the deal would be a new roof membrane on the slide and then I'd still be offering a lot less. The fact that you had to find the damage yourself wouldn't sit well with me. What else could be wrong or hidden?

tessa · 11-17-2016, 05:30 PM

thanks for the info- I posted a reply earlier and a pop up window said I had to wait. I will repost if it doesn't show up soon

tessa · 11-17-2016, 05:37 PM

I agree I think the PO either didn't use insurance or had a quicky quicky job done and pocketed the rest.
I like the idea of an inspector checking it out.

there are selling it to me for 61k which was the price before we knew about the damage. we will offer a lot less and see if they bite.

most likely we will walk away.
here's the link to the camper
#6FW2742A - 2015 Redwood Residential Vehicles Redwood RW38RL for sale in Little Rock AR

tessa · 11-18-2016, 10:43 PM

we went out and looked at the camper again today. it rained hard- maybe half inch in 3 hours or so. no leaks at the repair. checked the entire camper for leaks, used a flashlight and looked everywhere, inside cabs, etc

thoughts

travelin' texans · 11-19-2016, 12:27 AM

If you can get a good discount & they warranty the slide repair for X number of months til you are satisfied it's leak free , then I'd say YEP!

tessa · 11-19-2016, 12:57 AM

they didn't do the repair- but they did discount it 8k will chk sat and see what happens, will report back

tessa · 11-21-2016, 02:46 AM

checked the unit out and decided to pass. the dealer would not discount it enough to make the deal worth it. also when we filled the FW tank it got 2/3rds full (per the monitor) and water would come out the overflow and also a blue water line with no fitting on it. the water pump would just run and not pump check all the fittings. water flowed fine on the city hook up. oh well it was a sweet ride, it's a shame the PO didn't get the roof fixed properly and stuck it to a dealer and ultimately a fellow camper.............

the search continues!

**Dave&Ginny** · 11-21-2016, 04:10 AM

Due to the fix, if the dealership wouldn't discount the unit enough, then you probably made the right choice. However I will point out the the problems you found were simple fixes.

#1 The overflow is a notorious problem with the Redwoods. This problem is solved with a shut up being put on the end of the overflow line. I still don't understand why a problem that has been around since the first unit rolled out of the factory hasn't been resolved yet.

#2 the water pump not pumping is probably caused by the cap on the hose used for winterizing the unit. People including myself have been mystified by this problem until it was found. Again, a $4.50 pex shut off fixes this problem as well.

Good luck on your search and remember regardless of brand or price, all RVs require constant maintenance. You will learn by looking at a unit if it has been maintained properly by looking for small completed repairs.

atom ant · 11-21-2016, 05:36 PM

Ya, the tank overflow was an easy fix with a valve. Surprised the previous owner didn't do that already

tessa · 11-21-2016, 07:38 PM

I don't think they ever used the water tank- one of the 12v connections was not even hooked up. LOL I would put it back on and then it would fall out again after the pump ran for a while.

atom ant · 11-21-2016, 08:49 PM

Ah that sure could be, they may have used it as a park model. Nothing wrong with that.

travelin' texans · 11-21-2016, 10:08 PM

Mine had water in it at the PDI & not a drop since, don't need to haul the extra weight.

Ford truck guy · 11-21-2016, 10:23 PM

I carry water twice a year...in the spring and fall I camp for a week in Ashland VAin a campground.. On Thursday I fill up with water and head out 10 miles to Richmond International Raceway for NASCAR weekend.. Come Sunday-Monday I head the 10 miles back to the campground, dump all tanks, drain ALL water and head home... in fact, that's the only time I travel with ANY FLUIDS.. ..

atom ant · 11-21-2016, 10:27 PM

Joe,
Ever see one of these Skydecks at NASCAR? Seems like they were built for it. They don't make them anymore, but pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBWvAj4h7JE

Ford truck guy · 11-21-2016, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atom ant

Joe,
Ever see one of these Skydecks at NASCAR? Seems like they were built for it. They don't make them anymore, but pretty cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBWvAj4h7JE

Brad , A few ( ok many ) years ago we were looking for a trailer and there were a few TT's that had the Skydeck... pretty cool ! spiral staircase in the rear to access the roof.. I think was was made by the original Thor - Corsair ??

And being on the roof kind of reminded me like being on a boat.. the same materials..

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