Prospective buyer questions about quality.

fiddleddd · 12-11-2015, 08:19 AM

We think we've decided on the fifth wheel we want.....the Redwood 38GK. We LOVE the floor plan! After all of our research and finally deciding on the 38GK, NOW we find this site and read a lot of complaints about various service issues on the Redwoods. Though we realize any RV could have some issues, would you consider the warranty and service issues on the Redwoods excessive…..or just to be expected? Would you buy your Redwood again? Have you been happy with the construction and performance? Has the company stood behind any problems you may have had? I originally started researching on irv2.com and was surprised to find they didn’t have a Redwood forum there.

**Blenhardt** · 12-11-2015, 01:38 PM

Welcome to the forum.

We have pulled out Redwood a little over 20k miles and have had a few minor problems. We do love our Redwood and would purchase one again. I think Redwoods are a cut above many other RV's in quality but there are going to be some problems as we pull these complex houses down some rough roads. As you have researched, the process for service by Redwood is important and i believe for the most part they do an excellent job. Yes, there are a few situations where things could be done better and Redwood is working to improve their service. The good or bad dealer can be a big part of the equation in getting service done if necessary. As with any RV forum when people do have a problem with their RV they will come to a forum for help. So what you see are more of the problems and not as many good experiences reported.

Hope this helps with your decision. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum that are happy to help so don't hesitate to ask.

johnboytoo · 12-11-2015, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiddleddd

We think we've decided on the fifth wheel we want.....the Redwood 38GK. We LOVE the floor plan! After all of our research and finally deciding on the 38GK, NOW we find this site and read a lot of complaints about various service issues on the Redwoods. Though we realize any RV could have some issues, would you consider the warranty and service issues on the Redwoods excessive…..or just to be expected? Would you buy your Redwood again? Have you been happy with the construction and performance? Has the company stood behind any problems you may have had? I originally started researching on irv2.com and was surprised to find they didn’t have a Redwood forum there.

What I found before we got our 38gk was that rv.net HATED redwoods,
irv2.com didn't have a forum because they only did the larger quantity sales mfg's, and, of course, the redwood forums loved their RW's, but for some reason had a split and formed two forums

IMHO, it's the fact that companies that are selling anything they build cannot keep up with sales and therefore the QC is not 'Job One'

No, WE wouldn't buy again as our issues were documented.
Does RW stand behind their warranty ?
You'd have to ask current owners as that may have changed,
but I do see posts of the same issues even three years later.

Good Luck on your decision!
All I know is that the 38gk floor plan was love at first site for the wife and the full body paint is GEE-OR-GEOUS

but we fell out of love with it over 18 months.

**piper guy** · 12-11-2015, 03:32 PM

Like Blenhardt, we have pulled ours more than 20k miles. We've had a few issues, but no more than I expected with a complex vehicle that "moves" quite a bit as it goes down the road. There have been some quality issues, but the Redwood management is working to correct the process.

As said above, the dealer is a BIG part of the equation. I've been fortunate that the dealer I purchased from and also another dealer who is Crossroads and did work for me were both very good and had knowledgeable technicians.

Would I buy a Redwood again ~ Yes. Would I also be very selective in the dealer ~ YES.

rob_fla · 12-11-2015, 04:12 PM

As others have said the dealer is a important part of the process but for us as fulltimers there are many times when we are not on the same side of the country as our dealer so we have to rely on Crossroads / Redwood Customer Service and their dealer network for support.
Have we had problems, sure but nothing you would not expect when pulling a 17,000 lb. house down the rough, pot hole filled roads of our great country.
I will have to say, Crossroads / Redwood factory support has been great and taken very good care of us and our issues.

Would we buy another Redwood, we sure would.
Are they perfect, no. But Redwood is listening to their customers and working hard to improve the product and make it better in construction and improve quality.

RWJSIM2003 · 12-11-2015, 04:56 PM

We have had our RW 38RL now for 18 months and had had a few warranty issues that needed resolved. We have had many other RVs Newmar to Fleetwood I would rate them satisfactory. The key is a good dealer willing to work with you and RW on issues quickly. Our only real complaint has been our dealers slow response time.

Would we buy a RW again yes. But I would order it built how I wanted and not take one off the lot that is a compromise.

LadyEcooper · 12-11-2015, 05:20 PM

Fiddleee - Congratulations on your decision to purchase.... the 38GK is an awesome floor plan for so many reasons.

My opinion - the owners group and Redwood manufacture make a great team of support for you. The knowledge that is shared on our forums is so valuable and you will find that most folks here are very eager to see you succeed as a owner.

I ask that you trust this manufacture has your needs & wants at heart. The people who are in charge are good ethical folks who care about your experience and care about you. Give them the opportunity to prove that. So, when you do have issues crop up.... regardless of minor or major, you will find that the Redwood Team will step up to the plate and are determined to get those issues resolved.

The majority of owners would purchase a Redwood product again.... that says VOLUMES. Our manufacture has grown by leaps & bounds since it's conception and we (as forum participants) continue to help in that growth in providing good information to help potential owners like yourself and continued support for those who are already part of the Redwood family.

We ALL look forward to having you as part of our family. I encourage you to make plans to attend the Indiana National Rally in August. You will love spending time with like minded folks. :-)

Lady E Cooper

travelin' texans · 12-11-2015, 05:32 PM

I don't care which brand or manufacturers you chose you will have issues, most will be the same as you read here, but the difference will be in how the company handles those issues & RW has stepped up every time I needed them. Most all rvs are manufactured in the same geographical area of the country & they have the mind set "get our quota out the door so we can get the hell out of here", so not much pride in workmanship at any of the factories. I would definitely buy a RW again & not think twice about it!!

fiddleddd · 12-11-2015, 06:03 PM

Blenhardt.....I'm not sure how the posts and responses work. I hit the 'thanks' button, but didn't see anything post, so I'm responding this way. Yes, I know it's much more common to see complaints rather than praise. So it's nice to know you're happy with yours for the most part. Thanks!

Johnboytoo......yes, the floor plan is a killer floor plan. We don't eat out much when we travel, so the extra kitchen space sold us. I'm sorry you haven't been happy with yours. I suppose that can happen with any brand, but when it happens you certainly veer away from that brand.....understandably! Thanks for your post!

Piper guy......we plan to travel all over the country, so I guess the potential problem in that is that we won't necessarily always be at our home dealer. I think our local dealer is pretty good, but I've read some horror stories about dealers across the country. I don't know how extensive the RW dealer network is.

rob fla.... you said RW is working hard to improve their product. How do you know this? Is there new leadership? Or did you learn this at a rally? Or do you see this from your own experience? That's good news for sure....but I'm just wondering how you get the sense that things are improving. Thanks for your post!

RWJSIM2003.....We definitely plan to order ours. Besides, we haven't even been able to find any on the lots here in Indianapolis. We did find 3 up in Elkhart IN, but would rather not purchase from that far away. Thanks!

LadyEcooper......Drat! We would LOVE to attend the rally, but we are already committed to be out west next August. Are there rallies at other times of the year as well? I'm curious what your 'Mobile Academy' is in your signature. It definitely sounds like there are some friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive people here in the RW forums. SO glad there is a RW forum. At first I didn't think there was one. Do the owners of RW get on here and follow what people are saying? Thanks for the nice welcome!

fiddleddd · 12-11-2015, 06:04 PM

Did I respond to everyone in the correct place? I'm still trying to figure out how to negotiate around in this website. Thanks!

fiddleddd · 12-11-2015, 06:07 PM

Sorry, I didn't respond to you. I went back to edit my long post and add you, but couldn't find a way to edit it. Is there a way to edit posts? Glad to hear you like your RW!! Sorry, okay, now I'll shut up and stop making so many posts.

YogiBear · 12-11-2015, 06:51 PM

Post all you want, u can never ask too many questions on such a important purchase.
Don't forget you can ask Colerain want they have on their lot in Cincinnati. That is where we went to see ours.

travelin' texans · 12-11-2015, 07:24 PM

My RW has never been to my purchasing dealer, or any other for that matter, we took it to the Topeka service center once & I've made all the other repairs myself with either parts furnished by RW, reimbursement from RW, and/or tech support from RW & am satisfied with all.

**Blenhardt** · 12-11-2015, 09:41 PM

fiddleddd, I did get a thank you private message from you. You are doing fine with your posting and post all you want. That is what the forum is for. As far as editing a post, there is an edit tab at the bottom of each post.

LadyEcooper · 12-11-2015, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiddleddd

LadyEcooper......Drat! We would LOVE to attend the rally, but we are already committed to be out west next August. Are there rallies at other times of the year as well? I'm curious what your 'Mobile Academy' is in your signature. It definitely sounds like there are some friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive people here in the RW forums. SO glad there is a RW forum. At first I didn't think there was one. Do the owners of RW get on here and follow what people are saying? Thanks for the nice welcome!

There are 6 Regional Rallies through out the country that are being planned for 2016 as we speak. Those details will be released by Corp in the next few weeks. We would hope that you can make one or more of these events. Should be an awesome time.

My husband, Terry Cooper - is a RV Service Technician professional trainer. We also do consumer level training all over the country. We have been living full-time in a Redwood for almost 4 years while traveling between 15,000 to 20,000 miles per year. We do love our lifestyle.

Should you want more information about our training, please email me at LadyEcooper@mobilervacademy.com it will be my pleasure to answer your questions.

Lady E Cooper

Shane Wood · 12-11-2015, 11:22 PM

Fiddled
As I m e ntioned on the other forum you will not be disappointed in your purchase. Welcome.to the group

rob_fla · 12-11-2015, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fiddleddd

rob fla.... you said RW is working hard to improve their product. How do you know this? Is there new leadership? Or did you learn this at a rally? Or do you see this from your own experience? That's good news for sure....but I'm just wondering how you get the sense that things are improving. Thanks for your post!

We bought our Redwood in July 2014 not knowing a lot about of details about the company and the evolution of the Redwood product other than what we had seen on dealer lots and online. What we knew was every time we went in a Redwood on a Dealers lot, it just felt like home to us.

We went to our first Redwood Rally and a plant tour after fulltiming in our Redwood for about a year.
At the Rally I was able to see the passion and have opportunity to talk to Crossroads / Redwood management and team members and see for myself.

I have seen the Redwood management commitment and dedication, the continuous improvement in the product on the plant tour and have personally experienced their excellent customer service and support.

Is our Redwood perfect and completely problem free, no but overall we are happy with our Home on Wheels and the support of other owners and Redwood. As these high end RVs get more complicated with options and features, things will happen. We just deal with it and move on and enjoy life everyday !!!

mhs4771 · 12-12-2015, 01:49 AM

I'll start this off with the "Would you buy another Redwood?". the simple answer for us is yes and we did. We had a 2012 36RL that we put 35000 miles on, dragging it all the way from Florida to Alaska and back. It never saw a Dealer after delivery. Like some others we had some issues, but nothing we couldn't handle with help from RW. We took delivery of our 2016 39MB at the end of March this year and have already put just over 10000 miles on it, all the way to the Northern tip of Newfoundland. We had an issue with our main Living Room slide and because of planned trips couldn't get to the Factory for repairs for several months, but once at the Factory it was fixed in a matter of a few hours along with several other small issues.

atom ant · 12-12-2015, 05:42 AM

Our Redwood is on of the most comfortable, quietest, and prettiest RV's we have ever had. It takes some work to keep it all together, some things just being sad that they happen. However, the company seems very intent on making a good product and are very involved with the owners. I would shop if buying again, but Redwood would be on my shortlist.

**Dave&Ginny** · 12-12-2015, 10:07 PM

Competition in the different RV manufactures is working for the end user. Now all of the manufactures are having to "UP" their game to earn the business. There are a lot of RVs to look at now and many offer similar product lines at about the same price point.

Service and parts are the 2 items to consider when making a purchase. I agree with what has been said earlier, the dealer can make a big difference. But if you're full time or on the road enjoying the freedom, you'll need some help from the factory.

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