Newbie Intro

[atom ant]

So far all of my repairs have been between Redwood, UPS, and me. For the annual I think we will get the Dealer involved simply because of the annual inspection requirement.

I have owned several brands, but Redwood is the first that has ever worked so well directly with me to make sure we get things fixed.

[Oregonbound]

Thanks all

[spindrift]

I wish I had been able to do all the work myself. Unfortunately, we've managed through complete system failures. And this is where I can't emphasize enough the necessity for a strong and honest relationship among the customer, dealer and RW. We have that, and the first visit to the dealer went flawlessly. The RV is back now for the second visit and so far so good. The RW has become my quasi man cave so I really miss not having her at home.

[usaf1949]

I don't think you'll have any more problems than what you have with anything in our world of today. Seems like there are always something when getting something new, but it really is to be expected. I have gone through 12 different rigs since 86 and this Redwood is by far the best with the least problems! Enjoy and have a wonderful time with your Redwood!

[cofiverdiver]

Originally Posted by Steve & Linda

I have been reading forums to learn all I can, and decided to join some to participate. My wife and I are very interested in the 38GK and will probably order one soon. We will be living in it halftime. We have camped quite a bit when the kids were young in a 12ft popup, doing 5000 miles once in 3 weeks. Now I'm retired and it's time to hit the road in style and at a slower pace.

The Redwood is the nicest by far of all brands/models our Dealer carries but reading the forums has me worried because of all the quality control issues. I know quality is an issue in the Rv industry as a whole and I have not read other brands forums, but isn't Redwood one of the better ones? Are my fears ungrounded? Having never pulled something this large, it seems rather inconvenient to be hauling it back for repairs. I know I'll probably have to get used to fixing things myself on a regular basis. Most of you regulars seem pleased with your coaches, but some newer posts of multiple defects and talk of lemons has me concerned.

Please comment on my concerns. Thank you.

Steve and Linda
38GK ?
Will be buying a new Silverado 3500HD DRW Diesel to pull.

I am also new to the forum, and going to be "new" to full timing. Have had "campers" in the past, but am also looking for a full time sort of rig. I have not yet been able to make myself let go of the $$ for this kind of unit, when I so frequently read of quality issues. Haven't ruled out the GK, because I like the floorplan.. Hoping to read about / meet people who have had consistently "good" things to say about their rigs. Am also looking at DRV, though expensive and heavy. Lifestyle also seems viable, though am a bit concerned about warranty, since they build their own frame.

[Oriana]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on considering a Redwood.

We have a 36 FL, which is just over a year old. This is our very first RV and are extremely satisfied with the coach, Redwood and our dealer.

Have we had any issues, yes we have experienced a few, but mostly minor. I highly doubt any RV manufacturer can build these complex high end coaches without problems. Accepting the fact that you can expect to have some issues I suggest looking at how each company deals with warranty repairs and how they treat you as the customer.

I suspect Redwood are one of the best, if not the best in dealing with warranty issues, and their customer service is exceptional. I, as I believe many of our fellow RW owners feel valued by Redwood every time we make contact with a company representative.

Check out the threads on this forum and the other owner's forum regarding the service centre and warranty responses.

[Steve & Linda]

cofiverdiver,

You would hope that spending serious coin on a Redwood would get you a near perfect coach, but it is not so. The industry isn't up to it, yet if you are reading this forum, you, like me, will realize that it isn't a unique thing to Redwood and that Redwood is one of the best products out there in an industry that lacks in Quality Control. And almost everybody has positive remarks for Redwood Service.

Like others have said, we looked at other brands but walking into a Redwood just sells it...almost. The Redwood OWNERS on this forum sealed the deal and we ordered a 38GK.

We just did the Escapees Boot Camp and met a DRV owner who loves his coach, but is considering a Redwood. They have had numerous issues with the DRV. I did my part to bring them to Redwood...time will tell.

Good luck and hope to see you take the plunge!

[cofiverdiver]

Originally Posted by Steve & Linda

cofiverdiver,

You would hope that spending serious coin on a Redwood would get you a near perfect coach, but it is not so. The industry isn't up to it, yet if you are reading this forum, you, like me, will realize that it isn't a unique thing to Redwood and that Redwood is one of the best products out there in an industry that lacks in Quality Control. And almost everybody has positive remarks for Redwood Service.

Like others have said, we looked at other brands but walking into a Redwood just sells it...almost. The Redwood OWNERS on this forum sealed the deal and we ordered a 38GK.

We just did the Escapees Boot Camp and met a DRV owner who loves his coach, but is considering a Redwood. They have had numerous issues with the DRV. I did my part to bring them to Redwood...time will tell.

Good luck and hope to see you take the plunge!

What others did you own before? "Walking into" my Montana is what sold me, well my (now ex) wife,, and I've had more than my fair share of issues with it, including basically "flattened out" leaf springs on the drivers side, which I learned later is common, as this side of the unit is normally heavier due to having more slides on this side of the trailer. Most of RW's models are like this too, and since they're on another Lippert frame (Falcon?), I suppose that's something I'll have to either get past, or look at something else.
As would stand to reason, most of you on here are fond of your units and sing RW's customer service praises, but there seem to be a few out there not made by Thor / Lippert, so I'm looking at those as well, as I must, in order to do a fair amount of comparative research. The "practical" side of my says try a used RW, as I find some on the web lightly used, in the mid 50's on up.. I asked one dealer, "why did they trade this in?", but they couldn't - or would not - tell me.
I don't intend to come across as being negative toward any brand, especially RW, as I value the research many of you have done, but it's just a lot of scratch to turn loose of, especially when I've been fooled once, buying an expensive trailer because of what it "looked" like. Shame on me, but not again. I want to know what's underneath and inside this time around.

[spindrift]

Research, research, research...it's a good thing. I don't think you're being negative, for what it's worth. Originally, I thought purchasing a high end unit would mean a problem free experience. Not so. What you need is a good team and that means being completely comfortable with your dealer. Saving a few thousand on the purchase price only to spend more in aggravation because your dealer won't work with you is no deal at all.

[Steve & Linda]

cofiverdiver,

We are going from a pop-up camper to the Redwood. You sound skeptical as I was, yet this will not be your first coach. Do your homework and research the other brands and their forums. Redwoods are not perfect, no coach is...they are rolling earthquakes and as such will always need work. Good luck and we hope to see you here as an owner.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by cofiverdiver

What others did you own before? "Walking into" my Montana is what sold me, well my (now ex) wife,, and I've had more than my fair share of issues with it, including basically "flattened out" leaf springs on the drivers side, which I learned later is common, as this side of the unit is normally heavier due to having more slides on this side of the trailer. Most of RW's models are like this too, and since they're on another Lippert frame (Falcon?), I suppose that's something I'll have to either get past, or look at something else.
As would stand to reason, most of you on here are fond of your units and sing RW's customer service praises, but there seem to be a few out there not made by Thor / Lippert, so I'm looking at those as well, as I must, in order to do a fair amount of comparative research. The "practical" side of my says try a used RW, as I find some on the web lightly used, in the mid 50's on up.. I asked one dealer, "why did they trade this in?", but they couldn't - or would not - tell me.
I don't intend to come across as being negative toward any brand, especially RW, as I value the research many of you have done, but it's just a lot of scratch to turn loose of, especially when I've been fooled once, buying an expensive trailer because of what it "looked" like. Shame on me, but not again. I want to know what's underneath and inside this time around.

To be a little blunt - you seem to be fishing for a "happy" answer that will guarantee your satisfaction with a Redwood.

Personally, if you were that dissatisfied with a Montana, I recommend you move on to something else. You want to know what is underneath a Redwood? The EXACT same 12" Z- I beam frame with the same Lippert springs and axles and brakes, leveling system, pin box and......that Montana has, which is also the same as Landmark, Infinity, etc. With Lippert buying out most of the component manufacturers, the upper middle class has become more or less homogenized. If Montana spring sag (which I never heard of by the way) bothered you to the point you felt "fooled", I suggest you check some of the "others" you have already mentioned because I bet the springs on a Redwood and the springs on a Montana have the same part number.

We have had 2 Montanas, and our last was the "Best" of 9 RVs we have owned. It was "flawless". We chose Redwood this time, because it offered far more features that even Montana Big Sky could do, and it is clear that the fit and finish is a cut above what we experienced on the Montana, not to mention Redwood has been there for us every step.

Redwood is competitively priced to the Montana, when you figure in some of the features not offered by Montana. I didn't buy a Mercedes, so I have no expectations of perfection. What I did was sell a Ford and buy a Lincoln, knowing that I have nicer interior and more chrome and electronics, but under the hood all the greasy stuff is the same as my Ford.

[Oriana]

Brad a rather excellent analogy, well explained.

[cofiverdiver]

Originally Posted by atom ant

To be a little blunt - you seem to be fishing for a "happy" answer that will guarantee your satisfaction with a Redwood.

Personally, if you were that dissatisfied with a Montana, I recommend you move on to something else. You want to know what is underneath a Redwood? The EXACT same 12" Z- I beam frame with the same Lippert springs and axles and brakes, leveling system, pin box and......that Montana has, which is also the same as Landmark, Infinity, etc. With Lippert buying out most of the component manufacturers, the upper middle class has become more or less homogenized. If Montana spring sag (which I never heard of by the way) bothered you to the point you felt "fooled", I suggest you check some of the "others" you have already mentioned because I bet the springs on a Redwood and the springs on a Montana have the same part number.

We have had 2 Montanas, and our last was the "Best" of 9 RVs we have owned. It was "flawless". We chose Redwood this time, because it offered far more features that even Montana Big Sky could do, and it is clear that the fit and finish is a cut above what we experienced on the Montana, not to mention Redwood has been there for us every step.

Redwood is competitively priced to the Montana, when you figure in some of the features not offered by Montana. I didn't buy a Mercedes, so I have no expectations of perfection. What I did was sell a Ford and buy a Lincoln, knowing that I have nicer interior and more chrome and electronics, but under the hood all the greasy stuff is the same as my Ford.

You'd know better than me, and you pretty much confirmed what I suspected, that being a RW could be equated to a "chevy with lots of options".. but still a chevy. There are articles and pictures all over Google of flattened Lippert leaf springs. I'm sure Lippert can / could build any type or strength axle they desire. They probably build exactly what each manufacturer is willing to pay for.
Knowing all this, it seems the only way one would get anything drastically different would be to look outside the Thor / Lippert realm of products. Which doesn't leave much to look at.

[cofiverdiver]

Atom,
I'm probably taking this way too seriously, but the experience I've had with mine leaves me cautious about frame, axles, tires.. I'm sure you and many others here did a fair amount of thoughtful research, and my "Chevy" comment was a little over the top. Sorry. And to clarify, I don't think any of the pictures I've found on the web of faulty leaf springs were of Redwood. Surely they're not the same "part number"! Firestone was blamed for the faulty Explorer tires, and it was found out later, they were only building the tires Ford asked for. Maybe Lippert gets a bad rap, when they're simply building the frames / axles that the manufacturers are asking for. I don't know.. Anyway, I'm glad you and many others here are having good luck with your RW units, and that's what it's all about. Safe Travels....

[Rick and Mindy]

The Redwood is not my first fifth wheel but I do hope it is my last, time will tell. I can tell you that I owned a Hitchiker before the Redwood and was very pleased with it but don't think there were not issues. I remember reading on their forums how the owners were upset with the Dexter frames and suspensions. There were complaints about the slides coming open 2-3 inches when being stored and I don't think NuWa ever solved that completely. Owners hated the Dometic airconditioners and refrigerators and even though they used one-piece shower stalls, yes there were leaks. Generally though, most NuWa owners loved their rigs, minor problems and all. I suspect, because of their price-point, Nu Wa no longer manufactures fifth wheels. Mine was getting up there in years and I don't care which one you buy, age will have some bearing on its usefulness. I had narrowed down my research to 3 fifthwheels, DRV, Lifestyle, and Redwood. Lifestyle and Redwood Impressed me but they are both new to the market and DRV is just too expensive for what you are getting. One of the things that prevented me from a Lifestyle is the fact that their frame is built by them. I know that when Carriage folded their frames were built the same way and I have seen forums where owners are having a hard time finding parts for their Carriage fifth wheels. One of the things I loved about Redwood, as explained to me by Tom Montegue, the then Redwood General Manager was that everything in the Redwood is available after market and can be found whether Redwood is around or not. RV manufacturers may come and go but I know I should be able to find most parts if ever needed. The final selling point for me was seeing the interior quality, hands down, no comparison to the other 2. And the customer service has been exemplary!!!!

[spindrift]

Originally Posted by cofiverdiver

Atom,
I'm probably taking this way too seriously, but the experience I've had with mine leaves me cautious about frame, axles, tires.. I'm sure you and many others here did a fair amount of thoughtful research, and my "Chevy" comment was a little over the top. Sorry. And to clarify, I don't think any of the pictures I've found on the web of faulty leaf springs were of Redwood. Surely they're not the same "part number"! Firestone was blamed for the faulty Explorer tires, and it was found out later, they were only building the tires Ford asked for. Maybe Lippert gets a bad rap, when they're simply building the frames / axles that the manufacturers are asking for. I don't know.. Anyway, I'm glad you and many others here are having good luck with your RW units, and that's what it's all about. Safe Travels....

cofivediver...As I said, do your research and when you come back to the forum telling us you just purchased a RW we'll still welcome you with open arms. Why? Because that's what we do.

[Adamsvr]

Originally Posted by Rick and Mindy

The Redwood is not my first fifth wheel but I do hope it is my last, time will tell. I can tell you that I owned a Hitchiker before the Redwood and was very pleased with it but don't think there were not issues. I remember reading on their forums how the owners were upset with the Dexter frames and suspensions. There were complaints about the slides coming open 2-3 inches when being stored and I don't think NuWa ever solved that completely. Owners hated the Dometic airconditioners and refrigerators and even though they used one-piece shower stalls, yes there were leaks. Generally though, most NuWa owners loved their rigs, minor problems and all. I suspect, because of their price-point, Nu Wa no longer manufactures fifth wheels. Mine was getting up there in years and I don't care which one you buy, age will have some bearing on its usefulness. I had narrowed down my research to 3 fifthwheels, DRV, Lifestyle, and Redwood. Lifestyle and Redwood Impressed me but they are both new to the market and DRV is just too expensive for what you are getting. One of the things that prevented me from a Lifestyle is the fact that their frame is built by them. I know that when Carriage folded their frames were built the same way and I have seen forums where owners are having a hard time finding parts for their Carriage fifth wheels. One of the things I loved about Redwood, as explained to me by Tom Montegue, the then Redwood General Manager was that everything in the Redwood is available after market and can be found whether Redwood is around or not. RV manufacturers may come and go but I know I should be able to find most parts if ever needed. The final selling point for me was seeing the interior quality, hands down, no comparison to the other 2. And the customer service has been exemplary!!!!

Upgrade to the options you want, you'll be happier that way.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by cofiverdiver

You'd know better than me, and you pretty much confirmed what I suspected, that being a RW could be equated to a "chevy with lots of options".. but still a chevy.

You completely misunderstood me.............


I said Ford, not Chevy.

[Dave&Ginny]

The reason I'd buy another Redwood.......... My RL is at the factory service center right now. I asked them to take a look at my springs because of unusual tire wear. I received a phone call letting me know that they are completely rebuilding my suspension.

In most cases, I believe the other manufactures would have put a band aid on the situation.

[Steve & Linda]

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

The reason I'd buy another Redwood.......... My RL is at the factory service center right now. I asked them to take a look at my springs because of unusual tire wear. I received a phone call letting me know that they are completely rebuilding my suspension.

In most cases, I believe the other manufactures would have put a band aid on the situation.

That is incredible and fantastic that they would do that after you mentioned the tire wear issue. Way to go Redwood.