PDI today - a couple of concerns

SailorSam20500 · 10-13-2016, 09:41 PM

Had the PDI on our trailer today. Most was good, couple of concerns:

1. Roof has a lot of small bubbles. All are on the forward side of protrusions and along the front edge of the trailer. All are no larger than a finger nail. They almost look like the roof membrane stretched along these areas and just didn't glue down properly. All of the membrane edges are well covered with Dicor. Dealer has taken pictures of the areas and sent to FR.

2. Trim on the slide at the wheel well does not sit flush against the trailer body. Tech said there was little that could be done.

Thoughts?

afairs · 10-14-2016, 12:04 AM

I dont know about the roof, but the wheel covering can be trimmed and re caulked. Very easy fix for a tech that isnt lazy.

asquared · 10-14-2016, 12:09 AM

Not sure what is in the slide but I had trim that didn't sit right. On o be side it just needed a new bead of silicone and was fine. On my kitchen slide it didn't sit right at all. Turned out my fridge's propane hose was catching every time the kitchen slide closed. Tech told me it was normal, FR originally told me it was normal until I discovered the pinched hose with a hole in it. Needless to say, we switched out and rerouted the hose. FR fixed the trim while it was in for factory repairs.

Point is, look underneath the slide while someone turns it in and out to see if you can find a cause. I laid on the ground with a flashlight while DH moved the slide. This allowed me to find the problem.

crunchman12001 · 10-14-2016, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afairs

I dont know about the roof, but the wheel covering can be trimmed and re caulked. Very easy fix for a tech that isnt lazy.

X2, looks like the skirt just needs profiled to the trim piece and that last screw to be tightened down.
On second look... can that black vertical piece be cut back to the top of the skirt? Hard to tell if that is a seal?

Witch Doctor · 10-14-2016, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asquared

Not sure what is in the slide but I had trim that didn't sit right. On o be side it just needed a new bead of silicone and was fine. On my kitchen slide it didn't sit right at all. Turned out my fridge's propane hose was catching every time the kitchen slide closed. Tech told me it was normal, FR originally told me it was normal until I discovered the pinched hose with a hole in it. Needless to say, we switched out and rerouted the hose. FR fixed the trim while it was in for factory repairs.

Point is, look underneath the slide while someone turns it in and out to see if you can find a cause. I laid on the ground with a flashlight while DH moved the slide. This allowed me to find the problem.

That roof is not correct, and they will say that the gas from the glue will go away and the bubbles walk away, it is BS. Is the gap I seen where the slide edge is where it meets the body? I have a gap that will not line up also, I didn't have a problem like Aquared did, it was just the cheap fender plastic wouldn't line up closed. It can't being the fender is on the slide and the split is in on the side wall over the first axle, I don't like it but there is nothing that can be done, I just live with it and I'm a very picky person. Drives me nuts. but my decals line up from the body to the slide.

SailorSam20500 · 10-14-2016, 09:16 AM

The picture is the aft end of the main slide. Slide holds the dining table and couch. Normally the couch is on the aft end. On this model, kitchen is in the nose of the trailer - not in the slide. I did look under the slide, the only thing I noticed was what looked to be wiring for power - possibly going to the lights that are over the couch area, not sure if the motor for the slide is mounted in/under the slide. This is a Lippert over the floor slide.

Witch Doctor · 10-14-2016, 12:05 PM

Do you have to long tooth bar's and a sprocket that you can see, if so the motor is at the end under the trailer

Philos3 · 10-14-2016, 12:13 PM

This looks like a walkaway from unit and walkaway from the model if not the mfg, from my perspective. There also could be rain damage, new or used. Really sad PDI finding that suggests more issues to come from a lousy quality of build.

If this unit is new, hold off long enough to find some used units and see how they are holding up and do some internet research.

Skyliner · 10-14-2016, 09:53 PM

Do people do a PDI after they sign on the dotted line or before?

If before, then walk away from this camper. If the dealership is giving you the run around now, imagine how much worse it will be when you have other warranty issues down the road.

Mobilemikey · 10-14-2016, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyD

Do people do a PDI after they sign on the dotted line or before?

If before, then walk away from this camper. If the dealership is giving you the run around now, imagine how much worse it will be when you have other warranty issues down the road.

Did ours before. 6 page checklist. The dealer honored our request for the PDI and alloted an extra two hours for us. They fixed 7 problems before we signed and took official delivery. So far so good. Only real problems was a battery dead in the smoke detector and needing air in the tires after 3k miles. Well it also needs a bath ...

The PDI is your life vest. Why give it up? Why sign before? :-)

Philos3 · 10-14-2016, 11:41 PM

I think we are talking about reasonable leverage.

The first thing to understand is that you don't have lemon law protection for the living area of the unit. If you buy a motorhome the chassis and engine are covered by local lemon laws.

The second thing to understand is that once you have signed, taken delivery, and driven off, you are now pretty much dependent on the dealership. Dealers span the range of great to horrid.

Now, dealerships represent they do a PDI. If they are a great dealerships they will do a great, though limited PDI. Often done in an hour or so based on a 3 page list. If they are a horrid dealership, they may just sign it off without doing much of anything. You just won't know. but they are hoping you take them at their word. But you do know that after you sign off your reasonable leverage is gone.

Owners of RVs just wanna have fun. Salesman just wanna close the deal and get rid of you...well some are a bit better than that, but they ain't your friend. Yeah, the salesman is thinking what a pain in the Axx this savvy owner is and my unit sold check still ain't in the mail.

So, the more astute buyers just slow down the process and insist on doing more...one of the more is their own slow, detailed, extensive PDI. And not signing off until "everything" is fixed, whether a new or used unit.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a buyer of a used high quality dp they paid around $200,000. And of course they were in love with the coach and had dreamy eyes and were itching to leave on their break in trip. So much in a hurry, and knowing that the dealer was a great dealership, that they decided to sign off and leave on good faith. So, none of the fluid samples were taken, which if they had been would have told them there was a serious engine failure headed their way. Now, of course the dealership did a great PDI, but fluid samples weren't on the PDI list.

The engine blew, within the first week, sorry don't remember the details, and the cost was around $30,000. The dealership covered $10,000. Remember they bought as is, no warranty and no lemon law for the used unit. Well, let us say that for something less that $600 and one week or so of time to take the samples and patiently await the results, it cost them $20,000.

So remember,

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