2018 Wildwood X-Lite 273QBXL - No QC!

[Pococj]

Turn on rant/vent mode!

We traded a '17 Jayco 21 footer in on this larger Wildwood. Really like the layout and it makes it easier on us as we are living in it full time, probably until next year. I am extremely disappointed in the quality control, or lack of it, to be more accurate. Granted, some of it is not Forest River - bad boards in Suburban water heater and Dometic refrigerator, both cured by me purchasing/installing Dinosaur boards at my own expense - but fit and finish, along with numerous leaks are Forest River.

To date:
-water pump discharge fitting loose- leaked under stove/counter top/sink area - I tightened after finding water near front door
-water line connector to outside kitchen sink loose underneath bunk room futon- I tightened after finding water underneath futon
-kitchen sink drain and p-trap fittings loose- I tightened after finding water in under sink storage area
-stereo/dvd player mounted crooked- I straightened when troubleshooting digital tv antenna wiring
-lights/slide/awning/water heater control panel mounted crooked- stuck with this eyesore
-furnace inlet cover crooked- stuck with this eyesore
-access panels underneath stove and counter crooked- stuck with these eyesores
-rough edges on bottom of wall board in bathroom- trimmed with a knife
-shower head holder screws do not go into wall stud and continually work loose- will require mounting a cross piece inside the shower as the one stud is too far off-center to be useful
-wall seam in front bedroom-installer completely missed stapling one side to stud- seam has come open & ripped seam tape loose- taking picture; will nail/staple the paneling as needed and will ask dealer to give me a roll/length of the seam tape
-ceiling seam in bathroom not fit properly- will probably have to cut a bit off the buckling end and re-glue it
-digital tv antenna is nearly worthless- walking to door causes signal loss- installed a $29 flat panel antenna in front bedroom window

We are new at this travel trailer stuff. The 2017 Jayco was our first and worked well for the few trips we took with it. But family circumstances changed and we've allowed family to stay in our house to help them get back on their feet. That meant a move into the TT for us and the Jayco was a wee bit small for 2 adults, 2 puppy dogs, and a bird. This one fits well for us, or will when we work through the numerous QC problems.

Yes, all of this stuff is covered under warranty, but that has proven essentially worthless as any work would require hauling it to the dealer and leaving it. No can do - it is now our full-time home. So I am playing handyman in what little spare time I have, LOL.

The upside is that this reminds me of shipboard living, especially as I sleep in the bunkroom. (The bottom bunk is at least as large as the North Hampton rack I lived in for many years aboard various ships.) I loved being at sea, so I just close my eyes and I'm there!

[otrtrucker]

Wow. Lots and lots of poor workmanship problems. Good luck.

Sent from my XT1585 using Forest River Forums mobile app

[Crabman]

No excuse for shoddy workmanship like that.

[tomahawk246]

I have some of the same problems, but I am not handy with tools. Makes the problem worst. I do not even have a vehicle that can tow it to the dealer.

[charlie43]

I just bought a brand new 2018 Salem 27DBK and had the following within 45 days:
1. Water leak under sink in outside kitchen,
2. Loose screws throughout trailer (spent 1/2 a day tightening),
3. Gas water heater control board burned out,
4. TV Antenna didn't work, spent 1/2 a day diagnosing a poor connection to the roof antenna.
5. Canopy was not mounted square, screws were missing and those that were there were loose,
6. Stairs at door were installed improperly causing the door not to close without 100lbs of force, had to remove and re-install,
7. Found and re-sealed numerous windows and hatch doors,
8. Found a hole in roof at trim, sealed that,
9. Wait till you look underneath, they butchered my underbelly lining with cut-off tools to run all the electrical wiring and plumbing, spent a whole day on my back repairing all the holes and rips and zip tying all the hodge podge wiring underneath.

That's all I have so far......45 days in.

[TCedmon]

I don’t think if they even have quality control.

The cables for my stabilizer jacks fell, so I fix using zip ties.

The shower head fell off the wall, they use 1 inch pan head screws without any type of anchors, I fixed that applied a ½ inch x 2 inch x 24 inch piece of white poly cutting board. Mounted shower head and two chrome baskets for soap and shampoos.

Change cabinet hinges, so pantry door opens wider.

The plastic drain line for the gas refrigerator so tied into a knot. Frig worked fine after that.

Can’t wait to fine other things to fix / repair http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ies/crying.gif

[Pococj]

I was able to remount the air inlet grill to the furnace and get it straight. Also took a dark brown permanent marker and colored the exposed "raw" wood on the two access covers below the stove and counter drawers.

TCedmon, how did you fasten the poly cutting board to the shower wall?

[TCedmon]

I ordered a Custom Plastic HDPE cutting board from https://www.cuttingboard.com/
Used 1 ¼ Inch Stainless Pan Head screws securing the board to the studs behind the paneling on both ends.

I also anchored the shower head bracket to the board and paneling using molly bolts, the soap dish I used plastic cable tied downs and stainless pan head screws.

Note: I pre-drilled all the holes in the cutting board so it would not split

Hope this makes sense?

[Pococj]

Makes perfect sense! Thanks for the info and pictures. Looks way better than what I had planned. I see a modified project taking place!

[Pococj]

Still running into various QC problems. One is almost funny except for what it represents - total lack of QC - just noticed the decal above the cable TV connector outside; decal says "Low Point Drain". Surely hope I don't see any water running out of it!

Another problem is that in cold weather the lack of insulation in the "outside" kitchen causes condensation on the bottom bunk in the bunkhouse, wetting the mattress and causing mold to grow. Add that to the mattress permanently flattening out after about 2 weeks of use...

A couple weeks ago I came home to find water pooled on the floor and running underneath the divider wall between the living/kitchen area and the bedroom. Seems the cold water fitting on the kitchen sink was leaking. Fit was too tight to get my hands on it, so I had to cut a second hole in the countertop wall (not too far from the hole cut to allow getting to the original burnt water heater board) to get to it. It was cross-threaded, but after pulling it apart, checking the threads for damage, and re-installing it, the leak is fixed. Mopped the water up and put fans blowing to try and dry the water I couldn't get to; hopefully, there won't be any permanent water damage or mold.

This morning my sweetie called and said that both the A/C and heater were running. Thermostat can be set for "Heat" or "Cool", but has no "Auto" setting, so it shouldn't be possible for this to happen. It's going to get warm enough that we need to keep the A/C on today, so I had the wife turn the thermostat "Off" and back on to the "Cool" position, then go out and shut the gas off. That'll get us through until I get home.

So, anybody else run into this? And anybody have access to a wiring schematic that'll help me do a little troubleshooting?

Very soon the CEO of Forest River will be receiving an envelope sent via registered mail with photos and a list of the crappy work his people do. I doubt if it'll be of any help to the wife and me, but it will be worth it just for the "vent relief"!

[otrtrucker]

Yeah. The package to the CEO will only allow you to vent. Don't expect anything else. Once it's off their property, it's your problem. I could never get them to respond to any of my inquiries. So, I joined this forum to find answers.

[Pococj]

Latest failures -
-outside LED strip lights failed
-kitchen sink cold water line leaking, again (repaired)
-wooden piece that bedroom sliding door track fastens to has pulled loose from ceiling - (ran a screw thru the metal track, wood, and into joist - I hope!)

We're still living full-time in it. I enjoy the simplicity and compactness; the wife not so much...

[Timberking]

Originally Posted by Pococj

Latest failures -
-outside LED strip lights failed
-kitchen sink cold water line leaking, again (repaired)
-wooden piece that bedroom sliding door track fastens to has pulled loose from ceiling - (ran a screw thru the metal track, wood, and into joist - I hope!)

We're still living full-time in it. I enjoy the simplicity and compactness; the wife not so much...

I hope you're not dealing with fun town.

[Mrs.Shockley]

You guys are making me seriously reconsider buying a FR to full time in.

[Pococj]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

You guys are making me seriously reconsider buying a FR to full time in.

Not my intent, but since starting into this journey it seems that it isn't just FR that has QC problems. Yes, what I've found in this one is disappointing, but the worst seems to be over. At this point I'd say find a floor plan that suits your needs and buy that floor plan from a dealer that is trustworthy; manufacturer seems to be a secondary concern.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

You guys are making me seriously reconsider buying a FR to full time in.

Quality issues are common throughout the RV Industry, not just FR.
Also, some manufacturers won't warranty things, if they find out you are full timing in the RV.