Sonoma - Page 2

AKMac · 07-18-2017, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Campforlife

It's good to see another soon-to-be Sonoma owner. Which dual water tanks is the rep talking about; fresh, black or gray?

It's the fresh water tanks. I talked to my dealer (which talked to the factory) and they confirmed that indeed you can have 112 gallons of fresh water on-board. That in itself is a major selling point to me.

That's good to hear about the fiberglass cap. I could see the flat aluminum getting dented pretty easily from rocks.

HappiCampr · 08-01-2017, 03:19 PM

We recently bought a 2017 Sonoma, and we would love to see a Sonoma forum! Please, FR, please add one! We are happy with the the floor plan, the storage, the large bath, etc. We only have 2 issues at the moment. The first is a big one. They didn't install a grey tank valve!! We're on our way to the dealer (Mt. Vernon, WA) this week to have it installed. Couldn't believe it the first time we emptied, and didn't notice on our orientation because we're newbies. Our other issue is that friction bars provided seem extremely tight and very hard to put on/take off. We will be asking the dealer about that and a few other things. Also didn't get a battery box/cover, which is a safety issue. Would love to share issues/stories with other Sonoma owners!

vsmitty30 · 08-01-2017, 09:46 PM

Hi HappiCampr,
We just picked up our 2018 240rks on Saturday and are taking our "maiden voyage" this weekend. Hopefully, we will not find any missing parts! We'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully the dealer will make everything right for you. Good luck

HappiCampr · 08-01-2017, 10:09 PM

Good luck with your maiden voyage! We just took ours a couple of weeks ago... at an RV park just outside our city limits. It was good to be close to home, "just in case." Have fun trying everything out in your new home away from home. Hope you love it!

Campforlife · 08-03-2017, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappiCampr

We recently bought a 2017 Sonoma, and we would love to see a Sonoma forum! Please, FR, please add one! We are happy with the the floor plan, the storage, the large bath, etc. We only have 2 issues at the moment. The first is a big one. They didn't install a grey tank valve!! We're on our way to the dealer (Mt. Vernon, WA) this week to have it installed. Couldn't believe it the first time we emptied, and didn't notice on our orientation because we're newbies. Our other issue is that friction bars provided seem extremely tight and very hard to put on/take off. We will be asking the dealer about that and a few other things. Also didn't get a battery box/cover, which is a safety issue. Would love to share issues/stories with other Sonoma owners!

Congratulations on your Sonoma. Your dealer should have caught the grey tank valve during the PDI inspection. Shame on them for missing that and not providing the battery box/cover. What type of WDH do you have? If you raise the tongue jack high enough on the trailer, it will make it much easier to remove and install the spring bars. The higher you raise the tongue, the better.

Campforlife · 08-03-2017, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vsmitty30

Hi HappiCampr,
We just picked up our 2018 240rks on Saturday and are taking our "maiden voyage" this weekend. Hopefully, we will not find any missing parts! We'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully the dealer will make everything right for you. Good luck

Glad you got your new Sonoma. I hope your shakedown trip goes well. My walk-thru date is scheduled for next Tuesday. It's been a long wait and I'm very excited to pick up my new Sonoma.

vsmitty30 · 08-03-2017, 11:21 AM

Thanks HappiCampr and Campforlife,
We are excited for our first trip. We are only going about an hour from home to be safe. We'll report back and let you all know how it went. Our walk through went well but you never really know what you missed until you actually camp. Good luck on your walk through Campforlife.

vsmitty30 · 08-06-2017, 05:57 PM

We are back from our "maiden voyage" and everything went really well. I love the floor plan we chose. Super easy to do the dishes and be out of the way while doing them. Love the bathroom being close to the bedroom. We also had 2 guests and although we spent most of our time outdoors, we had plenty of room to move around when we were in the trailer. We did discover few issues. We noticed the flooring had a small gouge in it when we brought it home AFTER the PDI. (it's really hard to see because it is somewhat rustic looking anyway), we reported that to the dealer right away and they are supposed to get back to us once they contact FR. (we'll see how long that takes). Upon our return, there seems to be another small mark in the flooring so I guess the slide may need to be adjusted. There was nothing on the floor when we slid in and out. The other thing that was kind of a nuisance, was that some of the lights are controlled with a wall switch and others need to be turned on at light itself. Not very convenient but we can deal with that. There is also a panel by the microwave with a bunch of switches and they are not labeled so it took us a few times of trial and error to figure out what was what. But overall, very successful trip and we love our new trailer. By the way, I bought my husband Anderson levelers and the Level Mate Pro bluetooth leveler for our Anniversary and they worked awesome! Never had an easier time leveling the trailer.
Our next trip is Aug. 16th. Can't wait. Hope everything holds up.

HappiCampr · 08-10-2017, 07:39 PM

We bought our close-out 2017 Sonoma 220RBS earlier this summer and have had it out twice. We bought it at an RV show, not knowing anything about TTs, so even though we got a walk-thru, we didn't know that some very important items were missing... such as a battery box and a grey tank valve! Duh! Also, the WDB system was off-kilter, so we had a terrible time with it. As you can tell, we now know what we're talking about, but these things should have been OBVIOUS to our sales and setup dealers. We made a reservation at our dealer to have these items fixed. They never told us that it would take more than one day, so we made camping reservations for 2 nights following, since we had to travel some distance to get to the dealer in the first place. Upon arrival, they told us that they wouldn't be done with it that day, as were in line behind a lot of others. (So what was the point of a reservation?) We canceled our camping reservation and planned to sleep on the lot. Upon returning that evening, we were told that they were DONE and we could take it camping... but we had canceled our campsite! While on the phone to reinstate our campground (having lost our deposit) they discovered that their tech hadn't hooked up the battery correctly so we had no power, and that the DWB system hadn't been corrected. Hurriedly, they worked to fix those items. We drove to the campground and discovered that they had double-looped the pigtail (emergency cable) through our hitch and back to the emergency plug-in, but the plug-in had been bent 90 degrees by the rushed DWB move. We could not unhitch our truck from the trailer!

We had to cut the cable and fix it the next day. So we have decided to use a different dealer location next time. Otherwise, we are enjoying the INSIDE of the trailer very much... except that the dark decor and small windows make it a little less open than we would have liked. We have learned a lot this summer!

**bikendan** · 08-10-2017, 07:51 PM

HappiCampr, you really should post the name of the dealer, especially for those of us in the PNW.
Especially because of the poor PDI you got.

And i think you meant WDH, not WDB.

HappiCampr · 08-10-2017, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

HappiCampr, you really should post the name of the dealer, especially for those of us in the PNW.
Especially because of the poor PDI you got.

And i think you meant WDH, not WDB.

You're right. WDH. Sorry about that.
I hesitated to ditz the dealer, but if you insist. It was Paul Evert's RV Country in Mt. Vernon. I must give them credit, however, for being very pleasant, and busting their tails to try to get us out of there. It was hurried job that went all wrong. Better communication up front would have made a big difference. We're going to try Paul Evert's in Fife next time. Anyone have experience with them?

TT Newbie · 03-03-2018, 10:13 PM

Hi there...We just purchased a 2018 Sonoma 240BHS Explorer Edition. We were curious if it is supposed to come with a ladder for the bunks? Did yours come with one? Or did you purchase one on your own? Taking our first trip next month. Can’t wait to take it out! Roam Sweet Roam!

MendocinoExplorer · 03-03-2018, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TT Newbie

Hi there...We just purchased a 2018 Sonoma 240BHS Explorer Edition. We were curious if it is supposed to come with a ladder for the bunks? Did yours come with one? Or did you purchase one on your own? Taking our first trip next month. Can’t wait to take it out! Roam Sweet Roam!

Hi. We have a 2917 Sonoma 220RBS. I am pretty sure that the ladder is an extra cost, and not included in the explorer addition.

MendocinoExplorer · 03-04-2018, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MendocinoExplorer

Hi. We have a 2917 Sonoma 220RBS. I am pretty sure that the ladder is an extra cost, and not included in the explorer addition.

Oops! Just saw the part about ‘the bunks’. I was referring to the External ladder mounted on the exterior of the trailer.

TT Newbie · 03-04-2018, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MendocinoExplorer

Oops! Just saw the part about ‘the bunks’. I was referring to the External ladder mounted on the exterior of the trailer.

No worries! Thanks for the reply.

Campforlife · 03-04-2018, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TT Newbie

Hi there...We just purchased a 2018 Sonoma 240BHS Explorer Edition. We were curious if it is supposed to come with a ladder for the bunks? Did yours come with one? Or did you purchase one on your own? Taking our first trip next month. Can’t wait to take it out! Roam Sweet Roam!

Hi. My Sonoma 240BHS did not come with a bunk ladder. I purchased a bunk ladder at Camping World (Item # 55951). It is 60" and required trimming 4" off the bottom legs to create the proper angle. It has two pieces at the top of the ladder that rest on the upper bunk frame, which prevent the ladder from slipping. The rubber feet prevent damage to the floor. All in all, I like it pretty well. Let me know, if you have any other questions about the bunk ladder or the Sonoma 240BHS. Congratulations on your purchase and Happy Camping!

TT Newbie · 03-04-2018, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Campforlife

Hi. My Sonoma 240BHS did not come with a bunk ladder. I purchased a bunk ladder at Camping World (Item # 55951). It is 60" and required trimming 4" off the bottom legs to create the proper angle. It has two pieces at the top of the ladder that rest on the upper bunk frame, which prevent the ladder from slipping. The rubber feet prevent damage to the floor. All in all, I like it pretty well. Let me know, if you have any other questions about the bunk ladder or the Sonoma 240BHS. Congratulations on your purchase and Happy Camping!

Thank you for your reply and the useful information! We will check Camping World out! How are you liking your Sonoma so far? It’s a nice looking unit, and has all the bells and whistles!

Campforlife · 03-05-2018, 12:26 AM

You're welcome. I like the looks of the Sonoma, the floor plan and all of the standard features/options. However, it has had a number of issues (most of which, have been factory related). This is my third new travel trailer and each one has been a different make/model. To be fair, all three have had problems from the get go, which have involved several trips to the dealer and manufacturer to correct the problems. Most of the problems have been worked out within the first year and they have ended up being good units after that (for the most part). I've owned my Sonoma for about seven months now and it has spent four of the seven months at the dealer and manufacturer. I still have a few things to repair, which I'm going to take care of myself. I will remain optimistic and hope this will be about it (other than maintenance and normal wear/tear).

TT Newbie · 03-05-2018, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Campforlife

You're welcome. I like the looks of the Sonoma, the floor plan and all of the standard features/options. However, it has had a number of issues (most of which, have been factory related). This is my third new travel trailer and each one has been a different make/model. To be fair, all three have had problems from the get go, which have involved several trips to the dealer and manufacturer to correct the problems. Most of the problems have been worked out within the first year and they have ended up being good units after that (for the most part). I've owned my Sonoma for about seven months now and it has spent four of the seven months at the dealer and manufacturer. I still have a few things to repair, which I'm going to take care of myself. I will remain optimistic and hope this will be about it (other than maintenance and normal wear/tear).

Hi There
Wow! That’s a lot of time spent at the dealer and manufacturer. I’m curious as to what the problems were? I’ll keep an eye on the things you point out. Thanks!

Campforlife · 03-06-2018, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TT Newbie

Hi There
Wow! That’s a lot of time spent at the dealer and manufacturer. I’m curious as to what the problems were? I’ll keep an eye on the things you point out. Thanks!

Here is a list of the problems I've had, most of which were found during the first shakedown trip (In no particular order):

1.) Cracks in the front fiberglass cap. They appear to be in the gel-coat. I did not see them before I took delivery and I'm not convinced the repairs will hold up long term.
2.) Cracks in the shower pan and water leaking on the bathroom floor while taking a shower. Apparently, part of this was caused by improper sealing of the shower pan and shower surround.
3.) A leak at the water pump. I knew this was the case when I heard the pump cycle for a brief second, every 10 minutes or so.
4.) Misaligned exterior bathroom door. (This turned out to be a real pain). I noticed this during the PDI and had the dealer adjust it after the shakedown trip, which ended up making it worse. The factory was able to adjust it to my satisfaction.
5.) Misaligned screen doors. Also noticed during the PDI. I ended up adjusting them myself.
6.) Dometic awning would "pop" while extracting it.
7.) Kitchen and dinette drawers would come open during travel. One of the dinette drawer faces was damaged.
8.) Water entering exterior light fixture lenses.
9.) Street side pocket door came off the track during travel and damaged the bottom of the wall.
10.) Drip rail wasn't pitched correctly, which would cause water to drip between awning and body.

There were a few other things I caught during the PDI, which were corrected before I took delivery.

Presently, two of the bottom guides broke on the curved glass shower door assembly, my TV has lost it's picture and the caulking is peeling off the curb side front corner moulding.

The fit and finish on my Sonoma isn't the best, however, I knew this before I bought it and I can live with it. There are more important things to be concerned with. I know a few issues can be expected to be found on most RVs during the "shakedown trip", but I have had more than a few.

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