Windjammer 3001W Underbelly removal?

[david_reaves]

I have a 2015 Rockwood Windjammer 3001W that I bought in September 2014.

I'm having two problems with the heating ducts in the camper belly. I searched through the forum and can't find anything that gives the needed information. (I may not have searched well enough.)

The first is that the floor vent in the bedroom doesn't get any warm air. That's been going for a while and may have been a problem in manufacturing, since it is warm much of the time in central Texas and we may not have noticed. I'm guessing that vent is not connected to a duct.

The second issue is that I may have recently had mice invading the underbelly. When we used the camper in December there was a very strong odor of urine when we started the heater...it didn't go away. The rest of the trip depended on a space heater. At home, I was able to run a cable-pull tape through the ducts to the vents from the heat exchanger and then a bunched up rag with urine odor remover. Helped, but not a permanent fix. The odor persists. When pulling the rag through, we didn't get anything through the vent that looked like a mouse nest, but did get a few fragments of what appeared to be chewed plastic ducting.

So, now the question. To repair, I'm sure the belly needs to be dropped and the ducts replaced, any evidence of mice removed, the belly replaced, and any potential entry points blocked. My problem is that my health doesn't allow me to do the work myself. Can anyone give me an estimate of how long it will take an RV mechanic to drop the belly, replace the ducting, and remount the bottom cover? I would like to get a reasonable idea of how long it should take. That will help me budget and will also help me keep the dealer's service department honest.

Thanks in advance for any help!

David

[KenHwy61]

Welcome to the forum! There is nothing overly difficult about doing what you want done but the job may take some time. A dealer will likely charge you a small fortune. To be honest, a competent handyman would probably do a better job at half the cost and most if not all materials needed can be bought at a Home Depot.

[youroo]

We have been through what you are asking in regards to "Heat Duct Output" in our V-Lite! Ours was Smashed and Torn in different locations! Since yours has "Urine Smell" also it must be replaced! To do it "PROPERLY" the Belly needs to be Dropped in as many locations as Possible! Total Belly Drop is a "BIG Issue"! Don't "Cut & Hack" the Belly Cover! To R&R all the Heat Duct front to back is a BIG job! Laying on your back and trying to Snake the Flex Duct around all the obstacles,and it needs to be a 2 person job! We have been through This " 3 Times with F/R Factory Techs" doing the Work,so I am Not a Rookie! It will be a $$$ if done correctly! Belly covers Cover a LOT of Poor Layout and Craftsmanship! Youroo!!

[david_reaves]

I'm still waiting for a call back from my dealer. They were supposed to call Forest River to get some idea of time to drop underbelly and replace. I'm concerned that at $85 an hour that it could cost quite a bit.

Still, the camper isn't very usable in cool weather without the heater. Definitely can't take it to Colorado this spring!

[Berkdawg]

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. I do not have much to help with your fix, but I hate to hear you may miss travel time because of this. If you do look for alternative heating methods for your Colorado trip, be wary of the Buddy heaters. They do not work at the higher elevations.

Most hunters in my camp use the Wave heaters and are very comfortable.

Best of luck.

[david_reaves]

Last night I emailed the Rockwood warranty administrator for Forest River. He replied this morning with the general information that dealers normally bill them for 1-2 hours to drop and replace the underbelly.

Actually, I'm hoping that the issue is a leaking vent or pipe that would be covered under my extended warranty. In either case, two hours labor for the belly cover isn't going to kill me.

David

[david_reaves]

So, it turned out that two hours labor was required to drop and replace the underbelly cover. The total cost for removing and replacing, cleaning, and replacing all the plastic duct work was $650. Since I couldn't do it, it was worth it. Without it we couldn't use the camper! Glad it wasn't more!

[punkaccountant]

Was your suspicion on the mice correct? If so, any idea how they got in there and if you can prevent it moving forward? Otherwise, it will be an ongoing problem.

[david_reaves]

Don't know how they got in, but definitely mice/rats. Part of the solution is to not store cracked corn near the trailer! Also, I'll be stuffing copper wool (if I can find it) or steel wool into any holes, cracks, or crevices in the underbelly.

[donanddona]

Steel wool in the paint department of any home improvement store is great to use. I have heard that mothballs work good too. This year I went around using expanding foam. You need a list as this stuff is messey......