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Old 12-25-2017, 08:59 AM   #1
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'17 Grey Wolf 23DBH leaks, 2 trips to dealer, almost 2 mons total there, help?

I purchased a new Cherokee Grey Wolf 23DBH in late September 2017, as much as we love the trailer, and as excited as we were for it, it's been a complete nightmare.

The trailer has now been at the dealer for the second time for a major leak that fills the rear underbelly insulation with water, this time it's been at the selling dealer since 11/27/2017, the first time it was at the shop to fix this problem and a few other minor issues was from 10/16/2017 to 11/8/2017. I talked to the dealer last week, and I'm pretty sure they lied to me, I asked whether they had started to work on it, they said they weren't sure, but don't worry, we drained the water and removed the wet insulation, and it's in the shop, not outside, wet.....so you've had it nearly a month, and it's taking up precious shop space? Nah, I'm pretty sure it's outside, leaking, and wet.

I have called Forest River, they say well, what to you want us to do? We can call them if you want?

I have gone up and resealed the roof with dicor twice now, they thought originally the leak was coming from one of the lights wiring, then when it came back to them wet(it was never fixed), they said hmmmm, maybe it is plumbing, now they are saying it's rain water again.

Basically, if this thing catches fire tomorrow, it will be a miracle.

I know that these things are slapped together, I've grown up around RVs, this is my first camper of my own, I knew what I was getting into, but this is ridiculous, any idea if I have any recourse?

I don't want this thing back, I've only owned it for about 3 months, and almost 2 of those months, it's been broken, leaking, and wet, sitting at the dealer. We have our first baby on the way, which is one of the reasons we got the camper(we do a lot of tent camping), I have a feeling this thing is going to be full of mold under the surface, what can I do?

If this was an auto, we would be talking lemon law, unfortunately, that doesn't apply here.

Oh and I have no issue with naming the dealer that has my camper, and sold it to me, Chesaco RV in Joppa, MD.

Oh, and Merry Christmas.
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Old 12-25-2017, 10:37 AM   #2
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Hopefully you get it fixed and can finally enjoy it.

I truly believe the secret to success is a dealer that actually checks the units before they go out.
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Old 12-25-2017, 10:54 AM   #3
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Hope you get it resolved. Sounds like you need them to get it back to the factory. Water is tough especially a leak because it can often come from anywhere. I often tell of my mini lite that had a roof leak in out front bed area. After 3 months I found a screw in the rain gutter that had a pin hole in the dicor. The screw was almost at the back of the trailer 15 feet away.
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Old 12-25-2017, 11:06 AM   #4
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We have a 2014 Work & Play 25 ULA toy hauler. We had leaks too, So we spen the extra money and had it pressure tested. The only way they will find all the leaks and seal them. Oh yes and it was on our dime!
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Old 12-25-2017, 12:34 PM   #5
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Hope you get it resolved. Sounds like you need them to get it back to the factory.
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Old 12-25-2017, 02:07 PM   #6
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Sure hope you get it fixed and have no more problems so you can enjoy it. We bought our EVO 2360 in October 2017. The dealer did a PDI on it and I was charged $450 So when I went to pick it up They had not checked for leaks in the plumbing because it was winterized from the factory. I would not except delivery until it was de-winterized and the tanks filled with water so I could check everything, all of the plumbing, hot water heater, controls and switches, I even crawled up on top of the roof. and under the trailer to check the underbelly. The only thing I did not do was to pull the wheels and check the brakes and grease seals. It was winter time and 34 deg F. My inspection took 3 hours. I found 2 minor items that were corrected on the spot. When I got home I winterized it again. I will be leaving for Arizona Jan 20th. Hope I have no problems and no leaks. So far we have had a couple of snow storms and the snow melted and I found no leaks although the temps have went as low as 12 deg F We got a good 4 to 6 inches of snow last Night. Temp is now 39 deg F so it is melting. Yes a good dealer is a must. So far I am pleased with the one I got. Take care and good luck.
Mel
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Old 12-25-2017, 02:21 PM   #7
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I see you have 4 running lights in the back, and a backup camera mount. I had a leak on my front running light. Pulled it and resealed it with lap sealant. I would suspect you may well have one of those, or more, not well sealed! It would be well worth your time to pull them and reseal. It COULD be something just that simple!

Don't give up on your dream yet. Looks like a really cool rig, I know you'll love it.

Dealer repair issues such as you have are commonplace. Some RV owners here in the Denver area are starting a class action suit on Camping World because CW cannot repair warranty issues or new problems in a reasonable amount of time. Dealers are pumping out new sales, but lagging seriously in the Service area.
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Old 12-25-2017, 03:42 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by CEaton View Post
I purchased a new Cherokee Grey Wolf 23DBH in late September 2017, as much as we love the trailer, and as excited as we were for it, it's been a complete nightmare.

The trailer has now been at the dealer for the second time for a major leak that fills the rear underbelly insulation with water, this time it's been at the selling dealer since 11/27/2017, the first time it was at the shop to fix this problem and a few other minor issues was from 10/16/2017 to 11/8/2017. I talked to the dealer last week, and I'm pretty sure they lied to me, I asked whether they had started to work on it, they said they weren't sure, but don't worry, we drained the water and removed the wet insulation, and it's in the shop, not outside, wet.....so you've had it nearly a month, and it's taking up precious shop space? Nah, I'm pretty sure it's outside, leaking, and wet.

I have called Forest River, they say well, what to you want us to do? We can call them if you want?

I have gone up and resealed the roof with dicor twice now, they thought originally the leak was coming from one of the lights wiring, then when it came back to them wet(it was never fixed), they said hmmmm, maybe it is plumbing, now they are saying it's rain water again.

Basically, if this thing catches fire tomorrow, it will be a miracle.

I know that these things are slapped together, I've grown up around RVs, this is my first camper of my own, I knew what I was getting into, but this is ridiculous, any idea if I have any recourse?

I don't want this thing back, I've only owned it for about 3 months, and almost 2 of those months, it's been broken, leaking, and wet, sitting at the dealer. We have our first baby on the way, which is one of the reasons we got the camper(we do a lot of tent camping), I have a feeling this thing is going to be full of mold under the surface, what can I do?

If this was an auto, we would be talking lemon law, unfortunately, that doesn't apply here.

Oh and I have no issue with naming the dealer that has my camper, and sold it to me, Chesaco RV in Joppa, MD.

Oh, and Merry Christmas.
Since you have grown up around RV's, you should be comfortable with basic trouble shooting and repair.
TT's are very basic boxes with appliances and furniture in them. The water systems are also very basic.
When did you notice this leak? When you used the tub, sink or toilet while camping? Did it leak in your driveway after a heavy rain?
The water is filling the underbelly in the rear. This is a rear bathroom unit. Did you troubleshoot the sink, tub and head? Check all the water lines to and from the water pump to each fixture that supplies water? Check all drains that remove water?
Did you drop the underbelly? Did you pull access panels? Did you check the exterior for leaks with a hose?
All the above things is what you have waited months for the shop to do.
I realize this is a new unit but you need to be able to do things yourself too.
Let us know so we can help you troubleshoot the problem.

EDIT: No, you have no recourse except selling for a huge loss.
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Old 12-25-2017, 04:06 PM   #9
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I have worked out many issues with the unit myself already, at this point I've been promised the moon by the dealer and probably should have done more myself, each time, "bring it up, we will get it in the shop right away" and I've shied away from tearing into it myself, thinking, well, this is warranty for sure, if I start tearing it up, I will likely be denied when I take it in for what will obviously be something that should be fixed under warranty. I also bought the 7 year RV Protect service plan on the unit....but if I am going to have to get my hands dirty every time something goes wrong, otherwise be without the trailer for months at a time, what good does it do me?

I was just going to call them again tomorrow, but I don't think calling them is doing me any good, but they are over an hour from me, so not all the convenient to just drop in to see what's what. It really rubbed me the wrong way last week when I called them asking what the status was on it, just about 3 weeks after I dropped it off when they assured me they would get right to it since it was the second time I'd had it in there for the same problem and they said on no worries sir, we got all the wet insulation out and it's inside so it doesn't get wet......it's not a huge shop, there is no way they kept my trailer inside all of this time, it's certainly outside getting rained on.....

Now, back to the troubleshooting outside of the dealers hands...yes, it's a rear bath unit, and I originally suspected plumbing since during the PDI, there insulation wasn't sagging and water logged like I have found it twice now. During the PDI they filled my tank and we tested everything, I certainly didn't climb all over it like I probably should have, since, a week later I got on the roof once home to see cracks in the dicor that I promptly resealed, I'm sure they were in the same condition when I picked it up. The first time they "fixed" the leak, they said it was exactly what one of the posters above suspected, a leak around the wiring for one of the lights.

2 weeks after I picked up the unit from the first repair, the rear under belly was water logged again, a couple bathroom usages(shower, toilet, and sink), and a few rains in between.

When I brought it to them this time, they said, must be plumbing then, we will test it. Then last week when I called, they said they don't think it's plumbing, and they are "awaiting authorization from Forest River to do a full leak test"
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Old 12-25-2017, 04:15 PM   #10
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Guess I won't be calling or showing up tomorrow....they are closed until January 2nd.
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Old 12-25-2017, 04:24 PM   #11
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I too would suspect the dealer has done nothing so far on your rig. I would bet a dollar the wet insulation is still in the belly, sitting outside.
If I was you, I would nicely push the buttons to get the leak test completed. I would also ask to see / hear what the have done regarding the plumbing checks.
Unfortunately, the seven year warranty is usually not worth the paper it is written on.
Keep us posted.
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Old 12-26-2017, 08:47 AM   #12
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Forest River’s response....they don’t care.

Obviously I’m reaching out to them because the dealer isn’t making this right, if they were, I wouldn’t be asking them for help with my situation.

“Chris,

I’m sorry about your experience. Any problems with your unit would need to be discussed with your dealership. Forest River stands behind our products through our warranty process and that is a different department. The dealers are independent so they are responsible for all warranty related repairs on the units that they buy and sell. The dealer will contact the correct department at Forest River to get things worked out.
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Old 01-02-2018, 12:13 PM   #13
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heard back from the dealer, only fair after posting about this to keep it up to date.

Basically, it does sound like, surprisingly, when they realized it was a rain water leak, they did keep my unit inside their shop to stay safe, I have no reason not to believe that after talking to the manager on the phone this morning.

Forest River finally did approve them to do a leak test, the dealer found "many" leaks, "all over," they need to reseal a lot of the corner molding, and they need to reseal all of the marker and clearance lights.

Doesn't sound like much was sealed properly from the manufacturer...I just want the thing back in one piece.

We will see how this goes. I'll continue with updates.
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Old 01-02-2018, 06:30 PM   #14
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Glad the dealer is looking after you, most don't. Thank you for the update. Please be sure to follow up.
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Old 01-08-2018, 06:10 PM   #15
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I got the camper back today, went over the repairs with the dealer, everything looks good, they had to reseal and tape all four of the corner moldings, and they resealed each of the marker lights and showed me where the water was coming in from. Everything is visibly sealed much better than it was from the factory. It's finally back home and I'll be keeping an eye on it.
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Old 01-08-2018, 06:18 PM   #16
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I got the camper back today, went over the repairs with the dealer, everything looks good, they had to reseal and tape all four of the corner moldings, and they resealed each of the marker lights and showed me where the water was coming in from. Everything is visibly sealed much better than it was from the factory. It's finally back home and I'll be keeping an eye on it.
Glad you got your rig sealed up and back home.
Where was the water coming in at? Thank you for the follow up post.
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Old 01-09-2018, 03:22 PM   #17
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I have the 23dbh grey wolf also. For us it has been the perfect camper. Our dealer triple checked and also went over everything with us to show us it was all good. A good dealer is a must!! Good luck hope it works out well for you.
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Old 01-10-2018, 12:18 PM   #18
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I had the exact same leak in the underbelly. (Along with slide out leaks) I fixed it myself as the dealer had it 3 times and still leaked. Keep an eye on your underbelly to see if it starts gathering water again especially after using the shower and/or sinks. I cut out the Coroplast and found my gray water tank leaking at the outlet. It was a constant drip. It was a terrible glue job from the factory.
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Old 01-14-2018, 12:28 AM   #19
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Would recommend doing a mold test when spring comes around to make sure you don't have any surprises. We love our '17 23DBH. Still waiting on FR to ok a couple of warranty issues.
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Old 01-25-2018, 06:01 PM   #20
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Hmm... your story sounds vaguely familiar to me too. Last summer I inadvertently noticed the insulation in the rear underbelly of my new 26DBH was drooping like a saggy wet diaper. I poked a small hole and to my surprise drained "a couple of gallons" of apparently clean water. I slit the plastic covering the insulation, and pulled out a bunch of sopping wet insulation. Attempts to troubleshoot and isolate the problem, as far as the shower / tub, red and blue pipes, commode, etc. were unsuccessful, however, keeping a close eye on things I never did encounter any more water there the rest of the summer. ODD!

We have a seasonal site, so some of the steps I can take are different than described by others, but I'm still curious to see what I find when we go back in the spring. I can't imagine this was a "one time thing" but after initial discovery, the symptoms never seemed to show again the rest of the summer...
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