exterior trim separating

[MrT]

The trim on the front of our 2013 36RL has separated. When I parked it after returning from the gulf coast I noticed the movement. It wasn't like this when we left Texas. Has anyone else experienced this?

trim separation2.jpg

trim separation.jpg

[Jim & Mary]

Oh, my yes.................This is a problem with not only Redwoods, but most heavier fifth wheel RVs. We had ours done in 2016 at our dealer, and they peeled the skin back and welded aluminum gussets to strenthen that corner. There is still movement, but it helped. I had hoped to get Redwood service to fix that when we were at the 2017 rally, but the change had started in management, and they said only minor fixes were to be done by the Service Center. I suspect the current Redwood upper management (Keystone) will be even less helpful now.

[MrT]

Thanks. Do you remember how much it cost? How long the repair took?

[Jim & Mary]

Yes, I surely do remember...................... $0.00 The Redwoods of that vintage had a 5 year structural warranty that they honored and so did our dealer. This dealer has since dropped the Redwood line for "unknown" reasons. I'll let you speculate.

[almcc]

Hopefully your damage isn't as bad as our 2013 36RL was, substantial steel cracks at the joints and the sidewall was separating from the support. Cost $6,000 to repair, expensive because steel had to be removed and replaced by cutting (not torched) because of the risk of fire. A couple of pictures.RV damage00001.jpg

RV damage00006.jpg

[MrT]

Well, the 5 year warranty deal sailed 4 years ago. Thanks for the info. Now to find a repair shop that can get it back to me in a decent time frame.

[MrT]

Wow. Thanks for the info! Where on the trailer was the picture of the frame crack taken?

[almcc]

That picture was roadside just forward of the trangular support for the landing gear. There was also damage on the curbside, more pictures follow. Our dealer was excellent in that he had repaired similar damage on other RV's (Titaniums). He complained to RW about the very thin steel used (not quite sheet metal but close!) and they said that RW does that because they wanted to reduce weight.
RV damage00002.jpg

RV damage00003.jpg

RV damage00005.jpg

[drj564]

Those pictures give me anxiety.

[MrT]

Me too. Frame cracking is not something you expect from a well built, well maintained vehicle.

[piper guy]

Contact Lippert Support and ask for a copy of the “Pin Deflection Testing Procedures”. This is a service bulletin that details how to measure pin movement unhooked and hooked up. This is the first measurement needed to diagnose

[MrT]

Thanks. Lippert is supposed to contact me Monday. I'll be sure to ask.

[almcc]

As a comment based on our experience I would look at the gap in your picture and see if it changes (gets larger or smaller) when the RW is on the pin compared to when it's on the landing gear, the gap on ours changed. The Lippert measurement is a bit complicated (it's diagonal) but it could reveal some lesser damage than I experienced. It's a bit expensive but it could save you $$ compared to me if you have a dealer pull the plastic off underneath around the pin area and look for early cracking/damage.

[MrT]

Thanks. I checked it with the unit hooked and unhooked. Unhooked I cannot push the horizontal panel back into position. Hooked, with the weight on the truck the horizontal panel moves back into the proper position, and I can push the trim back in place with my hand. I'm going to contact the dealer who sold me the trailer Monday.

[C&D.L]

I’m pretty sure I have the same issue on my 2012 RL. I plan to fix it my self in a couple months. I’ll take a lot of pics for anyone interested. Mine is in the body shop now as someone backed their unit into the front cap and cracked it in 3 places while in storage.

[MrT]

I'd be interested to see the pictures of your repair. I contacted Lippert, they said no financial help, (I didn't ask for nor expect any) but to send them pictures and a description of what is found wrong with the frame, and they will recommend a repair procedure. They also said if the problem is with the side walls to contact Thor. Hopefully the side walls are not a problem. Anyways, the dealer has it now and hopefully we'll know something this coming week.