Wow speechless on electrical in Solitude 379 FL

[Abqscott]

Thought you would find this interesting. 20,000 Rv fires reported last year. 25% of those from low voltage wiring fires. That is a large number.
rvtravel.com/publish/rv_fires-polk.shtml
Why RVs catch fire and how to protect yours from burning By Mark Polk: Email this article ... Do you know that there are about 20,000 reported RV fires each year?

[TucsonJim]

Abqscott - Here's the website with a clickable address:

http://rvtravel.com/publish/rv_fires-polk.shtml

To add a clickable link, click on the globe shape with the chain link at the top of the quick reply box. Copy the address from the address bar of the site you want to link to, and paste it in the appropriate pop up box when you click on the globe.

[fredandfred]

Took some pictures of wiring and plumbing on my 2015 379 FL. I am speechless. I have been a master plumber, gas fitter, and heating and cooling contractor for 30 years. I would be absolutely embarrassed at the quality of this workmanship. A first month apprentice should be able to do better work than this. Who thinks it is a good idea to hack through pressed board and run wiring that will ultimately rub through causing short circuits and leaks in the electrical & plumbing. I can rerun and protect most of the wire and plumbing behind the bulk head in a few hours. It would take a lot to correct what I believe is beyond that. The difference in this finished product and what it could have been is a few proper sized hole saws and a lot of strapping which apparently is not used much. A residential home does not move at highway speeds nor is it subject to the bumps and vibrations, yet a residential home systems must be inspected by an inspector that knows proper mechanical and electrical practices including proper strapping, pipe and electrical protection along with proper clearances. Most of the problems that occur on the 5th wheel forums fail because of the installation practices during assembly while everything is accessible, it would have added a couple of hours to the manufacture process to do this right. Wouldn't it be great if a manufacturer set the industry standard by doing the hidden work right. Think of the warranty costs this would save not to mention the reputation they would have that would change this industry forever. Think of your customers that won't get stranded on a trip. We hate taking our coaches to the dealer for warranty service and there are very few dealers making a living off of service they make it in sales. 0nce again Grand Design has great finish, but electrical and plumbing are embarrassing. Plumb, square, neat and clean. If it looks right it will probably work right for a long time. Tired of the pump running every time you use water? Why not add a simple residential expansion tank to this system. Not only will you be able to use the bathroom in the middle of the night without the pump coming on, but the water hammer and pump noise will be greatly reduced. Just a thought.

We have a 379FL and would like to know how to gain access to the areas you took your photos. My curiosity is clawing at me.

[PolarBear]

Me to would like to see ours,,,

[Abqscott]

http://www.lowes.com/pd_308997-46882-34015TNXLG_0__ its in the cargo bay aft wall held in with screws> I replaced them with hinge pin from Lowes

[fredandfred]

Will check it out.

[bob hohn]

This forum will not allow personal attacks, nor will it allow attacks to or from the manufacturer.

Sorry bob, part of the rules!

Steve

[fredandfred]

This forum will not allow personal attacks, nor will it allow attacks to or from the manufacturer.

Sorry bob, part of the rules!

Steve

We don't need attacks.

[arhayes]

I'll echo the disappointment I had on the messy look of the wiring in the basement AND the overall condition of cleanliness. I've had to replace my "kantleak" valve twice now so have had the basement walls off a few times. Besides the wiring mess, there was lots of sawdust and metal flecks from construction. I cannot start to fix the wiring, but it only too all of 5-10 minutes to totally clean and vacuum the hidden areas behind the basement walls. Overall we love our rig. I know it wasn't the most expensive in the industry, but we paid a lot for our "home" I cannot imagine that fixing these small issues would add much to the cost. Plus, they would be one more point of difference that could be used to tout the quality of GD products to the buying public.

[mburtsvt]

After seeing the pictures I think I will upgrade my fire extinguisher.