First Time Out…Oh My!

[MisterA]

Not technically first time out if you count the shake down cruise but we are on a 30 day trip across the country from Florida to California and back again. with our 2021 3250bh. Day 8 and the water heater quit working. I bypassed the thermocouple and it works so gotta find a dealer with one. Screen door for master bedroom doesn’t even come close to hitting the catch. Dometic fridge is hit and miss. Sometimes it’s cold enough, most of the time it’s not. I often have to coax it into working on gas. Rear grey water tank pull cable has been seized since day one so it takes a pair of pliers to get it to move even with significant lube. Had some interior trim just fall off. Replaced the drawer handles with something less katana-like after cutting my leg open on the under-bunk drawers. Fridge door handle broke because the latch wouldn’t release it from the frame without coercion. Screws for the skirting on the starboard side began backing themselves out.
All that said, still love it and I knew getting into it I’d have to become an RV repairman.


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[JonSr.]

Not technically first time out if you count the shake down cruise but we are on a 30 day trip across the country from Florida to California and back again. with our 2021 3250bh. Day 8 and the water heater quit working. I bypassed the thermocouple and it works so gotta find a dealer with one. Screen door for master bedroom doesn’t even come close to hitting the catch. Dometic fridge is hit and miss. Sometimes it’s cold enough, most of the time it’s not. I often have to coax it into working on gas. Rear grey water tank pull cable has been seized since day one so it takes a pair of pliers to get it to move even with significant lube. Had some interior trim just fall off. Replaced the drawer handles with something less katana-like after cutting my leg open on the under-bunk drawers. Fridge door handle broke because the latch wouldn’t release it from the frame without coercion. Screws for the skirting on the starboard side began backing themselves out.
All that said, still love it and I knew getting into it I’d have to become an RV repairman.


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As the t-shirt says, “The only thing that works on an RV is the owner”.

 

[WhittleBurner]

You might be able to match up a thermo coupler at the hardware store with the added benefit it will likely be cheaper. For the fridge try moving the the little temp sensor to the right a few fins and see if that helps. Those latches ar famous for breaking. I keep meanin to keep a spare haning around. Broke one in the last trailer. Once you get the timing down on working the clip and pulling it'll get better.

Glad you love the trailer and have the right attitude for RVing! cross country and back in 30 days!!! I'm tired thinking about it.

 

[MisterA]

You might be able to match up a thermo coupler at the hardware store with the added benefit it will likely be cheaper. For the fridge try moving the the little temp sensor to the right a few fins and see if that helps. Those latches ar famous for breaking. I keep meanin to keep a spare haning around. Broke one in the last trailer. Once you get the timing down on working the clip and pulling it'll get better.

Glad you love the trailer and have the right attitude for RVing! cross country and back in 30 days!!! I'm tired thinking about it.

Thanks for the tip on the thermocouple and the fridge. I will try that. The fridge wouldn’t open without physically pushing the door to the right while pulling the latch and the fridge open at the same time. I’m going to find an alternative to that flimsy plastic. I know I still sound like I’m whining. I do love it even with the cheap plastic handles lol. Imagine complaining in a forum while looking up at the stars parked on a cliff overlooking the badlands…woe is me.


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[MisterA]

Aargh, add to the list a large section of black trim on the slide is now somewhere in Texas. Looks like it just came loose then broke in the wind. Doesn’t surprise me since I had a panel on the dinette bench fall off and the door jam for the bunkhouse unglued itself from the wall. Repairs are one thing but having your new trailer literally falling apart is frustrating.


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[TXkmpr]

Don't know if this will help out. On the fridge the door handle is designed like a latch. Push on the inner part of the handle and pull on the outer part.

 

[MisterA]

Don't know if this will help out. On the fridge the door handle is designed like a latch. Push on the inner part of the handle and pull on the outer part.

Ours works differently. The whole handle pivots as you pull which unlatched the fridge…we’ll that’s how it’s supposed to work anyway.


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[Bags4266]

You definitely need to know your way around a toolbox to own any Rv.

 

[dryfly]

You definitely need to know your way around a toolbox to own any Rv.

I don't know................periodic maintenance is one thing, but having your new trailer fall apart on the first trip is another. It's getting painful reading some of the stories on the forums.

 

[Bags4266]

Here’s my take, we bought a brand new 2600rb, sold our A class. We go out for the summer 5/6 months at a time. The 2600rb had some same issues, trim popping soft shower pan, HW heater only works on electric bad control board. Bedroom slider door feel off. All easy fixes to me. I would rather spend my money than wait for a 2 month service call and have some idiot work on my trailer.

 

[MisterA]

Here’s my take, we bought a brand new 2600rb, sold our A class. We go out for the summer 5/6 months at a time. The 2600rb had some same issues, trim popping soft shower pan, HW heater only works on electric bad control board. Bedroom slider door feel off. All easy fixes to me. I would rather spend my money than wait for a 2 month service call and have some idiot work on my trailer.

It’s comical at this point. On the roof replacing the capacitor on the AC that keep popping the breaker and I see this. We are officially outside of the realm of easy road fixes.



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[Bags4266]

Omg that roof is bad, that is out of the toolbox fixes. Did you inspect the roof when purchased or this happened after?

 

[dryfly]

Here’s my take, we bought a brand new 2600rb, sold our A class. We go out for the summer 5/6 months at a time. The 2600rb had some same issues, trim popping soft shower pan, HW heater only works on electric bad control board. Bedroom slider door feel off. All easy fixes to me. I would rather spend my money than wait for a 2 month service call and have some idiot work on my trailer.

I agree. The last thing I want is to leave my trailer in some dealer's parking lot for 2 months and then have some incompetent screw up 3 different things. I enjoy doing most of my maintenance and modifications, and have been fortunate with my 2020 Reflection. Probably MORE than fortunate considering some of the stories coming out of 2021 builds.

Now I realize there are some folks that will complain about little things like loose screws and drawers that won't close, etc., but it's just sad when I read of those getting trailers that are literally falling apart on the first couple of trips, then being told by the dealer service department that it will be 3 months before they can get to them. I can't think of many industries where companies could do this to their customers and still remain in business.

 

[MisterA]

Omg that roof is bad, that is out of the toolbox fixes. Did you inspect the roof when purchased or this happened after?

Yeah, the salesman was bragging about the walk-on roof and I told him I didn’t think the ladder would hold me so we tested it. He showed me each roof mounted item while we were up there. No bubbles present at the time. I guess the good news is the torn sealant looks fresh and there’s no damage to the actual rubber roof sheeting stuff so it could probably be fixed without too much destruction. Not gonna lie, I’m pretty optimistic but this makes me sick to my stomach. We bought it in February, took it out for 4 days in April, and we’ve been in it for the last 26 days straight on our month long summer trip. When I say it’s new..it’s very new. We will probably be heading straight home to Florida from where we are in Texas. With the AC not working it will be miserable to continue the trip for another week.


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[MisterA]

250 miles from home on our 7k mile cross country trip and thinking to myself, surely nothing else could go wrong before we get home. Fate and Mr Murphy laughed squarely in my face.


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[NB Canada]

250 miles from home on our 7k mile cross country trip and thinking to myself, surely nothing else could go wrong before we get home. Fate and Mr Murphy laughed squarely in my face.View attachment 35769


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Too bad no tpms. It may have saved you


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[MisterA]

Too bad no tpms. It may have saved you


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

This was 4 miles from our last stop and I had just checked pressures. I think it just separated. Glad it didn’t take out the tire behind it. I had just replaced that one after a sidewall puncture.


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[Bags4266]

Wow again, you have some luck. First thing I did when I drove mine off the lot was drive into the Goodyear dealer lot

 

[MisterA]

Wow again, you have some luck. First thing I did when I drove mine off the lot was drive into the Goodyear dealer lot

Fortunately the damage looks worse than it is. All the talk about China bombs on the forum convinced me to get the tires replaced and have the tpms sensors installed that came with my truck but life got in the way. Kinda regretting not making it a priority but lesson learned. At least I’ll have 3 brand new Goodyear’s on for our next adventure (already installed one with the tpms).


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[WhittleBurner]

When a tire goes down the one tire left on that side will be carrying twice the load that it is intended too. That tire can overheat and suffer some damage. That could be why it is not uncommon to hear of people having a second tire go bad not long after the first one did.