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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Nightmare hitch install
    Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 9:51pm
Greetings all,

First let me say that I am really happy with my new Equalizer WDH, but dealing with the shop that did the install is really trying my patience.

I bought the hitch from Etrailer.com and it was delivered quicker than expected. Etrailer rocks! However, I wanted it professionally installed so I had Heacock Trailers in Arroyo Grande, CA  do the install. They were recommended to me by several people, including my father.

It was a hassle just to get them the trailer because I work until 4:30 pm and the shop closes at 5:00 pm and Arroyo Grande is 20 miles north of Santa Maria. I had to bring the trailer to work because I thought I would waste too much time going home and hitching up so it would be quicker to just drive it up directly.

I had to leave the truck and trailer there overnight and they did the work the following day. When I came in to pick it up I noticed a one-inch square hole in the plastic pseudo-diamond plate rock deflector in the front of my BRAND NEW rPod 180! The shop owner tried to tell me that it must have been made by a rock, but I pointed out the fact that the hole was the SAME EXACT size as the end of the Equalizer sway bar. Of course his tech refused to admit that he knew anything about it. Finally the shop owner agreed that it must have happened while the hitch was being installed and agreed to order a new plastic front plate and install it for me. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the fiberglass panel behind was also damaged, but I can't tell to what extent until the outer layer is removed.

Later I noticed that the passenger side Equalizer sway bar is bowed a little more than an 1/8th of an inch. When I called to shop to bring this to their attention I was told that it 'Wasn't a big deal because there was bound to be some tolerance in the bars.' I thought it was a mighty strange coincidence that the bar was bent on the SAME SIDE as the hole in the front of the trailer. 

The shop owner finally told me that the tech had fessed up and said that he had raised the trailer up with the power jack and leaned the bar up against the front. When the trailer came down it made the hole. WHY COULD'T HE ADMIT THIS FROM THE START???? Matt, the shop owner, wanted the boob who made the mistake to be the one who fixed it. I said no, and that I didn't have any faith in his work.
(I was also concerned that, since I would be at work when they 'fixed it', I wouldn't be able to make sure that the underside of the damage would be fixed satisfactory. I was worried that they would just slap the new plastic piece on and call it finished.) I asked the shop owner to either let my wife watch the repair process, or at Least take photos of the work.

The shop owner ordered the new plastic panel from Forest River but did not want to get me a new bar. We just took the truck and trailer for a weekend camping trip and drove 434 miles. In that time the passenger side bar dug a big pit into the plate on that side of the trailer and every time I went around a slow-speed corner the hitch sounded like a metal shredder! People stared at us. It was loud and obnoxious. (The driver's side plate is fine.) When I got home I asked the shop owner about this and he said that it was 'normal'.

When I had asked him to replace the bent bar he said that he had 'Emailed Equalizer but still hadn't heard from them.'

I called them today and they said no, the bars leave the factory perfectly straight and there is no warpage 'tolerances'. They wanted me to send them photos, which I did, and they are sending me a new bar under warranty. (I Would post the pics here but I am unable to do so.)

This morning, Matt, the shop owner, called me and said, 'Because it seems that you have concerns about the repairs being done here, I am going to just turn this over to my insurance company SO WE DO NOT HAVE DO DEAL WITH EACH OTHER ANYMORE.' That told me that, in his eyes, I was being a 'problem customer', and he didn't want to hear from me anymore.

My wife is extremely upset over this, as it was a BRAND NEW trailer and hitch.

I guess I should have just said, 'Oh THAT'S all right. Accidents happen. I'll just live with a hole in my new trailer and a bent bar.'  NOT!!!

We're leaving for Oregon to take part in the rPod Rally at the end of August so I only have a month to get this repair done. Now that he is referring it to his insurance company I have a feeling that it will take much longer. Now I have to find a 'reputable' trailer repair shop and start all over again.

I'm wondering about the damage done to the interior fiberglass. If this repair will have to wait until after the Oregon trip, is it going to make matters worse by towing the trailer 2,200 miles to Oregon and back? Is that cracked fiberglass going to split even further? I would like to pry up the plastic piece to see the extent of the damage but don't want to do ANYTHING until the insurance adjuster sees it.
I really hope his insurance rates go up! 

I'm ready to pull my hair out. 
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 10:20pm
If it has to wait, cover the hole with Gorilla Tape. That stuff is thick and sticks much better than Duct Tape. It will also stay in place. We had an accident and I used Gorilla Tape, the plywood over the hole is the back, curb-side corner made by a bridge rail and used Gorilla Tape on the front driver's-side corner where it jackknifed and damaged the corner. We got home okay and the tape held until it went to the factory for repair.

Contact Forest River about authorized repair shops in your area. There is one in our area that is not a dealer. He has done some repair work for us.
StephenH
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Subzilla View Drop Down
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Posts: 302 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 2:29pm
I hate this happened to you......the reason I despise having anyone else work on my stuff.  I'm sure all of us could share a story or 6 about shop repair nightmares with vehicles/trailers/misc.
Mark
Concord, NC
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Pod People View Drop Down
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Posts: 1067 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 3:24pm
We also punched a hole in our "diamond plate"  accidentally.  I placed one of the wdh spring arms against the front of the trailer.  When we began the hitching process  to the tv, my wife started lowering the trailer with the manual jack. After a minute I heard her scream. the spring bar was sticking into the front of the pod. A very square hole was neatly punched into the diamond plate.  Luckily, she saw it in time--the plate was pierced, the fiberglass outer shell was pierced, but there was no evidence of any damage on the interior of the storage area under the bed of our 179.

 After we both calmed down, I tried to decide how best to make a repair.  I cut a piece of metal about 4"x6" and drilled 6 holes in it-3 on each 6" side.  I spray painted the metal and 6  3/4"#12 sheet metal screws  flat black.  I filled the hole completely with silicone caulk and also applied a liberal amount to the back of the metal plate.  I carefully screwed the plate over the hole, making sure that it was level and plumb.  After wiping off the excess silicone, the repair looked like it was meant to be there as a port for some wiring or connection.  we have looked closely over the last 3 months and have seen no sign of water intrusion.

the repair still looks like an original cover plate for something.

Vann

Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 10:40pm
Ah, the old fake cover plate trick. As the Old Canadian would say "If you want it done right, do it yourself". Approve
Charlie
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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 11:50pm
Originally posted by Subzilla

I hate this happened to you......the reason I despise having anyone else work on my stuff.  I'm sure all of us could share a story or 6 about shop repair nightmares with vehicles/trailers/misc.


Thanks. It’s been very frustrating. The rPod was brand new and didn’t even have a license plate attached yet.
I just want it repaired correctly. My wife is more upset than I am. She wants our money back for the labor to install the hitch and she wants the shop to pay for the replacement Equalizer bar. (I talked with Equalizer the other day and they were very helpful. They are shipping me a new bar under warranty. Genéte said it wasn’t fair for Equalizer to eat the cost of the replacement bar because it was damaged by the shop tech.)

The shop’s insurance adjuster will be out early in the week to write up an estimate. I picked up the replacement diamond plate panel that the hitch shop ordered. It is thin metal. I thought before that it was plastic.

I’m hoping that Foster’s Auto Body can do the repair. I trust their work. It doesn’t seem like a huge in depth repair. Otherwise I will have to find an RV repair shop.
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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 11:56pm
Originally posted by Pod People

We also punched a hole in our "diamond plate"  accidentally.  I placed one of the wdh spring arms against the front of the trailer.  When we began the hitching process  to the tv, my wife started lowering the trailer with the manual jack. After a minute I heard her scream. the spring bar was sticking into the front of the pod. A very square hole was neatly punched into the diamond plate.  Luckily, she saw it in time--the plate was pierced, the fiberglass outer shell was pierced, but there was no evidence of any damage on the interior of the storage area under the bed of our 179.
 After we both calmed down, I tried to decide how best to make a repair.  I cut a piece of metal about 4"x6" and drilled 6 holes in it-3 on each 6" side.  I spray painted the metal and 6  3/4"#12 sheet metal screws  flat black.  I filled the hole completely with silicone caulk and also applied a liberal amount to the back of the metal plate.  I carefully screwed the plate over the hole, making sure that it was level and plumb.  After wiping off the excess silicone, the repair looked like it was meant to be there as a port for some wiring or connection.  we have looked closely over the last 3 months and have seen no sign of water intrusion.
the repair still looks like an original cover plate for something.
Vann


I think I remember you mentioning this before. I just couldn’t believe that a ‘professional ‘ would make a stupid mistake like that. There doesn’t seem to be any damage on other inside but I can’t tell for certain because there is a thin piece of trim wood on the inside. I think the interior wall is just cracked. The body shop did tell me that this needs to be sealed before moisture permeates the trailer wall.
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Ben Herman View Drop Down
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Posts: 355 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 10:27am
I think that you r approach of having a body shop take care of the panel and wall is sound - but if I were you I'd have a reputable hitch installer have a look at the EZ once the new bar shows up to make sure that everything is set up properly. We have the same hitch with a 179, and it is dead silent - no creaks or groans at all. Sounds to me like something isnt adjusted properly. To me, that's more important before your trip than the panel - something temporary would do for that, as long as its watertight. 

Not sure how things work in your state, but here in CO if the insurance company didn't handle that by paying your repair costs in full - body shop plus another company to reinstall the hitch properly - I'd be taking the first shop to small claims court to recover all of it. 

Best of luck with it all. And kudos to Equalizer for just taking care of it. My experience with them when I reinstalled my hitch and had a few questions is that they were very helpful. Two completely different experiences; one is how to do business in an honorable way and the other how not to.
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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Posts: 204 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 12:11pm
Originally posted by Ben Herman

I think that you r approach of having a body shop take care of the panel and wall is sound - but if I were you I'd have a reputable hitch installer have a look at the EZ once the new bar shows up to make sure that everything is set up properly. We have the same hitch with a 179, and it is dead silent - no creaks or groans at all. Sounds to me like something isnt adjusted properly. To me, that's more important before your trip than the panel - something temporary would do for that, as long as its watertight. 

Not sure how things work in your state, but here in CO if the insurance company didn't handle that by paying your repair costs in full - body shop plus another company to reinstall the hitch properly - I'd be taking the first shop to small claims court to recover all of it. 

Best of luck with it all. And kudos to Equalizer for just taking care of it. My experience with them when I reinstalled my hitch and had a few questions is that they were very helpful. Two completely different experiences; one is how to do business in an honorable way and the other how not to.

Thanks for the advice. I'm really impressed with Equalizer. I asked the customer service rep if he wanted me to forward the invoice email of the hitch from Etrailer and he said not necessary. Wow! They shipped the new bar on Friday.
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2629 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 12:16pm
I thought our E2 hitch was silent too, until I was driving through a campground the first time. With the close proximity of plenty of sound-reflective surfaces, we could hear each creak and groan as we toured through.

After that, I got into the habit of putting a tiny dab of grease on the interface between the L bracket and torsion bars. It probably defeats the anti-sway a little bit, but we have not experienced any sway issues. The grease eliminates the squeaks and groans.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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