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Topic ClosedManufacturer mistake led to plumbing leak

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sawyernlsn44 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Manufacturer mistake led to plumbing leak
    Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 3:31pm
Hi!

This summer I purchased a new to me 2018 r-pod 180.  So far, it's been an interesting experience to say the least.  We've been plagued by loose trim pieces and things simply breaking since our first trip.  I've been very disappointed in the build quality thus far.  My parents have had less problems in 20 years of ownership with their Airstream than I have had with the r-pod in just a few months.  The first sign we had a leak was this summer when we woke up to carpenter ants in the trailer.  Knowing the ants are attracted to water, I searched the trailer front to back for a leak and was unable to find anything.  The second sign was the pump running every 10 minutes or so without us using water.  Because of this I would shut off the pump and depressurize the lines when not using water.  This past weekend we stayed at a private campground with excellent water pressure.  The morning after hooking up the trailer I noticed a steady stream of water dripping from the rear right corner of the trailer, just under the storage compartment.  I discovered that the storage compartment was full of water, as was the bathroom floor.  I removed the panel covering the pex line in the bathroom and water started shooting up into the air.  When forest river manufactured our r-pod, someone carelessly stapled the trim right into the water line.  It wasn't until I hooked up the trailer to the campgrounds high pressure water system that enough water leaked for me to notice it.  I removed the vinyl flooring and dried as much of the water as I could.  So far the wood doesn't seem to be soft and I strategically made small cuts into the vinyl in the bathroom and found dry wood.  It appears that the damage is mostly contained to this corner of the trailer.  My concern is that since the water was leaking from below the trailer, water obviously made its way below the subfloor.  At this point, I'm trying to determine the best course of action to prevent more damage.  Should I be cutting into the floor to try and dry out underneath the subfloor?  Should I make a cut so I can get into the space beneath the wardrobe and work to dry that out?  Any thoughts or advice is appreciated!  I really want to straighten out this little r-pod because on the rare trip we haven't had any problem we really love the trailer.

Thanks!




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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 3:49pm
Ugh. Yet another example of worse than poor workmanship. Sorry you're having this problem. rPods are not Airstreams for sure.  

Did you document the manufacturing defect? While FR's warranty language will exclude it due to time and because you are not the original owner, since it is clearly due to negligence on the part of FR, and was a hidden defect, I would call FR customer service and request they repair the problem. There is nothing to lose after all. 

Regarding next steps, I would suggest you get a wood moisture meter like this:


and probe from under the trailer to see how wet the lower plywood layer is. With a leak as bad as you describe I can't imagine that it isn't wet under there. Note that water can travel a long way horizontally especially in plywood. 




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sawyernlsn44 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 4:35pm
Thanks for your reply! I wasn't expecting Airstream build quality due to the cost differential but as you said, this is an extreme example of negligence. Trim falling off is one thing but a leak that could potentially destroy my trailer is a whole other matter.

I've kept all the parts and the problem is obvious from the single rusty staple in the trim as well as the corresponding rusty hole on the pex line. I'm going to take more pictures today. I'm definitely taking your advice and will reach out to Forest River. I'll start with customer service and use social media channels if need be to try and get someone's attention.

I'm also going to buy the moisture sensor so I can see what I'm dealing with. It's just so frustrating because I'm sure this pipe has been leaking since the day the trailer left the factory. I thoroughly looked over the trailer before purchasing it but would not have seen the leak without lifting up the floor.

Thanks again
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 6:33pm
The good news I guess is that it would only leak when there is pressure in the water lines, which is not that often. Do let us know what you find out and if FR does the right thing by you.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 6:40pm
So you've outlined one problem. Your parent's Airstream didn't have one problem in 20 years? I know lots of people, OK a few people, that have owned Airstreams, and let me assure you, they have problems. I'm not diminishing the problem you've had, and it sure sounds like a doozy. We have been very happy with our RP-179. It's not perfect, but We did save close to $40,000 over an equivalent-function Airstream.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 8:48pm
Will do!
I'm really hoping they'll help me out. It's me and my girlfriend's first trailer and we're both in our 20s and can't afford to spend thousands on repairs. I just want to move beyond this so I can spend more time in the pod-mods section of the forum.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 9:28pm
Originally posted by GlueGuy

So you've outlined one problem. Your parent's Airstream didn't have one problem in 20 years? I know lots of people, OK a few people, that have owned Airstreams, and let me assure you, they have problems. I'm not diminishing the problem you've had, and it sure sounds like a doozy. We have been very happy with our RP-179. It's not perfect, but We did save close to $40,000 over an equivalent-function Airstream.


My parents Airstream has of course had things go wrong but it's generally been due to the wear and tear of several cross country trips. They've never had any leaks or other serious problems. Maybe they've been lucky but I brought it up because it's my point of reference. My r-Pod was barely used by the original owner and has only been used for a few short trips by me. Every time we use the trailer the moulding on the top of the slide pops off. Glued on trim pieces have started to come off. There's a small leak in the slide out below the kitchen sink. Last trip, we were delayed because the line connected to the propane tank began to leak. I didn't mention these problems in my original post because to be honest, none of them are a big deal to quickly fix. I was happy with my r-Pod because the structure seemed sound and I love the features / floor plan. Now I'm faced with a wet and moldy subfloor, and based on what I've seen elsewhere on the forums, potential structural issues if the wood rots. This on a trailer not even 3 years old that has yet to leave New England. For a trailer that retails new over 20K, I definitely expect better. We'll see, if Forest River does the right thing and helps me out I'll have the opportunity to be happy with mine as well.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2020 at 9:49am
Unfortunately, the RV industry is not unlike the automotive industry before Japanese and German competition came along.  The basic designs are alright, but the fit and finish is inadequate.  Some travel trailers are assembled reasonably well, then there are those that really seem to be lemons.  For the lower end of the market, maintenance is a constant battle as you find assembly errors and flimsy materials.  It never ends.  The most dangerous problem for trailer longevity is water intrusion, which, sadly, you are fighting.  All you can do is track down the leaks and fix them youself or through an RV repair shop.  

Things like trim falling off and such are maintenance nuisances that won't go away.  Just try to keep on top of it before it becomes more serious.  Just yesterday, I spent the morning pushing the dicor back into it's proper position under the corner trim  to ensure that it stays water tight.  It's a maintenance issue that I know I'll have to monitor closely.  While I was at it, I found 3 small penetrations of the outer skin which were caused by overdriven fasteners right next to the edge trim.  A dab of clear epoxy sealed them, but that is one more thing that has to be monitored.

Many have commented that every time you go on a trip you subject that spring mounted box with living quarters inside to a magnitude 7 or 8 earthquake.  It vibrates, shakes, and tears things apart as it bounces down the road.  In the effort to keep the trailer light and keep manufacturing costs down, flimsy materials are used and they don't resist the earthquake well.  It inevitably leads to failures that you're going to have to fix.  This board is a tremendous resource to help you with learning how to maintain your trailer.  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2020 at 11:26am
I like the comparison to the auto industry. It's so frustrating the manufacturers can get away with it. In our case, we paid a little over 12k for our lightly used r-Pod. I understand it's not a lot to pay for a trailer but nonetheless, it's still a significant outlay of cash.

In my opinion, it's inexcusable that Forest River is having workers staple trim to the wall right above pex without having anything to protect the line. One slight misfire and now I'm in this situation. And the leak was slow, but has clearly been going on for a long time. If I hadn't forgotten my pressure regulator, who knows how long it would be before I found the leak and how much damage would be done.

As you said about the trim, I expect to have to work on things like that. It doesn't even really bother me. I understand compromises must be made to hit weight and cost targets. The one thing I was really petrified of dealing with is water damage, and here I am.

On a lighter note, I'm glad the r-Pod has an active forum. I've definitely learned a lot / gotta great ideas from all the fellow pod owners!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2020 at 6:37pm
Just to give everyone an update, I did speak with Forest River. I left a message and someone actually got back to me. They were really nice and asked me to send them pictures and said they're going to try and help me out.
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