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Gavin View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Check Your Windows!
    Posted: 16 Aug 2015 at 7:51pm
We took our new Rpod 176T out for the first camping trip this weekend and on Friday it came a good rain and we found a big leak!
Water was coming in about as fast as I could tear off individual paper towels to stop it from running down the interior wall!!
It was coming in at the top of the emergency escape window....at the very center; at the top of the glass in the center was a metal bracket which let water pour in.
Another helpful camper noticed me outside on a ladder( after the rain) looking at it and asked if I had a leak and I said "yes a good one too on this new camper!"
He noticed that the vents on the refrigerator were caulked all the way around the perimeter of the vents but the windows were not caulked at all.
So I hop in the truck and drive about 30 miles away to get some clear latex caulk and a caulking gun, while trying to beat another rain storm coming in.
I caulked the top of the window and about 1/3 of the way down on each side to help shed any rain.

I also noticed all of the windows on the Rpod wasn't caulked either...yes I know there is a rubber gasket between the window and the exterior wall, but Im too @#$#@ gun shy to not caulk them too ...feeling it could be leaking too but inside the wall, unseen! We all know an unseen leak is the death of a camper but I feel I cant trust the system rpod/Forest River is using on the windows without the added assurance of some kind of leak failsafe such as caulking too!

Yes Im pretty perturbed about all of this....its a 2016 rpod and this was our first camping trip and I have lost a lot of faith in the forest river crowd!

I really don't care if forest river recommends calking the windows or not, I just want to make sure it doesn't happen again!


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Tammy C. View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Oct 2015 at 11:40am
Thanks for the heads up. I just checked the windows on my new 179 R-pod and only the rear window is caulked at the top and sides. None of the other windows are caulked at all. I'll head to the hardware store today for some caulk and get it caulked before any rain comes.
2016 R pod 179
2011 Volvo XC 60
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Gavin View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Nov 2015 at 12:44pm
Hi Tammy,
Good to hear the caulk is working for you too.
I was at Edisto SC about a month or so ago and found another leak along the seam up top, I was able to see the factory caulk had a crack in it.... If you get a chance inspect everything which has a seam, gasket etc.
Since caulking my two problems Everything seems to be just fine, even after that solid two week monsoon here in South Carolina a few weeks ago but I will keep some clear silicone latex caulk with me in the camper always.
I really like my rpod and really like the layout; I also get a lot of folks at campgrounds wanting to see the inside of the thing all the time...but these leaks are a little distressing on a new camper!
It really makes me wonder if they are throwing these things together willy-nilly at the factory with complete disregard to the end user to maximize profits.

Personally I see this kind of stuff as bad management on the part of the r-pod group of Forest River. Apparently they have a terrible management group or they treating their employees like crap, low pay, cronyism, drilling them into the ground with a heavy work load, etc etc. and moral has spiraled into the abyss.

I hope you have your leaks fixed up!
All the best!
Gavin
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Keith-N-Dar View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Nov 2015 at 5:16pm
I think more likely since this problem has been non-existent until recently it is more likely that some materials were accepted that did not meet specs and it didn't show up until some trailers were already out.  It sounds like FR is doing what it can to help folks with problems.  Since they have been in business making RVs for years I would think that the management would understand that doing what you suggest would drive them out of business.  
Keith-N-Dar
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Gavin View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Nov 2015 at 7:01pm
Hi Keith,
that could be the case, but if a company has been in business for years dealing with vendors who supply parts and their own manufacturing process would/should be better refined, should it not? These rash of problems folks are experiencing is a reflection of something wrong within that organization. It could be poor quality control, employee turnover, crappy vendor supplied parts etc etc. Its apparent Forest River has made a good product in the past because they would not be as far along as they are, but something obviously has changed within that organization for these problem to be currently arising. Its pretty obvious something is amiss within Forest River because if they made RV's in the beginning like which are people are currently having problems with now would not carried that business 10 years down the road.
So, yes it could be an upper management issue in which they are trying to maximize profits since that fiasco of a fine they incurred.
Im not going to white wash these problems simply because I have an rpod. In my opinion it should have never left the factory with any problem whatsoever.
I actually still love my rpod and think its one of the best out there but I will not blindly look at something I plunked 15-16 k down for as being without any problems whatsoever.   
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Nov 2015 at 7:32pm
I agree there is a quality control problem, but I don't see how you can extrapolate the long list of other issues like "low pay, cronyism" etc, from that.  
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Ronw435 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Dec 2015 at 9:26am
Now I am nervous, we just picked up our 2116 178 and have looked things over.  The back window looked to have had a crack in the silicone.  We had the dealer re-do the caulk over the rear window.  I noticed however all the other windows just have the rubber seal but does not look like it will leak.  My question is should we caulk all the windows?

Thanks
Ron
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Camper Bob View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Dec 2015 at 1:33pm
Unfortunately your problems are caused by the success of the Pods.  I spoke to a factory rep a few months ago and asked specifically about the problems that new owners have been experiencing.  He said when we bought our 171 the output on a daily basis was about 8 Rpods.  With the success, the volume has increased almost 3X to about 24 pods a day.  The dealers are screaming for product and the factories are pumping them out as fast as they can.  The staff is overwhelmed with the volume and the pods requiring additional work are parked outside and a staff person is supposed to address any manufacturing defects.  Looks like they and the dealers are falling down on the job.  For the price that we are paying, I would suggest this is the norm for the industry.  It is, what it is.  Some close friends of ours recently purchased a new high end  38' diesel pusher for about $250,000.  They have had it in for repairs a number of times on small but aggravating problems.  The RV industry has still not caught up the with auto manufacturers with quality control.  I think the US car makers a number of years ago had to play catchup with the Japanese manufacturers higher quality, and I believe after a number of years, they are now comparable.  Not sure what would kick the RV manufactures to make better products.  On the other hand, cars are not rolling domiciles with many additional subsystems and add on products.  Once the initial delivery faults are fixed, if you take care of your Pod, it should provide years of satisfactory service.  Other than a few dried out caulks, we have not had any problems at all with our 2013 171.  Hope that gives you some reasons to deal with the initial problems.  Safe Travels.
Camper Bob and Camper Sue
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Gavin View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jan 2016 at 9:27pm
Well not to beat good ol forest river to death but while camping this week close to hunting island SC I found another leak coming from underneath the bath room sink. It was coming from under the sink but soaking the small wood frame work on the other side of the wall which supports the seat...the plywood seat deck and frame support was soaked...and the emergency window which stared this whole grueling thread was still letting water in ( from a rain yesterday and today) but not as bad as it did this past summer...great! I'm done with forest river crap...I kinda liked the rpod but at this rate I won't have anything left but a moldy rotting heap in 5 years. I'm dumping this lemon as soon as possible! Caveat Emptor folks! Its not even worth chasing a warranty with these continuous problems...I could have a load of warranty work done only to limit out on the one year warranty and still have a mountain of issues later!
I challenged forest river to step up to the plate and address the quality issues by listing my rpod serial number and did they do so? Well folks what do you think? Do think a first-rate, second-rate organization be expected to step do so??? Not a word was heard from them and I know they read these threads!
But for the life of me I wonder why reputable companies such as dometic, high pointe and Surburban would want to be connected to such a shoddy organization!
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J&Jcf View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jan 2016 at 7:10pm
I have owned a number of campers and had leaks in most. Do not forget that the campers are flexing as they are towed down the road. I don't leave home without caulk,caulk gun, duct tape, plumbers hanging strapping, Teflon tape and the basic tools to make repairs. I also will not own a trailer with a slide out ( extra weight & another hole in the camper to leak ). Just my opinion & choice. I also never buy new . I don't want to take the depreciation hit. I am also very handy in making my own repairs.

This doesn't make it OK to produce a product that has problems and not stand behind it.
J. - 2011 rpod 171
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