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MitchReef 
Newbie 
Joined: 15 Sep 2020 Location: Oviedo, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 27 |
 Topic: Soggy RPod and first time buying a used trailer.Posted: 02 Apr 2021 at 10:34am |
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We bought a used RPod 178 about 6 months ago. A 2014 model to be specific. I noticed some soft spots in the floor but thought I could get it looked at after we move into our new house. We took a trip last week and had lots of heavy rain. As we broke camp to head home I noticed that the front was pulling away from the floor in front and gapping at the bottom and sides. Gorilla tape got us home. Seems the floor and at least the lower side walls and lower front are all soft. I tried 4 days to get in touch with FR and got no callback. I finally reached them this morning and was told to take it to my local dealer for repair. I've read of others who went to the factory for the big repair and wondered about how things went, either at a dealership or the factory? Anybody who has done these repairs, how expensive was it?
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Mitch and Laurie Carter....
Still rolling.... |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp 
Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 03 Apr 2021 at 8:47am |
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You are probably looking at an expensive repair. It was purchased used, which means no warranty. A large part of the cost will depend on what exactly will be needed to fix the problems. One of the best things you can do is to get it dried out. You don't want mold growing and adding to the problems.
Do you have any recourse with the seller? If it was represented as having no problems, then it might be possible, but after 6 months, unlikely.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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MitchReef
Newbie
Joined: 15 Sep 2020 Location: Oviedo, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 27 |
Posted: 03 Apr 2021 at 8:54am |
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I honestly didn't even consider reaching out to the seller. I still have his number and ought to call him. I just hate throwing away that much money. I just replaced the oven and put Goodyear Endurance tires on it (14 inch rims). This is all so frustrating.
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Mitch and Laurie Carter....
Still rolling.... |
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campman
Senior Member
Joined: 26 Mar 2021 Location: La Salle, MB Online Status: Offline Posts: 209 |
Posted: 03 Apr 2021 at 10:06am |
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Sorry to hear of the water ingress issue you are experiencing with your RPOD. My wife and I had a similar (but not as severe) issue when we bought a used 1988 Terry Resort 5th wheel back in 2000...it had a large soft spot in the floor in the back. We bought it anyways and it quickly got worse. It happened that we had a carpenter friend who was able to tear up the floor, reinforce it and then recovered it. I found the problem was the top of the rear window was the point where water had been coming in. I cleaned it and sealed it up and we were able to carry on...I learned about the need for inspecting all perforations in the trailer for sealant through this experience. I would suggest that if you haven't already, go over the trailer to try and find where the water is getting in and seal it thoroughly. With everything going on with Covid related delays in TT production (about 5 months behind in production) the factories might not be an option right now. Your best bet may be your local RV repair facility to see if your trailer can be repaired and at what cost...and how long it will take to get it in for repair if you go in that direction. Again, try to find, clean and seal the area(s) where the water is getting in. Do everything you can to dry out the TT as quickly as possible (mold, further damage) as stated previously.
Contact a reputable RV repair facility for an estimate and make your decision at that point as the way forward that is best for you. Good luck and we are hoping you have a positive outcome from this! |
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Andy and Laurie
'16 F150 5.0 4X4 w/factory tow pkg '21 RP192 "If the women don't find you handsome...at least let them find you handy!" Red-Green |
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 03 Apr 2021 at 11:28am |
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Fixing what you are describing isn’t going to be easy.
If you use the advanced search there are several topics where owners have had similar problems. So you are far from alone. A couple of folks have torn into theirs to find the extent of the damage and see it they could correct it but I don’t recall anyone following up with their final outcome. You might try finding those threads and sending them a PM to see what worked and didn’t. In the meantime you should familiarize yourself with rpod construction. One of the big Challenges is that the floor is a composite sandwich of plywood and foam, so if the plywood is water damaged the floor loses its structural capacity. Also the walls are supported by the floor which is cantilevered out from the trailer frame rails, so to repair the floor you will need to find a way to support and lift the walls. See video. Try not to laugh at the marketing BS. Construction |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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MitchReef
Newbie
Joined: 15 Sep 2020 Location: Oviedo, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 27 |
Posted: 03 Apr 2021 at 12:43pm |
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Offgrid, thanks for the insight. I will follow up on that later when we settle in for the evening.
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Mitch and Laurie Carter....
Still rolling.... |
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Soggy RPod and first time buying a used trailer.