Camper problems & working the bugs out - UPDATED!

[Luv2Camp]

We just got home from a short camping trip to Cedar Point, and we had problems with our camper.....Again. Our camper is a 2007 Gulfstream Conquest. The first time we took it on a trip was to the Fort last June. When the hubby hooked up the water, the force of the water blew one of the faucet handles off, which sent water flying everywhere. We spent the entire trip with a set of vice grips holding the faucet together. That same trip, a storm blew through and bent our awning (I know, that one was totally our fault!). On this trip, we got to Cedar Point and discovered that the air conditioner wasn't working. Hubby worked on it and discovered a loose wire, so he was able to fix it himself. :worship: The water heater also quit working on this trip - It'll only stay lit for a very short amount of time, which allows for approximately 30 seconds of hot water. We're planning a 2-week stay at the Fort next summer, so I'm a little panicked that something else will go wrong during that trip.

Thanks for letting me vent - Too much money spent on this camper for this many problems. :headache:

[becky1960]

You could have a different point of view about staying at FW. The Comfort stations are very nice and pick out Campgrounds along the way that also have nice facilities. We had a water line break before our last trip 14 days, and we still went and just took extra water and just used the camper that way.

It seems that RV's do break a lot as they take a beating on some of the roads, we have to travel across the Washboards of LA. I 10. We had two blowouts one trip and another trip lost a Electric brake, fixed those along the way and kept going.

[stacktester]

Is anything under warranty. I know that's a joke but just wondering. I have an 08 Keystone Cougar. I kept taking it to the dealer the 1st year and kept being told, oh that's not covered. I just do it myself now. Makes me mad I have to fix stuff under warranty but Keystone has gotten to where they turn most everything away on warranty. I would check for dirt dobbers and see if there is a blockage for the fuel injector on the heater. The fridge and hwh areas are notorious for dobbers and insects to make nests. Good luck. BTW, anytime you replace something like a faucet go get an upgraded one. Faucets are probably the junkiest things installed in an rv. By this I mean don't go to the rv dealer. Try and find a USA Made faucet if there's such a thing lol.

[clkelley]

One thing you absolutely need is a Water Pressure Reducer.

Less than $10 at Wal-Mart or your local camping store!! That will fix your water pressure problem!!

[AuburnJen92]

If you forget the water reducer, they sell them at the Fort. My DH has a habit of losing them....

[Luv2Camp]

We haven't found anything that's been under warranty yet. Our dealer went out of business this year, so DH's trying to fix things as they come up. Good thing he's semi-handy! :thumbsup2

A water pressure reducer.....That's a great idea! I wonder if we have one on the camper now. I'll have to check with my main mechanic! ;)

I'm hoping everything that's going to break will do it before the fort so we can get it fixed before leaving. DH and DD go to the comfort stations (they're spotless at the Fort!), but I'm more of an at-home shower girl!

[Shan-man]

In case something does break while at the Fort, it might be nice to have these threads handy:

Has anyone used a Mobile RV repair at Disney? (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2056013&highlight=mobile+repair)
Question about mobile RV service to FW (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2032292&highlight=mobile+repair)
RV Repair Service that comes to FW-UPDATED (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2020733&highlight=mobile+repair)

Though I'm sorry for your troubles of late, it does make me feel a bit better to know that a new RV is not a guarantee against problems. If it makes you feel any better, I have over $800 in repairs in the last couple of weeks (starter, rear axle bearing seal, alternator wiring connections) and I still need a master brake cylinder (@$500), a new air springs (@$500), new roof air (@$500), and two new tires (@$500... er, uh, no @$250! sorry got on a roll!). One thing that has really changed as we did more and more RVing is that when we were new to it, every problem that came up was the end of the world, our trip was going to be ruined, and there was always a serious question whether we would pay for the repair or hand the title to a salvage company! These days we plan extra days for travel, and try to leave most of our driving to weekdays in case of breakdowns. And even when we got hit up for $3000 for a new differential, there was no question whether we were going to do it, we just did it. I have been keeping a spreadsheet of repairs, and as of this week, we have spent nearly $13000 on repairs to our motorhome in 6 years we have owned it (in addition to the $5700 purchase price) which means that we have paid about $1 per mile in repairs! RVing is NOT a cheap lifestyle.

:santa:

[motofamily]

We had a Gulfstream Endura we bought it brand new and used it for 4 months and by month 6 they had bought it back under the lemon law. We would still have it if it wouldn't have fallen apart in 4 months, rear slide busted out of the wall, roof leaked, the motor would cut off at highway speeds etc... etc... etc... It looked good but didn't go so good.

[BigDaddyRog]

we have to travel across the Washboards of LA. I 10.
:lmao: Thats a very fair description!!!!

...I have been keeping a spreadsheet of repairs (Nooooo....a spreadsheet??? YOU??????;) ) , and as of this week, we have spent nearly $13000 on repairs to our motorhome in 6 years we have owned it (in addition to the $5700 purchase price) which means that we have paid about $1 per mile in repairs! RVing is NOT a cheap lifestyle.

:santa:

$1 a mile.........thats a great way to look at it, simple, true....and as much a part of ownership as filling the tank. Dont think about it, dont analyze it, just do it.

[medic9016]

Check the mixing valves on the back of your water heater. If you have three valves, the hot and cold should be open and the one in the middle should be closed. If you are getting any hot water, it is staying lit long enough to heat 6 or 10 gallons of water depending on your tank size.

[scot@dvcstore]

As far as a water pressure regulator. Since H2O pressure can vary from campsite to campsite, I always connect the pressure regulator directly to the faucet at the campground. This helps keep the hose from getting to much pressure.

[clkelley]

As far as a water pressure regulator. Since H2O pressure can vary from campsite to campsite, I always connect the pressure regulator directly to the faucet at the campground. This helps keep the hose from getting to much pressure.

That's probably why Jen's DH keeps losing them, leaves them on the faucet at the campsite. I put mine at the other end by the camper. Never had campsite water blow my hose.

[Goofyseven]

We just got home from a short camping trip to Cedar Point, and we had problems with our camper
many problems. :headache:

We are planning a trip to Cedar Point late in July, any observations, tips, hints, things to be aware of. We have a pull thru site as full hookup ones were not available

Thanks,

Paul

[tlh0726]

We had a Gulfstream Endura we bought it brand new and used it for 4 months and by month 6 they had bought it back under the lemon law. We would still have it if it wouldn't have fallen apart in 4 months, rear slide busted out of the wall, roof leaked, the motor would cut off at highway speeds etc... etc... etc... It looked good but didn't go so good.



We bought a Sportscoach CrossCountry 385DS in Jan. Ours may need to go back to the factory to address a floor issues and possibly something with the way the roof was coated/sealed (?? DH just mentioned this to me tonight. Coachman rep made a comment after seeing pictures of the roof)

We have already encountered
Uneven floors
loose fitting on hydraulic system. (what a mess)
water leak somewhere under the bathroom sink
Floor patched in 4 places where something was starting to stick up through the flooring in the kitchen
water leaking in around driver side window
frig not getting cold. Fan was installed but now they think the temp control was fried from the heat of the frig before they installed the fan.
Coach door latch falling apart
Awning over slideout starting to tear where the end was not attached

DH had the leaks, frig, and floor poke throughs addressed by a coachman dealer while the coach was in GA. (they said that the uneven floor was due to duct work underneath) The unit is now sitting at the dealer that we purchased it from. They are redoing the work that done in GA (very poorly and sloppily done) and sending pictures and documentation to coachman to get this floor situation resolved.
And now I am just sitting waiting for DH to call me back (currently in NJ working) to see what is supposedly is going on with the roof!!!!..

[FlaFortCampster]

WOW!!!! Does anyone have any good stories on their RV's???? I thought Gulfstream was synonymous with quality?

This thread is making me feel really lucky with my little Fleetwood Yuma. Purchased last year and had 5 trips and no problems other than learning the PUP ropes.

Gives me a whole new respect for tenting. :banana::banana:

So what's a good RV to buy??????:confused3

[tlh0726]

So what's a good RV to buy??????:confused3


A used one with a stack of documentation as to what has been done to the unit. With luck, all the bugs will have been taken care of.

[LarryJ]

We just got home from a short camping trip to Cedar Point, and we had problems with our camper.....Again. Our camper is a 2007 Gulfstream Conquest. The first time we took it on a trip was to the Fort last June. When the hubby hooked up the water, the force of the water blew one of the faucet handles off, which sent water flying everywhere. We spent the entire trip with a set of vice grips holding the faucet together. That same trip, a storm blew through and bent our awning (I know, that one was totally our fault!). On this trip, we got to Cedar Point and discovered that the air conditioner wasn't working. Hubby worked on it and discovered a loose wire, so he was able to fix it himself. :worship: The water heater also quit working on this trip - It'll only stay lit for a very short amount of time, which allows for approximately 30 seconds of hot water. We're planning a 2-week stay at the Fort next summer, so I'm a little panicked that something else will go wrong during that trip.

Thanks for letting me vent - Too much money spent on this camper for this many problems. :headache:

On the water pressure regulator, personally I would get one that is adjustable and has a guage on it. Water pressure can vary wildly and up to 100 psi or more at some CGs and most RV systems are designed for anywhere from 40 to maybe 60psi. I have mine set at 30 and don't mind the lower pressure. Also, we never leave the trailer w/o shutting the water off and if using the onboard water pump only have it turned on when we need it. I've never had a leak, but I just don't want to take a chance if I'm not around to have something happen ... after all you are living in something you just knocked around towing for maybe 1,000 miles and stuff happens.

On the hot water I also would be making sure the bypass valves are in the correct position, especially the cross connect one.

You shouldn't have to, but I'm like stacktester and unless it's really something major I just fix it myself. I did use my warranty to have the front cap on my trailer replaced because it cracked, but have fixed some loose wire connections, a leaking drain, loose screws, etc. myself.

Larry

[Luv2Camp]

In case something does break while at the Fort, it might be nice to have these threads handy:

Has anyone used a Mobile RV repair at Disney? (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2056013&highlight=mobile+repair)
Question about mobile RV service to FW (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2032292&highlight=mobile+repair)
RV Repair Service that comes to FW-UPDATED (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2020733&highlight=mobile+repair)

Though I'm sorry for your troubles of late, it does make me feel a bit better to know that a new RV is not a guarantee against problems. If it makes you feel any better, I have over $800 in repairs in the last couple of weeks (starter, rear axle bearing seal, alternator wiring connections) and I still need a master brake cylinder (@$500), a new air springs (@$500), new roof air (@$500), and two new tires (@$500... er, uh, no @$250! sorry got on a roll!). One thing that has really changed as we did more and more RVing is that when we were new to it, every problem that came up was the end of the world, our trip was going to be ruined, and there was always a serious question whether we would pay for the repair or hand the title to a salvage company! These days we plan extra days for travel, and try to leave most of our driving to weekdays in case of breakdowns. And even when we got hit up for $3000 for a new differential, there was no question whether we were going to do it, we just did it. I have been keeping a spreadsheet of repairs, and as of this week, we have spent nearly $13000 on repairs to our motorhome in 6 years we have owned it (in addition to the $5700 purchase price) which means that we have paid about $1 per mile in repairs! RVing is NOT a cheap lifestyle.

:santa:


Thanks for the links - I'm definitely taking those to the Fort on our next trip. I need to keep track of the cost of the repairs - That's a great way to look at it. I won't include the awning damage - We should have known better! ;)

[Luv2Camp]

We are planning a trip to Cedar Point late in July, any observations, tips, hints, things to be aware of. We have a pull thru site as full hookup ones were not available

Thanks,

Paul

The campground at Cedar Point is very nice and clean, but definitely no Fort! Bikes, skateboards, etc aren't allowed. We went up two weeks earlier than usual this year, and the mayflies were HORRIBLE. :scared1: You should be ok by the time you go. CP has 1 hour early admittance for resort guests, and the shuttle service is very handy. If you are going for the early hour, walk to the check-in building to catch the shuttle. They pick up there first, and sometimes the shuttle is full before it can get back to the pick-up by the pool. We had a great time - The coasters at CP are the best! If you are heading for the coasters, be sure to catch the main ones early - Maverick, The Mellinnium, and the Dragster - The lines get long in the afternoon. Have a GREAT time! :goodvibes

[Goofyseven]

Thanks so much for the info, by the way I have owned two pop ups, one in the 70's, (Apachie solid state) and another in 1999 to 2006, 1996 Viking. The only trouble I had was with the Viking tires and I replaced them with radials.

Now we have a Surveyor SV302 bought in 2008. We have had minor problems, leaking connection, door seal, only.

We do have a preassure reducer and put it on the end of the hose going into the camper. Have used the reducer on all campers, its a must

[pjhootch]

RVs are kind of like boats. The initial investment is usually just the beginning. They all have issues that need to be worked out. We've sprung leaks and had things not work. Honestly, a lot of our most irritating issues were user error. My husband took some shortcuts on winterizing a couple of times- or did it too late in the season- and we wound up with an exploded water heater and some bursting water lines in the spring. What a pain.

We have been very lucky with our winnebago, and have not had any major systems problems (that we didn't cause ourselves). The beatings they take on the road cause them to require frequent maintenance. The fact that they are built to reduce weight also means that many of the fittings can be/seem cheap and break easily. I think we replaced every drawer slide in the thing the first couple of months we had it.

The person with the gulf stream, however, sounds like they really took a hit with some shoddy build work from the factory. I hope that all gets worked out.

[njcamper95]

We had a keystone springdale and had several problems the vinyl flooring came up in the first few months and was replaced by warranty we had a frig problem that was warranty also one of our walls came loose then once those bugs got worked out it was fine for awhile til the tires all dry rotted
we replaced it in 05 with another keystone this one was a cougar and (knock on wood) we haven't had any problems with this one and its been from NJ to the Fort many times and to PA and CT so who knows you can get a good one or a bad one even from the same company

[Luv2Camp]

My parents had a Keystone at one time and didn't have problems with theirs either. Our last camper was a Trail Lite. It didn't feel quite as sturdy as our Gulf Stream, but we didn't have any problems with it. Hopefully everyone's right and we'll just get through the growing pains and then it'll hold together for a while.

We were out last night and passed a Class C Winnebago broke down right off the interstate. On our way back, we saw it being towed. The plates were from Florida. That is my ultimate nightmare! The poor couple was standing by the tow truck looking horrified. I really felt for them!

[Luv2Camp]

I would check for dirt dobbers and see if there is a blockage for the fuel injector on the heater. The fridge and hwh areas are notorious for dobbers and insects to make nests.

You were right - The RV service dept just called and said that there was debris in our water heater line. It only cost $120, so it was better than what I was expecting. Is this a common problem or is it more likely it was because it was a new camper? If it's going to happen again, I'd like DH to learn how to fix it! ;)

[terri01p]

I don't have a whole lot of time but I will add that you are not the only ones encountering a problem whenever you take your tt out, our trip to WDW in April was pretty close to hell...our air mattress had a hole in it, so we were down a bed until we went and bought another....we had a problem with carbon mozide ( sp)...that like to have killed us all...our refrez. went out...our dog tore up jack in the camper and we had an unreal ant problem....I could go on but I have to get out of here, but you get the picture. :scared1:

[Pirate-Jeff]

That's probably why Jen's DH keeps losing them, leaves them on the faucet at the campsite. I put mine at the other end by the camper. Never had campsite water blow my hose.


Back in 2005 the Fort had over 90 psi of water pressure in the 700 loop. Just at last Octobers GG the 700 loop had just under 60 psi. Most camper water systems are designed for up to 45 psi.
I did have a hose blow out but I thought it was just a bad crimp job on the new Camping world hose. The next day my brand new over priced DISNEY trading post 5/8 inch drinking water safe hose swelled to over 3 inches in diameter at the Fort in August of 2005 (had the regulator after the hose and it was very hot and sunny week I should have had the regulator on the spigot outlet). After a quick trip out to Wal-mart for a new new hose and regulator I have the metal one from with the pressure Gage on it and a several of plastic ones for spares. Now one of the first things I do while setting up is to check the Campgrounds water pressure. I would hate to spend my vacation taking apart the MH to fix the plumbing. When it leaks it never leaks where you can get to it to make a repair trust me on that. After a very Bad experience from our 2004 Jayco Granite Ridge. I now carry extra adapters, fittings, tubing and a crimping tool for the fresh water lines (for the top of Jayco's line it was a piece of junk)