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CFieguth

Member
We have been Sundance owners for over 2 years. We bought a 2900Mk and then traded for a 3012RE in October of 08.

I need a little help!

I think I have resolved one issue which is axle bearings and brakes: I have decided that an RV repair shop should repack my bearings and check my brakes. We have travelled from Vernon, BC Canada to Yuma, AZ and return and this winter we travelled over 4000 miles from BC to Kissimmee, Florida. As we will be leaving for Yuma, AZ March 1st (2800 miles), I am getting a little concerned over the axle bearings, etc and would rather be safe than sorry. Is this correct thinking or should I not worry?

Secondly, I have had problems with the awning bolts getting stripped; which I have fixed (thanks to the input I received from the RV Forum), I have a water leak under the bathroom sink that drips only sporadically and I have been unable to find and repair. The overhead cupboard on the one slide is starting to separate (I will repair myself). I have had water leaks under the kitchen sink and by the hotwater tank (I have repaired the problem here as well). Two of the warm air floor registers have broken and need to be replaced. I don't particularly like the ones that Camping World sells and wonder if I can obtain them from Heartland?

I also had an issue with the Jensen TV mysteriuosly turning itself on and my dealer was able to get me a new one. I have since taken it out and use it in my bedroom in our house and replaced it with a 32" Samsung.

Now that the trailer is off warranty for the most part, I will need to deal with problems and maintenance issues on my own and will need the help of our fellow Heartland owners.


We had a Winegard travler satellite system installed and get our tv feed from Starchoice (now Shaw Direct) Canada. I had a lot of problems with the Winegard; but ours was one of the first Starchoice systems and a few bugs had to be worked out. The system receives signals from two satellites as we have HDTV and 5.1 surround sound as well. We found that the signal in Florida cannot be received from 107 (one of the Anik sats).

I would appreciate comments and advice from all of you out there. If there is anything that I can help someone with, please ask.

Collin Fieguth
currently in Kissimmee, Florida
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Colin, I believe you are taking the right step in having a dealer, hopefully someone you know & trust, do your bearing and brake inspection/cleaning. It's best to have the bearings repacked at 12,000 miles or 1 year. Personally, I had mine done the first time earlier than required because I wan't sure how thorough the "factory pack" would be. Also have your service center replace the seals with high quality ones instead of cheaper imports. I used Chicago Rawhide seals. A bit more money but better peace of mind.

Leaks can be hard to find. Hand tighten all of the hot/cold water lines where they are attached to the fixtures, hot water heater and water pump. Also snug up the P trap connections for your sink drains. Another source of sleaks may be the sink drain itself. There have been a few instances where a rubber seal/washer was placed inside the sink under the drain fitting when it should really be place below the sink prior to the fiber washer and drain nut.

You should check a local Home Depot or Lowes for replacement registers. I believe they are standard sizes.

As for your satellite, check around the park you're in for fellow Canadians using the same service. They may have good advice. OK? I hope I was of some help to you. Enjoy the warm weather.
 

Rockerga

Full-time WANNABE
Welcome the the forum! A good dealer and records that show an issue before the warranty was out will be a great boon to your repairs. Sorry I cannot be more assistance than that. I am an avid do-it-yourselfer with an excellent dealer to back me up. LIFESAVERS! I am sure there are others here that can be of assistance however.
 

caissiel

Senior Member
In the past 18 years I have grown to appraciate the knowledge gained by talking to fellow campers. There is no way of travelling north to south and not experiencing any problems. Now I am at the point that I can see the problems before they occur. I have been surprised many times in the past, with broken springs, rear tire flats, brakes loosing their power, and other interior and exterior problems. Some I had to modify to make them last longer, and some were just not installed right.

This is our 1st new unit, and we have done a lot of modification to it to make it our own, just today I hung a few Wall Frames to satisfy the DW.

Its our house and we have to be comfortable with it.

I am a Canadian from the east coast, and use my Bell Satelite here in the south. Its now sitting on a pole in the field because I am among trees. I prefer doing my own setup and travel it all over trailer sites. The Express view is not licenced to be used in the States so some of the transponders do not line up perfectly and in some setup I loose some channels.

But I have been reading somewhere the Star Choice units are allowed in the states. You could possibly finfd more information about your problem on the site. Or talking to someone with Starchoice experience. My experience with SC is that a fellow down the park was unable to get his signal and I was able to help him find the coordinates and angles from my Satelite Installation Program.

http://www.satsig.net/sf.htm

And save it on your desktop so you can use it as a calculator without being logged on the internet.
 

Freckles

Founding New York Chapter Leader-Retired
Two of the warm air floor registers have broken and need to be replaced. Yes !! You can find replacements registers using the "TOOL" tab then click on "HOOT" click on "LINKS" and click on "Rv parts & accessories" or click here http://dwincorp.com/ I upgrade to closing vents !! Same brand at a good $$
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
I replaced all of my floor registers with the closeable type from Lowe's. The 4x10 size (inches, not mm) fit without any problem.

As for repacking bearings, I also had mine done by the dealer. The rig probably had less than 2000 miles on it, but it was a year old. I learned the hard way with my pontoon trailer that just because it doesn't move a lot, doesn't mean the grease will not turn to dust.

There's another little thing to consider about refridgerator warranties. In the Dometic manual, it states that to maintain the warranty, the unit has to be inspected annually by a qualified technician. I've got that receipt stapled in my book.
 

CFieguth

Member
I replaced all of my floor registers with the closeable type from Lowe's. The 4x10 size (inches, not mm) fit without any problem.

As for repacking bearings, I also had mine done by the dealer. The rig probably had less than 2000 miles on it, but it was a year old. I learned the hard way with my pontoon trailer that just because it doesn't move a lot, doesn't mean the grease will not turn to dust.

There's another little thing to consider about refridgerator warranties. In the Dometic manual, it states that to maintain the warranty, the unit has to be inspected annually by a qualified technician. I've got that receipt stapled in my book.

Lowes here in Kissimmee, Fl didn't have and not Home Depot either. I made an appointment for Mar 1 at Camping World to get my bearings repacked; then heading North and West to Yuma by the 15th of March
 

Freckles

Founding New York Chapter Leader-Retired
Lowes here in Kissimmee, Fl didn't have and not Home Depot either. I made an appointment for Mar 1 at Camping World to get my bearings repacked; then heading North and West to Yuma by the 15th of March

CFieguth , I looked as while at Lowe's and Home Depot . For the Sundance the size is 2 1/4 x 10 where the Bighorn are 4 x 10 this may be the reason for unavailability . Also you asked about color it only available in beige.
 
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