Not So Estatic New North Trail Owner

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
We brought our new 24 RBS home on March 28th and we are taking it back to the dealer for the second time for leaks. First it was a bad seal on one of the front cargo storage area doors. Brought it home yesterday, that worked.

Now today a puddle of water off one end of the slide, near the bed and we haven't even had the slide out! The wood on the edge of the slide is quite wet, so back to the Dealers this afternoon. Boy oh boy. If there is something with problems we seem to buy it.
It makes me ill to spend all of this money on something new and you think you are going to have soemthing nice and now this. The RV dealer is great, but not real happy with North Trail trailers right now.
 

plum022

North Trail, West Coast & Western Canada Manufactu
Marge,

I am really sorry to hear about your problems but I want you to know that Heartland is behind you all the way. I am hoping that since the puddle was not there at first that maybe the slide out room was open just a slight bit and that is what allowed the water to come in. You are dealing with a very good dealer in you area and I am sure they will get you taken care of and you will be camping in no time.
If you have questions for Heartland please do not hesitate to call us at 877-262-8032.

Happy Camping-
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Marge, sorry to hear your trailer has a few problems. Trust me, they all do and some maybe more than others. Hopefully your dealer will make it right and you will be happy campers. It sounds like a simple adjustment to the slide out to insure all the seals are contacting the walls.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Oh thank you for the replies Ray and plum22, I really appreciate your comments and thanks for the phone number plum. The dealer is right on top of things, and we are so glad they are only 6 miles away.
I posted these in another thread, but they found the problem. It is still back at the dealers, but here is what is wrong. It wasn't caulked/sealed up on part of the top part of the bottom edge of the slide, so it was pulling water in.

It is the inside of the bottom of the slide behind the little couch, the first picture you can see the corner of the couch cushion. This is right next to the foot of the bed.

L3.jpg


L2.jpg


Leak1.jpg
 
We bought a 21FBS and had a few problems, including a leaking shower, defective microwave, broken cabinet door, and a miswired radio. Had to take it in for warranty repairs three times. But Heartland made it right each time and we've been enjoying our rig ever since. In fact, we were recently at a regional rally and one of the members brought their Landmark 5th wheel out for its maiden voyage and the TV cable didn't work! I hope this is it for you and you have years of enjoyment left in your trailer!
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Thanks Steve and Sharon, we are feeling pretty positive again about things. That's too bad you had your share of problems too.
We still haven't got our trailer back home yet.
We didn't want them to rush on it, we will really go over it with a fine tooth comb and a flashlight before we bring it back home again. We are getting very excited to take it to the beach for a few days and really use it.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Marge,

I am really sorry to hear about your problems but I want you to know that Heartland is behind you all the way. I am hoping that since the puddle was not there at first that maybe the slide out room was open just a slight bit and that is what allowed the water to come in. You are dealing with a very good dealer in you area and I am sure they will get you taken care of and you will be camping in no time.
If you have questions for Heartland please do not hesitate to call us at 877-262-8032.

Happy Camping-
We just might be doing that. We stopped by the Dealer on the way to buy some chocks today and our trailer was sitting outside. So I went in and there was a puddle on the floor under the same corner of the slide. They said they fixed it and hose tested it, but it was still leaking and out undercover. I almost started crying. When they put the slide in so they could move it into the shop, more water came in.
We are not happy campers by any means. They got it inside and tomorrow I guess they are going to re-seal the slide or something.
My husband and I both are really sick to our stomachs over this. We want to have this trailer for the rest of our lives, now we worry about hidden water damage. We both feel like we have been gut punched. A person doesn't expect to buy something brand new and then have to deal with this.

I asked one of the salesman if they had a trailer that didn't leak, because we want that one.

It was also just sitting out on the lot with none of the doors locked and all of our camping stuff in it. We are about ready to drive our old RV out there and just start unloading all of our things.

Well tomorrow is another day, one of the sales guys told us a factory rep was going to be out to look at it.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Marge, this is something we've had occur. If our slides are extended and it rains, a small amount of water will sit on top of our slide out in the rear corner. When we retract the slide, some of this water makes it into the coach. Not a lot but maybe enough to make it noticeable. I wonder if this is what may be happening to your rig. If they hosed down the roof and side of the slide for the test, it may have come in from the roof. Just grabbing at straws now...
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
It's good to hear other ideas. When we got there today, the slide was out and there was a puddle on the floor under the corner of the slide, just like when we took it in last week. Then when they put the slide in a bit more water came it.

When we first noticed the puddle last week, the slide had been in for days and it was dry for a while, then the puddle was there. We have been checking that side of the trailer a lot, because that is the side the first leak we had was, it was coming from a bad seal on the storage compartment door and running into the trailer..
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Marge, has anyone got on a ladder to inspect the slide upper seal??? It's designed to keep the water out and also the wipe any water off as the slide comes in. But here in lies the rub, sometimes the top seal does not come out (fold out) all the way and the only way you can see if it's out is get on a ladder to look. This can let in water (rain) if the wind is blowing. Now, sometimes just running water around a slide with a water hose won't find the leak. If the leak is at a side seal and you start at the top of the slide...well you will never know where it's coming from. You have to start at the bottom of the slide on both sides with someone inside the coach with a flashlite and watch where the water starts to come in. Marge, for 47 years I chased water leaks in cars and trucks. So I know from where I speak about finding them. You have locate where you think it's coming from and then start UNDER that spot and work your way up. In my experence with RV dealers, these kids don't have a clue how to properly diagnose a water leak. Water leaks are tough to find at best.....TRUST ME. JMHO
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Marge, has anyone got on a ladder to inspect the slide upper seal??? It's designed to keep the water out and also the wipe any water off as the slide comes in. But here in lies the rub, sometimes the top seal does not come out (fold out) all the way and the only way you can see if it's out is get on a ladder to look. This can let in water (rain) if the wind is blowing. Now, sometimes just running water around a slide with a water hose won't find the leak. If the leak is at a side seal and you start at the top of the slide...well you will never know where it's coming from. You have to start at the bottom of the slide on both sides with someone inside the coach with a flashlite and watch where the water starts to come in. Marge, for 47 years I chased water leaks in cars and trucks. So I know from where I speak about finding them. You have locate where you think it's coming from and then start UNDER that spot and work your way up. In my experence with RV dealers, these kids don't have a clue how to properly diagnose a water leak. Water leaks are tough to find at best.....TRUST ME. JMHO
Thanks Bob, we are going to the Dealers when I get off work, we haven't heard from them this morning, as far as I know. I'll run this info by them.
I guess my biggest gripe is the trailer is brand new, and this is just not acceptable at all. I didn't buy a brand new trailer to have to try and run down water leaks.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Marge, you are correct about it being a new trailer and should not have any problems. But let me ask you this...ever bought a new home and it was perfect from the get-go.....I never have. 1 thing you will always have to remember. You bought a "rolling earthquake", so things will happen and you need to check things out once in a while. Make sure you check all the undersink plumbing every couple of months. After you get your coach back...take it out and run it through all the tests and use it good. Do this while it is still in warranty and have it repaired. HL will stand with you all the way and work through it with you. Good luck and I hope its repaired to your satisfaction. If you are handy at all with small hand tools...most repairs can be performed with those and you can save yourself a trip to the dealer and not have it sit for long periods of time at the dealer. I do most of my own repairs and have learned a lot about how things work and where things are in the coach. Keep us posted how things are going. Bob
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Marge, you are correct about it being a new trailer and should not have any problems. But let me ask you this...ever bought a new home and it was perfect from the get-go.....I never have. 1 thing you will always have to remember. You bought a "rolling earthquake", so things will happen and you need to check things out once in a while. Make sure you check all the undersink plumbing every couple of months. After you get your coach back...take it out and run it through all the tests and use it good. Do this while it is still in warranty and have it repaired. HL will stand with you all the way and work through it with you. Good luck and I hope its repaired to your satisfaction. If you are handy at all with small hand tools...most repairs can be performed with those and you can save yourself a trip to the dealer and not have it sit for long periods of time at the dealer. I do most of my own repairs and have learned a lot about how things work and where things are in the coach. Keep us posted how things are going. Bob
Never bought a new house, been in the same place since 1976!

I guess my biggest concern is how long it has been leaking and if the floor starts to rot, I don't want to be stuck with something that has the potential to fall apart. We figured this would be our last big purchase and we'd keep this forever. We have been RVing for 25 years and know what water damage can do.

We are going to the Dealers in about an hour and see what's going on with it.

EDIT...

Just back from the Dealers, they have been on the phone to the factory about this problem, it seems the 2011 North Trails have two white strips of plastic stuff about 6 inches long, 1/2 inch wide and about 1/8 inch think or so. Stuck on the sides of the slides, one near the top and one near the bottom. They were suppose to be removed and nobody took them off, it sounds like a problems with a lot of the trailers. The service manager was taking them off of our silde as we got there. We feel much better about things now...
Cross your fingers. They are going to water check it again and we are suppose to pick it up tomorrow after I get off work at 2:30.
 
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Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Glad they found something. Hope it works. Maybe it's the dealer responsibility to remove them before delivery while they are doing the PDI.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Glad they found something. Hope it works. Maybe it's the dealer responsibility to remove them before delivery while they are doing the PDI.
They should have been removed at the factory We sure have our fingers crossed that that is the problem.

We are going to the beach next Wednesday for 3 days, our Maiden Voyage, if the leak is fixed. This will be a good test, because we are hoping to go to Montana for 2 weeks the end of May, jinxing myself again! We still have our old RV, a 25 ft Holiday Rambler Alumalite and it is in good condition, but we wanted a change...well we think we did/do anyway.
 

wobly

Member
Marge, interesting that you say those strips should have been removed at the factory. Our dealer told us that the strips were there to ensure the seal "flipped" to the appropriate direction and should NOT be removed. Now, I am wondering who is right.

Please let us know how the leak test went.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Marge, interesting that you say those strips should have been removed at the factory. Our dealer told us that the strips were there to ensure the seal "flipped" to the appropriate direction and should NOT be removed. Now, I am wondering who is right.

Please let us know how the leak test went.
Well that is interesting. The Service Manager told us he had been on the phone to the factory about them and that is was a definite problem, because there has been a lot of problems with leaks in slides on the 2011's because of them.
Have you had any leaks around your slide yet?

We will find out today or in a few days, because if any water gets in again, we are going right back to the dealer.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Marge, where in Montana are you staying?? I know of a nice CG in Big Timber right off I-90. It's on the Boulder River....good trout fishing.
 

Marge

All who wander are not lost.
Marge, where in Montana are you staying?? I know of a nice CG in Big Timber right off I-90. It's on the Boulder River....good trout fishing.
We aren't sure exactly where all we are going. We want to go back to Deer Lodge and let's see we liked Ennis and also Bannack State Park.
I'll put that place on my list, Big Timer and see if we will be going that way. I would even mind spending another day in Butt..er I mean Butte.

2 years ago we made a hectic tript to Deadwood SD, and we treid to cram in simply everything. Devils Tower, Yellowstone, Custer St. Park. Little Big Horn, Virginia City, Bannack, Deer Lodge, we love the old prison. The Badlands, Mt. Rushmore.
It was nuts, we'd spend a night and off we would go. So we are looking forward to going back and taking our time at just a few places. Also we have never traveled with a truck and TT before, we have been motorhome people for about 25 years. So this is all new for us. We are looking forward to getting someplace and setting up camp and then having our truck to go exploring with.

EDIT:
I looked on a map, we will for sure be in that part of Montana. My husband would love to be able to fish someplace too. So let me know the name of the campground. Thank you so much.
 
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Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Marge, here is the link to their CG. There is a place you can go visit east of Big Timber on HWY 12 (I think). It's the end of Chief Josephs Trail. It's where he surrendered to the army after Little Big Horn. Chief Joseph Hwy out of Red Lodge will take you to Cody Wyoming. It would take you a year just to see all the stuff in Montana. My oldest daughter lives in Big Timber and we have property in Round Up. http://springcreekcampground.com/Home_Page.html
 
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