campcrew
Member
Year2+: Build Quality is starting to worry me
I've generally found that not much goes wrong the first year - it is the second when you really feel how good the build quality is. This post is where I'm going to track what has gone wrong now that our Bighorn 3010RE is out of warranty. So far, IMHO, our problems have been minor - but really should not be happening.
I updated the original post to show when issues occurred. We are just starting our third year.
Year 1: Under Warranty & Things we fixed
Items our Dealer Fixed: Slide Seals dropping, Bedroom Slide Trim Broken, Bedroom Window not closing, Chip on Stovetop, Trim above door falling off, Decals scratched, Awning not aligned, table leaves don't fit together, countertop has many small scratches, roof bubbles.
Fan Blades fell off. Used Loctite on screws threads to fix.
Pantry Door came open just an inch during travel and I didn't see it before the handle caught on the slide. Minor re-alignment of doors and re-nail trim back in.
Outside Shower: Hose only reaches to edge of udc and water with good pressure is a trickle. After taking apart: the hose is 60 inches and is not caught on anything, that is just how long it is. However, if you pull it all the way out it crimps at the fitting. Did make this hole in the sprayer a little bigger to increase water flow. Will need to replace with a longer hose that can reach our dachshund. Pretty useless as installed.
Vacuum - Bought an air-powered head from a dyson and now vacuum actually works. Why didn't it come with a head that works?
VENTS - Styrofoam in vents is noisy when hear/ac is on, Removed all vent covers, removed styrofoam, screws & wood chips.
LED Bedroom Lights - disrupt antenna signal to TV. Dealer can't replicate. We spend several hours testing the led bulbs but that doesn't appear to be the problem. FIX: Don't turn on the bedroom lights if someone is watching the TV.
Bed: Added memory foam mattress topper after reading mattress issues on forum.
Drawer On Steps - won't open or close. Shaved off 1/4 inch from bottom face.
Fresh Water Tank - Lost water going to campsite from overflow tubes. Added some loose fitting corks as a temporary fix.
Year 2:
1. Tires: Replaced Blowmax Tires
2. Slide Seals - Arrived at campground to see top slide seals hanging off the back of the camper. Threaded them back into the slots and added screws at both ends.
3. Fan Blades are now hitting the slide trim when in.(yes, the fan is off) Must make sure they don't bang the trim each time I put the slides in. Darn, I still haven't fixed this!
4. Rear Cabinet door caught on slide - This door came open while we were traveling. Grrr! Even with being careful, you can't see this cabinet door is open just enough to catch the slide.The slide caught on the door handle and bent the hinges before I could stop the slide. Need new hinges...and maybe our slide needs to be re-aligned. This is a really bad design.
Year 3:
1. LEFT TAILLIGHT: Led's - except 2 - have suddenly quit working. Est. $37 from Heartland
2. TABLE TOO CLOSE TO WALL - shades would get caught between wall and table. Unscrewed table (1 of 4 screws was a different head, lol!). Moved table out from wall 1 inch
3. WATER ALARMS: Added Zircon Leak Detectors behind sinks, in basement and in washer dryer pan. $10 each plus batteries. Given the damage undetected water can cause, leak detectors should be an option.
4, CLOSET DOOR MIRROR - tabs holding mirrors in are snagging hanging clothes. Temp fix = duct tape over the tabs until I can take down the doors. Door handles fell off and are nowhere to be found. Hoping they are not under the bed.
5. DINING TABLE CHAIR: Brace cracked through at screw. Bottom staples are coming loose, probably because I put a couple of magazines underneath the seat. Temp Fix with Construction Adhesive. I have had cheap chairs for 10 years that never broke, so this is very disappointing.
I've generally found that not much goes wrong the first year - it is the second when you really feel how good the build quality is. This post is where I'm going to track what has gone wrong now that our Bighorn 3010RE is out of warranty. So far, IMHO, our problems have been minor - but really should not be happening.
I updated the original post to show when issues occurred. We are just starting our third year.
Year 1: Under Warranty & Things we fixed
Items our Dealer Fixed: Slide Seals dropping, Bedroom Slide Trim Broken, Bedroom Window not closing, Chip on Stovetop, Trim above door falling off, Decals scratched, Awning not aligned, table leaves don't fit together, countertop has many small scratches, roof bubbles.
Fan Blades fell off. Used Loctite on screws threads to fix.
Pantry Door came open just an inch during travel and I didn't see it before the handle caught on the slide. Minor re-alignment of doors and re-nail trim back in.
Outside Shower: Hose only reaches to edge of udc and water with good pressure is a trickle. After taking apart: the hose is 60 inches and is not caught on anything, that is just how long it is. However, if you pull it all the way out it crimps at the fitting. Did make this hole in the sprayer a little bigger to increase water flow. Will need to replace with a longer hose that can reach our dachshund. Pretty useless as installed.
Vacuum - Bought an air-powered head from a dyson and now vacuum actually works. Why didn't it come with a head that works?
VENTS - Styrofoam in vents is noisy when hear/ac is on, Removed all vent covers, removed styrofoam, screws & wood chips.
LED Bedroom Lights - disrupt antenna signal to TV. Dealer can't replicate. We spend several hours testing the led bulbs but that doesn't appear to be the problem. FIX: Don't turn on the bedroom lights if someone is watching the TV.
Bed: Added memory foam mattress topper after reading mattress issues on forum.
Drawer On Steps - won't open or close. Shaved off 1/4 inch from bottom face.
Fresh Water Tank - Lost water going to campsite from overflow tubes. Added some loose fitting corks as a temporary fix.
Year 2:
1. Tires: Replaced Blowmax Tires
2. Slide Seals - Arrived at campground to see top slide seals hanging off the back of the camper. Threaded them back into the slots and added screws at both ends.
3. Fan Blades are now hitting the slide trim when in.(yes, the fan is off) Must make sure they don't bang the trim each time I put the slides in. Darn, I still haven't fixed this!
4. Rear Cabinet door caught on slide - This door came open while we were traveling. Grrr! Even with being careful, you can't see this cabinet door is open just enough to catch the slide.The slide caught on the door handle and bent the hinges before I could stop the slide. Need new hinges...and maybe our slide needs to be re-aligned. This is a really bad design.
Year 3:
1. LEFT TAILLIGHT: Led's - except 2 - have suddenly quit working. Est. $37 from Heartland
2. TABLE TOO CLOSE TO WALL - shades would get caught between wall and table. Unscrewed table (1 of 4 screws was a different head, lol!). Moved table out from wall 1 inch
3. WATER ALARMS: Added Zircon Leak Detectors behind sinks, in basement and in washer dryer pan. $10 each plus batteries. Given the damage undetected water can cause, leak detectors should be an option.
4, CLOSET DOOR MIRROR - tabs holding mirrors in are snagging hanging clothes. Temp fix = duct tape over the tabs until I can take down the doors. Door handles fell off and are nowhere to be found. Hoping they are not under the bed.
5. DINING TABLE CHAIR: Brace cracked through at screw. Bottom staples are coming loose, probably because I put a couple of magazines underneath the seat. Temp Fix with Construction Adhesive. I have had cheap chairs for 10 years that never broke, so this is very disappointing.
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