How true it's amazing that when folks are trying to sell something that it looks like it was rode hard and put away wet. Some wont even try to make it look better.

 

I agree, build and care are the two most important factors...

the wife and I had 'discussions' on this and she coerced me into ordering a shiny new Redwood with a MSRP over $130k ( i paid a LOT less than that)

It had a 2+5 yr warranty, I had them include an extended warranty on top of that just for my protection since they were relatively new...

Well, I'm happy to say after a year of litigation they finally agreed to buy that pos back !

Had over 50 things go wrong with it (even down to the closet door actually spliting) and they didn't fix a thing, we are part timers and couldn't imagine how we would have fared as full timers with it in the shop so much!

I know, it's just an RV, not the end of the world, but so disgusted with Redwood/Crossroads/Thor, IF we get another, my vote counts more and the wife has learned her lesson !

 

Did you use an attorney specializing in claims against RV manufacturers? Were you suing in a state that had a "lemon law"?

 

Yes to both - want his name ?

 

I am not sure. I am not having a problem. I have actually worked with attorneys in the past in cases which resulted in buy-backs of motor homes offering basic advice to help define their case. Pro bono only, I would not do it for money

As of late, my blog is being picked up and reprinted on several others blogs, not every one, but pretty regularly and I blog somewhat frequently about consumer issues. I want to blog about buy backs, a topic which I can almost guarantee will be picked and reposted.

How did you find your legal assistance?

 

In a word, poor.... but eventually done...
Having done two other buybacks with auto's that went well and quickly... had a good idea of the process, so had 'expectations'...

Hard to know where all the hangups were this time, with my atty, or theirs, or with Redwood ????

We would counter the same day and it would take a month for a response...

Now the decision to get another or not is at the forefront

 

I'm going to see if I can find attorney who want to be interviewed and see if I can find a list of states with lemon laws. Here in Tennessee RVs are excluded from the lemon law.

 

Price seems alittle too high IMHO. Carriage is a good brand with a solid reputation even though they're no longer in business. I bought my used 2009 in 2013 for $49K, was listed on NADA guide for $60K at the time. It was like new inside & out, not even any wear & tear on the carpets, meticulously maintained and was kept inside a big garage. Wife and I liked it better than the new Lifestyles they had not to mention $30-40K cheaper. The biggest issue with Carriages (any year) are the slideouts.

If you're willing to throw down $54K I would not rule out some other mfg for brand new at same price or even cheaper. But, you must consider build quality. That is why you'll pay far more for a Carriage, Lifestyle, Excel, Mobile Suites, Hitchhiker, etc. As already mentioned choose one that you like the best then decide if you have the budget for it. Put another way if you're just a weekend warrior then a much cheaper brand may be a more a wiser move otherwise if plan to full-time in it or 5+ months out of the year camping then I would go with a higher-end brand.

Wife and I toured through 34 5'ers on the lot and we always kept coming back to that one particular Carriage. We were impressed with the layout & build quality. Granted the Lifestyles & Mobile Suites were luxuriously tempting and we did consider but the $100K price tag was beyond our means.

 

Having just purchased a 2007 Carriage with three slides I was wondering if you could elaborate on the problems with Carriage slides and any maintenance or preventive measures I could take to ensure my slides keep sliding DesertNomad?

Regards,

Lauren

 

Congrats on your Carriage purchase! Hope you enjoy it!
In short, its very well documented along with solutions to fix it over on the Carriage forum. Browse through the SLIDE-OUTS & COMPONENTS category. Preventative maint will help prolong the inevitable.

Basically the motor mount is a flawed design. It works its way loose through road vibration and bouncing over time. Carriage slide-outs are also very heavy especially kitchen side which goes against the weak motor mount. Also, just before the kitchen slide is retracted all the way in, it actually lifts slightly to lock it in place. During this lift alot of weight is pressing downward on the motor mounts which of course also contributes to the issue.

Once the motor mounts start loosening this in turn causes the gear mesh to become out of alignment which starts slipping more and more each time the slides extract/retract and eventually the gear teeth become stripped. Its a PITA job to repair if the teeth become stripped.

Most often it is the kitchen slide that starts failing first followed by the dining room slide. You'll know immediately if the gear teeth are slipping when you retract the slide and you hear (and feel) a loud grinding/vibrating noise. Possible early signs are drag marks on the floor/carpet but this can also be caused by other issues such as the slide out of alignment.

Folks on the forum have posted pictures of the issue, where exactly to look and some of the re-engineered solutions. There a number of topics & threads on the slide-out issues.
Also the motor itself is a bit weak but that is not what causes the slide-out extract/retract failures.

As an easy preventative measure you'll want to crawl underneath, unzip the access cover leading to the motor/gear shaft, peel away the insulation and check the motor mount bolts. Varies by model but should be at least 4 bolts. Make sure they are damn tight. If you don't keep them tight the bolts AND thread holes will get stripped which also happened to me. Loctite will help but won't cure the problem. Checking the bolts has become part of my pre-flight checklist.

You'll also want to familiarize yourself on how to manually retract the slide if it refuses to slide all the way in. This happened to me when I was getting ready to leave a campground.

I posted my simpler but semi-permanent fix here. So far so good.

The brain child who re-engineered a permanent fix goes by the name of falconhunter (Chip). He posted a how-to along with a parts list. Sorry, I lost the post link. He and a few others are very active on the Carriage forum and will definitely help you out with any questions if you want to be prepared or wait till it happens.

If the gear mesh looks to be perfectly aligned but it still grinds/vibrates during retract then the slide may be out of alignment. Not an easy task but they can be re-aligned. The Carriage forum has a library of docs, how-to's, parts list, etc but you'll need to register for access.

I've not had any issues with the bedroom slide; knock on wood.

BTW, don't have a coronary over all the slide-out threads.

 

2007 Carriage C-Force 39SV1 hooked to 2015 F350 dually with max tow option.


Thanks very much DesertNomad. I will definitely check out the link you provided and get on the preventive maintenance right away.


So far we have just brought the trailer home and put the slides out once. I am taking her to have all new tires put on it since she was built in August of 2006 and then she will be home for a week or so. I will check out all of the slides then before I take it to a job site I will be working at for the next month or so.


Thanks again for the detailed info. I just picked the dually up on April 11 so this morning will be the first time she has done any serious work!


Have a great weekend.


Lauren

 

Lauren,
Wow, very nice setup you have indeed! Toyhauler looks in excellent shape. Wise choice in getting new tires. I did the same. Your slides are shorter length than mine, less weight and I'm betting you'll have less or hopefully zero issues.

 

Thanks DesertNomad. We are quite pleased with our purchase too.


The picture may be a little deceiving as the slide in the photo is at least ten feet long and has all the kitchen cabinets, the stove and microwave plus the fridge in it so to me it is fairly large. The street side one had the dining table and chairs (we did not want a built in dinette) and the love seat in it so it too is at least ten feet long. I will do some more research this week on the Carriage forums (I signed up for them when we purchased the trailer) and at least do a bolt check on the motors once I figure out where the are.


I hired a local auto hauler with an F450 to bring the trailer to our place a couple of months ago and he commented that it towed very well and it felt that way when I was riding with him. Yesterday I only towed her about 20 miles too and from my friends repair shop to get the tires replaced but I was quite pleased with how the new 6.7 pulled. There is a mile long gradual grade which rises about 300 feet over the length and the F350 did not lose any speed pulling her up the hill. I have installed the Auto Flex air suspension in the rear of my truck and the Reese 20K Goose Box on the front of the trailer and with the combination of the two there was absolutely no chucking over the couple of railway tracks that I crossed.


Regards,


Lauren

 

That's a fine looking C force come over to the Carriage/ Lifestyle forum lot's of good information there for you.

 

Ah, yea the pic is a bit deceiving. Both my kitchen and dining slides are 13' 10" in length. Guessing yours are probably about the same.

Yep, 6-8% grades should be no issue. I had my real test last summer in Utah pullin two 8% grades followed by a 14% grade (all on same road) with 100° air temp. I was alittle freaked out but did not overheat and the tires didn't melt. I was sure glad I had just got new wheels & tires on my Carriage.