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Old 08-07-2007, 11:39 PM   #1
47hook
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A little rant, a little info requested.

We will be going on our second short trip with our new MS. Have had the usual problems that seem to dog the MS rigs:
• Door latch for the pocket door, bottom screw pulled out of the wood. Quick solution was to drill a couple of holes in the face of the latch to secure it. Not pretty, but works.
• Gas struts on the curb side basement door ripped out the aluminum plate glued to the door. Used a couple of steel plates used to join sheets of plywood together (Home Depot stuff) and used epoxy to glue it to the door and about 24 screws through the predrilled plates for added security. Still tight. Looks ugly.

Other issues:
• To help level the 5er had to drop the Center Point suspension and springs to the lowest hole on the frame hangers. Time consuming but relatively easy.
• Lousy owners’ manual. The Alfa I traded had a container for all the various manufacturer’s manuals; but most importantly the Alfa had a very comprehensive manual with pictures and diagrams so when they mentioned a switch or valve or whatever, there was a picture of it.
• I’ve updated the “Dis”-Harmony on line and still can’t make it do all it should. When I get time I’ll call them and see what’s up. For those “Larry the Cable” guy fans, why can’t they just make a button to pass. There are so many multiple uses for each button on the various controllers and those owner’s manuals make me reach for another beer. Hmmmm. Maybe I found the problem….

Here’s the question that has prompted the post:
On my old Alfa, there was a flat rubber wiper type seal, mounted to the body of the trailer that contacted the slideout and could be seen from the outside once the slide was moved out. (The same type seal that is discussed here as notched on the bottom of the kitchen slide of the 36 TKE’s and surrounds all the slideouts.) There was also, on the Alfa, a rubber membrane (EPDM) attached to the slide itself on the back side of the trim that borders the slide on the inside that sealed the slideout to the body once the slide was all the way out. My MS doesn’t have any other seal than that wiper / black flat seal attached to the body. Am I missing a seal on all 3 slides? Or, is this all there is? Hope I haven’t been too confusing.

All in all, I would still buy our MS all over again, but not from the same dealer. It is so nice inside and out, rides so much better, etc.

Thanks for any help you can provide me.

(PS: 13-16 mpg towing, 19-22+ solo mpg; finally needed new injectors at 75K))
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Old 08-08-2007, 06:34 AM   #2
BobW
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Re: A little rant, a little info requested.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 47hook
• Door latch for the pocket door, bottom screw pulled out of the wood. Quick solution was to drill a couple of holes in the face of the latch to secure it. Not pretty, but works.
Our door has been in the shop from day one. Finally the door broke apart. So, a new door is on the way (they say). Anyway, I don't trust the slid-out door. So we are going to place a spring loaded curtain rod between the door and the place where the door closes to. This will keep the door open while traveling. We've tested this on our last 3 trips and it worked fine.
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Old 08-08-2007, 07:43 AM   #3
Motor31
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Your wiper slide seal is all there is. If on the off door side the bottom slide is notched, you have open access to the interior of the rig for hot / cold air and small critters attracted to the light at night. The fix is to either replace the entire bottom seal or simply get additional wiper material and attach it to the original wiper to block the opening. That's the route I'm going to use.
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Old 08-08-2007, 12:02 PM   #4
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The manufactures manual is also my pet peeve. I have owned lesser 5th wheel trailers with more information about their componets. Most of us RV'ers don't need two pages on how to tow and back up a 5th wheel that MS includes in their manual, "I want to know where the dang valve is to drain my water tank"! After much searching I found it buried in the basement.

OK I feel better now. I still like my MS and have had very few small problems with it, BUT I STILL HATE THAT DANG OWNERS MANUAL.....oops sorry.

Ron
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Old 08-08-2007, 02:43 PM   #5
billr
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Sorry to say but, you are experiencing the same defects that most see. It is disappointing but continues all the same.

We have been lucky with the pocket door, but look at the possibility that it needs to be adjusted lower so the catch will stay engaged. There are adjusters on the top sliders that can be accessed behind the return air grill above the pantry. May have a look in there too for the rail mounting screws coming out. Needs longer ones.

If you have raised the coach by moving to the lower holes in the shackles, be careful where you position the Trailair CP link. It doesn't always get changed depending on the link they installed. Check with Dale at Trailair he can help. You can get suspension bind and possible tire and axle issues if not set right. Bruce may pipe in here??

You pretty much hit the basement door fix! Two of ours fell off the very first time we opened the doors! That was after the dealer at my request before our PDI fixed them all! I did the Mod to all of them to avoid anymore grief.

Hang in there and keep the toolbox handy, these Beauties are a work in progress!
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Old 08-08-2007, 04:09 PM   #6
keithandpenne
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Basement door actuators

Not sure why DT uses such strong operators.

Has anyone had their door and weighed it?

Our 05 TK3 has twin 60# units on it. I have always fought the openers for control when opening and closing the door so it does not bang open or closed against the stops.

I took one controller off and the other one will still hold the door open or closed, it just puts the door in a little bind. I need to find two 30# units of the same length and hope they do not pull the backing plate rivits out first.

I agree the manual has been a joke and sounds like it still is. In this day of digital files, how difficult would it be to put together a electonic file and CD disk as well as a printed manual for each unit, based on its options listed on its build sheet. Even though, as Bill said, they are a work in progress, there has to be a master plan somewhere, doesn't there???????
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Old 08-08-2007, 05:19 PM   #7
rotaxman
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DT

From what I understand some of the guys running this outfit came from Sunnybrook you hardly ever hear anything bad about the Sunnbrooks. My dealer told me before we bought our MS that the sunnybrook owners were almost like a cult.

What I don't understand is whey they didn't incorporate any of Sunnybrooks technology in the MS

The owners manual is a joke and appears that it has been since day one I have to agree with Keith and Penne about the digital data and CD's

As long as those orders keep coming in nothing is going to change with this rinky ding outfit the only thing that will get their attention is getting into their billfold. The QC is nothing the same mistakes they made on the first units are still coming out on these units 3 years later.

Rants over

As always good camping

Joyce and Jerry
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Old 08-08-2007, 06:13 PM   #8
bstark
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Jerry: Don't hold back, let 'er rip, it's good for the bowels! :P

47Hook: Bill has passed along a little known caveat that I was given when I showed up at Trailair's facility to have my suspension checked out because I felt the unit was not behaving as advertised ride wise. Our selling dealer had lowered our suspension into the bottom hole on all three location points (shackles & C/P mount) which put our suspension into bind, essentially making the axles fight each other to see who was going to be the lead dog. Our dealer had also broken 2 lower shock mounts while performing the lowering exercise by jacking one side of the trailer at a time. My wife "freaked" to see the trailer sitting at a 30 degree angle in one of the service bays at Can-Am, hence we don't go back there for service!

After visiting Trailair and having our suspension "tuned" with the correct length curved shackle plates for the 38RL3 and the shock mounts replaced, our unit is now tracking correctly and riding better with the shackle bolts in the lower hole and the C/P in the next to lowest hole of the center frame stub.

All of the foregoing may only have been necessary for the units built at the time of ours (an 05 built mid 04) and may not be pertinent to later units but a call to Trailair may not be remiss in any case.
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Old 08-08-2007, 06:56 PM   #9
wingnut60
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rotaxman--

I have had 2 Sunnybrooks previous to the MS--apparently the same guys who wrote the SB manuals moved over to MS. The SB manuals look
EXACTLY like the SB manuals. Mystery solved.

And you never hear about the Sunnybrook problems because they don't post here--spend some time at www.SunnybrookTalk.com and see what is going on. The 2nd wave of folks have left SB and are now building the
Glacier Bay line.

I don't think there is ANY brand that doesn't have screwups--even Teton.
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Old 08-08-2007, 08:01 PM   #10
rotaxman
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Sunnybrook

Wingnut60

Makes sense to me about the manuals if Sunnybrook had a bad one and those same guys are at DT then that's like you said mystery solved.

Teton is about to take a turn to the worse somehow Lippert secured a contract with Teton to build their frames and slide out's that no doubt will hurt their sales when the poor quality Lippert components get in circulation.

I checked out the Sunnybrook talk forum that you posted looks as though they have some problems.

As always good camping

Joyce and Jerry
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Old 08-08-2007, 08:04 PM   #11
rotaxman
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Hey Bruce

How are ya anyway? Awh I'm over it now I just sometimes get a littly cranky when I think about how much I paid for this thing and how little I got for my money.

But that's my fault for not doing more home work before throwing down large amouts of cash.

As always good camping

Joyce and Jerry
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Old 08-08-2007, 08:20 PM   #12
bstark
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Jerry, no explanation necessary, h--l, I get cranky waiting for the coffee maker to give me my morning fix!
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Old 08-09-2007, 08:36 AM   #13
Mikey
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Product Manual

We seem to agree - the MS owner's manual (if that's the correct term) leaves a great deal to be desired.
O.K - what can be done?
Could we write our own?

How about we start a "Manual thread". Anyone who has the time, energy, knowledge (whatever) could contribute. I know there are many very knowledgeable Doubletree'ers out there. I'm thinking of a "How-To" and a "Where-is-it?" format.

I would be more than happy to put it together - i.e. format, photos, etc., and distribute as an electronic MS Word file, and a PDF.

We need an Index first - what are the topics to be covered? Once we have a beginning list, documentation on each topic can be submitted.
i.e. "ice maker valve location", "winterizing", "It's broke - how do I fix it?", "Who do I contact to get info on ???"

We will also require a couple of editors to decide which submissions (or parts of) offer the best info. I don't have that knowledge.

I'll start the thread - and "what will be will be."
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Old 08-11-2007, 06:50 AM   #14
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Mobile Suites would do well by hiring a technical writer to produce a quality manual. That would certainly go a long way toward improving that mess of paper they include with the trailer. This wouldn’t even have to be a full time position. They can contract it out and be done with it. In a few months they’d have a product to be proud of.

I have a lot of experience writing tech manuals in the Air Force and it’s not a difficult task. It would certainly cut down on the number of calls being made to the factory by people needing basic info. It would improve public perception as well.
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Old 08-11-2007, 11:07 AM   #15
wingnut60
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My FIRST need is a detailed manual in laymans english how to hook up and use 1) entertainment center; 2) satellite dish.

Then I need DT so send out someone to read the manuals and set everything up.

As to Sunnybrook and Mobile Suites--I kind of look at the MS line as an upgraded SB line. Things that SB doesn't have are available in MS. So far, very happy with MS quality. Trip to Alb/Yellowstone next 3 weeks will tell me much about how well everything works after being bumped around a lot.
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