Chasing Adventure

We understood that buying new, we would have to deal with all the quirks of manufacturing issues. However, this has been a bit more dramatic in scope than we originally planned. From the broken refrigerator, to the leak behind the shower wall, we have learned a TON about RV ownership.

While wintering in Florida this past winter, like proper snowbirds, we discovered there is a leak that allows water to come in UNDER the slide that has the stove on it, and pool on the kitchen floor. If we have the slide closed, it doesn’t leak.

So, yes, we have been pulling that slide in EVERY TIME IT RAINS. Sigh.

Trying to get RV service, in Florida, in the winter, is difficult with all the snowbirds. So, we made an appointment with our place in Johnson City, TN to bring it in as soon as we were back in town in February. During that appointment, they confirmed they were able to duplicate the leak (okay, that’s good I guess), but they were not able to determine where the water was entering the rig (what. the. heck.). They would have to work with a Grand Design tech on possible entry points and would let us know what our next steps would be.

So, we are still pulling that slide in EVERY TIME IT RAINS. Thankfully, we are both slim humans and can slip through the gap left between the closed slide and counter.

Circumstances as they are, we decided to not bring Maverick on this next trip to Florida in May and leave him at the shop instead. I also called ahead to Grand Design, so they are fully aware of the incoming call and need for warranty approval work. That’s issue #1.

Issue #2 – the shower leak caused a TON of damage, including ruined insulation, wood, and underbelly. When Maverick was in the shop, they assessed what was needed and because it was so much, along with approvals from Grand Design, they needed to order parts. So, we would have to schedule to bring the rig back. It’s been 7 months since the leak started and 4 months since we found and stopped it. Now, there is mold/mildew/funk started to grow (bleh). So, all that will be getting replaced.

We were very excited to get our new fridge in November since we had been using a fridge literally 1/20 the size for 10 weeks. However, when the techs pulled out the old fridge, they didn’t unscrew the back screws, thereby scraping our beautiful new floor.

Ugh.

That was on the repair list for February, BUT they didn’t order enough flooring. So, that is issue #3 on the repair list this time.

While not as major, there are other fixes needed while Maverick is in the shop for an extended period of time:

1. The faucet for Greg’s bathroom sink has started to leak. While yes, it’s probably just an o-ring needing to be replaced, it’s still under warranty and I’m not touching it.
2. The awning over the bedroom slide out holds water and is getting stretched out. That just needs to be tightened.
3. We ordered an awning cap for the main awning because one side is missing. I think it got caught on a tree leaving one of the farms we stayed at since the exit was nail-bitingly stressful.
4. Our new fridge has a rattle in the compressor. Honestly, I am hoping it just has to do with insulation and once they secure it more it won’t rattle anymore.

So, May 7th, Maverick goes in for service, hopefully for the last time for a while! Please Jesus….

~Katie