Hi, going to go look at one tomorrow. Any thing i should be aware of

Thanks Tim

We've got the '13 FB & really like the floor plan. Being it's a '12 The previous owner surely for all the bugs worked out, but check the bottom shower track caulking & the bedroom heater duct work in the basement to be sure it hasn't fallen. Enjoy the new to you RW.

We love our '14 36FB. I don't think there's much difference between ours and the '12 except the decor. Hopefully the previous owner did upgrades that you will benefit from!

Main things may include to look for stress cracks near the bedroom slide, ask if electric brakes or disc brakes - what type axles and suspension. Tires should be "G" rated. If not, they will have to be replaced. Pin weight is heavy on the 36FB.

Haven't had any problems with the roof, but check seams and seals on everything, including slides. Run slides in and out several times, listen for squeals/squeaks. Look for pitting in hydraulic jacks.

Turn on everything and test!

In addition to testing every system and visually inspecting the roof, sidewalls and condition of the caulking, I would be asking the following questions:
- Tires, the 12's & 13's came with standard Goodyear E Marathons. Have they been replaced? if not this should be a priority item. Go with a G rated tire as a minimum, while many others are now going to 17.5" H rated tires.
- Suspension, have the original plastic bushings been replaced, if not you should consider installing the MOR/Ryde wet bolt system, again a priority item.
- Do they have a surge protector, either fixed or portable. If not, with the amount of electronics one is highly recommended
- Maintenance history on the bearings? Have they been replaced?
- Check the brakes for grease blowing through the seals.
- Type of brakes, electric or disk. The electric are adequate, as I did 20,000+ miles with many trips through the Rockies, but disk are better for the weight.
- Hitch, if the Trailair Tri-glide, how often was it greased. I grease about every 1,000 miles. Check welds for cracks.

These are great coaches and we have an active owner's group. Hope all goes well and look forward to you joining our growing community.

Tim,
Don't let all these inspection items scare you away from the RW, they are quality coaches & well built & ALL of these items should be looked at regardless of the make/model of rv you look at.
Good luck with your search & hope to hear later on the RW purchase.

Your statement indicates that you are going out to "look" at one...

It is suggested that you first consider "how" you intend to use the RV. Will you be full-timing or weekending? Maybe you will part-time with a dream to one day full time? Will you have pets or kids that will be using the RV? This can have a impact on the floor model you may want to consider.

There are front master bathrooms, bath and a half units, front kitchen, rear kitchen, mid galleys, side entertainment centers, rear entertainment centers, bonus rooms, and bunk houses.

Another KEY important consideration is the proper tow vehicle. This size of a unit can easily weigh in the neighborhood of 16,600 lbs. Do you own a dually? If not, this is a big safety consideration. Do you live in a State that requires a Class "A" Driver's License? If so, have you made the necessary arrangements to acquire that license?

Insurance. Have you priced insurance policies for full-timing versus part-timing?

Storage. Will you store it at home or will you need a storage facility?

Maintenance. Will you perform a lot of the work yourself? Or will you hire it done? Many of these dealerships will hold your RV in line for several months before they can get to it. How will that impact your usage?

Price. Do you want to save money or is price no object? This can make a difference on new or used. New or used, you may want to consider warranties.

Now for the RV:

Paint or Gel Coat. Advantages and disadvantages to each. Full body paint can add $10,000 to the overall cost. For gel coats, when placards need to be replaced, that can be several thousand dollars if you have it done. Once again, the RV will be out of service for some time.

Axles. Consider 8000# axles with disc brakes. STAY AWAY from electric brakes regardless of the cost savings it might offer.

Suspension. Many are opting for the MorRyde or IS systems. They are more expensive but they seem to be worth it for many.

Tires. Consider "H" tires. You will be very happy with this decision. If a tire is blown, it can cost $8,000 to repair the side body. "G" tires should be the minimum. You'll also want to invest in a tire monitoring system. Pressure and temperature is everything! Get one thrown in by the dealer if you are buying new.

Backup Cameras. This will make it much easier to back in if you can get that thrown in as well.

Pin Box. There are a couple of pin boxes out there. You'll hear about favorites. We have the Tri-Glide. So far for us, we're good. No chucking or bounce. Several have moved on to the Flex-Aire. The Tri-Glide is no longer made. If you buy new, consider the Flex-Aire.

Hitch Mounts. B&W makes one of the best on the market. Negotiate that with your RV purchase if you don't have one. Do you have a short bed? You'll need the slider hitch. Ask the dealer. They will know what you are looking for.

A/C. If you are going to use the RV in the south, it's a must to have 3 A/C units. 2 can get you by in the shade as long as it does not get above 95 degrees. While you're at it, you might as well make sure that you get heat pumps. This provides you with an alternative to using expensive propane to heat the RV. We try to use propane as a last resort. It is nice to have both options. You may also want to consider the Atwood helium based units. You'll get 18,000 BTU's for the same energy use as the 15,500 units. Plus, if you have 2 units, you can pick up an extra 1/2 ton cooling to boot. With 3 units, you get even more. AND, they are not that much more expensive.

Fireplace. This is also a must for fall and spring time RV travels. It can knock down the cold without once again using valuable propane.

Refrigerator. WE LIKE the option of a Norcold propane, battery or electric refrigerator. Many like having an inverter and a residential refrigerator. The advantage to Norcold is that you can use it while boondocking on many different resources. If you're not into boondocking, then you may want to have a residential refrigerator. They are generally larger but they are a serious drain on battery power. Both offer ice makers and water if you want.

Microwave. The trend now is to use convection microwave units. They are nice and take up less room. Many gave up the oven for more dish pan space.

Oven. Many are opting out of the propane ovens. WE LIKE having the option of having a propane stove and cook top. You don't need power to run them and they cook much faster than induction tops. Most induction tops require special pots and pans to work. They can cost a lot. Induction is also a power hungry charge and when multiple burners are on, they rob power from each other in order to work. If you use one burner, you can get close to full power, but compared propane, there is no comparison.

Dishwasher. You gotta have one of these....They use less than 2 gallons of water. They are extremely quiet. And, you don't have to slave over dishes. You can enjoy the outdoors. Admittedly, we still wash by hand on small loads with just two of us. But it's not always two.

Washer/Dryer. If you are part-time, you may can do without it. Don't "buy" this if you are considering a new unit. Instead negotiate that in the end as a deal sealer. Splendide is the top-of-the-line units. You could get a combo unit, but they are very slow. We PREFER the independent washer and dryer units.

Maxx-Air Fans. A good investment if you can use them in cooler (not HOT) temperate zones. Be prepared...They seem to strip a lot of gears...But so far, Maxx Air has stood by their product. They may ship you replacement parts at no cost.

Satellite Systems. Who wants to "pay" to watch TV? If you're in the boonies, you'll likely be blocked by trees anyway. Besides, aren't you out for the wilderness experience? If you get desperate for civilization, drop in your favorite movie. We took all of ours out of the cases they came in and condensed them down considerably with the CD Cases that hold 100 CD's. We now have 400 movies to choose from if we really want to watch it. We think it's just a luxury item. we have one, but it was already on our rig when we bought it. Otherwise, we would rather watch sunsets and go for walks on the beach or in the woods. Sometimes, we prefer the company of neighbor RV'rs. Sometime not...

Ceiling Fans. A joke. They blow no air. They are "pretty" but of no value.

Power Surge Protectors. A MUST! Protect your RV electronics. There are portable and hard-mounted units. Progressive Industries are one of the best units. They are NOT included. You need to negotiate this in. They can run $500.

Generators. A optional device. They are great if you boondock or have a power outage. I WILL personally purchase one before we set out full-timing. You may want to take advantage of desert stays in the winter where there are no fees, but there is no electricity.

Solar Panels. A nice thing if your green. However, they can set you back $4000 before you know it. To save that kind of electricity, you would have to live in the desert year round for 50 years. We'll need to wait another 5 years before prices become reasonable. If you get this on a used RV without the extra cost, no problem. Let the other camper pay for that.

Roof. These units come with rubber roofs (TPO generally). If this unit is going to be outside consistently, consider the Armor style roof. It's about $5000 if you have it installed. It's about $2000 if you are savvy enough to do it yourself. If installed aftermarket, expect it to take 2-3 days to complete (with any repaint required).

Side Walls/Roof/Floors. Generally, on the Redwood, you're going to get about 2" of Styrofoam type insulation in the walls. The roof is generally fiberglass as is the basement. The manufacturers (not just Redwood) rave about how they achieve R42 or so. They claim this by using a aluminum faced bubble wrap. The only problem is that there are so many air leaks EVERYWHERE that this is very likely untrue. Just try keeping your unit cool in the summer or hot in the winter.

Flooring. Your choice...Carpet or all tile. WE prefer carpet. It is more home like. It is quieter. It is warmer on your feet in the winter. The down side, with the design of slides on the Redwood, you'll end up with ugly stains from the slides tracking on the carpet. With tile, you'll get the nice scratches all over the floor. From a maintenance perspective, you loose either way. Black marks or scratches. Which do you prefer?

Windows. Get the double pane windows. They don't condensate inside. They are great during the day as no one can see in.

Shades. With Redwood, you'll get the MDS Blinds. They are crap, but what rollup blind is not crap. Ours are 3-years old and have trouble retracting. We've adjusted many times. We still complete the rollup by hand.

Furniture. It's RV furniture. What do you expect? They have to make it light weight and some have had success. Some have not. With the RL and GK units, you'll need to watch the slides when they come in. If not, you'll tear up the couch or the slide. Redwood can't seem to see that 1/2" clearance from the front of the couch to the slide unit is not enough. We've almost ripped the couch cushions off the couch. We've damaged and repaired the trim several times.

Beds. King size take up a LOT of floor space. We opted for the Queen. It's a much smaller footprint. The mattresses are not the same as yours at home. You may have to buy special sheets to get them to fit exactly right. We buy standard sheets and make them work. You'll save money.

Slide Motors. You won't get a choice on this...Schwintek has been used on the smaller slides for a long time. Hydraulics on the larger slides. You'll want to familiarize yourself with calibration of the Schwintek and learn what to do when each fails. There are separate procedures.

Water Pumps. Nothing you can do here.

Water Heaters. They are pretty standard.

Furnace Units. Pretty standard. You'll find that the manufacturer doesn't know or care about how to duct the A/C or heat. Both are a mess. DON'T shut the furnace dampers and DON'T put anything over the grills in the floor. You'll get way more heat than you bargained for (like, in a fire). You may want to add or rearrange your ducts to provide better floor distribution. As for the A/C duct, I wish I could be there to show you what to look for. Just read our other posts on A/C Ducting...

Water Filter. Get them to move the water filter into a location where you can change the D___ thing without spilling water all in the basement. I've moved our to the Controls compartment. It's much easier to change when its time. See other posts on this subject.

Showers. We opted for the GK as this is about the biggest shower you can get. The glass doors are a pane (no pun intended) to clean so we installed a shower curtain over the front. It works like a charm.

Electric Cord reels. A nice thing to have depending on where they are mounted. As stated, its nice but not required. In any case, see if you can get 50' of cord. perhaps (2) 25' cords. You will find some campgrounds with the pedestal at the rear. Some at the front. Some at mid ship. Some in places you would never expect.

Skylight Foam Inserts. Make sure you get these thrown into the deal. You'll save a lot of heat coming in from the vents and skylights. They are available at Camping World and the like for about $10 each or so.

Electrical Adapters. You'll need the 50A to 30A adapter, the 50A to 15A adapter and maybe a 30A to 50A adapter. You never know what you'll have in the various parks.

Campgrounds. Get used to finding space. With record sales the last two years and the price of fuel down, you ALMOST have to make reservations well in advance if you want to stay anywhere. Hopefully, fuel prices and RV prices will continue the climb up and drive the market down. RV space is expensive at $40 to $60 a night. Taxes on RV space is ridiculous. You can still get some seasonal rates at reasonable rates. Shop around. Otherwise, boondocking with a $100K rig still works out OK. Besides, you'll get a lot of conversations going...

RV Clubs. Some good. Some not so good...Good Sams, Passport America and Escapees are about the top 3. If you don't do a lot of camping, you'll spend a lot of money needlessly.

That's about it. If I missed anything, someone will jump in.

Happy trails! B)

Good points GipC, but he said he's looking at a used 2012.

Just to add a couple of comments to those mentioned above.

That 36 probably has the same footprint as our 36RL, and it's not 36 ft. long, more like 39 ft.! I asked our dealer the exact overall length so it would fit in our driveway (I have 3 ft. to spare!).

Also, consider where you plan to camp, we used to camp in some provincial parks up here in Canada but the longer length and the height keeps us out of virtually all the sites and parks. We also find the RW "tight" when parked in some of the older parks in Yuma and other parks built before slides and longer RV's. Not a showstopper but a consideration. But, we love the comfort!

Not sure about the 36FB, but the 36RL was actually 40'4" from the front cap to the rear cap and didn't include the ladder. The lengths given on the brochures is measured from the King Pin to the rear cap, so if you look you can see that the Front Caps extends approx another foot and half.
Same reason some buy the 31SL thinging it's only 31 feet, except when they measure find out it's quite a bit more....Surprise

Good points GipC, but he said he's looking at a used 2012.

Did not see that...It was in the title bar...Oh well...

Thanks for all your input. Tim