Hello everyone
My wife and I are looking seriously for a 5 th Wheeler and I have seen some beautiful Redwoods
We plan on being full timers so any advice would be greatly appreciated
We are looking for a rig 35 - 40 feet with a 1 ton GMC dually to pull it
Would you guys buy another Redwood or is there a specific model to stay away from.
We are also looking at a DRV. I’m trying to get the best bang for my buck without being in the shop fixing problems full time
Thanks in advance
Eric......from Edmonton

Hi Eric,

Welcome to the forum. I have a suggestion for you. Please try to read as much of the forum as you can. From your reading you will start to get an idea about the Redwood trailers. Right now I am going keep my comments in reserve. Look at, What is your warranty worth. It is a current thread going.

Good luck with your research,
Al

Thanks Al

Eric - welcome to the ROG forum and congratulations on considering a Redwood. As the previous response mentioned, spend some time reading through the many posts on the forum, as you will find a wide variety of opinions.

In addition to checking out Redwood, DRV and any other brand, I also suggest investing as much time in selecting a dealer. In many cases, the dealer can be the cause of a strained after sales experience and getting warranty work completed. As a full-timer, you should be aware that many dealers will not perform warranty work on coaches they didn't sell.

Our experience is very positive. We purchased from Fraserway in Abbotsford (Canada wide dealer) and also use Hitch N'Go in Ontario. Both dealers were exceptional, getting all warranty work completed quickly and to our complete satisfaction.

We are long out of warranty, having purchased in Dec 2012 and the floorplans have changed significantly, so can't really recommend anything. Personally, our preference is for a Front Living floorplan.

We (ROG) also hold an annual rally in July, which is close to the factory - Shipshewana, Indiana. The Redwood service techs go above and beyond making good repairs, regardless if the coach is in/out of warranty. Redwood management team also provides a Q/A session and are readily available to the owners. This is exceptional customer service, which is available to all owners attending the annual rally. As a potential owner you could attend the rally, as the campground owners also have a hotel next door.

You will also hear some negative experiences from some owners: however, this is not restricted to Redwood. It applies to almost all RV manufacturers, as they are all built under virtually identical labour standards. If you visit the DRV forum, you will probably find as many negatives as on a Redwood site.

In my opinion, the biggest challenge is to find which manufacturers stand-by the warranty and that is greatly affected by the dealer. Prior to purchase, the dealer should conduct a thorough inspection and test all systems. You should also complete a thorough PDI, creating a list of all defects, which should be fixed before paying any money and accepting title. When we purchased, our PDI took 2 full days, only revealing a couple of minor issues, as the dealer had already completed a through inspection and testing.

If I found any major issues during my PDI, I would have walked away, as the dealer obviously didn't complete their inspections.

Once you take ownership, the dealer should also provide you a thorough walk through, demonstrating where everything is and how it all works.

BTW - suggest checking the Alberta requirements for towing large house trailers. In BC, we require a special licence, which includes a driving test. From memory, I don't believe Alberta has the same requirement, but best to check.

Andy & Judi
Thanks for the quick response. This is the exact information I need to make a quality decision. I just got a little discouraged after reading the R.V. travel newsletter regarding crappie units that are always on a recall list or dealers that don’t seem to ever fix the problems that arise. I will continue to read your forums so that I can make a responsible decision.
Thanks again for the information it’s greatly appreciated
Regards
Eric

Hello, and Welcome Eric,

I have been camping in my 2016 38RL since July of 2015 and couldn't be happier... We do not full time, so I have a very good relationship with the selling dealer, I am one of those people that say the dealer can make or break a your happiness in owning any trailer... AND that the manufacturer is only as good as their supporting dealer..

I was/ and still am a member over on RV.net forum, after being on that forum for over 10 years, I have determined that ALL RV's are built by the same, like minded people...
You can do a search, and you will find owners of DRV, Forrest River, Landmark, ect.. ALL complaining about stuff, sum of the same, some different..

Owning a higher end RV is not for the faint of heart... you have to be prepared to do many, or some repairs on your own...Just to keep the dealer, or manufacturer out.

We are lucky so far, since July of 2015, the Redwood has only been back to the dealer 2-3 times ...

Good luck with your decision, Happy Camping, and Safe Travels. !

Joe

I have to agree with Joe. It seems to me that the dealer makes all the difference. I also think it’s important to take ownership of what you want in the end, and budget accordingly. So if your planning on living in it, know there will be times that you will be displaced. If your going to travel a lot, consider your entire rig including tires, breaks and suspension. What comes from the factory may not suit your life style. In my case I had about 10k of my own options I needed to add in order to meet our needs. Others may take a factory fresh unit as is and have everything they desire. There is no doubt that these units are being produced quickly and some issues slip by. That’s why choosing the right dealer really is important. I have read about dealers taking months to see units and then holding them. Joe, Andy and I have excellent dealers that seem to be responsive and fair.
Lastly, it’s an RV, not a house. It can’t be compared to a new house or a new car. The market is very different. The expectation should be different as well. Like boats, you need to be a little self sufficient.

Just my two cents.

You may want to check the classifieds on this forum for well cared for used RWs, some have trucks also available (I'm in that category) & would not hesitate to head across country tomorrow.
We have thoroughly enjoyed ours with minimal issues for the last 5 years & if doing over again would chose a RW in a flash. Personally I feel the RWs are as equally well built as DRVs at a lower price, DRV owners would disagree, but both are owned by Thor.