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New owner observations

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Jim
 Jim
(@j_a_wolfe)
Posts: 10846
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Topic starter
 

Took delivery of my new 2018 Redwood 3921GK in August. Thought I’d post a few observations, likes and dislikes.

Likes –

Floorplan design – I looked at a lot of fifth-wheels but loved the split water closet and shower design on this floor plan which allows separate private use of the shower and the toilet. I didn’t find this layout too common with other manufacturers.

Kitchen Island design and features – I love the plate drawer and find it works very well nesting a smaller salad plate and dinner plate in each slot if the plates are no too thick. The integrated cutting board over the garbage bin is very nice although a bit low. The big beautiful double bowl kitchen sink is wonderful too. I did not get the optional dishwasher so I have plenty of room in the island for large pots and pans.

Exterior finish and quality - The full body paint on my unit is beautiful with no flaws/scratches in the finish. I was also particularly impressed with the roof finish and cleanliness. Every seam was carefully sealed with the appropriate silicon or dicor sealants.

Furniture comfort/features – The Thomas Payne theater seating is super comfortable and seems well built. I love the electronic options on the theater seating (power recline, heaters, massage, drink heater/cooler). The sofa is quite comfortable as well unlike a lot of RV furniture.

Living Area Storage – This particular floorplan has a ton of storage space in both pantries and behind the living room television. Overhear storage cabinets are large and deep. You definitely need a step stool/ladder to access the upper storage cabinets.

In-Command control system – So far I love being able to control items from my iPhone.

Dislikes –

Lack of porch light near the door! There is a bright LED exterior security light near the front of the fifth-wheel but nothing near the door. Not sure why Redwood wouldn’t find this obvious but I have to turn on my awning ribbon lights at night to illuminate the door.

Lack of toilet paper roll holder and hand towel hook in water closet or near bedroom sink. These were easily remedied by a trip to the hardware store and a little installation time but I was surprised these items were overlooked.

Bedroom vanity door/mirror with no door stop allowed the vanity door to hit the bedroom thermostat controls. A simple doorstop mounted high on the wall fixed this nuisance.

Design of heating/cooling systems – There is a separation of cooling system ducting between living area and bedroom. I had expected the A/C ducting would have been single ducting through the entire roof of the coach as it was in my old Class A motor coach. I also assumed the two areas would have been controlled via a single location using zone controls for each area vs. the separate thermostats in each area. The problem is if I’m only on a 30 amp service one A/C can’t get cold air to all areas of the coach and my heat pump in the bedroom A\C unit can’t supply heat to the living areas of the coach. The furnace in this coach is only 35,000 btu vs. 40,000 btu in many competitors and this furnace has to work extra hard to maintain the desired set temperature. Adjustable floor diffusers/registers would be nice to regulate heat airflow as the bedroom tends to get hotter than the rest of the coach. I found an adjustable diffuser at the hardware store but this is needed from the factory.

Lack of drawers. Even though the coach has ample storage space, it lacks adequate drawer space. Instead of a large shelf-less cabinet under the bedroom night stand a shallow drawer with cabinet below it would be much nicer for storing jewelry, wallets and smaller items next to your bed. The same for the dining room console. More drawer space over these cabinets would be better.

Observations/Issues:

I have experienced a few issues that need warranty service including a very slow draining kitchen sink and fit and finish items that were not identified during PDI. I have one major issue that is unresolved. It appears that all of my gray water appliances, sinks, washer/dry and shower are all plumbed into a single gray water tank although my coach is equipped with two separate gray water tanks. I’m not sure how this could happen but I’ve got to take it to the dealer to figure out what is going on.

Overall I’m pretty happy with my Redwood. Interior cabinetry and fit and finish is not quite up to the quality of materials and construction as my old 2006 National Tradewinds Class A diesel pusher but then again this coach didn’t cost what the class A cost. We’ll see how this Redwood endures the upcoming Colorado winter.

 
Posted : November 2, 2017 6:43 PM
Jim
 Jim
(@j_a_wolfe)
Posts: 10846
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Topic starter
 

Not sure if this would help you but I bought this solar light for over the door. It works well and seems to charge regardless of sun or shade. I needed it when coming in late or letting the dog out. I just put a small piece of tape over the sensor if towing at night. Also works great for security when stored.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KTGT906/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509670231&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=litom+solar+light&psc=1

 
Posted : November 2, 2017 8:54 PM
Jim
 Jim
(@j_a_wolfe)
Posts: 10846
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Topic starter
 

Our new one is the same. Thanks for the idea about the solar light.

 
Posted : November 3, 2017 8:18 AM
Danny_and_Linda
(@danny_and_linda)
Posts: 884
Prominent Member
 

You could also replace the over door light with another scare light like up front.
As for the towel rods/tp holder, I'm glad they only added the tp holder & nothing else as we didn't like where they put it, too low/too far back, so I'm sure we wouldn't have liked where they added anything else, rather do ourselves.

Travelin' Texans
Former '13 FB owner
Currently rvless!!

 
Posted : November 3, 2017 12:08 PM
Jim
 Jim
(@j_a_wolfe)
Posts: 10846
Member
Topic starter
 

Not sure if this would help you but I bought this solar light for over the door. It works well and seems to charge regardless of sun or shade. I needed it when coming in late or letting the dog out. I just put a small piece of tape over the sensor if towing at night. Also works great for security when stored.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01KTGT906/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509670231&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=litom+solar+light&psc=1

Thank you John! I like the look of that light. How bright is it? I noticed that that same manufacturer has a smaller version. How did you mount it?

 
Posted : November 3, 2017 12:10 PM
Jim
 Jim
(@j_a_wolfe)
Posts: 10846
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Topic starter
 

It’s very bright. But saying that, it has 3 settings and I use the brightest. You could easily use it on the medium setting. I fastened it with 3m vhb tape. The only downside to this is that when mounted you lose the access to the back to turn it off or change brightness. Like I said if I need it to stay off it’s really easy to just put a piece of tape over the motion sensor.

 
Posted : November 3, 2017 12:27 PM
Jim
 Jim
(@j_a_wolfe)
Posts: 10846
Member
Topic starter
 

It’s very bright. But saying that, it has 3 settings and I use the brightest. You could easily use it on the medium setting. I fastened it with 3m vhb tape. The only downside to this is that when mounted you lose the access to the back to turn it off or change brightness. Like I said if I need it to stay off it’s really easy to just put a piece of tape over the motion sensor.

Thanks again John! I found a newer model on Amazon that has the control switches on the side and accessible without pulling the light off. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074H6XWWF/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

The 3m tape mounting sounds great as I'm leery about drilling holes in my new unit. I can also use the tape over the sensor to keep it from coming on but it would be nice if the switch will allow you to completely turn off the light. I imagine it would become quite irritating sitting outside by the campfire and having the light flash on everytime someone moves. Lol.

 
Posted : November 3, 2017 1:14 PM
Jim
 Jim
(@j_a_wolfe)
Posts: 10846
Member
Topic starter
 

I found you hade to be pretty close to it and centered. It worked awesome for us and I don’t have to worry about forgetting the lights and disturbing the neighbors. I ordered the switches version now so I can put it on my snowmobile trailer.

 
Posted : November 3, 2017 2:41 PM
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