Good customer service response from Northwood

[Tequila]

I recently installed a leak detction system in my trailer, placing detectors under every plumbing area. Took a while fishing the wires, etc, but it works well.

First trip out it detected 3 leaks:

1) bad ABS cementing job under the kitchen sink causing a few drips when sink drains.
2) crossthreaded fitting under the outdoor kitchen sink drain also causing a few drops
3) bad caulking job in shower corner

This trailer is almost new. I imagine these leaks were there before, but evaporate before I noticed there were issues. My wife no longer thinks I was being too anal by installing these.

I am glad I bought a Good Sam extended service plan, but I had the plumbing skills to deal with all these myself, so no claim necessary.

I am betting it boils down to one sloppy employee.

Anyway, I did write to Northwood and they responded immediately and forwarded the info off to their department heads, which I thought was pretty good. I am generally happy with the trailer, although the dealer screwed up several things, but that is not Northwoods fault.

[Tequila]

I just discovered the trap under my shower is loose as well. Just wet the insulation under there slightly. I suspect this is due more to road vibration, not sloppy workmanship. In my case the trap consists of a compression fitting on the drain with a screw fitting to the pipe and it hangs inside a well over the insulation. The compression fitting had dropped down. I pushed it back up and tightened, and this time I put foam board insulation under the trap so it is supported form below and can't slip down again.

Obviously the shower trap is one item that should be inspected every now & again.

I have a normally open solenoid valve arriving next week. i will be using that on my city water inline at the hose and hooking it into my leak detection system. Since my city water is right next to the power cord storage i will rig it up externally and power it with a 2 prong trailer plug.

I now have 12 sensors throughout the trailer, all of which will shut down my internal pump. The outside city water solenoid is the last addition to ensure I have no flowing water if any of my plumbing leaks. Since all the sensors are daisy chained, i have installed a switch 1/2 way along so if i do have a leak, i can isolate which half its in.

[_40Fan]

I am sure they pressurize the supply side, but not the waste/drain side.

We also had a loose clamp on the tank fill hose.

[canoe_on_top]

Northwood pressure tests the water systems at the factory. I believe to 100 psi.

[N7SJN]

Our Northwoods product had a leak in the non pressurized fresh water fill system a clamp fixed the problem at the tank.

[2012Coleman]

I wouldn't call a guy who hooks water pipes together on a TT assembly line a plumber. It might offend a real plumber.

Great story though.

[fallsrider]

I am a project manager for a residential construction company. When we build houses, our plumbers have to perform pressure tests on the entire system (supply and drains) that is inspected by the local inspections department during the "rough-in" stage of construction. Then at plumbing final, the inspectors go through the house running every faucet and checking for leaks under the sinks. My guess is that not one trailer manufacturer does that with their new trailers. Maybe a few do, and I'm wrong. I hope so, but am doubtful. They build them too fast to be thorough in this area.

[path1]

Tequila wrote:
I did not ask them to do anything as they were easily fixed by myself and did no lasting damage. I just wanted to let them know so hopefully they will do something about quality inspections.

X2 I hope so

[Calicajun]

That plumper must get around a lot. Every water fitting in our current TT started leaking on our third trip out. The same thing with our first TT also though our second TT never gave a single problem. The first TT was a Fleetwood Prowler (90), the second was a Holiday Rambler (92).

[Tequila]

I did not ask them to do anything as they were easily fixed by myself and did no lasting damage. I just wanted to let them know so hopefully they will do something about quality inspections.

[path1]

I have NW product also. Would you mind either posting or PMing me of what they did or going to do about it?

I've also have 2 out of 3 problems you had. I don't have outside sink, so I guess that saved a leak.

Unfortunately in the back of my mind I see an e-mail to dept heads saying in effect...

customers complaining about plumbing again, anybody have any ideas?

[coolbreeze01]

Sounds like the plumber that did my current trailer. They may have flunked out of the same plumbers school.