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The Travails of our Solei

Posted 04-05-2019 at 06:12 PM by Traknut91

- The Travails of our Solei
- Our Solei was purchased at a manufacturers show at LA County Fairgrounds in Pomona, CA. Winnebago wanted to show the best so it has every option available at that time. Perhaps this was where we made our first error. This was to be our first RV and was purchased for two reasons. 1. We wanted to travel to places in the Americas with our dogs. 2. We were in the middle of a re-model of our house and needed a place to stay that was more comfortable.
- Initial problems
- The optional air mattress would not hold air.
- Two visits to two different dealers resulted in first a replacement of the air bladders (twice) and finally replacement of the pump/controller which fixed the problem of air leakage. When first seeing the coach, we commented on this and were told it “just needed to be pumped up”. A Winnebago fault in manufacture
- Washing machine shakes the whole coach violently.
- First we were told that “all of them do this”….No
- Then we were told that the transport clamps that should have been removed by Winnebago were still in the washer. (A Whirlpool repairman gave us this information).
- Next the transport clamps were removed by the original dealer…NOT. The problem persisted so when we visited the second dealer, we complained and they removed the clamps and gave them to us as proof. Problem solved. A Winnebago fault in manufacture
- The mechanics at the first dealership, when working on the air bed, broke the window surround in the bedroom. Complaints fell on deaf ears so I fixed it with stainless fasteners. A Winnebago dealer caused problem
- While driving to the original dealer, we went over a fairly severe highway bump on US101. This dislodged the sliding door to the bedroom from it’s track. “Repaired” by the dealer, it happened repeatedly. On investigation, the guide for the door at the bottom was broken and could not be repaired easily. The wood screw that held the guide was originally installed too high during manufacture and split the backing wood stringer. I removed an air vent adjacent to this area to gain access to the inside of the panel, then I glued the split wood stringer back together and drilled and installed through bolts with an aluminum doubler to hold the door guide properly. This “couldn’t” be repaired at the dealership. A Winnebago fault in manufacture
- While running the convection microwave, the fan of the unit blew out a panel that covered the space above the microwave. Inspection showed this panel was just lightly glued in place and totally blocked the only exit for the microwave fan air. It remains un-reinstalled. A Winnebago fault in manufacture
- In the bathroom, there was a nice curved wood panel around the sink that popped loose on one end and stuck out into the room. It was likewise only glued in place but I guess the glue aged after 1 year from manufacture. This happened at less than 12 months but not claimed because a dealer appointment would be some 4-6 months wait. I repaired this with stainless screws and dress up washers and new, probably better, glue (Gorilla Glue). A Winnebago fault in manufacture
- The TV in the bedroom has never been used. The wiring to supply signal to it is an HDMI cable that runs to an empty cabinet above the bed. Nothing I can find in the voluminous owners manual(s) makes reference to what is required to drive this TV. Presumably, I can use a Blue Ray drive or DVD drive in the empty cabinet. The picture quality of the 46” TV in the coach central room is great.
- The refrigerator just wouldn’t stay shut when we were traveling. I resorted to taping it shut with masking tape. I complained at the third dealer visit and was told a screw in retainer was in the “kit”l I received when I first picked up the coach. No kit was received on delivery of the coach. I ordered it from the third dealer.
- Later problems
- The awning lights ceased functioning in 2016, just out of warranty. They a were LED strip lights, installed in a plastic channel just below the awning, that had shrunk and broken the wires supplying power. This was repaired in 2018 by owner (me) with a new LED strip containing twice as many LEDs. The light is now awesome.
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