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Old 10-26-2006, 08:11 PM   #21
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I guess this is just more of Winnebago's "excellent quality" products. Even if there is no gap appearring currently should we add extra screws as a preventive measure, instead of waiting for it to happen, something Winnebago should have done?
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Old 10-27-2006, 12:46 AM   #22
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by wagonmaster2:
I guess this is just more of Winnebago's "excellent quality" products. Even if there is no gap appearring currently should we add extra screws as a preventive measure, instead of waiting for it to happen, something Winnebago should have done?
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One or two errant workers who don't/won't follow specs is all that is required for this to happen. I do occasionally supervise work crews and have to continually remind them of specs on fasteners. They may have the screw right but the spacing wrong, have everything right except use calk instead of adhesive sealant, have the spacing right but use the wrong size screw or have everything else right but they have the wrong thread type. Sometimes the problem is that they just have the screw guns tourque setting too high and strip out many of the screws. Some will fess up and tell you where they messed up, some honestly can't remember and others will straight out lie and the only way to tell for sure is tear apart everything that they have done, which just is not practical.

If I catch them I get it fixed and keep a close eye on the ones that I have already caught and have had to correct, but I know I don't catch them 100% of the time. So I can give Winnebago a bit of slack here especially since I don't see every coach that they make falling apart once they get over 25,000 miles on them.

I just pounded the pavement at a large dealer and can say that the apparent quality of the Winnies was surprisingly good even when compared to a good many coaches that list for two or three times as much. A good many of the half million dollar coaches did not come close to matching the quality of even the $140,000 07 Adventurer.
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Old 10-27-2006, 01:30 AM   #23
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MrTransistor
Just curious, did you contact Winnebago to ask if they would repair the coach at their expense? Your coach is practically new.
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Old 10-27-2006, 05:06 AM   #24
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This is certainly a helpful thread and thanks to Mr. Transistor for the details on how to repair this problem. I have just detected some side wall separation at the rear of my front left slide...the entire wall from the back of the slide to the front of the rear slide is loose....not much, but about 1/8". Looks like I will be drilling some new holes this weekend.
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Old 10-27-2006, 08:24 AM   #25
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Hi wagonmaster2,
It would be nice if Winne had engineered the sidewall to use more screws, but I don't think I can recommend preventative repairs unless the screws actually back out from vibration. The skills aren't to difficult and the parts are easy to come by but the job is lengthy, repetitive, and tiring. So for now, I'd recommend waiting to see if the crack opens up or other symptoms develop. Incidentally, our front door works properly again!!!!

NeilV,
As an old farm boy with a fair amount of experience in mechanics, I don't see this as an assembly line problem. I think this goes back on the engineering department. I'm not a fan (read, Hate the things') of self drill screws. Their use is unfortunately understandable on an assembly line but the 8" spacing is where I really have a problem. A more costly but better solution to attaching the sidewall would be something like nutserts with machine screws and lock washers every 3" or 4". This should add the strength to prevent vibration movements. There is a cross sectional view of the sidewall configuration in the parts breakdown .PDF's. I'll link the picture here as soon as it's approved. The overall sidewall design concept seems sound it's just the attachment that's lacking.

GG1,
We've done every repair to this coach except one, and the list is quite lengthy. That said, we !Love! this coach. Winne may very well have taken care of this for us even with 50,743 miles and 2 and a half years on the coach. But I'd bet they wouldn't have done the job we did! Nothing against the Winne repair shops but for us, waiting for weeks to have problems fixed isn't an option. We live and work on the road.

smlranger,
Bummer! Probably better to fix it now before it starts to interfere with the slide operation than to put it off. Holler if you need a description of the disassembly procedure.
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Old 10-28-2006, 05:28 AM   #26
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Mr Transistor I need a little additional detail. Are we talking the screws that hold the channel on, or the screws under the channel? It looked like the subject screws just hold on the channel as they are so small. Is there a steel channel that these screws screw into?

When I was at Forest City for a visit the guy next to me was there having the subject screws replaced because the channel was pulling away from the side wall. You are saying these little screws are the only thing holding the side walls to the floor?

Thanks for any additional info.
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Old 10-31-2006, 03:23 AM   #27
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Old 11-04-2006, 04:37 PM   #28
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Ptribbey:

When you remove the outer trim piece, it reveals an aluminum strip that must then be removed to get to the screws that actually hold the sidewall to the frame.

I spent the better part of today repairing the wall between my slides. All the original screws had backed out at least 1/4" and, as others have said, there are too few of them (one about every 8" or so). I added 24 screws and used medium thread locker on all of them. It would seem Winnebago could devise a better fastener scheme for this critical attachment. I was frankly surprised at the small number of #10 sheet metal screws holding the wall on.
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