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Old 06-23-2019, 08:02 AM   #1
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20 minutes off the lot, front underbelly full

Good day to all,
Our family has just signed for a brand new 2019 Winnebago Minnie Plus 27 RBDS. We were extremely thorough in the pre inspection process, taking from 10 AM to 3pm for the whole process. 20 minutes after leaving the lot, when we parked less then 5 miles (through traffic) for a late lunch, we noticed pinkish orangeish fluid leaking 3 drops per second or so from where the battery box wiring enters the underbelly hole that is in black tarp plastic layered under plywood just below the front storage box. The entire area between plywood and plastic sheeting was full of pink/orange water. They had flushed the system out to clean water before our inspection process, so this happened before that, at some time... I took video documentation and pictures as well. We took it back to dealer immediately. My question is this: do any of you have pictures of what the build design or materials is like for the wood and plastic wrapped areas in the front area of a minnie plus? what would a proper repair of this are be and how do I inspect for a proper repair? The dealership repair / maintenance tech foreman seems capable and eager to make things better then new. The sales reps / financing manager less so. This is disconcerting for an item that will end up costing $40,000 by the end of the loan term. I am OK with it being repaired if it is better then new, but this sure sours things, and my biggest concern is long term rot, mold, mildew, and damage. Second concern is that this is taken care of better then new before a two week trip that starts 3 weeks from now. I will try to upload pictures in a bit. I would greatly appreciate advice. Thank you for your time.
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Old 06-23-2019, 08:08 AM   #2
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Pictures

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Top picture is 20 minutes after leaving the dealership. Bottom picture is back at the dealership.
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Old 06-23-2019, 08:47 AM   #3
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Long term damp conditions causes mold and mildew, not one time spills. Sounds like your dealer forgot to dewinterize the unit before he delivered it. It happens.
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Old 06-23-2019, 09:08 AM   #4
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We had clear clean water running through all faucets, toilet, shower and outdoor hose washdown at our inspection. They stated that they filled the tank to 3/4 full. no pink in it at all. new question: How would not dewinterizing put a gallon or two of pink/orange water between the plastic sheeting and plywood? they put a slit in the plastic about 6" long, slid hand in, and it was slimy and pink. like rotten vegetable slimy. The wood did not appear to be significantly buckling however. so I am hoping for the best, that this just happenend in the days before delivery, and not slowly over months. I appreciate all insight into this. Thank you
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Old 06-24-2019, 06:05 AM   #5
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What does the dealer say it is?? They should of had a diagnosis fairly fast.
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Old 06-24-2019, 09:44 AM   #6
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Cracked battery case????
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Old 06-30-2019, 04:59 PM   #7
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Can you exchange for same model off lot. I would be afraid of problems down the line. Sounds like dealer wasn't real helpful.
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Old 06-30-2019, 05:27 PM   #8
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Help us out with the time thing. For at least 5 hours, there wasn't a leak. After driving a short distance, there was a leak. Is that correct?

If so, and if the liquid is pinkish, then you have a plumbing leak inside the coach that is pooling until the coach angle changes. Was the coach parked on a slant?

This could be a situation where the dealer parks it on a slant and finds nothing more wrong and sends you on your way. It could be a one-time thing, but I'm not good with those scenarios happening when they shouldn't have happened at all.

Either you, or a friend that is knowledgeable about mechanical things, needs to bird-dog the dealer's service guys and see What caused the leak, How long it has been sitting in pool, and Who is going to make sure that it doesn't ever happen again.

Keep in touch.
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Old 06-30-2019, 05:47 PM   #9
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If the faucets all showed clear water when running, then I wouldn't suspect the pressurized water side. A quick check is to turn the pump on. Does it cycle with no faucets open? If yes, then a leak exists on the pressurized side.

I suspect that you have a bad drain-side connection. While they were flushing the antifreeze out, it leaked into the underbelly of your camper. They can be a real problem to trace sometimes, but I found one by being patient. I raided my wife's cupboard and appropriated all of her food coloring bottles. I mixed up five gallon pails of colored water and slowly poured it down each drain. Red for the shower, blue for the bathroom sink, orange for the kitchen sink, green for the toilet.
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Old 06-30-2019, 06:09 PM   #10
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If the faucets all showed clear water when running, then I wouldn't suspect the pressurized water side. A quick check is to turn the pump on. Does it cycle with no faucets open? If yes, then a leak exists on the pressurized side.

I suspect that you have a bad drain-side connection. While they were flushing the antifreeze out, it leaked into the underbelly of your camper. They can be a real problem to trace sometimes, but I found one by being patient. I raided my wife's cupboard and appropriated all of her food coloring bottles. I mixed up five gallon pails of colored water and slowly poured it down each drain. Red for the shower, blue for the bathroom sink, orange for the kitchen sink, green for the toilet.
That sounds like the most likely scenario, I think we have a winner! Let us know what the dealer finds, but a drain leak certainly sounds very plausible!
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Old 07-01-2019, 11:21 AM   #11
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Dry Creek,


Great idea using different colors!
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Old 07-02-2019, 06:39 AM   #12
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Get out of that deal now!
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Old 07-03-2019, 07:44 PM   #13
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Get out of that deal now!
It's off the lot - I'd say that it's too late now.
But, some states have a three-day grace period where any contract can be cancelled. I think it's past that point by now too.
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Old 07-03-2019, 08:06 PM   #14
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I hope the OP comes back and tells us what happened!
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Old 07-04-2019, 05:23 AM   #15
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He will likely tell us that a connection to a holding tank was not done, and that they fixed it and put the coach back together. Since it is a new coach, no worries about kibbles and bits lingering and causing stench.
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Old 07-05-2019, 05:58 AM   #16
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He will likely tell us that a connection to a holding tank was not done, and that they fixed it and put the coach back together. Since it is a new coach, no worries about kibbles and bits lingering and causing stench.
True, but what about the underbelly insulation that was drenched and came out like runny, overmashed potatoes? And, I've found that once the solid plastic sheet of an underbelly has been cut, there's no permanent fix. The entire sheet needs to be replaced.

Hopefully they've removed it and allowed the underside to thoroughly dry out before reinstalling the plastic sheeting.
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Old 07-06-2019, 06:08 AM   #17
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The factory will be paying to get the coach proper, so I'd guess that the fix will be done correctly. Don't know about the plastic sheet you're referring to, but there are tons of adhesives that can do the job.
The good news is that they found the problem before the coach got used.
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Old 07-06-2019, 06:15 AM   #18
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Am Imissing something? The OP has not given us any update since the original few posts. How can you say what is wrong or what the fatory/dealer will do without any knowledge of what the prblem is.
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Old 07-07-2019, 03:26 PM   #19
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The factory will be paying to get the coach proper, so I'd guess that the fix will be done correctly.
Have you dealt with many dealer service centers?

Sure, the manufacturer will be paying for the shop labor, but I have yet to do business with any RV repair facility that I'd trust 100%. Most hire off the street and patch things together just well enough to get the unit off the lot.

The best, and yet most painful option is to return to the factory for repairs done by (semi-)skilled labor.
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