decaturbob
Well-known member
I have had our 2008 Class C Tioga now going on over 3 years. The beast has been a great performer and even with all I have fixed, I sill love it. The many factory issues the previous owner did not address, I fix them a I find them. Many have being related to PEX connections being finger tight, so far in 3 locations (shower, hot water heater and hot water heater bypass valve) that led the previous owner replacing the laminate flooring as well as cutting holes in the floor to the storage compartments below for drainage.
- last year I noticed spider web cracking in the overhead loft, again looks like the previous owner hit something and had a cheap repair fixed. I wasn't freaking out as I could find no water entry. The bigger challenge was finding a place that would do fiberglass repairs on a RV. I spent the winter in Florida checking backing here in Illinois and was able to find a local auto body shop that had 14ft tall overhead doors and space inside to work on the RV. The owner rarely would do such work and I think he was sympathetic to my plight. The work would entail also repainting the entire brown area of the loft as it wrapped around one side, to the other and the front as well. A TIOGA decal would have to be replaced which I had a local graphic/decal business make from pictures and my measurements. So one week at the shop and the results were amazing and last week I put the Tioga decal on.
- I pulled the worthless jack knife loveseat last fall, amd replaced with 2 euro style recliners. What a great move that was. Downside, I had the blistering of the wall panel under the window now revealed. I didn't have time (or tools) in Florida and used a piece of plastic I would unfurl when rain in forecast over the window. So I did lots of research and this past weekend started that repair. Got window out, didn't see any apparent signs of where water was getting in. I removed the vinyl wrap on the paneling and cut out all the blistered areas. So had some 4"in wide areas a few inches below the window for 36 inches and 4in wide by 16in vertical area that was slightly blistered all exposed to the foam. I didn't want to remove all the panel as that would be a major undertaking in itself. I decided to go back in with fiber-reinforced bondo and fill in the recesses, sand flat and with intent of contacting cementing a white bead board panel as a wainscot affect. I am at that point now after reinstalling and sealing the window yesterday.
- of course 2 weeks ago I had a 5 day brother-only RV trip up to northern Illinois with a Jimmy Buffet concert at Alpine Valley. An hour north of Bloomington, BAM, one of rear dualies blew out. Scared the crap out of my brother. So took about 3 hours from blow out to getting back on I39 travel and $700 later as I did buy 2 new tires to go on that side and the service call part was $300. I do have state farm roadside on the RV so I may get most of that back. The blowout did shred a wire harness the manuf ran across the wheelwell and explained why half my running lights were off. So I fixed that, rerouted in both wheel wells so they do not run across it and went ahead and replaced the running lights with LED ones.
I feel for people who have to pay others to do all the work
- last year I noticed spider web cracking in the overhead loft, again looks like the previous owner hit something and had a cheap repair fixed. I wasn't freaking out as I could find no water entry. The bigger challenge was finding a place that would do fiberglass repairs on a RV. I spent the winter in Florida checking backing here in Illinois and was able to find a local auto body shop that had 14ft tall overhead doors and space inside to work on the RV. The owner rarely would do such work and I think he was sympathetic to my plight. The work would entail also repainting the entire brown area of the loft as it wrapped around one side, to the other and the front as well. A TIOGA decal would have to be replaced which I had a local graphic/decal business make from pictures and my measurements. So one week at the shop and the results were amazing and last week I put the Tioga decal on.
- I pulled the worthless jack knife loveseat last fall, amd replaced with 2 euro style recliners. What a great move that was. Downside, I had the blistering of the wall panel under the window now revealed. I didn't have time (or tools) in Florida and used a piece of plastic I would unfurl when rain in forecast over the window. So I did lots of research and this past weekend started that repair. Got window out, didn't see any apparent signs of where water was getting in. I removed the vinyl wrap on the paneling and cut out all the blistered areas. So had some 4"in wide areas a few inches below the window for 36 inches and 4in wide by 16in vertical area that was slightly blistered all exposed to the foam. I didn't want to remove all the panel as that would be a major undertaking in itself. I decided to go back in with fiber-reinforced bondo and fill in the recesses, sand flat and with intent of contacting cementing a white bead board panel as a wainscot affect. I am at that point now after reinstalling and sealing the window yesterday.
- of course 2 weeks ago I had a 5 day brother-only RV trip up to northern Illinois with a Jimmy Buffet concert at Alpine Valley. An hour north of Bloomington, BAM, one of rear dualies blew out. Scared the crap out of my brother. So took about 3 hours from blow out to getting back on I39 travel and $700 later as I did buy 2 new tires to go on that side and the service call part was $300. I do have state farm roadside on the RV so I may get most of that back. The blowout did shred a wire harness the manuf ran across the wheelwell and explained why half my running lights were off. So I fixed that, rerouted in both wheel wells so they do not run across it and went ahead and replaced the running lights with LED ones.
I feel for people who have to pay others to do all the work
