Wednesday, April 12, 2017

UPDATE ON RV UNDERBELLY REPAIRS

Currently in Albuquerque NM (Low 42 Sun With Some Clouds High 78) 

We don't know how some companies stay in business with the poor customer service that they have. It has been an interesting 3 days trying to find the 2-piece pan beneath the holding tanks on the underbelly of our Lifestyle RV. Multiple phone calls with multiple voicemails left resulted in 1, and I mean only ONE callback. Kudos to Cindy at a Florida La Mesa dealership for that callback. Doesn't anybody answer their phones anymore?

When I was able to talk to a live person I got mostly negatives on the pan, but some gave me some other places to check. It all came together when I talked with Crystal in Parts at Tiara RV in Elkhart Indiana which is a superstar in old Carriages and Lifestyles. When Carriage and Lifestyle went out of business they bought what inventory they could and still have some on hand now. Unfortunately they did not have the 2-piece pan that we needed.

Here is what we have been able to piece together. We think that the pan was made by Ameri-Kart which made the holding tanks. Ameri-Kart is so busy with the RV manufacturers business that they don't have time for the one time purchases and has a minimum order of 10 for any part. That is why Tiara RV is having trouble working with Ameri-Kart. Crystal from Tiara RV did say that some owners have had a custom plastic pan made and on one of the Carriage/Lifestyle forums the suggestion was made to make it out of sheet aluminum.

Turns out Carriage and Lifestyle were one of few, if not the only one, that used a hard body 2-piece pan. One of the suggestions on the Carriage/Lifestyle forums was to use a corrugated plastic trade name Coroplast. Here it is in roll form.



A view form the side showing the 1/8" thickness and the corrugation.



This material is readily available in the Albuquerque, and a lot cheaper than a custom ordered pan. In fact it is used as the underbelly on most of the RVs being built. The mobile tech will be out next week to look over the job including the straps for the holding tanks that were never installed from the beginning.

We'll keep you posted.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the heads up on Tiara. Paul wrote it down. Hopefully, we will never need any parts. Fat chance of that happening.

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  2. The main material of corrugated plastic sheets is polypropylene. Firstly, melting the polypropylene in high temperature, putting it into the mold, and finally waiting for cooling. If the customer have special requirements, such as building the advanced office, corrugated plastic products

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