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Old 04-08-2016, 06:33 PM   #1
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New to me Voltage 3600

Hey all,

I've been surfing this forum for a while and already greatly appreciate the answers i received to some questions i posted. Very valuable since Duchmen doesn't have a forum or owner group. Former owner of Heartland, they had a great customer support and lead an owner group. Now that be have been acquired by Duchmen maybe that will all change.

We got a 2013 Voltage 3600. Very happy so far. Couple of mods in already and a couple of challenge also.

Wife and I plan on spending a fair amount of time riding bikes in different locations.

I almost crapped myself reading all the negative comments people posted on the Voltage quality control...after purchasing it. For the most part, i haven't had to many issues and hope it will remain like that. Had the slides worked on like many here and the rear door springs go. Need to order and replace them. Already a few mods in (Sliding storage under sink, inverter etc..).

So... I am taking a moment to introduce myself. I look forward to meeting you on posts. Being a detail oriented annoying guy, i enjoy those discussions and appreciate the collaboration between campers. Hope to eventually share a Coors lite with you camping.
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Old 04-08-2016, 07:33 PM   #2
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Like most things, people will speak out when things go wrong, but rarely speak up when service of quality is good. We've been lucky with our Voltage, having very few complaints. Also helps having a good repair facility to help address those minor issues. Hats off to our repair center when we're up north; General RV in Huntley Illinois.
Rusty
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Old 04-09-2016, 02:11 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by lcv800 View Post
Like most things, people will speak out when things go wrong, but rarely speak up when service of quality is good. We've been lucky with our Voltage, having very few complaints. Also helps having a good repair facility to help address those minor issues. Hats off to our repair center when we're up north; General RV in Huntley Illinois.
Rusty
I completely agree, lets also speak up when we are happy and satisfied

Good dealers makes a huge difference.

I personally do most of the things myself. I am not very patient and i am picky about the work quality.

It's unbelievable that these high price rigs sometimes look like they were a kindergarden project. And i am not point any RV brand more than another.

We owned Coyote, Heartland and now Duchmen and overall they are pretty much the same when it comes to quality of worksmanship.

The Voltage however is well ahead in build material quality. Heartland was als pretty good but we had a light weight model so it's hard to compare.
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Old 04-09-2016, 09:16 PM   #4
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Welcome, I am one of the lucky ones, I have only had about 3 or 4 things go wrong and my Dealer has been great even doing extra things when they found something while repairing something else....I have had this one for a year and half, so I do know other things will come up, I do most of my own repairs, but I did take it in when one of the jacks started leaking and the side molding started coming off. I also have a Large Lance Truck camper, that I rebuild a few things in and out, so because of that I found some things behind the walls and has helped me on the voltage....I have had 6 RV's a long the way of 20 years of RVing and I have only had one (Fuzion) that made me want to yell, but your right, all RV's have good and bad....
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Old 04-09-2016, 10:22 PM   #5
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I'm liking my 3600 now, two years after purchase, but at first we swore we had a lemon. Took a lot for me to get the trailer the way it should have been from the dealer. For example, check the plywood under your bed on the street side - does the plywood go all the way to the edge of the mattress or is it about eight inches short like mine was? How is the tape job in the duct under your main A/C? Mine was all waded up and had to be redone (by me) so the cold air wouldn't leak into the ceiling.

Those of us who bought our trailers new had to take care of these issues. Hopefully the previous owner got all the bugs worked out of your 3600 so you don't have to mess with it.
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Old 04-10-2016, 02:35 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by HudsonFrog View Post
I completely agree, lets also speak up when we are happy and satisfied

Good dealers makes a huge difference.

I personally do most of the things myself. I am not very patient and i am picky about the work quality.

It's unbelievable that these high price rigs sometimes look like they were a kindergarden project. And i am not point any RV brand more than another.

We owned Coyote, Heartland and now Duchmen and overall they are pretty much the same when it comes to quality of worksmanship.

The Voltage however is well ahead in build material quality. Heartland was als pretty good but we had a light weight model so it's hard to compare.

Good dealers make for good customers, good products make for brand loyalty.

I had a crap dealer, so I am a good customer for my local independant guy. I tell everyone that asks my opinion on the dealer, how they do business.

Dutchmen in my case did not provide a good product, so I have absolutely no loyalty to Dutchmen nor Thor products.

To me a good product is a product is one that was built, (in old guy speak) in a "workman like manner." In my day workman like manner meant that the product was assembled with attention to detail and with out defect in the assembly. Dutchmen can not lay claim to a workman like product.
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Old 04-10-2016, 03:46 PM   #7
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Well its just my luck, after saying I had just a few thing go wrong, I open the slides today, did some work, now the large Kitchen slide, ONLY one motor is working, so I can't close the slide.....I take back everything I said above
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Old 04-10-2016, 04:34 PM   #8
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Rich,

I'm laughing with you, not at you.

Unless it's Dutchmen's great workmanship, I don't think we can pin a bad slide motor on them.
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Old 04-11-2016, 04:53 AM   #9
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Me too Jim, laughing while I'm trying to find replacement parts...
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Old 04-11-2016, 05:11 AM   #10
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Me too Jim, laughing while I'm trying to find replacement parts...
Rich,

If we can't laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at?

I guess Karma catches us all sooner or later. It caught me the day after I retired!
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Old 04-11-2016, 06:57 PM   #11
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Well its just my luck, after saying I had just a few thing go wrong, I open the slides today, did some work, now the large Kitchen slide, ONLY one motor is working, so I can't close the slide.....I take back everything I said above
Rich I had the same problem. Did you check the wiring under the slide that feeds the power? My cable tie had broke & wire loom drug on the ground. Cut & butt connected all the wires & good to go. Hope your is a easy as mine was to fix.

For HudsonFrog....... once I bought mine it has never been back to the dealer. The water pump & kitchen faucet that failed on mine I just replaced myself.
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Old 04-11-2016, 07:09 PM   #12
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Mike, found a short in the wiring to the motor, what a PITA to get to it, but I hope that it works....There is NO easy way to get to the motors.....
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Old 04-14-2016, 12:57 AM   #13
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Mike, found a short in the wiring to the motor, what a PITA to get to it, but I hope that it works....There is NO easy way to get to the motors.....
Woaooo that sucks. Sorry to hear about that and i hope it's nothing too complex to fix. From what i saw the motors are not easy to access.

Camping is only really enjoyable by guy's that likes to always repair things to keep busy. It's drives the other nuts i am sure....

I like to keep myself busy and i am always looking for reasons to bitch so i am an happy camper. But...freaking drives me nuts when i see so many stupid things that could have been easily avoided. I must have already spend 20 hours fixing all the small things in the RV.

It absolutely drives me nuts that it looks like theses things where built by the dumbest guys they could find on the streets. They must pressure theses guy's at the factory and take all pride out of them doing crappy work.

I can totally picture the interview process.

3+4? ehhhhh 5?....Good You'r hired. Put on theses work boots and here is a non working level. It's not like we use it anyway....

ooo and these moldings are expensive so make sure they are always an inch or two shorter every time you finish a counter of cabinet. We save a roll every 10 units.

Lol. I wish this was funny.

S.
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Old 04-30-2016, 02:34 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by azdryheat View Post
I'm liking my 3600 now, two years after purchase, but at first we swore we had a lemon. Took a lot for me to get the trailer the way it should have been from the dealer. For example, check the plywood under your bed on the street side - does the plywood go all the way to the edge of the mattress or is it about eight inches short like mine was? How is the tape job in the duct under your main A/C? Mine was all waded up and had to be redone (by me) so the cold air wouldn't leak into the ceiling.

Those of us who bought our trailers new had to take care of these issues. Hopefully the previous owner got all the bugs worked out of your 3600 so you don't have to mess with it.
Glad to see other voltage and 3600 owners here, Hope we can exchange tip along the way!

Plywood check. it's fine.
Cold air check will have to wait a bit, it looked fine but ill open it up with a coors lite when i get a chance to double check. I saw the thread about it and cant believe it, some people just don't have any pride in their work...

Unit currently sitting at the dealer waiting for the long slide Schwintec to be replaced as a shoe had gone loose and the tracks started being chewed by the gears. I asked the system to be replaced entirely and will ensure the new one is installed properly. They replaced the bedroom floor also, water had already damaged it apparently from the tack screws. Ill know more when i pick it back up most probably this week.

I added two slide toppers also, hope it helps with water and doesn't scrap the slide mechanism

I looks like if you leave your wallet on the table with more than a dollar bill in it you will ask too much of it Might need to install sky hooks.

Very happy with the unit despite the few issues that i was expecting anyway. Dealer has been very helpful so far.
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Old 04-30-2016, 02:36 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by RVNevada View Post
Mike, found a short in the wiring to the motor, what a PITA to get to it, but I hope that it works....There is NO easy way to get to the motors.....
Rich how did that turn out? Have you been able to repair the motor?
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Old 04-30-2016, 03:16 PM   #16
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Mike, after checking all the way to the motor, no short or loose wire, reset everything and the slide works so far??
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