Anyone getting separation on the front moulding to the wall when loaded on truck. It goes back into place when put on jacks.
Welcome to the group.
Sounds like you are aware of the typical flex issues when you are noting the separation. That is usually the first indication of the common flex issue and as it worsens the bulge from compromised welds will start to be visible around the expansion joint. There are several threads on that in this group.
However with that said on a 2018 the flex issues are a lot less common. I tracked the typical flex issues in Vanleighs for a couple of years and most started in the 2020 model years forward. In earlier models the initial symptoms that occur similar to flex were caused by the channels in the frame not being stuffed with wood. The screws in the area around the hitch going up and the lag bolts into the wall would lose their “bite” into the aluminum channel and start to give way. Vanleigh started stuffing the channels with wood on the production line late in 2020 for 21 models.
Usually the first thing that Tiffin will ask you to do is use longer screws in the area of the filon sweep where the separation occurs. This will hold for a bit but eventually will become a problem again. The best correction is pulling off the cap, stuffing the channels with wood and using longer screws / lags to hold it all together. This was fairly common before the break out of what we all know as flex issues now where the structural welds become compromised. I am not picturing your model right off but another thing you can check in most models are the lags into the walls. In my 34RLB / 320 I could pull out the dresser drawers on the curb side making the bolts visible. Some have found those sheared off from both this earlier issue and then the common flex issue.
Historically Tiffin has been excellent about helping folks with this kind of issue even outside of warranty. It is kind of hit and miss with the units as old as yours, however I am aware of an owner with an 18 that recently had his corrected at no cost. I also have a friend with a 19 unit that had his corrected last summer at Tiffins expense. Both those owners had to go to Redbay for the correction however.
Thanks for your reply. I’m not sure where Redbay is or who they are. I’m located in Southern California and have my unit in the shop for repairs and he has already said he’s not equipped to repair this issue.
Sorry - I should have explained that. Redbay is a city in Alabama and is where the Tiffin production plant and the Bob Tiffin Service center are located. That would be a long drive from So Cal.
Reach out to Tiffin as they will likely supply a repair process to you or your shop. They may also be able to point your to a repair center they have worked with in the area. Maybe somebody in the group here will know of a shop that has done similar repairs in California.
As long as you dont have compromised welds (not common at all in 18 models), the repair isn’t terrible for a qualified shop but does require removing the front cap.