Replacing the lateral soil pipe upstairs was really quite involved. Several parts of the floor needed to be removed to access the area for the pipe replacement.
The plumbing problems were not limited to non existing lateral soil pipe. The plumber noticed that the tub spout was loose and wonder way is was plastic. Since the faucet was not Moen as the Champion Genesis printed material and website stated and all the joints were suspect, it was decided to expose the second floor tub faucet. One look and we replaced it.
This is not your standard method of assembly. The parts were only hand tight, no teflon tape. Pipe dope on only half the joints, positively guaranteed to leak under pressure. The valve was brass(?), the nipples were schedule 40 plastic, the coupling was schedule 80 and the elbow, galvanized. Another quality part from the Champion Genesis factory trained specialists. Definitely NOT Moen.
After seeing how poorly assembled the tub faucet was, we had no choice but to look at the shower valve in the downstairs master bath. Same problems, so we replaced it with a Moen faucet.
We chose not to cut into the drywall behind the master bath tub thinking that at least one valve had to work. It was the typical two handle tub faucet, what could be wrong. What were we thinking! As soon as the system was pressurized, water was noticed leaking through the floor under the house in the area of the master bath tub. Sure enough, cutting through the wall revealed that valves were only hand tight and in addition the soil pipe trap leaked just below the tub. Again, nice work by the Champion Genesis highly trained specialists.
How many valves do you think are currently leaking within the walls of Champion/Genesis built homes and the owners are unaware of the leak(s)?
The laundry room was no exception. Wrong soil pipe fittings, hand tight assembly and the "finished" opening as you see it was covered with 1/8" fiberboard screwed to the wall...nice finish.
Removal
of the upstairs floor revealed numerous problems with the fire sprinkler
system.Several of the sprinkler heads
were not clamped properly or secured and would have failed in the event of a fire, to say nothing about the how the electrical wire was secured.(More on the wiring later)
The onsite Sprinkler Installer confirmed that if the
system had turned on, the water pressure would have pushed the sprinklers
up through the ceiling and into the cavity between the first and second floors,
filling the cavity with water and rendering the sprinklers useless. The installer also commented on the use of extensions between the pipe and several of the heads as a result of the improper/poor installation.
Additionally, three of the sprinkler heads
were lower than the surrounding heads and protruded 1 to 1 1/2 inches below the
ceiling, leaving the sprinkler pipe exposed.Champion Genesis was notified, but ignored the request for payment
despite the fact that the system failed to meet code and would not pass
inspection.It is also interesting to note
that the buyer’s cost for the mandatory factory sprinkler installation was
$10,050.00, which was twice the cost of an onsite installation.
Let's not forget about the electrical. During the walk-thru the Champion Genesis management team acknowledged that many of the switches[outlets], phone jacks, tv covers were crooked and the breaker box height exceeded the building code by more than twelve inches. No observed during the walk-thru was that the ground wire supplied by Champion Genesis was a # 8 and the building code specified # 4. A couple of the light cans did not work. The one in the picture had no cover on the box and was filled with insulation.
6/5/2007 2:22 PM
David Hals wrote:
I am glad to see this article cause i was approved for a new 16x80 champian moble home but now i do not want to do the deal,champian can keep their crap!!!!!!!!!!! Reply to this
9/27/2007 4:17 PM
Livingston Dave wrote:
Thanks 4 the comments. can you lead me to a quality modular builder. Iam in the looking stages. Thanks Dave L. < Reply to this
9/28/2007 7:27 AM
Mike wrote:
Dave L., There are several good modular factories. However, most are regional, to be able to list them, I need to know what part of the country and price range you are interested in.
9/24/2007 2:34 PM
Mary and Bill Stark wrote:
Find your website very interesting and consistant with the problems we have been having with Redman's Manufactured homes. Would very much like to hear from other's with similar problems. A class action lawsuit sounds great to us. Below is a copy of the complaint we submitted about them. In addition to everything else that is wrong with this place, now the skylights are leaking! We also have a letter from a licensed engineer about the defects of our home.
This is a copy of the settlement we requested on the Riley Home Complaint form 06/18/07
We are seeking a full refund of the amount we paid which was, $76,503. Due to the fact that we still have numerous problems with our home. Riley's came out and took the house apart the summer of 2004. They said the mobile home was not lined up. They said that is why the walls, floors, windows and doors were crooked. They said the whole house was thrown off track..ie alignment. Riley's said all windows, doors and floors and walls would have to be redone, but it was never done. On 01/10/07 a Representative with Riley's came out and said I have a large hump towards the marriage line, half way across the house. They said one side of the house is higher than the other. They also said the only way to fix the house was to take it apart again and drop the high side down. They filled in a 3/4 to 1" crack between the marriage line and sanded down the hump some. The hallway has a 1" drop in the ceiling where the marriage line comes together. We have all the order forms, and NUMEROUS photos to document all the defects and problems with this house. We have been subjected to undue stress and turmoil, at our age, 65 and 66 we should not have to deal with all these defects, stress, turmoil and misplaced trust which we have with Riley's.
We have been scamed and lied to from the very beginning.
Respectfully,
Mrs. Mary Cunningham Stark and Mr. William Stark Reply to this
7/14/2008 8:02 PM
Victory wrote:
Thanks for the comments. can you lead us to a quality modular builder. My wife and I are ready to order but want to make sure we will not experience the faith like the others who went through their horror storeis. Thanks Reply to this
7/14/2008 8:29 PM
Mike wrote:
Guerdon produces a nice home and stands behind their product.
