FRANKIA was established in the 1960s in Germany. They use Mercedes-Benz chassis to build their high-quality motorhomes. Their famous motorhomes are FRANKIA Platin, FRANKIA M-line, FRANKIA Titan, and FRANKIA F-line. These are the four-birth motorhomes with spacious kitchen and U-shaped lounge area.
Common problems with FRANKIA motorhomes are habitation window leaks, cracked shower pans, faulty LED light strips, creased door screens, ABS sensor failure, axle coming out of differentials, chipped windscreen, fading of leather chairs, corroded mirror mounts and rusty suspension parts.
My friend purchased the FRANKIA M-line last year for his family and had a wonderful experience with road trips because of a few problems. He loved traveling in them because of the rear-wheel drive, which provided added traction when he was driving over snowy roads.
| Problems | Solutions |
| Habitation window leaks | Use a sealant to fill gaps |
| Cracked shower pan | Fill small cracks |
| Faulty LED light strips | Install new LED lights |
| Creased door screen | Use a hairdryer or warm water |
| ABS sensor failure | Replace broken sensor |
| Axle coming out of differential | Change ring |
| Chipped windscreen | Replace windscreen |
| Corroded mirror mounts | Replace alloy mounts with plastic ones |
| Fading of leather chairs | Apply leather conditioners |
| Rusty suspension parts | Lubrication and sealing |
Habitation window leaks
Habitation windows in your motorhomes open from the living area. These are glass windows with glazed surfaces. Moreover, these windows have flat surfaces and open outside to allow the fresh air and light inside the living cabin.
Many people complain about the habitation window leaks because of their incorrect installation and poor sealing. Water during the rainy season directly comes inside through the gaps over the habitation windows.
The issue usually comes when the rain direction is on the right side of your motorhome. My friend also faced the same problem in his FRANKIA Platin motorhome during the rainy season.
He did not find the covered parking during the rainy night. He had to park his motorhome outside, and water from the habitation window came inside. He also felt the moisture on the dinette seats and mattresses of the bed.
He told me he prefers to take the sealant and lubricating sprays with him during road trips. He coated the side of the windows with sealant to seal the gaps so water would not come inside. He applied the sealant coat for future prevention because it was a rainy season.
Cracked shower pan
The shower pan or shower base is the floor that is installed over the bathroom floor and underneath the shower to direct the water into the drain.
These are usually made of water-proof material and are installed slightly vertically to direct the water flow to the drains.
Sometimes, these shower pans can crack and cause injury to your foot. In addition, the cracked shower base also causes water spillage on the bathroom floor.
The shower base can crack because of their incorrect installation. Moreover, poor leveling also exerts pressure on these fixtures, leading to their failure.
You can decrease the risk of shower pan cracking by using high-quality adhesives for their installation. Small cracks and chipping are easy to fix by filling and refurnishing procedures. However, you have to replace the shower pan if the cracks are larger.
Faulty LED light strips
LED light strips are located in the living area of FRANKIA motorhomes. These lights start to flicker because of the fluctuating voltage supply from the batteries.
In addition, these also start flickering because of their loose electric connections, which causes an interruption in the power supply. Moreover, the frayed wiring of LED light strips also causes their malfunction.
These become bad because of water ingress, which causes corrosion of the electric wires, and current cannot flow through them.
These LED strip lights are easy to replace. Replacing the flickering lights with new ones is better.
Creased door screen
FRANKIA motorhome doors have screens to protect the bugs and insects’ entry inside the living area. Many owners complain about the creasing or shrinkage of door screens.
These door screens are vulnerable to shrinkage because of their loose and incorrect installation. Shrinking issues come when side tensioners are not installed correctly.
Creased door screens do not allow you to see outside. I also faced the problem when I bought a new motorhome from the market. The creased door screen was not looking good.
I used the hairdryer to give mild heat treatment to the screen mesh and remove the creases from them.
ABS sensor failure
An Anti-lock braking system is present in FRANKIA motorhomes to ensure overall safety. It prevents the tires from locking up, which leads to loss of traction and slipping.
The ABS sensor is the wheel-speed sensor that is mounted on wheels. It gives the information to the control unit about the engagement of the anti-lock braking system.
It determines the speed of the wheel and allows the ABS activation. Sometimes, the sensors fail to perform their function because of their components’ normal wear and tear.
The issue usually comes from broken wires, corrosion, and damaged sensors. You can see the ABS warning light because of the failure of the wheel speed sensor.
Replacing the broken or damaged ABS sensor with a new one is necessary to reduce slipping problems and accident cases. You can use the brush to remove the corrosion from the sensors.
Axle coming out of differential
Axles are the metal rods located on the front and rear sides to distribute the weight equally to the front and rear wheels. On the other hand, differentials are the structures that allow wheel movement at different speeds.
These are connected with axles to supply the power to wheels and change their spinning speed. Many people complain that the front axle comes out of the differentials and affects the overall speed.
My neighbor also faced this issue in his motorhome. He told me he had to go under his vehicle several times to reposition the axle, which is time-consuming and challenging.
These can come out because of the damaged rings located in the driveshaft spline’s groove. The ring becomes loose and weak over time and cannot hold the axle in place.
You can replace the broken or worn-out ring with a new one. Use the new ring of the correct size so it does not cause issues in the future.
Chipped windscreen
You can also see the chipping of windscreens in FRANKIA motorhomes because of poor maintenance and accidental impacts. These can chip early because of the use of low-quality glass material for manufacturing.
Chipping issues can also arise from long-term UV exposure, temperature fluctuations, road debris, traffic collisions, and incorrect installation.
You should not drive with a chipped windscreen because of the risk of sudden shattering of glass material. You can fix the hairline chip with a sealant or a windscreen repair kit.
Contact the official owners for the replacement of the windscreen if the crack is larger and deeper.
Corroded mirror mounts
Mirrors that are located in bathrooms are mounted on the walls with alloy mounts. Alloy mounts are vulnerable to corrosion when their shiny and glazed surface gets damaged.
These mounts can rust when exposed to water and condensation. Corrosion from these mounts also affects the silvering of the mirror, and you can see black spots on their sides.
It is better to replace the alloy mounts with plastic ones that are not at risk of corrosion.
Fading of leather chairs
FRANKIA motorhome is equipped with leather chairs because these are comfortable and look stylish. I also saw the fading of leather chairs over time.
I also checked the other furniture, but their color was okay and the same. I realized the fading issue came because I did not conditioner the leather upholstery to maintain its original color and texture.
I used the leather condition on the leather chair upholstery, and it became OK. Moreover, I also placed it away from the door and windows to decrease direct UV exposure.
Rusty suspension parts
Suspension parts of FRANKIA motorhomes are exposed, and the chances of corrosion are higher on their metal parts because of exposure to water splashes and road elements.
Mud splashes while moving over the water puddles come on these metal parts and cause problems. Road salts also increase the risk of corrosion of suspension parts.
It is better to seal the corrosion parts and keep them lubricated to decrease the risk of metal oxidation.
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