Lemon Law

[sjudd]

Anyone taken there RV back due to problems that the Forest River hasn't been able to fix and got their money back or credit on a trade in?

[ependydad]

As far as I understand it, RVs are excluded from the lemon law.

[Wiscampsin]

Don't think there is such a thing as 'money back or credit on a trade in? '

[Taylorgso]

You get caught between a rock and a hard place. Lemon Law can presumably apply to the chassis but not the coach. But the chassis was NOT delivered and serviced by a factory authorized dealer, so Mftr is not responsible, local chassis dealer not responsible - they didn't deliver it;RV dealer not responsible for chassis. Who do you turn to? Your friendly neighborhood scheister lawyer!

[DDC]

I would not be surprised to find a technicality in the lemon laws that makes it not even cover lemons, these laws a written with good intentions but continually altered by self serving people in power.

[Giants1]

There is a federal law that will cover you.

[Triguy]

Regarding lemon laws...

State lemon laws and the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act are tricky business (according to a friend who deals in these cases) .

At least according to the AG for New York, their lemon laws cover Motorhomes but with limitation. Here is their description...

Yes. Motor homes are also covered under the law, except as to defects in systems, fixtures, appliances or other parts that are residential in character. Such items excluded from coverage include, but are not limited to: flooring, plumbing system and fixtures, roof, air conditioner, furnace, generator, electrical systems other than automotive circuits, the side entrance door, exterior compartments, and windows other than the windshield and driver and front passenger windows. However, there are special notice requirements with respect to motor homes. The law defines a motor home manufacturer to include not only the manufacturer but also the assembler of the component parts of the motor home, including the chassis, engine and residential portion.

So, it's a little more complicated than it appears with a car. Certainly beyond my arm chair lawyer skills and you'll need to become somewhat proficient in legalese to start the arbitration process in your state.

Some common sense that will apply ...

Act quickly.
Everything in writing.
Write to the manufacturer.
Use certified mail.

Good luck to you!

[Weezer]

As a new owner of a FR product these sort of posts scare the beejeepers outta me.

I just keep reminding myself that it's Summer, therefore there is more usage of units and discovery of problems is at its highest point.

Some of you may have followed my posts re a mid grade (IMO) problem we had. I'm happy to say, at this point, our problems are resolved. We'll pick 'er up next Friday and will report the results. Sometimes you *do* need to put your complaints in writing, and follow up, follow up, then follow up some more.

We're dealing with humans here and paper work gets misplaced, doesn't get entered into computer systems, etc. And we all know that in dealing with computers is....

garbage in, garbage out. IOW the computer only knows what it's given. Don't accept "it's a computer error". NO it's a human input error.

The delay in resolution to our problem was partially our fault, for not following up, following up, and then following up some MORE!

Some of the main players in the game didn't even know we had that all important *appointment* when we brought our baby in. We brought 'er in with the punch list inside, got a follow up call on Monday after dropping it off on Saturday, then *assumed* everything was being followed through on.

Oh, and when you leave a message for someone, do not *assume* they'll call you back. We're struggling with that right now. Call, Call, Call, and Call Again!

I hate to admit it, but we've already discovered that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" definitely applies!

Edited to add;

We intentionally bought from a Route 66 dealer. These dealers are supposedly top of the line regarding service after the sale. They don't apply to be Route 66, they are *invited* by Route 66 based on feedback from customers. And they must go through stringent testing/schooling before they are awarded that designation, according to those I talked to at the dealership.

[l001952119]

Originally Posted by ependydad

As far as I understand it, RVs are excluded from the lemon law.

Texas includes RV's in their Lemon Law. I previously filed with them regarding another brand of RV. They have a two year statute for the filing.

[RvRonDayton]

Every state has its own Lemon Law and whether your recreational vehicle or travel trailer is a lemon depends on your law and the facts of your case. Most state lemon vehicle laws don’t cover non-motorized Rv’s, travel trailers or campers, but many do cover the chassis and non-living portions of a motorized Rv. But if you have problems with any Rv or trailer, you may not be stuck. There is also a federal lemon law that can cover travel trailers and the rest of the Rv and almost all consumer purchases and it can help you too; it's called the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. Some state Rv lemon laws only cover motor homes and Rv’s purchased new and other state laws (like Ohio) can cover used or new, so you have to read your state's particular law to know what your legal rights are. Generally, all state Rv Lemon Laws cover the non-living areas and require that you return the vehicle to the manufacturer's dealer for repair attempts at least 3 or 4 times for the same defect before you can claim it is a lemon, although there are other definitions of what a lemon Rv can be in some states. If you do have a lemon Rv, then you probably have the right to chose between getting your money back or getting a replacement but only an Rv lemon lawyer can tell you for sure.

[Filthy Beast]

Originally Posted by Weezer

As a new owner of a FR product these sort of posts scare the beejeepers outta me.

I just keep reminding myself that it's Summer, therefore there is more usage of units and discovery of problems is at its highest point.

Some of you may have followed my posts re a mid grade (IMO) problem we had. I'm happy to say, at this point, our problems are resolved. We'll pick 'er up next Friday and will report the results. Sometimes you *do* need to put your complaints in writing, and follow up, follow up, then follow up some more.

We're dealing with humans here and paper work gets misplaced, doesn't get entered into computer systems, etc. And we all know that in dealing with computers is....

garbage in, garbage out. IOW the computer only knows what it's given. Don't accept "it's a computer error". NO it's a human input error.

The delay in resolution to our problem was partially our fault, for not following up, following up, and then following up some MORE!

Some of the main players in the game didn't even know we had that all important *appointment* when we brought our baby in. We brought 'er in with the punch list inside, got a follow up call on Monday after dropping it off on Saturday, then *assumed* everything was being followed through on.

Oh, and when you leave a message for someone, do not *assume* they'll call you back. We're struggling with that right now. Call, Call, Call, and Call Again!

I hate to admit it, but we've already discovered that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" definitely applies!

Edited to add;

We intentionally bought from a Route 66 dealer. These dealers are supposedly top of the line regarding service after the sale. They don't apply to be Route 66, they are *invited* by Route 66 based on feedback from customers. And they must go through stringent testing/schooling before they are awarded that designation, according to those I talked to at the dealership.

Just remember that an unhappy customer will tell everyone that will listen. One of the reasons people are here are to get help with their issues. The rest are here for the camaraderie and being able to talk with people of like interests.