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04-18-2013, 12:53 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Antioch
Posts: 61
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Solera Warranty - Local Dealer-Factory Support
After many months of research we decided the 2013 Solera would fit our needs. We shopped around for pricing and after hearing all the horror stories of not buying from a local dealer we decided to purchase from our nearest local dealer (still over 2 hours away).
Since this was our first RV we could only go off of what we researched on the internet. During our PDI the technician was more interested in talking about his kids football ability than explaining the in's and out's of our new RV. Just about everytime I mentioned I read this or that on this forum he blew it off and told me not to believe everything I read or hear on the internet but didn't answer my questions.
The salesman assured me that over the course of the first few months we would be having issues and not to be alarmed . I was not suprised that I had quite a bit of issues and figured the best way to resolve was to provide a check list and drop it off to the dealer to fix everything at one time.
I have to admit that there were over a dozen issues needing attention and some parts had to be ordered.
I was informed yesterday by the dealer service manager "Got some of the parts, all wrong"
I asked "Can you get them (FR) to overnight the right parts?
His reply "no, warranty will not pay for that. if you paid for it, it would a waste of money if they come in wrong, no refunds. im sorry but im trying the best i can. its hard when no one calls you back and they take forever sending wrong parts. im working on getting the correct stuff as we speak."
This is going on the 5th weekend not having use of my RV
If it wasn't the two hour drive each way and having to take two vehicles each time I would have picked it up and waited until they got the parts but they probably wouldn't have known the parts were wrong until I brought the RV in and would still have to wait
Anyone else have similiar issues
And no, I didn't spend a small fortune on a new RV to try and fix things myself...
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2013 Solera
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04-18-2013, 02:16 PM
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#2
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,901
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PM me your VIN, I'll check with our parts/warranty department see whats going on.
Just remember...the truth is always somewhere in the middle.
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04-18-2013, 03:07 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 67
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Truth may be somewhere in the middle, but the kind of service one expects from car dealers doesn't seem to exist in the RV world. And as another poster noted last week, we customers are at fault because we generally just acquiesce to lousy service.
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04-18-2013, 03:20 PM
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#4
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,901
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Antiochrich, as I said I will help in any way I can.
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04-18-2013, 04:01 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 467
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usually its the dealer stalling, FR usually shipped parts to me for my Class c and 5th wheel in a timely manner, although sometimes they were the wrong parts even when I supplied pictures. Hell I just waited 2 months for a new control board for my LCI leveling system that according to dealer was on backorder, but yet somehow FR was still pumping out new 5th wheels using that board. I have owned mine since july 2012, used it 3 months had it in for warranty work for 3.5 months got it back used it for 3 weeks than back for 2 more months of warranty repairs, wish FR would make the payments for me LOL.
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04-18-2013, 04:41 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Antioch
Posts: 61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bclemens
Antiochrich, as I said I will help in any way I can.
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Sent you a PM with information.
Let me know what you think
Thanks,
Richard
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2013 Solera
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04-18-2013, 04:43 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 212
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I lost track of time. The shop had my 24R for at least 8 weeks. I could have brought it home while waiting for parts but had no plans to be using it so I left it with the dealer.
Hardest part to get was a replacement mattress. The first one shipped had slash cuts in the fabric. That was worse than what was already there.
I expected 12 weeks for repairs of a dozen items, so 8 to 10 weeks was pretty good.
They were not backed up for service, because I saw that the bays were empty. I believe they were waiting on FR to ship the second mattress.
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Wayne in Coarsegold near Yosemite
2013 Forest River Solera 24R
2014 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
ATV trailer for the following toys
2008 Yamaha WR250R,2009 Honda CRF150F
2008 Polaris Scrambler 500
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04-18-2013, 06:17 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: OKC
Posts: 181
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Maybe you should have went with RV Direct, they gave us a very extensive walk through, had no issues so I assume they corrected everything before we flew into Orlando from OKC to pick it up. We haven't had one issue and don't care if I didn't buy from a "local" dealer. We saved thousands and haven't missed one day of use waiting on a local dealer!
2012 24S
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04-18-2013, 06:32 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 467
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mckirby50
Maybe you should have went with RV Direct, they gave us a very extensive walk through, had no issues so I assume they corrected everything before we flew into Orlando from OKC to pick it up. We haven't had one issue and don't care if I didn't buy from a "local" dealer. We saved thousands and haven't missed one day of use waiting on a local dealer!
Attachment 28348
2012 24S
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thats great you got lucky but let me assure you that had you developed major problems as I did with my ridgeview you would do far better with FR if your dealer is behind you and dealing with FR on your behalf.
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04-23-2013, 01:17 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Antioch
Posts: 61
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I was told last Friday from the dealer Service Manager that the correct parts are on their way and will take about 3 hours of labor to finish it up. I am getting anxious as the weather here in California is great and I want to use my Solera NOW!
Haven't heard anything back from bclemens but sent him another PM to see if he double check on it from his end
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2013 Solera
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04-23-2013, 01:23 PM
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#11
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,901
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All I did was try and grease the wheels. Sent warranty manager the info to try and expedite things...and also remind him that "people are watching".
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04-27-2013, 10:14 PM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Antioch
Posts: 61
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After over a month I finally got my Solera out on parole. They did repair a few items and were kind enough to wash the outside (didn't appreciate the dirty shoe/boot print left on my dining table seat cushion) but it needs to go back since they still haven't received all the parts...
I was under the impression that I could just drive it back down and wait for the parts to be replaced/repairs to be made but was told I would have to leave it again. I asked the dealer service manager if they could just send me the parts and he said he couldn't. I told him this was a real inconvenience and he replied "that's part of owning a motorhome".
I think perhaps our expectations were too high when we saw the Mercedes emblem on the grill when we bought our 2013 Solera off of the dealerships lot. The truth is I really like our motorhome but it really is a pain trying to correct issues that shouldn't be there in the first place.
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2013 Solera
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04-28-2013, 12:57 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 958
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Antiochrich
After over a month I finally got my Solera out on parole. They did repair a few items and were kind enough to wash the outside (didn't appreciate the dirty shoe/boot print left on my dining table seat cushion) but it needs to go back since they still haven't received all the parts...
I was under the impression that I could just drive it back down and wait for the parts to be replaced/repairs to be made but was told I would have to leave it again. I asked the dealer service manager if they could just send me the parts and he said he couldn't. I told him this was a real inconvenience and he replied "that's part of owning a motorhome".
I think perhaps our expectations were too high when we saw the Mercedes emblem on the grill when we bought our 2013 Solera off of the dealerships lot. The truth is I really like our motorhome but it really is a pain trying to correct issues that shouldn't be there in the first place.
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Do you have a FR dealer closer to you for another FR product. Unless it's something special or unique to the Solera, any FR dealer can perform warranty work. My Sunseeker Had some recall work and I didn't want to travel several hours to my selling dealer so I was able to get it done at a local dealer of other FR brands about 20 minutes away. They were great and I plan to use them if I ever need any other work.
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04-28-2013, 10:40 AM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Antioch
Posts: 61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATVer
Do you have a FR dealer closer to you for another FR product. Unless it's something special or unique to the Solera, any FR dealer can perform warranty work. My Sunseeker Had some recall work and I didn't want to travel several hours to my selling dealer so I was able to get it done at a local dealer of other FR brands about 20 minutes away. They were great and I plan to use them if I ever need any other work.
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I did get a list from FR and the nearest ones are still about an hour (which is a lot better) but none were familiar with the Solera and didn't sell them. I figured I would just bite the bullet and take it to the dealer from who I bought it from but didn't imagine it would take over a month and would still have to be brought back.
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2013 Solera
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04-29-2013, 08:18 AM
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#15
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Antiochrich
After over a month I finally got my Solera out on parole. They did repair a few items and were kind enough to wash the outside (didn't appreciate the dirty shoe/boot print left on my dining table seat cushion) but it needs to go back since they still haven't received all the parts...
I was under the impression that I could just drive it back down and wait for the parts to be replaced/repairs to be made but was told I would have to leave it again. I asked the dealer service manager if they could just send me the parts and he said he couldn't. I told him this was a real inconvenience and he replied "that's part of owning a motorhome".
I think perhaps our expectations were too high when we saw the Mercedes emblem on the grill when we bought our 2013 Solera off of the dealerships lot. The truth is I really like our motorhome but it really is a pain trying to correct issues that shouldn't be there in the first place.
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Not that I don't agree with you...but I don't many companies that would send you parts to install yourself (certainly not Mercedes).
I had a similar situation with a Mac. Had a hard drive recall. Made an appointment, took it in. "yeah, we should have this back to you in 4-5 days". Hunh? can't you just give me the hard drive to install myself? So I had to wait 4-5 days for a 15 minute job.
To add insult to injury, they would not clone my drive...which is much nicer than reinstalling from back up which is what I did.
I guess on the flip side, it takes one person damaging the computer worse by trying to install something themselves, to ruin it for the rest of us.
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04-29-2013, 09:42 AM
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#16
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Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 7
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Good luck...My unit was a view...same type....18 trips to repair in 24 months....screw it...I sold it and I'm glad I did...if you're thinking of the Mercedes unit, get on the solera or view forums.....what a joke....and yes, I'm bad mouthing the sorry units because it cost me about $40k loss to get rid of it!
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05-17-2013, 07:18 PM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Antioch
Posts: 61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vannbranch
Good luck...My unit was a view...same type....18 trips to repair in 24 months....screw it...I sold it and I'm glad I did...if you're thinking of the Mercedes unit, get on the solera or view forums.....what a joke....and yes, I'm bad mouthing the sorry units because it cost me about $40k loss to get rid of it!
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I don't have any issues with the Mercedes part of my Solera and fortunately, the only parts I am waiting to be replaced are mainly for cosmetic warranty reasons...
But tomorrow it will be two months and I am still waiting
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