WTH...delivery issue need Advice ASAP

[The_Stuff]

this could get UGLY

Demand a new unit!

Get statements!!
DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!! - note down every call time and date and anything else needed!

[SaskCampers]

I think a new unit, however I would be real suprised that it would come from the dealer. The transport company is independant and the RV dealer has 0 control over the unit after it leaves their lot. If you were to purchase a large item and have it shipped UPS or Fedex and it got damaged, who would you go after? The retailer or shipping company? I believe you would be after Fedex or UPS so why would this be any different. I think the dealer should help you out in getting the shipper to cough up but that would just be for good customer relations not because they had to.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Herk7769]

Hate to say it; but time for a good civil lawyer.

While this might all work out without one, the odds are very small.
You might well find out the driver is an "independent contractor" to the shipper and not an employee at all. Suing him will get you nothing but a declared bankruptcy.

You will need to sue everyone in the chain and look for "deep pockets" to pay for a new rig. I doubt the driver will have that kind of insurance.

[Triguy]

Bob,
I don't have anything to add beyond the good advice already given, but do want to wish you all the best in getting this squared away. Keep us informed as a much as you can, which may mean nothing more until the lawyers wrap this up.

Scott

[tentcamper1]

Sorry to hear about what happened, it bothers me that the driver got into an accident, did not report it and then delivered damaged goods. I would also contact the police; he had an accident with damage and failed to file a police report. I think this would be considered fraud. Find out if your state and the contract will allow the 72 hour period to void the contract and if it applies to this purchase. The unit was fraudulently delivered damaged and you would not of accepted it if you had known this.
I would also (as stated above) document all this and remember “time is of the essence”. If anything is said or promised get it in writing.
keep us posted.

[KarenS144]

Just a thought...

I'm guessing it is insured so let your insurance company know what happened. Maybe they can send an adjuster out to determine how much damage was done. From the description, I bet they total it.

[tentcamper1]

I agree with the insurance company looking at it. I think the delivery companies insurance would be the ones that have the liability. I also think the delivery driver knew this and choose to be a dishonest ...... and not say anything.

[cfsoistman]

I didn't see where anyone signed or accepted the delivery? Was this just a dump and run? I wish you all the best with resolving this problem. New camper by all means but you'll have a battle on your hands. Someone should have told the delivery company to take it back where it came from.

[Smokyroo]

I called Tropical RV and let them know the deal. I took pictures of the scene and so forth sent it all to them. Unfortunately I signed a piece of paper as on the exterior I did see any physical damage other than the mud and dirt around the wheel wells and so forth.

The damage was to a small paneling piece next to the fridge...dont know if the unit is damaged or the frame bent. From my eyeball, I would say no. Then again there was obviously some force applied to break the panel. The fridge in the 233S is not flush mounted in a bank of cabinets. It is flush mounted in its own space, but the front portions are finished off with a piece of paneling and that is the piece that broke.

As far as the deliver company ... the driver told me he got stuck in the mud. We got over 5 inches of rain here Saturday night and getting lost and stuck in the mud is understandable. At no time did he describe to me what had really happened. I take folks at face value and trusted he just got stuck in the mud which is a different story than what my neighbors described here...so having somebody refuse the camper because he was stuck in the mud does not seem rational at all to me. Had the guy been honest, then by all means I would have refused it. However, he was not and here we are today.....

No insurance company will total this unless they have some laser device that will determine if the frame is bent. There is NO WAY I am calling my insurance company as I did not possess the unit, I did not cause this accident and I had no clue...this is not my responsibility here at all....

[cecilt]

Any update from the dealer? I wish you luck.

[Smokyroo]

Here is the update....

Visually there is zero damage to the unit. I let the trailer stand out in our recent monsoon on Wednesday. There are no leaks other than where I let some bunk end material get caught in a seal.

I took a carpentar's square and crawled under the trailer to see if there were issues with frame that might be detected with the square. There are none that I can find.

I walked the roof...nothing there either.

I towed it myself about 20 miles and she tows great even without a wdh and sway control.

The dealer has been understanding here and shared my concerns. We talked about things back and forth. I will follow up Monday. I am willing to keep the camper and I willing to do so with some written assurrances from the dealer. I am working on this...

[Triguy]

Excellent news. Glad to hear that the Roo appears sound and intact.

It'd be nice of the dealer to step up with some kind of assurance as well.

[grhodes50]

Only you can decide which is the best way to handle the situation. I hope things work out for you. Whichever way this turns out, hopefully you and your family will be able to enjoy many happy camping trips.

[hoffkm]

If I may make a suggestion for another check of your frame, with the TT setting on a flat level parking lot and the trailer as level as you can make it measure from the bottom of the main frame rails to the ground in all four corners. If your frame is racked this should show you any problem spots.

[sherdep]

Originally Posted by Smokyroo

The dealer hired the delivery company, they use them all the time. I paid for the freight through the dealer. Unfortunately, as I asked about any pictures of any kind, nobody took them. The driver did not call the Sheriff or NC HWY patrol either. I can get the number to the tow truck company and the neighbors already said they will make a statement. I sent Tropical an email this evening and I did send pictures of the cracked interior panel yesterday too.

I am voting for a new unit myself....

This is the story of my life.......I seem to get a lot of lemmons and man do I know how to make lemmon aid real good now.... Sherdep, I may have beaten you on delivery..but in this case you are the real winner here...

My soon to be 10 year old son joked yesterday...he wondered if this camper would last as long as our previous one (he was in the accident last summer with the last one)....guess not....

I am not the real winner to be honest - I have some issues as well - gotta get another drop shank cause the tongue needs to be lowered a little more and found a noticable nick or two in the cabinet's which was pointed out at delivery but never documented - I emailed them about getting atleast one of the cabinets replaced because it is right in front and very noticable but havent gotten a response (Emailed two days ago) - a phone call will be next - I personally dont think I am asking too much but shame on me for taking delivery and not leaving it there until it was right.

I just saw this post - wow Bob sorry to hear that this has happened - I hope you get a resolution and it is a postive one which sounds like you are on to one.
For future use so no one forgets I would get notorized statements and tuck them away in case you need them later on down the road - not sure what the statue of limitations is but I would check into it to make sure if for some reason something does come up you have documentation.

also measure the width between the frame rails for the front and back - that will also tell you if it is tweaked as well.

[crocus]

I think this should serve as a lesson for anyone considering getting a camper delivered. It is just human nature to feel sorry for the delivery guy, as he just spent a long day or more hauling your unit across the country. But it is YOUR unit, and you are the one who paid his fee to deliver it. Even the dealer I bought mine from said they get lots of damaged campers in, as the delivery guys just are not as careful with them as the owner would be.
So despite the urge to see the delivery guy on his way, go over the camper with a fine-toothed comb, and question every tiny flaw, either factory or delivery-related, and document them on the spot.
This isn't the world as we knew it 30 years ago, where people in general were honest. It is dog-eat-dog now, sadly.

[cmhbob]

Hey Smokyroo, what's up here? What was the outcome?