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Old 05-06-2016, 08:55 PM   #1
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Roof Repairs on a New Forester

My wife and I purchased a new Forester in February from a large RV dealer here in So Cal. This is our third new RV in 17 years. After we signed the contract we walked back out to admire our new purchase and discovered the rear cap had noticeable dents in it. The salesman and a service representative together assured me that they could have it fixed before I picked it up in a few days. Well, it wasn't fixed but they again assured me that once they got a part from the manufacturer it would be fixed under warranty and they would call me as soon as they were able to fix it. A month or so later and no call. So when the black water drain handle came off in my hand I decided to take it back for warranty work.
Because I wanted the motor home back on the promised completion date, they did a rushed, repair on the rear cap and said I'd have to bring it back for an extended period of time because they didn't quite know how they were going to approach the problem of fixing it. They would have to check with the manufacturer on a "repair plan" to fix it.

So my problem now is I have little faith in their ability to make the repair and I'm afraid if I go somewhere else for warranty repair I will be met with resistance from the manufacturer. Anybody have a similar experience or suggestions for getting it repaired under warranty?

I'll attach pictures of how it looks now after the most recent attempt to repair it.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:16 AM   #2
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IHMO the dealer will never fix that. You need the talents of a good body shop not an RV dealer. The fix will not be cheep and putting caulk on it like they did is a joke. If me I would call Forest River directly and arrange the repair myself. Do it before it rains or it will be worse. It is obvious the coach was backed into a low structure causing the damage. The damage you cannot see could be worse.
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Old 05-07-2016, 10:53 AM   #3
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There is no way I would have taken delivery of a new rig looking like that. I would have cancelled the deal and gone somewhere else. That will never be right. If you want to buy a new RV it should be in new condition when first leaving the lot.
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Old 05-07-2016, 11:26 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by BendOrLarry View Post
There is no way I would have taken delivery of a new rig looking like that. I would have cancelled the deal and gone somewhere else. That will never be right. If you want to buy a new RV it should be in new condition when first leaving the lot.
What Larry posted X100.
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Old 05-07-2016, 11:40 AM   #5
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That is a rolled fiberglass piece...just looks like it was bunching, or someone stepped on that area. What it looks like is that someone started screwing the trim down at each end and met in the middle, creating excess material that ended up creasing.

Best repair would be to pull that entire trim piece loose to relieve pressure. Maybe a metal, curved piece underneath to make sure the crease comes out. Screwed down again, evenly.
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Old 05-07-2016, 05:13 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by bclemens View Post
That is a rolled fiberglass piece...just looks like it was bunching, or someone stepped on that area. What it looks like is that someone started screwing the trim down at each end and met in the middle, creating excess material that ended up creasing.

Best repair would be to pull that entire trim piece loose to relieve pressure. Maybe a metal, curved piece underneath to make sure the crease comes out. Screwed down again, evenly.
BC -

I agree with you completely and in fact I could have made a satisfactory repair my self but I was counting on the dealer to make it good.

What you are looking at is the result of a botched repair. It did not look nearly this bad when I drove it off the lot. I fully expected this to be a minor repair. I was much better off before the dealer attempted to repair this.

I think I'll begin a dialogue with the manufacturer directly.
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Old 05-08-2016, 02:05 PM   #7
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roof repairs on a new Forester

I would mortified if a dealer sold me a unit without mentioning the damage which obviously they knew about. Then to give you the run around about repairing it which I agree with others that it can't be repaired at an RV Dealership. This is crap and maybe a little fraud involved. You're not talking about a minor dent here which in itself is an annoyance on a brand new unit.

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Old 05-08-2016, 06:24 PM   #8
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I can tell you that the ONLY repair for those dents is to replace the rear body panel. There is no fixing that panel. The repair is not going to be a warranty issue. DAMAGE is not covered by any mfr. The dealer signs the delivery sheet along with the delivering driver that there is no damage to the unit when received by the dealer. You will have to get your selling dealer to remove the back panel and REPLACE it at NO cost to you. It will take two days to do the replacement. Looking at the pics, you had better get it sealed immediately. Looks wide open in several places. Speaking from 30+ years of doing RV repairs.
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Old 05-09-2016, 09:46 AM   #9
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Dealer Damage

Quote:
Originally Posted by RBrownlow View Post
My wife and I purchased a new Forester in February from a large RV dealer here in So Cal. This is our third new RV in 17 years. After we signed the contract we walked back out to admire our new purchase and discovered the rear cap had noticeable dents in it. The salesman and a service representative together assured me that they could have it fixed before I picked it up in a few days. Well, it wasn't fixed but they again assured me that once they got a part from the manufacturer it would be fixed under warranty and they would call me as soon as they were able to fix it. A month or so later and no call. So when the black water drain handle came off in my hand I decided to take it back for warranty work.
Because I wanted the motor home back on the promised completion date, they did a rushed, repair on the rear cap and said I'd have to bring it back for an extended period of time because they didn't quite know how they were going to approach the problem of fixing it. They would have to check with the manufacturer on a "repair plan" to fix it.

So my problem now is I have little faith in their ability to make the repair and I'm afraid if I go somewhere else for warranty repair I will be met with resistance from the manufacturer. Anybody have a similar experience or suggestions for getting it repaired under warranty?

I'll attach pictures of how it looks now after the most recent attempt to repair it.
Who is the dealer? My brother-in-law is going through the same run around on his new unit bought last year from Holland in San Marcos, CA. Among multiple issues, one of the windows wouldn't open. It's been back twice for over a month each time. They haven't fixed it; each time he gets a different story/excuse. The typical one is "waiting on a part". It's time we all banded together and started pressuring these shyster dealers by naming names and spreading the word. And at the same time lets spread the word on the good ones.
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Old 05-09-2016, 07:27 PM   #10
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Quality Manufracture and Dealer

They got your money, you got the payments. Send pictures to FORESTER and BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY (Warren Buffet). I'm hoping someday some company will have a "assemble it yourself kit" then if it ain't right I can fix it in less time than most dealers. The more posts like this draw attention to poor (no quality), supply the dealer who doesn't care about their return customers.
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