New Owner - Support after sale?

[stewbinoh]

Hi All,

Glad to join this little community, lots of good info. I'm new to the RV world. Have had a houseboat, and smaller craft, and of course many cars, a tractor...

Bought a 2016 Leprechaun QB220. Did a lot of looking and like I've seen people mention, the various options don't really differentiate a whole lot.
I like the Coachmen/Leprechaun huge basement, and the Leprechaun was decked out a bit more, and I feel like a got a reasonable deal. We camped out in Hocking Hills in Ohio on the way back from picking it up in Cincinnati.

No major problems that I've found, all the subsystems seem to be working fine, but a few minor things here and there. I'm pretty handy and could easily take care of these myself (missing lense on an overhead LED light, broken catch on a drawer probably not aligned correctly, missing plastic cover on the bunk safety net seat belt latch), if I had the parts. 12V outlets on the dash didn't work, but I fixed that, some neglected to plug the connectors in, they were just dangling under the dash.

My salesperson at the dealer wanted pictures, which I provided, but we're going on 3 weeks now I can't get a straight answer whether I'll ever get parts, and my last email didn't even get a response. I did also fill out a form on Forest River's site the day before yesterday.

Is this the status quo for the RV industry? I have a newer boat and they actually sent someone out to my lake to replace the defective stereo, no charge.

I don't consider this a minor purchase, and I'm a little disappointed that such minor things can't just be taken care of.

Thanks,

[ShermanD]

Originally Posted by stewbinoh

Is this the status quo for the RV industry? ,

Usually.

Unlike the auto industry where the manufacturers have clout over their dealerships, in the RV industry you are pretty much at the mercy of the dealership you purchased the RV from, unless of course, you can find another dealer to do warranty work on your new RV. The Dealership's themselves are independents who purchase the RV's they sell from the manufacturer at a wholesale price and then in turn sell them to you at a retail price.

You should be able to locate a Coachman customer service number. Talk to a Coachman rep, explain your situation, and seek their help in resolving these issues. You will find that the factory customer services reps will usually go out of their way to get your issues resolved.

Best of luck and welcome to the world of RV dealership woes.

[wahoonc]

Build quality... Yup. Service after the sale? About average.

Unfortunately the dealer plays a huge part in the warranty process. Some are much better at it than others.

Typically what happens is:

• Owner brings something in for warranty repair
• Dealer looks at it, hopefully writes it up promptly
• Warranty request goes to FR
• May be denied because it was written up properly or?
• Warranty request resubmitted
• Warranty approved
• Parts ordered
• Parts shipped (hopefully the correct parts)
• Dealer receives parts and schedules repair
• Repeat Ad Nauseum

It can take anywhere from a week to three weeks for each step to occur. If they uncover additional warranty items while repairing the initial problem you get to start the whole process over again.

I fix small stuff and deal with the big stuff when it comes along.

Coachmen sent me some small parts when I contacted them, no problems.

All of the items you listed should have been taken care of prior to leaving the dealer the first time.

One reason many of us advocate doing a thorough walk through prior to signing on the dotted line. The dealer is "SUPPOSED" to do a PDI (pre-delivery inspection) unfortunately most don't appear to do a proper one and leave it up to the consumer to find things and report back to them. I honestly believe that they get away with it most of the time.

Unfortunately what you are experiencing appears to be the norm in the RV industry.

Aaron

[Dave_the_Piper]

Originally Posted by stewbinoh

Hi All,

Glad to join this little community, lots of good info. I'm new to the RV world. Have had a houseboat, and smaller craft, and of course many cars, a tractor...

Bought a 2016 Leprechaun QB220. Did a lot of looking and like I've seen people mention, the various options don't really differentiate a whole lot.
I like the Coachmen/Leprechaun huge basement, and the Leprechaun was decked out a bit more, and I feel like a got a reasonable deal. We camped out in Hocking Hills in Ohio on the way back from picking it up in Cincinnati.

No major problems that I've found, all the subsystems seem to be working fine, but a few minor things here and there. I'm pretty handy and could easily take care of these myself (missing lense on an overhead LED light, broken catch on a drawer probably not aligned correctly, missing plastic cover on the bunk safety net seat belt latch), if I had the parts. 12V outlets on the dash didn't work, but I fixed that, some neglected to plug the connectors in, they were just dangling under the dash.

My salesperson at the dealer wanted pictures, which I provided, but we're going on 3 weeks now I can't get a straight answer whether I'll ever get parts, and my last email didn't even get a response. I did also fill out a form on Forest River's site the day before yesterday.

Is this the status quo for the RV industry? I have a newer boat and they actually sent someone out to my lake to replace the defective stereo, no charge.

I don't consider this a minor purchase, and I'm a little disappointed that such minor things can't just be taken care of.

Thanks,

We too went through the lack of dealership support. Purchased a new Cedar Creek from Camping World in Oxford Alabama. Items that were noted on the walk through were not repaired months later. Called and checked with the Warrantee folks at the factory and found nothing had been ordered. I asked to take the rig to another repair facility and the Factory gave its OK. The Amish RV Repair in Topeka Indiana made the repairs and is a fantastic shop. The folks at Cedar Creek stand behind their product. Even though we had a bad local dealership Forest River/Cedar Creek took care of all issues. the take away here is give the factory folks a direct call.

[mike.t]

Very little

[NMWildcat]

I don't have much use for dealerships after the sale, especially the bigger dealers. And seems like that is all that is left now. They will eventually get the warranty work done but you are out 2 - 3 months of camping time.

I was lucky to find a local guy who used to manage Camping World Service. He started his own service and can do warranty work, manufacturer or extended. Affordable RV Care is the name. I'm not sure if it's a franchise or not. There are several across the states but I don't know if they are connected.

Look for a place like that and it will save you loads of frustration trying to work with a big dealer.

[DocRob]

My dealership was useless, but I did find that if I sent information directly to Forest River I could get a quick response. My issue was with the installed entertainment system and they responded quickly with a replacement unit. Like you I have fixed a lot of little things myself but some issues like the entertainment system I wasn't willing to replace without the factory providing the new unit. The Forum has been great at providing tips on getting things done. My problems are minimal because I have a little Roo with limited mechanical items so I can afford to ignore the dealership. Not sure what I'd do if I had a motorhome or big 5er. Some report they have found independents that would work on their units for the factory rates. Happy Trails

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by stewbinoh

Is this the status quo for the RV industry?

Stewbinoh, read the article linked in my post in the link below. It's a fairly accurate assessment of the RV industry and will answer your question quoted above.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-a-113241.html

[AquaMan]

I guess I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum. My dealer answers my calls, has an answer for me usually while I wait, or calls me back, within minutes usually. Sends parts along with a return label to send back broken parts. Have not had to take unit in for any type of service, but knowing that I drive close to 5hrs to get there, I'm confident they would set an appointment and be ready for me when I arrived.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[mike.t]

Always good to hear some positive feedback aquaman.

[stewbinoh]

Thanks. We did do a walkthrough, but I felt it was a bit rushed and overlooked these few small items. I was focusing more on understanding how to operate the various systems. I ended up going to a dealer quite a ways from home because:

1) The local dealer that carried Coachmen/Leprechaun rubbed me the wrong way with their "salesmanship" and wanting to add on pretty hefty delivery and prep fees after you made a deal on price.

2) The other local dealer only had Forest River, and I wasn't quite as impressed with the layout on that model, plus storage was very limited.

Lesson learned I guess. The light is particularly bothersome to me, I'd hate to have to rig something up because I can't find the exact model they used to just replace the lense. The last communication before they started ignoring me altogether wanted me to bring it in, which seems silly for $30 in parts I could do myself in 1/2 hour if I had the parts.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Stewbinoh, read the article linked in my post in the link below. It's a fairly accurate assessment of the RV industry and will answer your question quoted above.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...-a-113241.html

Ayup sounds like America all over. There used to be several top notch RV manufacturers out there, unfortunately Americans seem to shop price first and everything else is secondary. Ya get what ya pay for...

There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey_John Ruskin

BTW that quote dates from the 1800's!

Aaron

[Big Red and 30WR]

If they built them like they was in the 70`s and 80`s I`d buy another one. After this one I`ve worked more on it than I have used it. pretty sad quality isn`t there anymore.

[stewbinoh]

I guess being the squeaky wheel eventually pays off

I got a care package from Forest River today with 2 large and 2 small LED lamps, 6 drawer catch assemblies and a complete bunk safety net assembly with hardware.

Thank-you Forest River!

[sparky60]

So, who is this Dealer?? Where are they??

[sparky60]

Our story about Dealers and their lack of care after the sale seems to be the pulse of the industry. We bought our Coachmen Freelander 21RS last summer and really have enjoyed it. It's such a perfect size for two people, and with the rear slide it really opens up making it very livable.
We haven't had any major issues, but if we had we'd probably be out of luck. The local Coachmen dealer here in Colorado Springs (Intermountain Coach) was not even in the same galaxy when it came to price. We saved $14,000 by buying at General RV in Draper, UT. I asked Ron at Intermountain Coach if he would consider coming down on his price as I really wanted to buy it locally. His reply was, "enjoy your new MH, but if you need warranty work you won't be a priority". So besides costing himself the sale of a new Motorhome, he also eliminated himself from after purchase items, such as a Base Plate and Tow Bar, Front and Rear Anti-Sway Bars and a Steering Stabilizer. And when we're ready to upgrade to a bigger Class A when we retire, we sure won't consider 'ol Ron (he's really dumb, isn't he?).
One thing about this that you need to know, I wrote to Coachmen about his attitude towards a prospective buyer, and got no reply at all. So, Coachmen doesn't care how their Dealers treat buyers, so I really don't expect them to treat me any differently if I were to have a serious problem (also really dumb because I doubt our next MH will be a Coachmen).
And General RV in Draper, UT isn't much better. Yes, we got a great price, but their service after the sale stinks! After we picked up the MH I had a few basic questions to ask, and it took almost two weeks to get simple answers from them. They kept pushing me off from one person to another. It was like this was the first Motorhome they had ever sold, and no one there had a clue. It was plainly obvious that once you drive off their lot, they don't care about you either.
So best of luck to you. Your greatest challenge will be finding a Manufacturer and Dealer who's really interested in you and your future business. Even though we like our 21RS, I couldn't recommend Coachmen to anyone.
-Mark in Colorado Springs

[JCCarr]

After my experience with Camper's Inn Philly I'd say that these stealers... sorry typo... dealers have no interest in making sure they have a satisfied customer. I believe that they know the majority of people buy an RV and park it in their driveway after a year or two and never buy another one. So why spend money for a repeat sale that will never materialize. I was lucky in that I bought two good units so didn't really need to worry about anything until I bought my current XLR which was ordered with an incorrect microwave and a few minor warranty items. To be honest, they could've paid for everything but the mic out of pocket and made more money as we've spent about $600 outfitting this unit just the way we want it. We would've bought from them, but instead have used Amazon and Camping World.

This policy of customer disservice is going to eventually put the industry into a world of hurt as I think you'll get more internet shoppers going to factory direct manufacturers because there is zero advantage to using a local dealer. At least my last unit which I bought out of the area came from a dealer who promised me parts under warranty if I was willing to install them myself. Campers Inn refused and had my unit for weeks at a time, lying about parts being ordered, shipped and delivered.

If a non RVer asked me about getting a unit I would tell them only do it if you are a capable DIYer. Plan on being able to fix your own plumbing, electrical, woodwork, and appliances. Be comfortable in using the Internet to locate parts and supplies. Be ready to bite the bullet and pay out of pocket vs. the warranty for all but the most expensive items unless you want to have your unit sitting without use at the dealer.

If you get better than that, you're in the minority. It happens. But even the glowing reviews I've read on this forum and the net in general frequently have corresponding reviews and comments that contradict. There's just not a consistent good experience very often from what I've found.

[stewbinoh]

Originally Posted by sparky60

So, who is this Dealer?? Where are they??

I got an email from Forest River just today. The parts came direct from them, via the "Contact Us" I filled out on their web page. I'm still waiting to see if the dealer ever comes through. I don't want to bad-mouth them just yet. i did get what I felt was a good price, and of course they talked up their service capabilities, but I'm beginning to wonder.

[catev]

To the original poster...email Ron Ross at Forest River, he is the factory manager for Coachmen...you won't be disappointed. rross@forestriverinc.com He has been VERY helpful to me over the past year...

[streetrod-dave]

Newbe ,just took delivery of our F/R 2400W MBS and half way home and no AC in cab ,started gen and ran house ac the rest of the way.Took it to local MB dealer and ac compressor is locked up .New unit on order should be here in five days.
Question, the slide end nearest the drivers door is not flush with side of unit is this right? thanks and happy to be aboard!