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Old 02-08-2014, 07:33 PM   #1
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Mad Momma - Sabre 36QBOK returned to factory

My husband and I purchased a brand new 2014 the Sabre 36QBOK in April of 2013 and have had one problem after another! When we picked up the unit from the dealership we noticed a few cosmetic issues and the dealer agreed to fix them. Our first trip out the slide on the driver’s side bunk house stuck, the half bath skylight leaked, and the gaskets around the belly and outdoor kitchen pulled away. It went back to the dealer and was repaired. It was a busy time of year there and the repairs took several weeks to complete.

The next trip out we noticed that the floor in the bunk room had a series of "ruffles" in it where the slide supports were rubbing holes in the linoleum. The slides did not appear to fit properly in the opening - one side had a gap and the other was tight when the slide was as far out as it would go.

We again took it back to the dealer. They adjusted the slide and told us that the flooring would have to be replaced in that room and a transition strip added to the doorway between the bunk house and the living area. We were told to continue using the camper for our trips until the end of the season and then the repairs could be made. We were NOT happy with the option of a transition strip in the doorway - that is not what we purchased.

As luck, or lack of luck, would have it - the front living room slide started to tear up the floor too! The wood trim throughout the camper had lots of nicks that had apparently been filled with putty, because they started to chip. There were two areas on the passenger side wall that were bubbled/creased just inside the entry door. The kitchen faucet was loose. The piping under the master bath leaked into the belly area. The gasket/seals along the slides eventually started to pull away from sticking. They were stapled into the channel and not screwed.

The last straw was when we saw signs of structural problems. On our last trip in October of 2013 two HUGE red flags - a crack in the gel coat side wall and the floor in the bunk house separated. There is only one seam in the sub-floor of the camper a few feet from the back wall of the bunkhouse. Our floor felt like the subfloor fell off the joist! There was also a 2" - 3" crack in the gel coat by the propane tank door. We were very concerned that the frame was warping!

After a long list of complaints and trips to the dealer, we were eventually told to take the camper back to the factory. We made a punch list with pictures and descriptions and took it with us to the Sabre plant to meet with Gary Grigsby on November 1 2013. It was a 5 hour drive, we made the appointment in advance. When we arrived we got about 2 minutes with Mr. Grigsby who then blew us off for a conference call!

We were honestly floored that we were treated this way after personally taking the camper to them for a walk through – for which we arranged an advanced appointment!!

They did later agree to have us come BACK up to the plant and paid for our hotel stay so that we could walk through the camper with the structural engineer and an independent evaluator as well as the Mr. Grigsby and Mr. Jones. Again, we drove over five hours. When we arrived, though, nothing was as promised. The engineers were not there, they had already conducted their evaluation and we were not allowed to ask questions of them despite our grave concerns. The engineers noted deficiencies, but nothing structural.

Mr Jones and Mr. Grigsby apologized for their communication failures and said that they would fix the camper and all the issues and would have it ready mid-January. They said we would get regular updates on the status of the repairs and anything they found as to the cause of the issues. We were skeptical – but did not feel like we had any other choice but to see what they could do. We left with the understanding that everything would be taken care of and that we would have the unit back in January. Sam Lengeritch was involved as well and suggested that since there had been communication misunderstandings that we should communicate via email so everybody could read the responses.

November comes and goes – no updates, and no camper.
December comes and goes – no updates, and no camper.
January comes and goes – no updates, and no camper.
We were eventually told that we could pick it up on February 7th. On February 5th, however, we were called (not email as promised) to say it would not be ready.

I was way beyond mad! After several phone calls, Mr. Jones said that he put his name personally on the unit and that PDI would inspect the unit to double check all the work. He said they had replaced the rubber roof on the unit as an act of goodwill when they discovered a tear due to a tree limb (insinuating that we had returned the unit with damage we caused). They are talking a good talk that the unit will be 100% fixed and even said they were embarrassed that they let a unit go out in the condition ours was in. We asked for a replacement unit from the get-go and have been repeatedly denied. I was so upset on the 5th I asked for our money back – we paid a fortune for this headache!

We have an appointment to inspect the unit on Wednesday morning at 10:00 and have been told by our attorney that if they try to make us sign anything saying that we agree the repairs were complete that we don’t sign it and if we have to leave the unit to do so.

Everybody makes mistakes – and I don’t blame Forest River for making a mistake. I do blame them for compounding the mistake with bad customer service. We have owned the unit for just over 9 months, and between the factory and the dealership we have been without the unit for almost 5 of those months. Our payments and insurance were still due!

I will keep you all posted about the meeting and what happens next. Let’s hope that we can find a resolution. Wish us luck!
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Old 02-08-2014, 07:42 PM   #2
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Dear Mad Mamma, I suggest you take a lawyer with you.
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Old 02-08-2014, 07:51 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford Idaho View Post
Dear Mad Mamma, I suggest you take a lawyer with you.
x2

They should've known better, living in a world without walls, bad costumer service travel very fast! (Especially when thinking to upgrade to a bigger rv)
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Old 02-08-2014, 08:03 PM   #4
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We fell in love with the camper - the floor plan and features were exactly what we wanted. The customer services (or lack thereof) has turned us in the opposite direction! It is sad that it has to be this way - but this is their chance to redeem themselves. Make it right Mr. Grigsby and Mr. Jones! People are listening here, and everywhere else!!! Social media can be your best friend or a nightmare - much like this camper is for us!

The same folks that got it so messed up to begin with are the ones I have to trust to fix it. They had to remove an ENTIRE SIDEWALL! My camper was torn in flippin' HALF!!! But replacement or a buy back is out of the question. Wow!
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Old 02-08-2014, 08:14 PM   #5
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As a last and loud statement if they do not make it right have it painted lemon yellow and park it across the street.
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Old 02-08-2014, 08:32 PM   #6
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I want to give a shout out to Paul Cunningham at Stinnetts RV in Southern Indiana for the help and great communication that he has provided. He has been the best to deal with through this entire nightmare with this Sabre. I hope that this nightmare will end on Wednesday but it is probably just a beginning of taking more blood pressure medicine to help me from having a stroke. My life sure has been tough since we bought this lemon, the old saying sure stands true ( if MOMMA'S not HAPPY there is no one HAPPY ).
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Old 02-08-2014, 08:49 PM   #7
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This is a horrible story. I can't imagine spending that kind of money, and not getting a product that it usable in it's function.

Hopefully the people Forest River pay to fix things like this ( line workers and management), will get it right.

Please use this thread to let us know how it goes/progresses.
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:03 PM   #8
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Hopefully all will be good when you inspect the unit on Wednesday. Let us know how it turns out.
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:13 PM   #9
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This makes me sick to read. I've sent you a PM, but we'll both be in Goshen on Wednesday the 12th.
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:31 PM   #10
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This Makes me sick as well, since our unit has been back up there since October and I've gotten the same type responses from up there on our unit. "It'll be ready on this date, we were closed due to weather, we're behind, your parts are back ordered". I'm really wondering if I need to make the trip up there to ensure ours is correctly repaired before it get's brought back here. It's really ashamed that it seems like so many of us are having such severe problems out of a seemingly "high dollar" units.

Please keep us informed.
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:38 PM   #11
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We have trusted the process, and been burned! I would definitely make the trip to inspect the unit! We have five kids and can't pull them out of school for an extended PDI but we will not accept anything less than perfection. The BS offer of an extended warranty is a pitiful excuse! If they were so confident in their product they would buy it back and know that their happy customers will purchase from them again!
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:56 PM   #12
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Ependydad, can I call u tomorrow??? We will be up there Tuesday evening , hope we can get together and talk.
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Old 02-08-2014, 09:59 PM   #13
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Yup. Your wife has my #. Call or text works for me.
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Old 02-08-2014, 10:02 PM   #14
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Wow, I really feel bad for you. It would seem that at the end of the day, the RV industry for all its chest pounding about how good a product they produce is just like the product they produce. CRAP!!!! I have a Forest River product that is about to go through the lemon law process where I live. I have had enough!!!!! I would never take that trailer back and your attorney is right. Do not sign anything!! Its too bad that America can't produce a better product. I don't think most people would mind paying a little more for a better product that doesn't come apart one month after you get it. I wish you good luck!!!
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Old 02-08-2014, 10:30 PM   #15
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Wow! Just.....wow!
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Old 02-08-2014, 10:45 PM   #16
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man I though I had problems, the dealer fixed a ton of my issues and I spent my own time and and bunch of my own money to fix my everything they said (dealer and factory) was not a problem... I did a better job, thank you... with ownership under 1 year I was pissed that I bought this unit in the first place and many times I wanted to drop a huge tree on it..just kidding...
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Old 02-08-2014, 10:57 PM   #17
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Speechless ......how sad to be treated that way.
It's strange how someone can purchase an RV and not have a single thing wrong and someone else has theirs literally falling apart. Same make and model, same plant and probably the same personnel building it.
Good luck and I hope it all works out to your satisfaction.
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Old 02-08-2014, 11:04 PM   #18
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Man.....this sux.
I was thinking about ordering my 36qbok this next week, got all my options and special build items all figured out.
I guess I'll see how it goes with Doug and ya'lls camper first.
Not a good feeling at all with these troubles happening so frequently it seems on such an awsome camper.
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Old 02-09-2014, 07:23 AM   #19
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We feel everyone's pain here. Sounds like several of us have 60k yard ornaments. I got afraid to use our camper at the end and even asked my dealer if this camper was safe to haul to the factory, every time we moved it something else fell apart on it and we never went camping over 50 miles from home for this reason. I would suggest to anyone that is looking at buying a high end camper to do there research much better than we did. We are not rookies at this and have purchased 5 other new units in the past from a different manufacturer and have had zero problems that the local dealership could not repair. All I can say here is that I will personally never own another Forest River product. We have even talked about just getting rid of it and just taking the beating, which is sad. We don't feel safe with this unit at all and I sure don't want to hurt anyone else in the process. Good luck to everyone fighting the same battle, we hope you win or they make you whole some how.
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Old 02-09-2014, 08:57 AM   #20
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I'm sorry for all of your troubles but thanks for posting them. The Sabre and the Crusader were on the short list as we are going to buy within the next couple of months. After hearing this type of horror story I think I will look a little closer at the Heartland products
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