Full-time voids warranty?

[Mrs.Shockley]

Is it correct that Forest River's manufacturer's warranty is voided by full-time use?

On another site I recently read that, in the fine print of a number of manufacture's warranties, using the RV or TT full-time voids the warranty. They also said that the language is often found only in the owner's manuals.

Has anyone come across this?

[Life Without Whine]

there was just a thread about this very topic so you may want to do a search to find it... think it basically said your warranty is void if fulltiming

[jd50i]

If mine said it I didn't see it, dealer said nothing about it when I told them I would be full time, never had a problem getting parts under warranty.

[Mrs.Shockley]

Originally Posted by Life Without Whine

there was just a thread about this very topic so you may want to do a search to find it... think it basically said your warranty is void if fulltiming

I did do a search but didn't come up with anything. That's why I asked. Perhaps my searching skills need work.

[Decon Blue]

Who’s going to be dumb enough to tell them you full time ! Now I know some Ins Co. won’t insure if full time.

[Mrs.Shockley]

Originally Posted by Decon Blue

Who’s going to be dumb enough to tell them you full time ! Now I know some Ins Co. won’t insure if full time.

Well, some are too honest for their own good. I'm the kind of person who takes a roll of paper towels back in the store and pays for it when I get to the car and find it on the bottom of the cart.

But, even if you don't suffer from terminal honesty, it would likely be obvious if you need a repair asap, because you have nowhere else to live while it's in the shop.

And there's simply this: How much do they trust their own product, if they think continual use is too much for their measly year or two of warranty.

[bikendan]

Very few RV manufacturers will warranty full-time usage and they state that, in their advertising.
They are almost all higher end 5th wheel and Motorhome manufacturers.

[Mrs.Shockley]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Very few RV manufacturers will warranty full-time usage and they state that, in their advertising.
They are almost all higher end 5th wheel and Motorhome manufacturers.

In other words, NOT Forest River. This makes me sad. I really liked a couple of their trailers, but we plan on being full time for at least a year or two. I may have to rethink that and look higher-end.


I suppose it's mostly academic if we buy used, but still....

[Oakman]

I believe the confusion comes from this paragraph in the warranty. Although it seems as though full timing voids the warranty, it actually applies to full time for commercial purposes. Read the paragraph carefully.

"The Warrantor further makes no warranty with regard to any product used for commercial purposes, as a permanent or full time residence or as a rental unit, or any product not registered and normally used in the United States or Canada. For purposes of this warranty, it shall be deemed conclusive evidence of commercial purposes if the product is licensed, titled, registered, or insured in the name of any corporation, LLC, or any other form of business or commercial entity. “Full time” for the purposes of this warranty shall mean continuous occupation of the Recreational Vehicle for a period exceeding 30 days or 18 days per month in two or more consecutive months."


Also I've never heard of anyone being denied a warranty claim because they were full timers.

[jd50i]

Originally Posted by Decon Blue

Who’s going to be dumb enough to tell them you full time ! Now I know some Ins Co. won’t insure if full time.

I told the dealer, my first RV so I had not been schooled on lying to them or my insurance but since I didn't have problems with either and that was 5 years ago so it is a moot point.

[ImTravis]

Originally Posted by Oakman

I believe the confusion comes from this paragraph in the warranty. Although it seems as though full timing voids the warranty, it actually applies to full time for commercial purposes. Read the paragraph carefully.

"The Warrantor further makes no warranty with regard to any product used for commercial purposes, as a permanent or full time residence or as a rental unit, or any product not registered and normally used in the United States or Canada. For purposes of this warranty, it shall be deemed conclusive evidence of commercial purposes if the product is licensed, titled, registered, or insured in the name of any corporation, LLC, or any other form of business or commercial entity. “Full time” for the purposes of this warranty shall mean continuous occupation of the Recreational Vehicle for a period exceeding 30 days or 18 days per month in two or more consecutive months."


Also I've never heard of anyone being denied a warranty claim because they were full timers.

From the way it reads, commercial, permanent/full time, or rental.. so it seems they are stating that is void if full time. Not necc. Just commercial full time.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by ImTravis

From the way it reads, commercial, permanent/full time, or rental.. so it seems they are stating that is void if full time. Not necc. Just commercial full time.

And therein lies the problem, so many people don’t know how to read a paragraph and comprehend what it says. The whole paragraph is one thought and pertains to commercial usage of the RV. This will be my last post on this thread because I don’t want to get into a discussion on English and reading comprehension. Full timing for recreational use does not void the warranty.

[lcv800]

So I guess if I take a 31 day vacation, the warranty on my $147,000 RV is void? I don't think so.
Rusty

[Mrs.Shockley]

Originally Posted by Oakman

I believe the confusion comes from this paragraph in the warranty. Although it seems as though full timing voids the warranty, it actually applies to full time for commercial purposes. Read the paragraph carefully.

"The Warrantor further makes no warranty with regard to any product used for commercial purposes, as a permanent or full time residence or as a rental unit, or any product not registered and normally used in the United States or Canada. For purposes of this warranty, it shall be deemed conclusive evidence of commercial purposes if the product is licensed, titled, registered, or insured in the name of any corporation, LLC, or any other form of business or commercial entity. “Full time” for the purposes of this warranty shall mean continuous occupation of the Recreational Vehicle for a period exceeding 30 days or 18 days per month in two or more consecutive months."


Also I've never heard of anyone being denied a warranty claim because they were full timers.

Originally Posted by ImTravis

From the way it reads, commercial, permanent/full time, or rental.. so it seems they are stating that is void if full time. Not necc. Just commercial full time.

As a lawyer (though I don't do that type of work) I can tell you the placement of the commas could be important. That's WHY I don't do that kind of work - I hate contracts.


This one could be iffy in my opinion. The whole 30 day thing is crazy, because as was just said, people take vacations longer than that. I wouldn't want to rep. the company trying to refuse coverage because someone took their product on a 40 day trip. I also wouldn't want to take them to court if I'd lived in it exclusively for 18 months.


Did I mention I hate contracts?

Thanks.

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

As a lawyer (though I don't do that type of work) I can tell you the placement of the commas could be important. That's WHY I don't do that kind of work - I hate contracts.


This one could be iffy in my opinion. The whole 30 day thing is crazy, because as was just said, people take vacations longer than that. I wouldn't want to rep. the company trying to refuse coverage because someone took their product on a 40 day trip. I also wouldn't want to take them to court if I'd lived in it exclusively for 18 months. Both had 40 ft 5ers to live in while the house is being built. Both home are like mansions.


Did I mention I hate contracts?

Thanks.

Not to mention people who live full time in their RV while having a new home built. I have a neighbor in which it took 2 years to build his new house and another about 5 miles away which is on their 10th month.

[SailorSam20500]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

Not to mention people who live full time in their RV while having a new home built. I have a neighbor in which it took 2 years to build his new house and another about 5 miles away which is on their 10th month.

Thank you for making ME feel better. It took 2 years to build our first house (a simple ranch style) and 18 to build our current one (house next door to me that is twice the size and complexity took less than half the time). Glad I'm not the only one picking slow builders.

[formerFR]

besides, if you go out the door, and then come back in, you aren't in 'continuous' occupation of the RV : )

This wording is really so ambiguous, any lawyer would be able to breach it's 'meaning' with little effort. What does 'continuous' even mean? What does 'occupation' really mean? These are words included ONLY such that the factory can try to find a way to void the warranty IF the intent and usage is TRULY commercial and/or business related endeavors, not for personal 'enjoyment'.

Now, for Insurance, the word 'full timing' may bring about some questions, or even an outright declination, by your insurance company/agent. Most do NOT want to cover a 'full timer' risk for what's considered to be mainly a 'recreational', and infrequently used, vehicle, where the owner also owns a home which has Liability that will insure them while traveling, or parked...such as if someone stopped by to visit you at the campground and tripped over your shore cord and had emergency room costs.
Most insurers contemplate that an RV is just that, a 'recreational' vehicle - not one that is the sole home of the owner.
Some insurers may offer 'full timer' coverage, which is basically adding personal liability coverage, and contents/storage coverage, which you would not have otherwise. Some folks may not realize, but the 'vehicle' policy your RV is covered by, does NOT give you coverage for your own belongings, food, outside furniture, satellite antennas you added, satellite receivers, or anything else you 'added' to the stock factory RV. Just like your 'luggage' when you travel, that is covered ONLY by a homeowner's or renters policy, not the 'auto insurance' policy.
When most of us 'camp', our home policy is covering our liability and our personal 'stuff' we brought with us. If you are a true 'full timer', with no other property, home, or place that is insured by a home or renters policy, then you have NO coverage for liability and contents, or items in storage, only for the 'vehicle' itself.

having said that, most insurers or agents have NO WAY of knowing your travel plans, or the extent of how you use your RV, nor do they really care... especially if you have your home insurance and/or other vehicles insured with them - I know that it sounds counter-intuitive for them to them 'not want' to cover 'full timers', but insurance is a contract, so there are certainly things that they are not going to 'allow', though it's doubtful most any 'full timer' who has placed a claim has ever been declined simply because they actually 'live' in their RV. I don't think that the claims inspector asks that question.
Now, if someone filed a liability claim against you, and the RV was the only 'home' you had insured, and it was not insured as a 'full timer' coverage, then, yes, you would have a problem. You would have no liability coverage to pay the other party...and, you would have to fight it yourself, as your policy does not extend that courtesy to you either.

[Mrs.Shockley]

Insurance is definitely a whole different issue. Right now we own a piece of undeveloped hunting property with a "cabin", which is one of those portable buildings on skids. We had to get 911 to give us an "address" for delivery of the building. Our homeowner's insurance for our current home in town covers the country acreage AND the cabin, for just a very small premium as "off-premises" property or something like that. Once we sell our house in town, and keep the acreage and cabin, we're going to make that our "home" for domicile/voter registration/junk mail purposes. So we'll need a whole new insurance policy for that. We'll have water and power by then, and will have finished the cabin out - but it still won't be a "permanent structure" as we're not affixing it to a foundation. I know some companies won't insure a property if it's vacant for long periods; we had that problem with a rental we once owned. I don't really know how that will all work. Finding someone to insure the TT will be unique too.


We're going to have some substantial insurance shopping to do I imagine.


Planning your fun-filled retirement should not be such a headache.

[formerFR]

it's doubtful that the 'cabin' might qualify for a homeowner's policy, but there ARE insurers who take care of full-timers, like Progressive, it's just that most who insure the regular lot of RVs do not. You just have to make sure who you choose, does.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Oakman

I believe the confusion comes from this paragraph in the warranty. Although it seems as though full timing voids the warranty, it actually applies to full time for commercial purposes. Read the paragraph carefully.

"The Warrantor further makes no warranty with regard to any product used for commercial purposes, as a permanent or full time residence or as a rental unit, or any product not registered and normally used in the United States or Canada. For purposes of this warranty, it shall be deemed conclusive evidence of commercial purposes if the product is licensed, titled, registered, or insured in the name of any corporation, LLC, or any other form of business or commercial entity. “Full time” for the purposes of this warranty shall mean continuous occupation of the Recreational Vehicle for a period exceeding 30 days or 18 days per month in two or more consecutive months."


Also I've never heard of anyone being denied a warranty claim because they were full timers.

Wow; so 5 Winter weeks in FL will void my warranty?