8 Days and already a problem!

[DSN46]

Hey Everyone!

Well, we just our first hard rain since getting the Roo home. I have been installing modifications to it this week (shelves in the closet, towel rack, toilet paper holder, etc) so I went out to give a thorough inspection of the bunkends, window seals, etc. I end up finding water droplets in the shower and on the floor of the bathroom!

I found a trickle of water coming from the skylight fixture. I took off the inside cover piece and water rained down on me. Not happy....

I dried it all up with a towell and tried to determine where it was originating from. Couldnt tell so I went on the roof for a look. I found a hairline crack in the skylight! I couldnt believe this little crack made such a mess! It looks as though someone at the factory torqued the screw down too hard and cracked the edge. The crack grew to about 2 inches long up the plastic.

My local dealer is a @#%& (no, he really, really is) and told me angrily to me face that he "ain't gonna work on no campers bought from someplace up north..... Rockwood don't pay enough for me to waste my time!"

So... I am on my own. I called FR and they were great. They are sending out a new skylight with instructions on how to replace the old one. In the meantime, I dried everything up and have put a strip of "100 mph tape" (heavy duty duct tape in civilian terms) over the crack until I can replace.

Not happy, but I will get through it. Could be worse...

James

[Triguy]

Sorry to hear about that James. At least you caught it early!

I'm afraid that your experience with the local dealer not wanting to help is all too common and the one really big risk to buying outside your locale.

But, not every dealer will do that. There might be others in your area happy to work on warranty items (you have to hunt for them).

Of course, being handy helps a lot too

BTW - I don't recall, did you sign up for the 2nd year warranty ($150) from Forest River?

[tentcamper1]

Ask you contact at FR if they know of any dealers in your area that will work on your camper.

[DSN46]

Triguy: I did, indeed, purchase the 2'nd year warranty.

tentcamper1: The only dealer close to me is the one that refuses. The closest after that is 2 hours away. If I had a BIG problem (like my slide quit working or bunkends leaking) then I would pull it to them, but... since I'm handy, I'll give this repair a try myself. At least I KNOW when I am done that it will be put back together correctly and not "slopped" together. Yes... I have THAT much distrust in other men to work on my things, cars especially.

Take care,

James

[Earth Station]

Originally Posted by DSN46

In the meantime, I dried everything up and have put a strip of "100 mph tape" (heavy duty duct tape in civilian terms) over the crack until I can replace.

Not happy, but I will get through it. Could be worse...

James

I once fixed a kitchen pipe with a papertowel and "100 mph" tape .. you know the good green kind! Held for months until my DH returned from Korea!

[Herk7769]

DSN46,

If only your experience with your dealer was unique.
I bought local and had similar issues.
They do it because they can.
If enough folks stop going to them, they will fold.
However I just had a PM discussion on parts with an FR rep.
Out of warranty parts costing more than 50 dollars can't be shipped to a retail customer. They will ship to a local shop who can do the work.
Why not to you? Still not happy with the answer to that one.

[DSN46]

Originally Posted by Earth Station

I once fixed a kitchen pipe with a papertowel and "100 mph" tape .. you know the good green kind! Held for months until my DH returned from Korea!

Oh yes.... I know the "green kind" very well! In my unit, it had the duty of holding together everything from Hummer mirrors to canvas covers on the back of 5 ton tactical trucks.... great stuff!!

[DSN46]

Originally Posted by herk7769

DSN46,

If only your experience with your dealer was unique.
I bought local and had similar issues.
They do it because they can.
If enough folks stop going to them, they will fold.
However I just had a PM discussion on parts with an FR rep.
Out of warranty parts costing more than 50 dollars can't be shipped to a retail customer. They will ship to a local shop who can do the work.
Why not to you? Still not happy with the answer to that one.

Herk,
It is funny you should mention your PM conversation. While on the phone with the warranty guy, he asked me why I couldn't have it repaired locally. I told him the story and he asked if he could give my info to the higher ups at FR. He said that FR execs have had about enough of the game being played by their "certified dealers" and at this year's dealer conference, they are going to tell dealers that if they want to continue refusing service to those who have bought FR products (no matter where they bought them), then FR will discontinue the relationship with them.

He said that it came from upstairs that when people complain about local dealers refusing service, the warranty reps were to ask if they could send the info up the chain of command.

I suppose we'll see who cuts their nose off to spite their own face first....the dealerships, or the execs at FR.

James

[Bttravel]

Another good addition to your fix it tool box is Rescue Tape. If you don't have a roll or two of these in your rig get some. It is something else. Between duct tape and this stuff there's not much you can't fix.
Rescue Tape - World's #1 Brand of Silicone Tape!

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by DSN46

Herk,
It is funny you should mention your PM conversation. While on the phone with the warranty guy, he asked me why I couldn't have it repaired locally. I told him the story and he asked if he could give my info to the higher ups at FR. He said that FR execs have had about enough of the game being played by their "certified dealers" and at this year's dealer conference, they are going to tell dealers that if they want to continue refusing service to those who have bought FR products (no matter where they bought them), then FR will discontinue the relationship with them.

He said that it came from upstairs that when people complain about local dealers refusing service, the warranty reps were to ask if they could send the info up the chain of command.

I suppose we'll see who cuts their nose off to spite their own face first....the dealerships, or the execs at FR.

James

God Bless Them and I hope it does some good.

[DSN46]

Originally Posted by Bttravel

Another good addition to your fix it tool box is Rescue Tape. If you don't have a roll or two of these in your rig get some. It is something else. Between duct tape and this stuff there's not much you can't fix.
Rescue Tape - World's #1 Brand of Silicone Tape!

Thank you for information! May have to keep a roll handy with me.

James

[Alisa06]

Before purchasing our 233S from a small dealer in Indiana, the local dealers already told us they would not work on campers not purchased from them. Since the new Roo came complete with problems, we took it to another Forest River dealer - one that did not deal with Roo's, but willing to do the warranty work for us. Granted, we are still waiting almost 5 weeks later for them to get 3 new bed doors and mattresses from FR to make the repairs, but they are working with us.

[bikendan]

DSN46, just want to make sure you know, that it doesn't have to be a Rockwood dealer.
it can be any FR product dealer.
i had a local FR popup dealer do warranty work on my Roo, even though that dealer sold R-Vision hybrids.

and you can always get pre-approval for a local independent RV shop to do the warranty work, if there's no FR dealer of any kind, nearby.

[Len & Cheri]

Originally Posted by DSN46

Hey Everyone!

My local dealer is a @#%& (no, he really, really is) and told me angrily to me face that he "ain't gonna work on no campers bought from someplace up north..... Rockwood don't pay enough for me to waste my time!"

James

James, do you mind sharing which dealer this is? I live in S. Georgia and the 2 local dealers we had closed up. We bought out TT from Suncoast RV in Cocoa, but had been using the Suncoast in Jax for any work we needed done. Now Camping World bought them out. I just want to sure I don't patronize that business that acts like that.

[DSN46]

Originally Posted by LFugate

James, do you mind sharing which dealer this is? I live in S. Georgia and the 2 local dealers we had closed up. We bought out TT from Suncoast RV in Cocoa, but had been using the Suncoast in Jax for any work we needed done. Now Camping World bought them out. I just want to sure I don't patronize that business that acts like that.

Hey Valdosta, GA.... We are almost neighbors! We travel through Valdosta about every month headed to Ft. Mountain or Amicalola Falls... we love camping in GA.

Anywho..... the dealer (and I think it is the grandson of the actual man who started the dealership that I spoke with) is J.D. Sanders in Alachua, FL. The way he went off about not working on anything he didn't sell even made the other 2 guys who worked there look embarrassed to be standing near him. Like a little boy really.

You are safe in JAX!

James

[biken201]

I must have had the same guy install my skylight, because I just had the exact same problem repaired about a month ago. My dealer facilitated contact with FR, and I was initially going to tackle the replacement myself also (with FR sending me all of the necessary parts, of course), but the FR rep said I could have a local repair shop do it under warranty. I contacted the shop and they got me in without question, even though I had not bought it from them. I got it in quickly, and the repair was done within a week (and that was only because I had to wait for the weekend to pick it up). I'm sorry to hear about your experience, but I guess it just depends where you live as far as the BS you got from that closest repair shop to you. I would make sure that closest shop got NO business from me ever again, and share your experience with them to as many people as will listen. I get their opinion in theory, but it's not good business sense. I didn't even know of the shop who did my repair before the warranty issue, but they will definitely get my business (and money) in the future if/when other problems arise.

[Len & Cheri]

Originally Posted by DSN46

Hey Valdosta, GA.... We are almost neighbors! We travel through Valdosta about every month headed to Ft. Mountain or Amicalola Falls... we love camping in GA.

Anywho..... the dealer (and I think it is the grandson of the actual man who started the dealership that I spoke with) is J.D. Sanders in Alachua, FL. The way he went off about not working on anything he didn't sell even made the other 2 guys who worked there look embarrassed to be standing near him. Like a little boy really.

You are safe in JAX!

James

Yep, we're practically neighbors . Thanks for the info on the dealer.

Small world, yesterday the wife and I just started planning an October trip to N. Georgia. One of the State Parks we were looking at was Amicalola Falls. I think the other was Vogel. Sounds like you enjoy Amicalola Falls. Have you been to Vogel? Not meaning to hijack your thread here. If you wish I can start a new one to discuss the State Parks.

[biken201]

Look familiar? Maybe they need to do an adjustment on their torque wrench...

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by biken201

Attachment 13589

Look familiar? Maybe they need to do an adjustment on their torque wrench...

No wonder it poured in! All that Dicor channeled every drop of rain that it the entire skylight right into the camper!!!!

[DSN46]

Originally Posted by biken201

Attachment 13589

Look familiar? Maybe they need to do an adjustment on their torque wrench...

That is EXACTLY what mine looks like!! Only mine is a little more toward the middle than the corner. I'm sure sorry YOU had to mess with it also, but it makes me feel a little better knowing that I'm not alone in this.

Thank you for the pic!

James