What a Dealer Finds in a PDI on New Unit

[jdp105]

I work at a dealership that sells Forest River trailers and I also own a Cedar Creek trailer. I have watched the forum and read the difficulties new owners have with new units and do feel your pain. I spend anywhere from four hours to two days doing PDIs on new units and fixing things from the factory before they are put on the lot. They also get another PDI when sold which if was done right the first time I did it should be quicker. I could not pass on showing what I found today on a new travel trailer. On the roof were two vent pipes that had left the factory with no caps installed, just two holes in the roofing and the roof itself, and lots of water damage inside of course as unit had sat in the lot for a month. We will now have to take out one wall and a ceiling to fix. One other vent, and all other openings in the roof including a tv antenna right beside the vents pictured which were about 8 inches apart, were sealed properly. One picture is one of the vents I did attach and seal properly. Must have been lunch time when it came to adding caps and sealing the last two vents at the factory. When you purchase a trailer, go over every inch of it with a fine tooth comb and if you have a good dealer they should assist you in the inspection as they do get paid to fix any warranty items and should know what to look for.

[jgourlie]

Thanks for posting this. I think it's so important on the dealer that you buy from, a dealer that cares goes a long way

[dblr]

Thanks for posting, wish all dealers were this thorough even tho they should not really have to be if done right from the start.

[Wheels Down]

I was looking at local dealers but ended up going a bit farther to a larger dealership.
I was not disappointed. They were great. For sales, the service and PDI I was impressed. They had a small RV park adjacent to their lot so I told them I would set up and spend a night there making sure all things worked before accepting the unit. That went great. DW baked a cake in the oven, we operated everything, lights,sinks,slideouts, the works. Any help I needed was right there and friendly. We found a few things that need repair and some parts were/are on order, so we left the unit there for later pick-up.
Good to hear from a dealer service person on here. Maybe they need their own page. Their side of the equation might make for some interesting reading.

RMc

[Steeljag]

JDP - Is there a reason you are aware of the dealership does not send these type units back? Especially with roof issues and water damage?

Thanks for posting!

[M&K Hoffman]

Just out of curiosity do units damaged like this get sold a brand new units or rebuilt units? Is the customer advised of what has happened to the unit? Or is that something that laws might vary state to state? BTW I know what the ethical answer should be.

[MT Biker]

The dealer we purchased our Micro Lite 23FB from paints the frames on every trailer they receive before selling them.
They claim that I would never want to see what the frames looks like from the factory!

[Stygshore]

Currently in a love hate relationship with our dealer

The dealer we have has taken good care of us this far, but I fear they will get sick of hearing from me shortly.

When we picked out the trailer ( 2011 Shamrock ) we knew it was used, so some busted molding, little dirt here and there, bent curtain bar with stripped screw, and some blemishes on the exterior ( small dent in the corner) were to be expected.


Dealer touted about the huge inspection process they go through even on used units at this visit.

9 days later we drive an hour to go pick up the new to us trailer. As the tech is showing us around he opens the fridge vent on the outside... leaves and dirt fall out... same for the hot water vent. Shows us the light on the front to assist with hitching at night - burned out, opens bunk, protective pad is hanging off the latch from a rubber strand. Go inside, stove light doesn't work, sealant around the AC is hanging down, Plastic redirects for the exterior gutters are sitting in the sink, Curtain bar is still bent- screw missing

They fixed these issues while we waited - but if they inspected it didn't take much to find these issues.

Get the TT home and set up in the driveway - Scissor jack is mangled, rod is so crooked it hits the camper floor ( plate bent about 45 Degrees on camper) Rain that night bunk ends all leak like a sieve, tested with hose sure enough, they all leak. Bring it back up the hour drive to the dealer, they install all new seals and bend the scissor jack plate down. Works but that jack is wobbly


Back home, prepping 2 days before our first trip. De-winterize the system. Bypass was not on the hot water heater, buildup of pink crystalline material is all the way out to the last thread on the heater anode core. Rest of De-winterization goes well, no leaks, pink stuff all gone. Open water well and sewage drain expecting pretty much just water/coolant.....NOPE! brown stuff!!! They didn't even flush the tanks out...

Hopefully we are past the issues we have found, and we can just enjoy the camper now

Chris

[CNYCamper]

Our dealer conducts post sale seminars for their customers. At the last one I attended the technician told us they need to re-do or correct some of the roof caulking on most of the RV's that arrive from the factory.

[papakilo]

Originally Posted by jdp105

Attachment 106900

Attachment 106901

I work at a dealership that sells Forest River trailers and I also own a Cedar Creek trailer. I have watched the forum and read the difficulties new owners have with new units and do feel your pain. I spend anywhere from four hours to two days doing PDIs on new units and fixing things from the factory before they are put on the lot. They also get another PDI when sold which if was done right the first time I did it should be quicker. I could not pass on showing what I found today on a new travel trailer. On the roof were two vent pipes that had left the factory with no caps installed, just two holes in the roofing and the roof itself, and lots of water damage inside of course as unit had sat in the lot for a month. We will now have to take out one wall and a ceiling to fix. One other vent, and all other openings in the roof including a tv antenna right beside the vents pictured which were about 8 inches apart, were sealed properly. One picture is one of the vents I did attach and seal properly. Must have been lunch time when it came to adding caps and sealing the last two vents at the factory. When you purchase a trailer, go over every inch of it with a fine tooth comb and if you have a good dealer they should assist you in the inspection as they do get paid to fix any warranty items and should know what to look for.

I bought a Sunseeker 2500TS from a Forest River dealer in Burlington Ontario, and it seems to me they did not know what PDI meant. My unit clearly did not get much of an inspection. I base this comment on the things I found wrong with it after I got home.

[txredfish]

Examples of good quality control from Forest River before it leaves the factory. HA!

[jdp105]

The damage was just to a ceiling panel and a wall panel which are very easy to change out so unit is still as new so minimal damage compared to what it could have been. It is not unusual to change damaged panels that may have marks etc.

[jdp105]

Originally Posted by steeljag

JDP - Is there a reason you are aware of the dealership does not send these type units back? Especially with roof issues and water damage?

Thanks for posting!

I know that some have been sent back but in most cases it is easier to fix in the shop and they have the ability to fix or rebuild any issues. They may also be put in the rental section after being fixed as the rentals have their own tech to keep them on the road. rentals have a hard life.

[riverrat958]

I also worked for a small rv dealership- found alot wrong from factory- tried to correct every fault.sometimes things got missed but they tried to correct all problems.the dealership has since closed :-( But I did learn alot .

[jdp105]

Originally Posted by txredfish

Examples of good quality control from Forest River before it leaves the factory. HA!

Forest River are one of the better manufactures. There are some that are a lot worse. When people look at units they usually spend more time looking at the flashy items but do not spend time looking deeper into other areas of the units such as cupboards, cabinets, and mechanical areas. Look at things such as furnaces, water pumps, converters, and water heaters to see how hard it may be to service or change. I think my next retirement job may be assisting people in looking over Rvs before they buy them.

[moligney]

Even between departments in a dealership can be a big difference. I bought a 2016 Forest River TH last fall and lived in it over the winter. Found absolutely no problems with the TH other than some design issues even though it was a low end unit. Traded it in on a 5th wheel at a CW dealership and was given a good trade in and a good price on a excellent 3 year old unit. Was absolutely impressed with the whole sales process until two days after I dropped off the TH and I arrived to pick up the new unit and closed the deal. Sales guy mentioned they had found a couple of issues with my trade in but not deal stoppers. Propane system was inop due to oil in the lines and brakes were not working due to wiring issues probably from day one.
This was the unit I had dragged 6000 plus miles through the back-roads of 6 states over 4 months and used the propane daily up to day of trade in. No way would I take a unit to that service department.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by M&K Hoffman

Just out of curiosity do units damaged like this get sold a brand new units or rebuilt units? Is the customer advised of what has happened to the unit? Or is that something that laws might vary state to state? BTW I know what the ethical answer should be.

I would bet they are sold as new without any disclosure to the buyer.


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