Warranty work and dealer services

[camping baba]

All dealers are different . I had a water leak on our TT and had it repaired it at the campground called our dealer ( Orchard Trailer , Whatley Ma ) and they told me to bring in the bill and would write me a check . Any other warranty work that had to be done they would make an appointment and do any repairs while I waited . A lot to be said for using a local dealer . Saving a few bucks is not everything .

[f5moab]

Yes, local dealers are a great idea, but just because someone uses a dealer hundreds of mile away it is not always due to the costs of the unit. Most sane people would not drive a few hundred miles further away to save a few hundred bucks; or at least I would hope not.

A lot of us out west are destined to drive hundreds of miles to find a travel trailer dealer of any type. In my case, I had the choice of Grand Junction, 125 miles and a rockwood dealer who was so rude that I walked out and told him to shove his popups where the sun no longer shines. So that left me with SLC, Albuquerque or Denver.

[mgmalm]

The local dealer didn't sell what I wanted and wouldn't order a 5th wheel toy hauler for me. I had to travel farther to get what I wanted and now to be told they won't work on because I didn't buy from them is ridiculous. I tried to buy from them and they wouldn't work with me. So yes I agree with several here that the RV industry needs to change.

[vinmaker]

Is Longview RV just off 395? Is that the one I see from the highway?

I might have stopped in there once. What a bunch of strange people.

Vin.

[sauce]

You think that's bad? I have had numerous problems with the dealership where I bought my Georgetown XL. They're RV Canada in Ottawa Ontario and I am telling anybody & everybody to stay away from them. Their solution to solving problems - check on the Forest River Forum - and its still under warranty.

[strat56]

Originally Posted by magpi26

strat, So, if you contract to have a house built and it is damaged or problems develop and you file aninsurance claim, are you saying one would have to use the original builder or do the repairs yourself?

Nope, I said a warranty claim on the warranty offered by the builder not an insurance claim.

[Terier]

Service departments are often are small in size & staff. I was in the service department and someone was making an appointment to bring their RV in for service. They got a drop off date a couple weeks out and was told there is 40 rigs in front of them.

I almost brought my TT from one dealer and was thinking of having another dealer closer to me do any warranty work. I ended up buying closer to home so things worked out.

[jeffrapp]

Strat, your argument is still illogical. In the case of a home, the warranty is offered by the home builder, who arranges for or provides warranty service. The builder may sell the home himself, or depend upon a realtor. In no case is the realtor expected to provide warranty repairs.
In the case of RV's the warranty is provided by the RV builder, who depends upon others to sell the RV (the dealer) and provide the service. The RV builder does not, and apparently cannot, force the dealer to provide the service. The dealer holds the upper hand in most cases, as I'm told the RV manufacturers have to practically beg the dealers to carry their brand. I presume the dealers elect to at least service units they have actually sold, or they wouldn't be able to sell much. I think the dealers are short sighted and stupid in this matter, but then I'm not an RV dealer. Some dealers are better than others, as in everything else.

[camping baba]

There is a Longview RV just off Rte 91 in Ct near Bradley airport . You can see it from the highway .

[cousin_eddie]

At some point in time, the dealership signed a contract with Forrest River to provide warranty coverage through them, because it was financially beneficial for both parties involved. Regardless of what the dealer in question will tell you, they get reimbursed from FR for the work they perform on every warranty claim submitted.

Although I could understand them putting their customers first, to flat out deny you is stupid on their part on many levels. For one, service work is service work. When times are slow, they will regret the hell out of every job they didn't take. Secondly, turning you away is extremely short sighted from a potential customer aspect. There is a reason you went elsewhere to buy, if they can get you in their dealership and treat you right, you are that much more likely to come back when it's time to upgrade. Thirdly, unless you told them otherwise, they have no idea if you are traveling through, or if you just moved to the area. Unless you specifically told them you went that far away to save money, there are several legitimate reasons why their dealership may not have even been an option for you when you bought.

Unfortunately, I have found FR's customer service and warranty network to be severely lacking. If and when it comes time for us to upgrade, this will be a major factor in us looking at other brands first. I like our camper, but they were willing to leave us stranded 800 miles from home. After hours on the phone, I finally figured out a solution on my own and had to submit a reimbursement request. Even after we got home, I had a hell of a time getting FR to fix the problem correctly.

Customer service just ain't what it used to be.

[Flybob]

The fact is that FR is selling units as fast as they can build them hence no reason what so ever to change things. If people stopped buying them until issues like warranty service was resolved, it would be resolved quickly. We are as much of the problem as FR.

[nineoaks2004]

It seems to me that as long as the dealer has a contract with a manufacturer ,they should be obligated to repair a problem, no matter where the unit was purchased.
I worked for an 2 RV dealers in Ocala, Fl. and we did warranty work for anything we sold and a lot of what we did not sell, we still received payment from the manufacturer.

[vinmaker]

Originally Posted by camping baba

There is a Longview RV just off Rte 91 in Ct near Bradley airport . You can see it from the highway .

Ok Thanks. that is not the one I was thinking of then.

But thanks for the warning. I will stay away from them.

Vin.

[strat56]

Originally Posted by jeffrapp

Strat, your argument is still illogical. In the case of a home, the warranty is offered by the home builder, who arranges for or provides warranty service. The builder may sell the home himself, or depend upon a realtor. In no case is the realtor expected to provide warranty repairs.
In the case of RV's the warranty is provided by the RV builder, who depends upon others to sell the RV (the dealer) and provide the service. The RV builder does not, and apparently cannot, force the dealer to provide the service. The dealer holds the upper hand in most cases, as I'm told the RV manufacturers have to practically beg the dealers to carry their brand. I presume the dealers elect to at least service units they have actually sold, or they wouldn't be able to sell much. I think the dealers are short sighted and stupid in this matter, but then I'm not an RV dealer. Some dealers are better than others, as in everything else.

As I said in my post, I have no desire try and change anyone's mind on this subject or have a big debate on the logic in my opinion.

[jeffrapp]

Cousin_Eddie, I agree with everything you say, except for one point. I don't think FR's warranty service is any different from almost any other manufacturer, except for very high end units. I've had similar experience with other brands. It's the nature of the RV business.

[Yorkranchgalnguy]

Have had good luck with service from selling dealer in Atascadero, Ca And from FR dealer in Sheridan, WY, both warranty work. Pacific Coast RV in Atascadero, and Dalton's RV in Sheridan. FR stepped up to the plate in both situations: one pre okayed and one reimbursed after work done. No complaints.