Negative: Spare tire for TT, Camping World Columbia’s GA

[Whispering Pines]

Wanted to share this with you!

I would like to tell you of my experience with Camping World in Columbia GA. My young bride and myself recently retired. We have a 30 RKSS Puma TT. I cut a corner too short and broke a rim on the trailer. I stopped at the Camping World mentioned. First parts guy I asked for a replacement rim. He said they don’t stock them and told me to go to Walmart or Goodyear. since the lot was full of RV’s and TT’s with spare tires not being used or going to be purchased this week. I went back in to talk to parts MGR. He would not look at me but kept working on his computer complain on year end payroll. I asked for Service MGR, who told me to talk to Sales MGR. She (Sunny) informed me that they can not take a spare off a used unit and order a replacement. But she would look into it. She spoke to everyone I spoke to and found a parts person who might have a tire in the back from a custom who ordered it and did not pick it up. They found one. Yea! Then I was quoted a price from parts guy of $198.00. After talking to service MGR the price went up to $303.20. Knowing that I needed it, That I could not travel without a spare tire. All this took over a hour to accomplish. I’m retire military of 40yrs. Good Sam’s Club Member. I did not get any discount. Military, Senior, Good Sam’s AAA. I’m on a fixed income and was taken advantage of. There were over 18 employees at this location and I was the only customer. I’m very disappointed by this experience since I plan on upgrading to a 5th wheeler in the next year. Recommend you take a serious look at who you clientele is. Shame on you!!

[Blackrock]

Any good full service tire shop should have been able to fix you up with a rim and a tire. It might be a white spoke wheel but still will work.

[rsdata]

Tractor Supply and Walmart... trailer tires on rims usually in stock about $120 for a 15 inch tire

You spent a lot of time trying to let them help you... Camping World's in general do NOT have a good reputation for after-sale service.

[Whispering Pines]

Thank-you good to know now.

[SlowrideHD]

You are the one who allowed them to take advantage of you. Of course CW is a shameful bunch, who doesn't know that? You should have just went somewhere else. No ones fault but your own.

[Whispering Pines]

You are correct. Hard times, new to the life style.

[richp]

Hi Slowride,

Let's not be too hard on him.

Many folks in the RV universe (particularly newbies) are not as familiar with the issues frequently discussed here about Camping World's problems.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips

[Chuck_S]

Why couldn't you continue your journey on your spare? Order a new "rim" (I'm assuming this is a bling "rim" and not a mere "wheel") and tire from ETrailer and have it shipped to your destination.

I've found RV/trailer dealers seldom have wheels or tires. They just send you to the tire shop down the street for tires. Not unique to Camping World.

40 years in the US military? Gotta make Major General to do that.

-- Chuck

[Mr Towed]

I have heard stories on both sides of this coin from various dealerships of different types. I had a broken clutch line on my Jeep, far from home, and I needed a replacement to get home. There was a lot full of Jeeps with the same clutch line but they had no interest in helping me out. I am a member of the BMW car club of America and I have hear numerous stories of people on long trips being stranded and the service guys at a bmw dealer or independent shop, bending over backwards to scavenge parts, stay open after hours, and interupt other repairs in progress to get people back on their way home. In all cases these are not people who bought the car from that dealership and have no chance of buying a car or using their service department in the future so it simply a case of attitude and willingness to help a fellow person in distress, nothing to do with bottom the bottom line, which sounds like is the case with this camping world.

[14apex]

"Columbia"?...or is it "Columbus"? In any event, totally agree with others -- avoid CW at all times, especially with tire/wheel combos available at Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, etc...and, you can usually expect good price/value + reasonably customer focused attention at both.

[Chuck_S]

Related. Subaru dealer failed to tighten or maybe even replace the oil cap on the engine of my wife's car causing oil all over the engine and garage floor. No cap. Service manager told me it'd be a week to get the part in. I reminded them they had 50 new caps sitting out in their new car lot. Wouldn't do it. Took the intervention of the general manager to avoid me speaking very loudly in the showroom with potential customers there. Squeaky wheel. And it was their fault. This wasn't Camping World's problem although they could have solved it and generated customer gratitude.

-- Chuck

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

Related. Subaru dealer failed to tighten or maybe even replace the oil cap on the engine of my wife's car causing oil all over the engine and garage floor. No cap. Service manager told me it'd be a week to get the part in. I reminded them they had 50 new caps sitting out in their new car lot. Wouldn't do it. Took the intervention of the general manager to avoid me speaking very loudly in the showroom with potential customers there. Squeaky wheel. And it was their fault. This wasn't Camping World's problem although they could have solved it and generated customer gratitude.

-- Chuck

Completely different product and store but I had a similair problem with wooden entertainment center that I bought from Best Buy probably 10+ years ago.

I had the entire thing put together and sitting in my living room when I went to put on the last piece and found they had given me 2 bottom pieces instead of 1 top and 1 bottom.

I went back to the store and asked if I could simply swap out the piece from another box and they could send that back to the manufacturer. They insisted that they couldn't do this and that I would have to completely disassemble the one I had a home and bring it in to exchange it for another one.

I asked if I could buy one off the shelf, go out to the parking lot, take out the piece I needed and come back in and return it and they said, "Sure that's fine.".

Luckily my brother-in-law worked there at the time and he was able to get the piece we needed without too much trouble.

I'm amazed how how often businesses will refuse to do some relatively simple task to make a customer happy and instead insist that we jump through hoops to accomplish the same thing.

[Wolf26]

Friends don't let friends go to Scamming World, I mean Camping World.

[JimMorrell]

I've had 4 blowouts on my TT, each destroying the wheel as well. Have never had a problem of replacement at any of the RV and Tire Shops I've gone to.Try them next time.

[CaptnJohn]

In every magazine GS Marcus says if your not happy to email him. That would be my 1st thing and if no help the guy that helps others with mfg and store problems.

[cschwa8518]

After 20 some odd years of RVing and five different RV's, I find that Camping World is the last place I would take my RV for a repair. Poor workmanship and very high priceing and for sure would not purchase an RV from them

[FORKLIFMAN]

Not meant to criticize you for what you did. From your details, They were brushing you off ,from the beginning? Why did your go back? If a business doesn't want to be bothered to help you? They obviously do not want you businesses! Walk Away! Tires and rims are a "tire shops'" specialty. They said go to Goodyear. They told you to leave! My self I prefer Les Schwab! Or in some cases a Truck shop. Not sure but the price may have been a lot less, than what CW charged you?

My MH does not have a spare. I am like you I do not have anything without a spare tire! So I keep my tires in good condition, on the MH. And hope I do not have an incident as you did. There are truck shops that make road side service calls to do tires where you are. This Is my plan of attack, if needed.

Now a days, the new hybrids do no have room for spare tires, so consequently a spare tire is not considered a major accessory anymore. Instead they supply the vehicle with a can of green slime and a compressor, so that you can make it to a dealer... or as I prefer a tire shop. Not a feature I am found of.

Happy Trails.

Cheers David

[Old codger]

I am not here to defend, because I know there have been bad experiences with CW. I had my own with a new motor home bought there. The price was good and sales and delivery people nice. Troubles with entertainment systems however. I did return it twice and they did fix other things I had found. The entertainment system was not. A technician told me they were not going to fix as did service manager. Wrote my letter to Marcus and I think it may have been caught before he even received. Needless to say, I received a phone call from the particular CW and they had been told to get it fixed ASAP. I took it back and when I went to pick it up. all was perfect.

So Marcus or his assistants can get results quickly. Don't quit, but I likely would have walked on the tire deal also and gone to tire store that was in that business.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by SlowrideHD

You are the one who allowed them to take advantage of you. Of course CW is a shameful bunch, who doesn't know that? You should have just went somewhere else. No ones fault but your own.

That is more than a bit harsh, isn't it?

I wonder what happened in your previous time on this planet to remove all empathy for someone without the vast knowledge base you seem to possess?

Good luck in the future, I suspect you aer going to need it.

[tomkatb]

We blew a tire last week coming home from Houston. Ours are 16” 235x.65 G rated.

Called Good Sam as we are members. We’re told the cost to change it on the road was 0.

If we wanted a new tire they would bring a $120 China bomb for $470 to install on our rim!

We declined the tire. Good Sam, unprofessional as hell, nice fellow, crap tools, his jack broke down. My wife lifted the fiver with the levelers. Or we would have waited another5 hours.

While waiting, In the next town of Texarkana we contacted a truck tire store. Made a 7:30 appointment for the next day at their shop. They recommended a nice campground nearby to spend the night.

Out the door by 9:45 am with professionally installed Goodyear trailer tires for $350 each for for everything including balance for 4. Minimal trip delay.

So, I would not recommend traveling without a spare!

We would have been forced to buy a throw away tire if we did not have a spare.

I thought our Westlake tires were the better China tires. Blew at 24 months and 9,000 miles. I drive at 64 mph. Tires were aired up. Monitor.