Bad Experience with Georgetown and LCI

[tamdle]

Have my brand new 2016 Georgetown XL 352QS out for first drive test after got the unit home from the dealer. The trip was only 200 miles round trip for 2 nights. The total miles I have driven on the unit is less than 500 miles including 265 miles drove from the dealer to home.

Make the long story short, we have the hydraulic system failure, could not hold the pressure to keep the slide lock in. I have the service technician came to the house and diagnose the hydraulic unit with LCI and they both determined that the hydraulic unit must be replaced.

The problem is it have already been 2 weeks, and both of LCI and Forest River could not identify the part number for the hydraulic assembly. There is no part number stamped on any part of the assembly. They could not send the replacement unit until they identify the part number of the unit. This is ridiculous.

I just could not believe that LCI does not have the part number stamped on the unit and Forest River does not have any record of the part that they installed on my unit. Now they both pointing their fingers at each other and my RV is out of the service.

Does anyone have this experience? Or better yet does anyone have or know any part number on the hydraulic assembly unit of the 2016 Georgetown XL 352QS?

I know that if both LCI and Forest River could not find the part number, no one else could have it, but I just want to ask to see if any hidden luck could get me through this really bad experience.

Thanks in advance.

[Iggy]

Are you in Maryland or Texas? I see both states.


This is the Forest River Rep for the east coast for Georgetown and FR3 motorhomes.
Worth a call or email to explain to him what your dealer has told you and that you are frustrated and need assistance to get it repaired.

East Coast Warranty Rep for Georgetown and FR3
Brian Knight
bknight@forestriverinc.com
Phone 574-206-7604
Fax 574-206-2484

or

Mid- West US?CAN Warranty Rep for Georgetown and FR3
Celestino Lopez
clopez@forestriverinc.com
Direct: 574-206-7618
Fax 574-206-2484

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Are you in Maryland or Texas? I see both states.

Yes, I am now MOVED to Texas, and yes, I did contact via phone and email CEL too, and FR also could not locate the part number.

I will have to keep trying.

[double D]

I had a similar situation and I,m in Canada. We had to remove the hydraulic unit and ship it to LCI. Make sure you get names of people receiving unit and follow up on it. It was covered by warranty and has worked fine for 2 years now... good luck

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by double D

I had a similar situation and I,m in Canada. We had to remove the hydraulic unit and ship it to LCI. Make sure you get names of people receiving unit and follow up on it. It was covered by warranty and has worked fine for 2 years now... good luck

Did not think of that option, thanks for the great suggestion, I will ask my service guy to do so.

Thanks again.

[toslow]

sorry for your luck, sounds like a real crappy deal.

is there no lemon law in the states?

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by toslow

sorry for your luck, sounds like a real crappy deal.

is there no lemon law in the states?

Not sure if there is any in Texas, more likely there will not be. The thing is the RV manufacturers know how to get around it by having a good customer service so that they would response to my complaint right away.

When you email or talk to them, they provided me with the excellent responses and acting as it would be no problem at all to take care of my needs. But after 5 weeks so far, the problem is still there, every time I contact them, they responded and act as they were on top of the thing, but in the reality, responding to my issue is still far from resolved my problem. By doing this, even if I take them to court, the verdict is still they did the best possible to help me under a giving circumstance. I will be losing the case anyway since they were not ignored me.

It is an unfortunate situation, but I guessed that I have to deal with this problem until it resolved and hope that I don't have to deal with problem like this on every trip.

[SCUBA Guy]

I had to have my unit replaced (pump froze up) they had to replace the complete unit, pump, motor, and reservoir. My dealer ordered the unit from LCI USING THE LAST SEVEN of the vin number. It took about a week as they had to build the replacement. It was an upgraded unit. My unit and labor was covered by my extended warranty.
2013 Georgetown XL 378TS

[mdstudey]

I worked in manufacturing for over 30 years from material handling to purchasing. I don't see how they cannot have a part number. That is ridiculous. I bet if they talked to someone in purchasing or material management they would get the part number. It was the same thing told to me when I asked for schematic for the wiring and print where the studs are to see if I could add a ladder. If they really don't have these things how are the worker suppose to know where things go. Maybe the just WAG it.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by double D

I had a similar situation and I,m in Canada. We had to remove the hydraulic unit and ship it to LCI. Make sure you get names of people receiving unit and follow up on it. It was covered by warranty and has worked fine for 2 years now... good luck

If it were me Id TELL the dealer to send a rep to remove the hydraulic cylinder and send it, why should you have to do the work when it is their responsibility!

[cmalberto]

Interesting...my hydraulic unit was replaced last month. The short story was that I went to pick up for a number of repairs and the Hydraulic unit kept activating every 20 seconds. They tried everything from the switch to the wiring harness. Ending replacing the complete unit. The first one that came in was not the one for this coach. Thy had to special order through Lipert - it is fixed for now but keeping a cautious eye on it. Paranoid I guess.

[tamdle]

After more than 8 weeks of back and forth between LCI, FR and I, the hydraulic assembly for my brand new Georgetown XL 352QS arrived today. Called the mobile RV service guy in my area, he came right away within the hour, took out the defective one, put on the new assembly, all works well. Got the bill for $321 which will be reimbursed by FR. They did send the part at no charge. I packed the defective one back and sent it back the same day. FR provided the "call tag", therefore does not cost me anything for shipping the part back. The unit working great now.

The delayed caused by the manufacturer for the hydraulic system assembly does not have a part number stamped on the part itself. I have to take many images of difference angle and sent it to Forest River before they could order the custom built part from LCI before they could send it to me at no cost. This process alone took 3 weeks. It is shame that FR does not have a part number called out from their manufacturing drawing. Otherwise, they could pull the part number without the customer have to go through all of this nonsense.

Lesson learned.
For those who bought or planning to buy the RV from an out of town dealer because of the better price, the consequence is the local dealer will put you on the bottom of their list for service and that could take months to get your RV back on the road. I called the local RV dealer and they quote be between 2 to 3 months before I could have my RV back.

This is where the RV Mobile service guy came in handy. Service at your doorstep. Granted, you may have to pay for the service call which could be ranged from $60 to $75, but you can get quick and great service, almost right away. My mobile RV service guy came within couple hours when I called him. He works with LCI to diagnosed the problem. Also, his rate is $75/hr compare to the dealer at $150/hr. to $200/hr.

Where can you find these mobile RV service guy? Go to your nearby RV campground, most likely that all campground will have a mobile RV service contact.

Regard to Forest River, my contact is Celestino Lopez. His email is clopez@forestriverinc.com. Don't call him, it will take 2 to 3 days before he could get back to you. Email him, and he will response within couple hours or within the same day depending on his load. He is a great guy (not sure if how he would be after the warranty).

I am all happy now. The RV is back and ready for more camping.

[cmalberto]

Thanks for the follow-up - great news...Yeap Cel @ FR is a popular guy it seems.