Local Dealer Won't Service Out of State Trailer

[NXR]

Originally Posted by boblinda

The salesman I bought my FR from in Fla. lied to my face when I asked about warranted work being done in my home state NY. "Oh yes, any FR dealer". Lied straight up. And that was when I cancelled my extended warranty. Another rip off to avoid when purchasing an RV. Thankfully I am mechanically inclined and have done anything that has come up. Nothing very serious...so far.

Sorry, I'm not following. That is Forest River's policy. In addition, you can contact FR directly and they usually authorize non-dealers, such as a mobile tech, to perform warranty repairs. I think it's usually on a reimbursement basis, though.

Unlike car dealers, RV dealerships are independent businesses and under no contractual obligation to do repairs for anyone they choose not to. Maybe this is the problem you experienced?

Ray

[Flash56]

My husband & I have run into the same thing. We found an incredible deal out of state. That dealer actually told us we could get our RV serviced at any dealer @ home. We were too naive to know better. Now we travel 5 hours round trip to get our rig serviced, and serviced horribly I might add.
Now we’re trying to figure out what to do

[paul42]

Most of what you are hearing is a sales tactic by salesmen to scare you into buying from them. Same as "sure, your truck can tow this" or "here at xyz, quality is our priority."

The reality is that many dealerships are divided into two or three parts; there is Sales, Service, and (usually) Parts. Sales is going to (okay, not all, but a lot of them) say/do anything to get your sale. We already know that, and if you don't, you're living dangerously. Service is there to fix things, and guess what, make the dealership money. The Service manager is graded on his own departments performance, and it is really unlikely that they are going to turn away service to the benefit of sales unless they can literally not fit anything else into the schedule.

We bought our trailer from out of state (way out of state) at rv-direct, and after our first couple of trips, had about ten items on our list to be taken care of. I called our local dealer, told them the model of trailer we had, our problems, and made an appointment without issue for them to take the trailer and provide service. What I did not do was open with "Hey, so, despite you guys threatening me, I went ahead anyway and bought a trailer from someone else. Can you go ahead and take care of it anyway?" Just be friendly, and people will usually try to help you out. Incidentally, our trailer has at least a few stickers from rv-direct on it, and not a word was said when the service department fixed it. Had a great experience!

[Flash56]

I didn’t mean to sound unkind. Trust me, we’ve bent over backwards & never had a rude tone.
But at this point we are sick of making trip after trip, to date we have made 4 trips, and the issues are still not resolved.
No exaggeration, they have had our RV more than we have.

[Danhikeski]

Originally Posted by BigRockr

Couple points. The dealer can say he won't work on your vehicle because has more warranty work than he will ever get done thanks to the quality of the product he sells (thank you manufacturers). Do dealers make "less" on warranty work? I'd like to see some hard facts on that. For me, hard to believe. Would an rv salesman ever stretch the truth? Yes, period. Do dealers ever pressure manufacturers to make a better product. My gut feeling is no. More glitz, sure. Keep that shop full with repairs. An empty service bay is a bottom line killer. Anyone in reasonable health can repair an rv.

You hit a good point regarding pressure to make a better product on the manufacturers.

I am in the category of buying further away from home due to price, I ended up with the fully optioned trailer, rather than the standard version, for the standard version price.
The only warrantee work I needed, I sent dealer pictures, and they sent me material to fix myself. Win-win, I do the labor, they bought me a (full) roll of the paneling seam tape! I can fix the staples that didn’t hit framing and fix the seam tape that ripped from the staples pulling out and have leftover tape for future needs

[Cyclicpitcher]

Sales says those things, call any dealer and ask for service dept and tell them you want to schedule an appointment. Most service managers will never ask you where you bought it.

Forget the warranty, just plan to pickup the camper going over a weekend and tell the selling dealer that you will camp close by and is their service department open on Saturday for any warranty repairs, that you would like to have warranty repairs while your in the area.

Take possession of new trailer on Thursday and go to a close by campground and camp! Turn on everything, run the shower and make a list of minor stuff and anything you want tweeked and repaired. Plan on taking the camper back to your dealer on Saturday. If you have no issues, go anyway, brag on them,tell them how happy you are. Get them to explain a few things. Then go back to local camp site and camp through Saturday night and Sunday, if no issues go home, if issues, stay and return to dealer on Monday. If you saved 5 grand and on Monday have to wait for repair and parts, then go home and plan on returning the following weekend to the dealer to pickup again. A few hundred miles of gas, good relationship, enjoying your camper.

I have done this on 3 different new camper purchases, had fun, got to camp, and only once had to have a water heater board replaced on a Saturday by the selling dealer under warranty.
Camping is entertainment,paid adventure, sell your new camper every two years by owner and you will get most of your money back and then buy a new one. What cost to raise your kids camping as a family, instill values, teach and train. Priceless!

[ppe115]

I don't understand why an RV dealer would turn down warranty work. I bought my Chevy Silverado 90 miles away to get a better deal. My local Chevy dealer had no problem doing warranty work on my vehicle. Why would it be any different for an RV dealer?

[bikendan]

I'm one of the minority that actually educates myself, before making big purchases, by doing research.
Luckily i had spent two years on various RV Forums BEFORE buying my first new RV. It's not unusual for me to take 2-5 years before i feel i have enough knowledge to make me spend the money.
So when i bought my first RV, from a dealer 2000 miles away, i was well aware of the possible consequences. I contacted FR who found me 3 local dealers willing to do the warranty work. I just had to understand that i wouldn't be near the front of the line. This was fine with me because i dropped it off in November and told them I didn't need it til March. That way i got free storage for 4 months.
I have seen WAY too many new owners, who were impulsive buyers or did no research, arrive on RV Forums angry because they just found out things that are constantly discussed on RV Forums. Dealers refusing to do service on units they didn't sell is one of those constantly discussed topics.

[sparty047]

We are lucky to have a really good RV dealer here in ER, MI. They give excellent service before and after the sale. We discussed pricing....and each of us compromised a little to reach a deal "almost as good as buying at a big box type dealer" while supporting the local business and guaranteeing good care after the sale.



Far from being "butterheads" they will go beyond to service their own customers and will accommodate any service request.....but you can bet if I, and a neighbor who bought far away, bring our rigs in a day before our planned departures, mine is likely to go to the head of the line and his will be scheduled.

[garybeau]

Originally Posted by USMCbh1983

I am looking to purchase a trailer. I got a quote from an out of state dealer that was very very competitive. I spoke to a local dealer who said that they will not service anything from that particular dealer and that I won't find anyone in the state that will. I was told I could verify that with other people. So I did.

I called around and spoke to the service departments at 4 other dealers. When I asked them, 3 said they would service it, 1 said they aren't servicing anything unless purchased from them because they are so busy, and nobody ever heard of the dealer that I mentioned.

What's interesting is that when I spoke to salesmen at 2 additional dealers, they both gave me a line that I won't be able to get my trailer serviced if I buy elsewhere and that 99.9% of the dealers only service those who buy from them. Even with that said, though, they still never heard of the out of state dealer.

My lengthy post leads to this: has anyone else run into this?

That is very typical almost everywhere in the country. The one big exception is to buy from RV Wholesalers located in Ohio. They have a nationwide dealer service network who can take care of any warranty problems that you have. I am now on my second trailer from RVW and it is currently at Camping world have two recall repairs taken care of. I simply called RVW to ask who I should take my trailer to and they called me back very quickly with a dealer who would be willing to take my trailer for repairs. I also took the first trailer that I bought from them in for a warrant repair and that was taken care of. I never paid anything as RVW took care of all of the costs with that dealer that they sent you to. Excellent company and I save about $7000 on my lates trailer over the best price anyone here was willing to go.

[elenamarcy]

Originally Posted by USMCbh1983

I am looking to purchase a trailer. I got a quote from an out of state dealer that was very very competitive. I spoke to a local dealer who said that they will not service anything from that particular dealer and that I won't find anyone in the state that will. I was told I could verify that with other people. So I did.

I called around and spoke to the service departments at 4 other dealers. When I asked them, 3 said they would service it, 1 said they aren't servicing anything unless purchased from them because they are so busy, and nobody ever heard of the dealer that I mentioned.

What's interesting is that when I spoke to salesmen at 2 additional dealers, they both gave me a line that I won't be able to get my trailer serviced if I buy elsewhere and that 99.9% of the dealers only service those who buy from them. Even with that said, though, they still never heard of the out of state dealer.

My lengthy post leads to this: has anyone else run into this?

I bought my trailer out of state and my local RV said they would service it.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by IDguy

No. They will lose franchise if they do not service. My bet is they do not have franchise.

From the link provided in post three in the thread..which is from Forest River and on their website:


Dealers in our Industry are not franchised like automotive dealers and therefore not obligated to work on your product when it is not purchased from them.

- Our Dealers are independently owned and operated businesses. Service and scheduling is at their discretion and priority is commonly provided to customers that purchased from their dealership.

[dmayo13]

Originally Posted by USMCbh1983

I am looking to purchase a trailer. I got a quote from an out of state dealer that was very very competitive. I spoke to a local dealer who said that they will not service anything from that particular dealer and that I won't find anyone in the state that will. I was told I could verify that with other people. So I did.

I called around and spoke to the service departments at 4 other dealers. When I asked them, 3 said they would service it, 1 said they aren't servicing anything unless purchased from them because they are so busy, and nobody ever heard of the dealer that I mentioned.

What's interesting is that when I spoke to salesmen at 2 additional dealers, they both gave me a line that I won't be able to get my trailer serviced if I buy elsewhere and that 99.9% of the dealers only service those who buy from them. Even with that said, though, they still never heard of the out of state dealer.

My lengthy post leads to this: has anyone else run into this?

When I bought I got a good price out of town then went to the salesman at local dealer and told him what I could buy it for. He came down to a comparable price and I bought local. I previously had one bought out of town and they serviced it but the ones bought from them got first service. Try to get them to come down to a price close. Don’t know if that will work for you but it did for me.

[Adrian Gordon]

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

... State laws will vary, but in Texas the law clearly states that to do warranty work you must either be a licensed dealer or be subcontracted by one to complete warranty repairs...

I just want to make sure that I understand what you're saying. Texas law says that if a manufacturer agrees it could not authorize a local independent mechanic or repair shop to perform warranty work? Is that correct? Could you please give us a citation to this Texas law?

[garyhopp]

My first thought is.
OK with that attitude I am not sure I would even want service or let alone do business with a dealer. My retreat would be fast and swift out of his front door. Same goes for the manufacture if they side with the lack luster dealer maybe I will move down to the street to a more supportive manufacture!
Yes when they are sitting around on their hands they will bend over backwards but when business is good its "Who Are You?".

[rsdata]

I don't believe that RV dealers see service work on campers as a profit center. Warranty work does not pay them enough to keep the lights on and even un-skilled employees paid.

Sales keeps the front doors open, and the service department is there to facilitate sales. Simple as that.

ON the other hand... Independent RV repair shops and mobile RV techs are entrepreneurs that will help you fix your RV under warranty but ONLY IF YOU do the paper-work to get your warranty work pre-approved ( time consuming) then, pay them directly and then settle up with Forest River ( or whomever) authorized the warranty work. GREAT business model BTW.

Just as a point of interest... a LOCAL to Cincinnati, OH one RV dealer HOLMAN RV actually advertises it's service facility... I have never been there, but I find their current TV advertising interesting. https://www.holmanrv.com/

[macshane]

Yes, we ran into this when we bought our Flagstaff pop-up. All set to purchase one from a local dealer when the Mrs found the same one 7000.00 cheaper in IN. We went to the local dealer & explained what we found. We didn't ask them to match the price because they were in eastern PA & we knew they would have costs involved that the IN dealer wouldn't. They would not budge a penny on their price. Then they threw the Forrest River brochure in our face that stated they didn't have to service it if we didn't buy from them-Forrest River wants you to buy local. I don't know about you, but $7K is a lot of money for me. Fortunately, we had just made a trip to IN for pleasure & knew it would only cost about $500 round-trip. That would be 14 trips for service if needed. I told the local dealer if I had to get it serviced that many times, under warranty, I wasn't going to be keeping it anyway. So, we bought it in IN, saved more than the $7K at purchase. Only needed to take it in for warranty work once. So, $500 for the drop-off trip, nothing for the pick-up trip as we were going back out there anyway for a football game.
Said local dealer is no longer in business, either.

[garyhopp]

OK, with that in mind then why did Camping World (originally Service and Accessories only) grow and prosper in that field alone.

[rsdata]

OK, with that in mind then why did Camping World (originally Service and Accessories only) grow and prosper in that field alone.

Camping World joined the sales game around the last economic downturn that made many retire and joined the ranks of the swelling numbers of baby-boomers up-grading their RV's. Sales of RV's were unprecedented throughout the 2009-2019 time frame. Plenty of people bought and MANY were disappointed at the lack of after-the-sale service at those same Camping World's.

Lemonis bought up hundreds if not thousands of existing RV businesses all over the country and put the Camping World banner on them all. A brilliant move at that particular point in time... he read the emerging market.

Personally I have read but only a handfull of positive remarks about Camping World, but I have read hundreds of posts about pressure sales tactics, over promising of features and endless waits to have service done.

[JCs2020Rockwood]

I have never heard of this, I understand a salesman might say something like this to get you to purchase from them, but normally the service departments are willing to service no matter where the purchase was made. Money is money, they want to make it, and you want to keep more in your pocket.


I personally bought my first brand new Travel Trailer from a dealer in Indiana, while I live in Central New York, yes the deal was that much better that I chose to make the hike to make my purchase. The local dealer never gave me an issue when it came to service or warranty work, however when the salesman at the local dealer saw me with the camper that I spoke with them about buying they knew I did not make the purchase from that dealer. Still they were always professional with me. When I made the decision to upgrade last year, she was the first person I went to see, I told her what I wanted and what I wanted to pay and we were able to work out a deal. I have had more issues getting problems resolved with my new travel trailer than the old one, and I am going to the dealer that I purchased it from.


As far as the FR policy on buying local, on the same web page they reference their Code of Conduct that states all employees and dealers must comply with the policy, if you read through its entirety it would lead one to believe that all dealers must do what they can to resolve any issues with their product line.


Me personally would be more concerned with keeping more money in my pocket, anyone can do basic repairs and service work, if its something big and it involves the warranty you should be able to find someone reputable to take care of the issue.