Delivery Dates are the Figment of Someone's Imagination!

[rickfox]

I placed my Forest River XLR Toy Hauler order on 2/22, and was told by the dealer it would be ready in 6 - 8 weeks.

Today, I was told by the factory that they will not even start building my unit until 4/14, and that construction time will be approximately 3 weeks. Adding another week for delivery puts the approximate delivery date to me at 5/12!!!!!!

THIS IS 11 - ELEVEN - WEEKS!!!!

THIS IS REDICULOUS !!!!!

CAN I BELIEVE THIS NEW DATE?

I'M BETTING THEY MISS THIS DATE TOO!

Every other dealer I spoke with, including other brand dealers, gave me a delivery date of approximately 6 - 8 weeks. Who's playing who?

Am I the only one who spends money for a trailer and gets only a fairy tale in return?

[sherdep]

WOW - that really blows and I can understand why you would be pissed off - mine took exactly 8 weeks before I took delivery.

Either something happened at the dealership where they put the order in late or had a problem securing your financing and waited till it was a done deal before submitting the order or someone at the factory dropped the ball - I lean more towards the dealer then the factory if I had to take my pick

[grhodes50]

I can't blame you for being mad. Unless orders have picked up dramatically, they don't have much of an excuse.
I would like to caution you about one thing. If they stick to their schedule they can tell you when your trailer will be finished, but until that time they do not know when a delivery driver will be available. Just be prepared because that can also delay delivery.

Go ahead and vent on this forum. We understand, but when dealing with your dealer be firm, but nice. You never know. Maybe you can use this to get him to throw in a few extras like wheel chocks, hitch, range cover, MaxxAir Vent covers, etc....


I hope you get your trailer soon.

[Terier]

Sorry to hear the delay in getting your rig. I know that it must be disappointing. Hopefully you will be able to adjust any plans until you take delivery and can hit the road in your new rig.

You should had been forewarn that it could take longer during peak season.

Take care.

[rickfox]

I was in email communications with the factory and the dealer at the same time. The order was given to the dealer on 2/22. The factory had the order the day after it was given to the dealer. That is a fact!

On 2/25 I met the Forest River factory sales representative for my area and his manager at the Dallas RV show. We shook hands and talked. They both knew about my order!

They really have balls to as of today tell me that my 5th wheel trailer will not even start on the line until 4/14 - OVER 7 WEEKS AFTER RECEIPT OF THE ORDER!!!!

I have no faith in what they say, and am considering doing everything I can to get out of this deal. It is clearly not the dealer's fault! It is clearly Forest River that for some reason has chosen not to deliver!!!

I have already had to change vacation plans, and lost deposit money since I have had to reschedule vacation dates.

As far as the money issue, I was already pre-approved through Good Sam - Essex Credit - but that loan approval has now been withdrawn because I will not be able to consumate the loan in the required approval time. I now have to go through the approval process again and argue all over again to get the best interest rate

Forest River's inability to manufacture the product they claim they are so great at building really sucks!!!

I told the dealer that I would take my story to the Internet, and to every RV forum on it, and now I have started. Crap like this needs to be exposed.

[crocus]

"construction time will be approximately 3 weeks"
=================================
This sounds a bit like another one of those made-up stories, done just to bash FR. It doesn't take 3 weeks to build a camper, and the factory would never claim that.

[lbrjet]

You are competing with dealers that ordered in January and are awaiting spring stock. Had you ordered in December you would not be in this situation.

Go ahead and bash FR and your dealer all you want. What goes around comes around.

[crocus]

I especially like the people who assume that everything is going to work out perfectly, and they make all kinds of plans and book reservations.
Then they complain loudly how it ALL THE COMPANY'S FAULT.
Well, excuse me, but maybe they should have ordered the camper a little earlier if they wanted to camp first thing in the spring?
They order at the very busiest time of year for the manufacturer, and expect everyone to cater to them.
Maybe a reality check is in order?

[SaskCampers]

I echo the sentiments above. While I would like to feel sorry for you, it is the time of year when thousands of orders are coming in from all over North America and there are pleanty of posts on various forums to support the fact times are generally longer this time of year. I would think they said approximately 6-8 weeks as well. Our unit took 15 weeks from time of order till pickup as do not forget that assuming you have a competent dealer it will take a few days for the PDI as well and then you need to compete with all the other people who ordered when you did. When we picked up our unit they were doing 2 trailers at a time staggered so there were 2 units per hour going out from the time they opened till close every day so you are not just going to say hum I think I'll go get my trailer today. I understand you frustration but it is the busiest time of year for RV companies and they try to put out the best product they can, the more they get rushed the worst it can be for the end buyer as well. So sit back relax, getting your kinckers in a knot is not helping anyone. It will arrive when it is done, ranting and raving won't change anything other than perhaps making your dealer less than willing to go the extra mile for you if and when you really need it. There also can be other factors like shortage of parts as they don't manufacture any of the furniture etc and they are at the mercy of their suppliers as well.

[Goomph]

First of all I am sorry that you are rightly sad and upset about the late delivery date ... That sucks ! And especially the loan approval parts adds a lot of unneeded stress.

But I believe you are blaming the wrong party here. The factory would know of your order for sure, but did the factory representative told you that the delivery would be in 6 to 8 weeks and change his word ? That is not how your story reads ... The DEALER told you it would be 6 to 8 weeks .... That is a standard time frame all dealers quote if something is factory ordered. I assume you got upset at not being able to get your hands on a firm delivery date and called the factory and they told you the date it will go on the production line .....

Having seen the Surveyor factory, I am pretty certain that they do know their schedule well in advance as all parts to build a specific model have to be ordered and arrive at the factory and they start putting the trailer together. Nothing they can do about a specific unit if they are not setup to produce that particular model. They probably have tons of other orders lined up they need to produce because they have customers who ordered before you.

As much as it is inconvenient, why don't you just patiently wait till it is in your hands and enjoy it ? Sometimes the wait and the excitement is well worth it. You obviously loved this unit and ordered it. cancelling this order will result in what ? Waiting for another unit to be built ? Is that going to result in an earlier delivery ? Unless there is one sitting at a dealers lot with the exact configuration and the price you want to pay, why don't you just chat here with us, wait patiently till delivery ? it is already 5'th of April now ...

Again I understand how you feel but, I wish you would just see that it might be better to wait a little bit more ..... After all February 22'nd to April 22'nd is 8 weeks. I am pretty sure they are producing around 30 trailers a day, SO for all you know it will be done by 16'th of April and might be at the dealer by after a week or so ?

Wishing you good luck and patience ...

[Herk7769]

Goomph is right on!

When I ordered my 2009 Flagstaff 5th wheel they had 2009 Travel Trailers on the line and I had to wait until the TTs were done before my 2009 order got built.

When the 2009 TTs were finished they started on 2010s so my unit got built as a 2010 with all the new standard features for the same price as the 2009.

[crocus]

What is equally strange is that he posted on another board a few weeks ago, and he knew then that delivery wouldn't be until May, and he wasn't complaining at all then.
It would seem that something has changed, and it has nothing to do with FR.

[Glenn5995]

Originally Posted by rickfox

I placed my Forest River XLR Toy Hauler order on 2/22, and was told by the dealer it would be ready in 6 - 8 weeks.

Today, I was told by the factory that they will not even start building my unit until 4/14, and that construction time will be approximately 3 weeks. Adding another week for delivery puts the approximate delivery date to me at 5/12!!!!!!

THIS IS 11 - ELEVEN - WEEKS!!!!

THIS IS REDICULOUS !!!!!

CAN I BELIEVE THIS NEW DATE?

I'M BETTING THEY MISS THIS DATE TOO!

Every other dealer I spoke with, including other brand dealers, gave me a delivery date of approximately 6 - 8 weeks. Who's playing who?

Am I the only one who spends money for a trailer and gets only a fairy tale in return?

I'm sorry for your frustration, but you are also not being completely truthful with us. Here you say that you were told delivery would be in 6 to 8 weeks , but "TODAY" (04/05/2011) you were told it is now going to be more like 11 weeks, but when you posted back on 03/10/2011 you were saying delivery would not be for 10 weeks. In the same thread you posted on 03/26/2011 that delivery would not be for 11 weeks.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ers-10743.html

It makes me suspicious how you can just find out "today" what you have been posting about for several weeks.

We are not associated with Forest River, we are a forum of Forest River product owners, some with good experiences and some with bad. There are many good people here with a lot of good advise, but I suspect you are just upset things are not going the way you want them to and now are distorting the information to justify yourself.

I am sorry, but I can not help or offer advise if you are not going to be truthful about what is really going on.

Glenn

[Glenn5995]

Originally Posted by crocus

What is equally strange is that he posted on another board a few weeks ago, and he knew then that delivery wouldn't be until May, and he wasn't complaining at all then.
It would seem that something has changed, and it has nothing to do with FR.

You beat me to it! You must have been posting while I was researching and typing.

[crocus]

I don't imagine we'll see rickfox respond.
Getting caught in a lie is embarrassing, at best.

[rickfox]

Crocus,

You are the one who misrepresented the facts. The posting you quoted in fact was made yesterday evening on the XLR portion of this same forum - not weeks ago. I then posted a new thread in this more generalized area of the the forum in order to generate more conversation. I did not expect that some would distort the true facts!

I in fact received an email yesterday from a Forest River employee stating that my unit will be placed on the line to start production on 4/14. This is over 7 weeks from the day they received the order. This same email states the 2.5 - 3 week build time. I can surely produce this email if required.

This email is what has changed the situation. I also do not believe the 2.5 - 3 week build statement, and thus do not believe FR will make a May deliverly date!

It is not my desire to bash the specific Forest River employee I have been dealing with because I do believe he is doing his best under the circumstances. Forest River has not even sent a confirmation PO back to the dealer as of yesterday.

Facts are facts! And I have the facts to back up what I say. I suspect that I am not the only unhappy camper having similar problems. I'm trying to bring this issue to light in order to find a solution. I spent many months researching what toy hauler to purchase and decided upon the FR XLR because I thought it was the best. I did not expect it would take over 7 weeks to reach the production line, and then take who knows how long to actually be produced.

I also did not expect some on this forum to misrepresent my postings in a seeming attempt to stifle conversation.

[crocus]

Rickfox, from your post of March 9;

"WOW! This is exciting! Looks like there are 2 XLR's in TX - well almost. We have ordered the 386X12 that is supposed to be in TX sometime in May."

'nuff said.

[rickfox]

Crocus,

After reading the thread over again, perhaps I should have directed my comments more toward Glenn5995 as you were perhaps responding more to his comments.

My objective is not to start a fight between forum posters and myself, it is to comment on the facts. To that end I apologize for directing my last comments toward you.

[crocus]

Nevertheless, your posts are there for all to read, and they don't jive with your "facts".
And the main point is that you ordered during the very busiest time of the year for the factories. You said you did your research, so that should have told you to expect a long delivery time.
I ordered mine in the summer, a slow time, and still waited two months.
You have nothing to complain about. You should have ordered your camper in the fall.

[rickfox]

Crocus,

I now retract my last statement. You must have been a politian in your last job or an FR employee since you seem to be very capable at selectively taking statements either out of context, or without considering all the facts.

In the latter part of March when FR updated the delivery date to May, I was dissappointed, but resolved myself to the reality that it would take longer than originally stated. But there are now new and additional FACTS.

As I stated in earlier posts, I have now received an email from FR stating they won't even start the build until 4/14, they acknowledged they haven't even sent a confirmation back to the dealer, and they have given me a seeminly unbelieveable story about being able to meet their commitment by making everything happen in 3 weeks!

These are all the facts! Would you believe the 3 week build statement? I think not. The facts have changed, and I no longer believe what FR is telling me.

How about addressing the issue I have raised rather than trying to bash me for bringing the issue up - and for having the facts to back up what I say?