New trailer in the shop for 145 days

[larry976]

Our family has a RV (travel trailer) warranty repair issue that I am making very little progress on and Forest River and the dealership are in no hurry to repair.

The past year the trailer has been unusable for 145 days and physically in the shop for about 115 of those days.

There are multiple issues including 5 attempts to fix a leaking shower.

Most recently the trailer has been in the shop since May 6 with the exception of a two week period. We are supposedly waiting for parts, but neither Forest River or the dealership will provide an estimated timeline.


I've tried working through Forest River Warranty support, but they say I just need to wait and they can't provide me any more details.

They are also unwilling commit to extend the warranty for the number of days in the shop and unwilling to escalate my issue.

My goal is to get my trailer back ASAP and to be protected with a extended warranty.

Not sure what else to do. Thoughts?

[Sunseeker16]

Originally Posted by larry976

Our family has a RV (travel trailer) warranty repair issue that I am making very little progress on and Forest River and the dealership are in no hurry to repair.

The past year the trailer has been unusable for 145 days and physically in the shop for about 115 of those days.

There are multiple issues including 5 attempts to fix a leaking shower.

Most recently the trailer has been in the shop since May 6 with the exception of a two week period. We are supposedly waiting for parts, but neither Forest River or the dealership will provide an estimated timeline.


I've tried working through Forest River Warranty support, but they say I just need to wait and they can't provide me any more details.

They are also unwilling commit to extend the warranty for the number of days in the shop and unwilling to escalate my issue.

My goal is to get my trailer back ASAP and to be protected with a extended warranty.

Not sure what else to do. Thoughts?

My first thought is to start making your own repairs if you can. RV warranties are mostly useless and extended warranties just as bad. Most dealers can't or won't handle the volume of issues with the units they sell. There are manpower issues, parts supply issues, you name it the list goes on and on. Not to be harsh here, but if you are relying on a dealer to fix things that are under warranty you will not have much fun with your RV, it will be sitting in their back forty for months as you well know. Their main goal is to sell them, not fix them. Now there are a few exceptions to customer service but it's the exception not the rule. I suggest you start making your own repairs if you can or find somebody to help you.

[larry976]

Don't disagree one bit.

But given this was less than a year and water leaked from the shower causing water damage and I had a delamination issue with the outer wall. I didn't have much of a choice.

Now I want to be me whole is a reasonable time.

Down the road, no doubt... Do it myself.

[Sunseeker16]

Originally Posted by larry976

Don't disagree one bit.

But given this was less than a year and water leaked from the shower causing water damage and I had a delamination issue with the outer wall. I didn't have much of a choice.

Now I want to be me whole is a reasonable time.

Down the road, no doubt... Do it myself.

Your original post only referenced a leaking shower. Not too serious in my opinion. Now you mention delamination. Delamination of what? Some flake board flooring or the sidewall of the RV?

[D W]

Sorry, I wouldn't let my TT set for that long waiting on repairs. Our camping season is only 3 months long. I couldn't live like that. Afraid I would have to come up with Plan B, even if that entailed fixing it myself.

[larry976]

Yes, you are correct. I provided the short version. There are a list of issues... The outer wall on the back was bubbling. They ordered a new wall and have that on hand.

For the shower (the sixth and hopefully last), they actually had to remove the whole pan and shower wall and lower it 3/4 of an inch to repair. I am told it was not properly installed at the factory.

Both Forest River and the dealer claim they are waiting on other parts. Until this afternoon I didn't know what those parts are because neither Forest River or the dealer will provide me the details or ETA. I now have some details, but not complete.

With the outer wall being replaced and the shower being completely re-built, I need some type of protection down the road since those are not just simple repair the leaking hose or silicon the leaking shower. Sorry, I know was not 100% clear.

[Sunseeker16]

Originally Posted by larry976

Yes, you are correct. I provided the short version. There are a list of issues... The outer wall on the back was bubbling. They ordered a new wall and have that on hand.

For the shower (the sixth and hopefully last), they actually had to remove the whole pan and shower wall and lower it 3/4 of an inch to repair. I am told it was not properly installed at the factory.

Both Forest River and the dealer claim they are waiting on other parts. Until this afternoon I didn't know what those parts are because neither Forest River or the dealer will provide me the details or ETA. I now have some details, but not complete.

With the outer wall being replaced and the shower being completely re-built, I need some type of protection down the road since those are not just simple repair the leaking hose or silicon the leaking shower. Sorry, I know was not 100% clear.

After reading about your issue, it appears you are getting warranty service. As crummy as it is. You know parts shortages are not just in the RV industry. My Ford Edge is on recall for defective brakes hoses. I've been trying to get it repaired for months. Same old story, parts are on back order.

[HistoricMustang]

Originally Posted by larry976

Our family has a RV (travel trailer) warranty repair issue that I am making very little progress on and Forest River and the dealership are in no hurry to repair.

The past year the trailer has been unusable for 145 days and physically in the shop for about 115 of those days.

There are multiple issues including 5 attempts to fix a leaking shower.

Most recently the trailer has been in the shop since May 6 with the exception of a two week period. We are supposedly waiting for parts, but neither Forest River or the dealership will provide an estimated timeline.


I've tried working through Forest River Warranty support, but they say I just need to wait and they can't provide me any more details.

They are also unwilling commit to extend the warranty for the number of days in the shop and unwilling to escalate my issue.

My goal is to get my trailer back ASAP and to be protected with a extended warranty.

Not sure what else to do. Thoughts?

I feel for what you are going through.....been there with FR and Camping World. They point the finger at each other.

Here is what I learned after getting so mad and picking up my camper and doing the work myself.

Take your camper in with a list of warranty/extended warranty needed repairs.

When needed repairs are agreed on (should be that same day) take your camper back home......have them call you when a firm repair date has arrived.

- HistoricMustang

[upflying]

Leaking shower? Join the club, human weight on the thin, flexible plastic pan caused the ABS drain to crack under the pan about 18 months after I bought it. The one year warranty had expired. My purchasing dealer was worthless so I fixed it myself.
I posted a thread about it, I'll see if I can find it.
Here it is.
https://www.forestriverforums.com/fo...ng-218431.html

[Cabinfever97]

I agree with Historic Mustang. The only thing that would keep me from taking my camper on a trip is a broken axle. Other than that everything else can be dealt with, even though you shouldn't have to. When we bought our Hemisphere I did some "adjustments" on my own. The issues I could not resolve went to a local dealer, one other than where we bought. The purchase dealer is about 1.5 hours away. Our great local dealer, Ray Wakley's RV Center, made an appointment during the off season. Took it for that day. Had the TT back in two days.

[BMullins46]

I feel for you on the wait, but if you look around? Not only is there a wait for RV parts but most major items have the same issue. Have you looked at your local car dealer's lot lately? How many NEW (2021) vehicles do they have in stock? I've seen photos of thousands of new vehicles setting in storage waiting for a computer chip. We've gotten ourselves in one heck of a mess with all the important manufacturing being done overseas mainly China, but in other countries also. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit basically the whole world shut down and has been very slow to get started back up.
All that said, who are you dealing with at Forest River? Have you been talking with the people at the warranty department for your specific brand or someone in the FR corporate office? If it's been corporate then I suggest you contact the warranty dept of your specific brand. Over the years I have found that a call to the people who actually made my unit and being nice works wonders. I know you are frustrated but yelling and screaming and threatening will get you no where but on hold.
Good luck with you issues.

[Larry-NC]

Not to be negative, but there have been several posts where the dealer has insisted that the parts have been ordered but not come in. The RV owner has investigated and found that the parts were never ordered.

Sometimes it's a deflection from the fact that work hasn't even started, and maybe even that they don't yet know what parts are needed.

Sometimes the dealer is waiting to make a bulk order rather than paying freight on the individual item you need.

Both our TTs were purchased used. Glad I don't have to deal with this.

[Walholler]

I purchase my Crusader Lite 5th wheel in October of 2015, it is a 2016 yr. model. I have never taken it back to the dealer that sold it to me. For warranty work when I still had a warranty, I found a RV repair shop that did not sell new or old RV's, the shop just repairs them. Prime Time who built my trailer does not warrant anything except the box itself. The roof membrane, air conditioners, stove, fridge, TV, water heater, water pump, microwave, axles, wheels, tires, furnace and anything else I left out came with their own warranties. You do not have to have the dealer do your repair work. These repair shops know that if they do a poor job, word of mouth is going to put them out of business. So take your unit to a shop that is more interested in fixing your problems than creating new ones for you. I just recently had the front cap repaired and painted due to damage that occurred during Hurricane Laura, in shop time was 19 days. Most of that time was due to rain and high humidity, can not paint unless you have a paint booth large enough for a large trailer.

[GFD47]

Dealers make their money when they sell you the trailer, not on warranty work. Many times they get paid less for warranty work than they get when they charge the owners for non-warranty work, so warranty work is the lowest priority for shop time. And if you're "waiting for parts" the blame for the delay does not rest with the dealership.
I recommend finding an independent RV repair shop that will do FR warranty work. Independent repair shops live and die by their customer service.

[timothy clancy]

First off i feel for you second why are some people on here not understanding of issue that plag the rv industry and expect others to fix crapy craftsmanship. Second i have owned 3 and am on my 4th rv and every one having issues. With that being said it shouldn't matter weather you paid 10.000 of 200.000 for your camper the manufacturers need to be held to a higher standard. So in respect to those saying fix it yourself, as a master roofer and retired engineer i can tell you yes i can fix just about any issues but why like you should i ? The rv industry had gotten away with lousy production for many many years and with the influx of new units being sold in record times some just being delivered and sold in seconds their service had worsened 10 fold ( it was bad 10 years ago ). Case in point picked up our new crusader 382mbh on a Saturday took 3 hours to do walk through. (Anoyed the crap out of the sales man ). Camped that night 6 miles from the dealer, closed up the unit the nent morning to head 2 hours home and noticed water pouring out from under the coach along with a few other issued. Took dealer 4 weeks to look at and only after i got in their faces about it.. after all would you buy a new car or truck and fix any issues that do and will pop up? Document every issue and conversations with dealer and manufacturer. When all efforts are exhausted contact the B B B . Good luck

[dmctlc]

Originally Posted by timothy clancy

First off i feel for you second why are some people on here not understanding of issue that plag the rv industry and expect others to fix crapy craftsmanship. Second i have owned 3 and am on my 4th rv and every one having issues. With that being said it shouldn't matter weather you paid 10.000 of 200.000 for your camper the manufacturers need to be held to a higher standard. So in respect to those saying fix it yourself, as a master roofer and retired engineer i can tell you yes i can fix just about any issues but why like you should i ? The rv industry had gotten away with lousy production for many many years and with the influx of new units being sold in record times some just being delivered and sold in seconds their service had worsened 10 fold ( it was bad 10 years ago ). Case in point picked up our new crusader 382mbh on a Saturday took 3 hours to do walk through. (Anoyed the crap out of the sales man ). Camped that night 6 miles from the dealer, closed up the unit the nent morning to head 2 hours home and noticed water pouring out from under the coach along with a few other issued. Took dealer 4 weeks to look at and only after i got in their faces about it.. after all would you buy a new car or truck and fix any issues that do and will pop up? Document every issue and conversations with dealer and manufacturer. When all efforts are exhausted contact the B B B . Good luck

I agree with what you said... though I'll add that keep meticulous records of the issues, who and when you spoke to someone either at the dealer of FR and what they said. ON another thread on Class A's I was surprised how many said the same thing fix it themselves. Some 1/2 million dollar units and they say fix it themselves. I'm very capable to fix most issues with the exception of the Diesel on my Class A and I have based on the where I was at the the time but I also called support from the Manufacturer and they did help me find some of the issues. I also compared the quality of cars from the 70's and 80's to today and instead of following the point I was trying to make that the car industry has improved their quality immensely over the years they complained that a motorhome wasn't a car... I never would've none since I've only owned RVs for over 45 years including Class A's. But the point that you make is the squeaky wheel gets the oil is true but be persistent, firm and with information in hand but I will add those that scream and yell will end up hitting a wall so keep at them, as mentioned get in their face. Show up in their service dept. like I did when it's busy and make sure those around you hear what you're going through. Go up the ranks within the dealership and FR. Someone gave some good advice ask FR to go to another RV repair shop that will work on it. Also I've heard many time, again as mentioned in this thread, ask for details on the parts and keep at FR to see if they've ever been ordered. I've heard several folks more than once state that FR finally agreed that the dealer never ordered them. Let us know how you make out please.

[Dirt Sifter]

Larry976 sorry for your issues and justified frustration. I don't know what part of the country you're in, but there are at least a couple dealers in the northwest I could recommend. I've set up appointments to address issues, towed 125 miles to the shop, and work has been done as scheduled. When a guy took a fence post and beat a hole in our door and broke out a window, the rig was down for 3 months waiting for parts (nothing I could do myself.) Nelson RV in Boise, ID was great to work with, and they didn't sell us the unit; they just worked conscientiously to get the TT back in service.

[phipps33]

My understanding has been that in a lot of states, Lemon Law does not cover RVs. Of course, he would need to check the laws in his state.

[Cajunrver]

I agree with Bill Mullins. I had the same problem with our Cardinal where the dealer gave me the run around. Once we were able to speak to the person in charge of warranty repairs at Cardinal involved and we told them the problem, the parts were shipped that week. If they didn’t have them in stock, they told us. Forest River corporate wants to do right for their customers. I recommend you find out who is in charge of warranty at FR for your brand and call them directly. With Covid, there is a possibility of shortages, but sometimes, it’s the dealer who is lacking. One time FR allowed me to bring it to another dealer and they picked up the tab. Good luck.

[Brewhedd]

Originally Posted by timothy clancy

So in respect to those saying fix it yourself, as a master roofer and retired engineer i can tell you yes i can fix just about any issues but why like you should i ? The rv industry had gotten away with lousy production for many many years and with the influx of new units being sold in record times some just being delivered and sold in seconds their service had worsened 10 fold ( it was bad 10 years ago ).

Bought a new Grand Design TT in 2019 and I had the same question. Why should I spend thousands and then have to fix their shoddy workmanship? The Dealer fixed 99% of my 30 issues but it took over a year. Sold it in 2020.


Anyone thinking of buying an RV should really consider how important it is to them. Buying one is a roll of the "quality" dice depending on how much of a hurry the workers (paid piecework) were in that day and/or their level of experience. You may end with buying one with 4 or 5 "issues" or a lemon that will take a lot of your time and money hauling it back to the Dealer (usually in no hurry to take care of you) for warranty work.