Corner seals need repair after 8 months?

[Dkcanuck]

Hi folks,

I took my brand new Salem Cruise Lite 243BHXL in for winterization and got a bill for corner seals despite the trailer being 8 months old and used for 15 days this year. The dealer said seal repairs was normal repair like an oil change. I laughed and said oil changes at least get me 3000 miles. My past would tell me that the seals generally need to be done every 2 to 3 years.

Any thoughts?

[5picker]

I have had R/Vs well into 12-15 years old and never had to replace a slide seal as part of a maintenance plan. They DO NOT need replaced unless there is an issue.

Either you had an issue with the seals that should have been covered under warranty for an 8 month old R/V (common causes... slide out of alignment, not installed correctly to begin with) or... your dealer is shafting you.

One other thing... many extended warranties REQUIRE you to pay the dealer BIG MONEY each year to keep the warranty in effect.. Things like sealant touch-up and seal conditioning. If you have an ESP warranty, have you read the fine print?

Seal conditioning and seal repairs are two different things.

Welcome to the forum! I see it is your 1st post!

[Dkcanuck]

Thanks,

I will likely do the seals myself if and when needed. As far as the extended warranty, I did not purchase it because IMO the reefer or the AC are the main expenses and one of them I can do myself. Not worth the cost of an extended warranty.

I could tell you a story about this dealer trying to sell me a different trailer than I saw at the RV show.....but while on 1 year Forest River warranty I am using them to winterize and prep. After that, doing it myself.

[Scrapper]

Winterizing and preparing for winter or spring are not warranty covered items.

[Dkcanuck]

yeah, I know. But had them to an inspection as well. There were some aesthetic warranty related issues I needed them to do too.

[pgandw]

I do not want to dump on you. Rather I am using your experience as an example:

I could tell you a story about this dealer trying to sell me a different trailer than I saw at the RV show.....but while on 1 year Forest River warranty I am using them to winterize and prep. After that, doing it myself.

Whether I am buying a car, truck, or RV, shenanigans on the sales side are an immediate red flag that that dealer is one to run away from. Some of us (me) have learned that lesson the hard way. But most ignore the red flags from a given dealership (that's why they are still in business), and wonder why things go wrong later.

Because RVs tend to have more things go wrong with them than a car or truck, the service dept is also key to your satisfaction with the product. Checking out the service dept in advance of a purchase is highly recommended.

Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[Dkcanuck]

Follow up with feedback from Forest River:

Hello David,

Your seals need to be inspected and maintained every year at the very least. Forest River recommends inspecting and resealing as needed every 6 months. I have read Jayco’s owner’s manual in the past along with their customer recommended maintenance chart and they make similar recommendations for seal maintenance. Not exactly the same but they do recommend you maintain your seals. I can tell you first hand as an RV technician you should not need to replace the seals however, they do need to be maintained. On the back edge of the front corner rails, that maintenance would consist of scraping any expanded and pushed out butyl from the rail with a putty bone and I usually use that butyl to re-stuff any areas on the back edge of that rail where it needs it. On the front of the front corner rails, they should be sealed with sealant and maintaining that is a matter of inspecting it for any voids from shrinkage or cracks and then cleaning that local spot and resealing it if you find any. Your trailer had been on your dealers lot for more than a year before you purchased it. I would assume the seals had been maintained or at least touched up prior to being sold to you. In all reality, every seal on the unit should be inspected and maintained to avoid possible water damage. If you don’t have the owner’s manual, you can find one under owners online at forestriverinc.com and it will have the recommended maintenance chart in it along with the warranty, what it does and does not cover and other useful information as well.

I would agree with the dealers recommendation as far as doing seal maintenance, I would not agree that the seals should need replaced. I hope that helps.

Thanks

[5picker]

So... did you pay for seal replacement (your word was repair and/or bill for corner seals) or did you pay for seal maintenance?

[httntheroad]

Get a real big list of items however minor reported and documented that will be warranty. Take back to dealer let him store over the winter AND HAVE TO FIX. Maybe think twice about trying to take advantage of a customer .any other people's thoughts?