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Old 01-22-2018, 07:12 PM   #1
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Should I stay?

Had Forest River products for 12yrs, now you can't deal with factory to get parts, was told. Now you must go thru a dealer( we know how bad they are). Should I stay with ceder Creek and a 36ck2 or start looking at Vanleigh vilano or beacon ? Made by the tiffin family. Have a friend who bought a used Tiffin phaton class A and says the service is so good it's unheard of.
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Old 01-22-2018, 07:45 PM   #2
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I say go with the one that has the floorplan you want and fits your weight requirements. Do your research on the dealer for any rig before you buy. I have had great customer service from both my dealer and FR plus I love going to FROG rallies.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:03 PM   #3
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Have found that most parts are available on line for most things that normally go bad. Things like cabinet doors, mounding, etc, I would expect to go through a dealer not a big issue for me.

The Tiffin units are sweet though looked at them at the Hershey PA show. Bigger heavier units and built well.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:04 PM   #4
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I must say that Vanleigh is a top notch company. We looked at a 355RLand loved it except for the placement of the washer and dryer in the front closet. They asked us where would like it to go and I said the bathroom. Within two hours I had an email with a modified layout for the washer and dryer in the bathroom. Unfortunately we could not reach a price with our local dealer and will either purchase a Cardinal or try and make a deal with a distant Vanleigh dealer. Call Vanleigh, they will make modifications find it your needs and they are communicative. Best of luck.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:11 PM   #5
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Who told you that you can't get parts from the factory? I have not heard that.

FR had a policy change last summer that now allows dealers to get parts from other vendors if necessary to complete warranty repairs; they no longer HAD to get parts from FR. Is it possible you mis-understood?

Although bclemens comment in Post #4 back in November hints that it may be coming:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...se-148413.html
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:13 PM   #6
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Apropos of nothing.......went to eat lunch the other day and Van Tiffin's picture was on the wall. Not a recent one.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:13 PM   #7
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Had Forest River products for 12yrs, now you can't deal with factory to get parts, was told. Now you must go thru a dealer( we know how bad they are). Should I stay with ceder Creek and a 36ck2 or start looking at Vanleigh vilano or beacon ? Made by the tiffin family. Have a friend who bought a used Tiffin phaton class A and says the service is so good it's unheard of.
IMO, if you want an inferior construction, go Vanleigh. Not that it's bad, just inferior to the Cedar Creek. Good luck finding real construction details on the Vanleigh.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:29 PM   #8
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I talked to 2 FR factory reps at the Tampa RV Show. Both said you can get parts from the factory. It is not true and strictly a bad rumor that they will not sell to you.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:45 PM   #9
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Guess it's who you talk to ... 2 reps at Kansas shows say an individual can no longer buy parts direct from FR. Kelly Ware (warranty rep) who replaced Henry Sears won't deal direct with me anymore either.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:48 PM   #10
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Would like to know the true skinny. Never know when you may need something.
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Old 01-22-2018, 08:57 PM   #11
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I don't care if I can or can't order parts directly from FR. I have never had problems ordering parts from any dealer's parts department. Then install myself.
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Old 01-22-2018, 09:11 PM   #12
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I moved from FR not because of parts or service. I moved because of dealer aspect for the level of trailer we wanted. Could not deal with them at all. I moved to a SOB Heartland as it had what we wanted in a trailer. Good Luck, look at many and choose the best for you and your family.
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Old 01-22-2018, 09:17 PM   #13
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I talked to 2 FR factory reps at the Tampa RV Show. Both said you can get parts from the factory. It is not true and strictly a bad rumor that they will not sell to you.

Got It straight from Jamie at cc factory last month.
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Old 01-22-2018, 09:32 PM   #14
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I moved from FR not because of parts or service. I moved because of dealer aspect for the level of trailer we wanted. Could not deal with them at all. I moved to a SOB Heartland as it had what we wanted in a trailer. Good Luck, look at many and choose the best for you and your family.
Too bad FR only has one dealer
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Old 01-22-2018, 09:40 PM   #15
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Scott ... I surely envy your dealer experience. Mine has a parts department that is hard pressed to look up the correct anode for your HW let alone order the right part from the factory. That's why I soo miss being able to just call up the warranty rep and have what I want in a few days. Try moving on down the road to another dealer that didn't sell you your unit .... they just don't have the motivation to help you out if it involves much of their time.
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Old 01-23-2018, 03:13 AM   #16
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This is true with me as well. I needed a trim part. Sent pictures and requested pricing. Kelly Ware, who is Customer Relations and sales, informed me that they no longer sell parts to the end users. She continued to inform me that I had to go thru a dealer. Sucks! This was about three weeks ago.
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Old 01-23-2018, 08:46 AM   #17
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We have a River Stone Legacy and have been able to get whatever ( which was minimal ) directly from the factory and have also read just a few days ago where someone else has just received parts from the factory. Also read on another forum board that a customer had a problem trying to get info on things from the factory on his Van Leigh unit.
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Old 01-23-2018, 09:36 AM   #18
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I have ordered parts from the factory. Gave them the vin number and a c.c. number and got what I wanted.
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Old 01-23-2018, 09:49 AM   #19
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Im guessing it has to be who you talk to or the brand you are trying to get parts for.

I was having a door issue that has been present since I bought it in July 17, the dealer fixed it twice, more like put a band aid on it twice, 10 days ago I contacted the XLR reps (I have an XLR Nitro), all three if them went on the email. I explained the situation, I was told to either take it to the dealer if I wanted warranty to address it or they would send me the part I needed for a fee. The parts showed up here 2 days ago.

I not sure what the difference is between people that can and cant get parts. I had warranty left but i paid for the parts, had I not had warranty left maybe they would have said no. I dont know but it doesnt seem to be uniform treatment throughout FR.
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Old 01-23-2018, 10:04 AM   #20
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Just like every RV is a trade-off, each manufacturer or dealer is, also. You need to research. There is no perfect anything.

If you're looking at Tiffin, they are altering their repair processes, because they had too many people taking advantage of it. Not saying they are bad in any way, just saying things change and usually not in your favor.
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