Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-24-2020, 11:53 AM   #61
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,263
Quote:
Originally Posted by BehindBars View Post
I agree that if putting your home on wheels and travel on crappy roads, it wouldn’t last long. But, that just illustrates that, if we want quality to improve, RV manufacturers need to stop building RVs like homes are built.

As to your last paragraph, I would pay 100K for a high quality RV built like something on an automobile assembly line, but I think the main point of this thread is that today, you can pay as much as you want, but a high quality RV is simply not available to purchase at any price.

Absolutely. I was just pointing out why it's not possible, at least not today.
Bhrava is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2020, 11:58 AM   #62
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 8
Our Experience

I will keep it brief. We purchased a 35' 5th wheel toy hauler ($50k'ish). 6 months in, the bedroom slide leaked and it flooded. Our dealer took it back, reimbursed us fully and got us into a new hauler. After enjoying the toy hauler life, we moved to a new gas motorhome ($125k'ish). In a two year period, it was in for repairs a total of approx. 6 months. All of the issues related to the house part of the MH. Most related to build quality. We were pleased because we spent zero out of pocket. Because we documented the issues, during the warranty period (12 months), they covered everything with a true desire to have us be happy customers. This even included transporting it from the West Coast back to Indiana for roof and slide issues. To this point, while its true lots of significant stuff went wrong, they (Dealer/Builder) supported us. We have now stepped up to an entry level diesel pusher (2021 model) built by Coachman/Forest River ($230k'ish MSRP). We have owned it 4-months. It spent 4 days back at the dealer to address issues we identified during our initial delivery. Most were very minor in nature (LED out, scratches in cabinets/doors, main door latch issue, etc). We do have two other issues still awaiting correction. All are items that have flaws/failure from other manufacturers and are unrelated to the coach builder (Bad roof AC unit and bad macerator toilet). We do find the quality of this unit to be significantly better than the previously owned RV's. That said, everything you indicate regarding quality is correct and really is likely related to cranking out units faster than they should, because of our demand as consumers.
Mustang79 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2020, 02:40 PM   #63
Junior Member
 
Swimmer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 28
I have never owned an RV, but I know what good fit and finish looks like. I can also assess the various systems (electrical, plumbing, etc) and get a general sense of the overall quality. It’s not rocket science.

When my wife and I were looking this past Summer, the lack of overall quality for the higher price point units hit me in the head like a rock. I didn’t want to say too much on a forum like this, because I am new, but now after reading threads like this it is apparent its not just me.

At this point, we are likely going to skip the new RV purchase, and keep our eye out for used units, especially after the post Covid wave settles down and more used ones hit the market.
Swimmer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-24-2020, 03:52 PM   #64
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,263
Quote:
Originally Posted by Swimmer View Post
I have never owned an RV, but I know what good fit and finish looks like. I can also assess the various systems (electrical, plumbing, etc) and get a general sense of the overall quality. It’s not rocket science.

When my wife and I were looking this past Summer, the lack of overall quality for the higher price point units hit me in the head like a rock. I didn’t want to say too much on a forum like this, because I am new, but now after reading threads like this it is apparent its not just me.

At this point, we are likely going to skip the new RV purchase, and keep our eye out for used units, especially after the post Covid wave settles down and more used ones hit the market.
You are right. My wife and I looked in 2019 at 5th wheels to get an idea while deciding on whether or not to sell our smaller trailer for something a bit larger. We had a good idea what we wanted in a trailer and had a specific model in mind, but while there, lets look at the 5th wheels too. We went into a Montana that listed for near 100K, was sale priced ~$80K or so. It looked nice, lots of room nice floor plan, separate toilet for the rear bunk, then went into the master bed and when my wife opened the cabinet, the door came off in her hand. Upon closer look, all the cabinets were MDF with wood doors. The trailer we had looked at was $21K and had the same cabinetry, but the doors weren't falling off.

This year we bought an Arctic Wolf 3660, and did the same head to head comparison and found that the cabinetry between a $42K trailer, with the same overall length and width and height to an $80K trailer was identical. The other trailer had a drop frame, so more storage up front, and a better suspension. SO basically you are paying $40K more for a frame. Overall really hard to tell the construction differences out between them and internally, same appliances, furniture, wall construction, with the only exception a residential fridge, which I would not want in an RV because they are not designed for it, especially not an LG after having two of them break and impossible to repair. I can upgrade the suspension for $500 or less and pocket the other $38,0000.

Even comparing the same price range from different manufacturers the construction quality is the same. When shopping, best not to fixate on any one particular make, and instead shop based on floor plan, you can find several makes with identical floor plans, then focus on which one is better built, even between the same model! Don't just look at one if there are many on the lot, look them all over and select the one you feel best meets your idea of quality control. Thats what we did, turned down a 21 model for a 20 model because there were a few things I spotted that just didn't look like they were done properly. Saved a couple grand too.
Bhrava is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-25-2020, 10:42 AM   #65
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Colorado
Posts: 86
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elessar View Post
I have to say, many of these new motorhome reports can be disturbing, from the prospective buyer's standpoint. By that I mean, as I have begun some research in anticipation of getting into the "lifestyle" in our pre-retirement years, I had some assumptions that seem to be flat wrong. This is a general observation, not specific to any motorhome manufacturer.

I had assumed that when one goes beyond the 25k to 150k categories, there would be a noticeable change in an RV owner's typical experience. Spending 300k+ on a motorhome, I would assume that broken things, bad fit, system failures, sloppy workmanship, warranty work, etc... would be a fairly unusual event in the first few years. Can you imagine if it was this common to have a new $75k+ automobile (pick your brand) back at the shop for "routine" finds and fixes? So common that it was expected to find broken stuff immediately and you planned your first few days to hang out at the dealership to fix them? This seems so weird to me.

I also assumed, rather naively, that at this price point, the product would come with more than a one year warranty (Dynamax has 2, sounds better than most others, depending on owners' actual experience). $500,000 and the manufacturer doesn't trust it will stay working for at least a couple years? How about 5 years? Even those that have to take advantage of warranty service, it seems like this can be quite frustrating and new rigs can spend more time in the shop than in new owners' hands. For a brand new motorhome? This is madness. I do realize a complex modern motorhome has many parts and systems and as they say, crap happens. But is it really the case that on a brand new, super expensive high quality rig, that the average buyer still goes into it knowing that stuff IS going to break or not work right away? How many rigs at this price point need non-preventable repairs of some kind in the first 3 years? 5% or 95%?

This is extremely worrisome and there are quite a few horror stories. Personally, I don't think I could ever make this commitment if I didn't have a rock solid written contract for a full refund if the motorhome required more than x days of down time for service and repairs in the first year. The fact that no one would commit to that only reinforces how little quality and durability they think are actually in these?

Am I wrong? Are my expectations un-reasonable? Don't mean to sound like a downer, just trying to do my due diligence so to speak. Want to make decisions with eyes wide open. thanks.
You already talked yourself out of buying a motorhome/RV.
"If I am going to have problems, why do it'?
Nothing/nobody is perfect.
RV's are composed of many different manufacturer parts and items. Each part has a different warranty, just like your house. The water heater, stove, microwave, washer/dryer, carpet, television, door locks etc..same as an RV.
A $500k house has the same warranty as a $250k house.
Pick out what you want. Before you sign on the dotted line you want it inspected to make sure everything is right and proper. This will take several days. You want this check list in writing. (the dealer may not do this because there is no warranty issue) The dealer gets paid on warranty issues. Then have the service tech go over everything with you. It is your responsibility to do this.
2019 Forest River Sunseeker 2500tsf amazing unit
I had issues and Forest River warranty division took care of them. It took some time but I expected it.
frankhaas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2020, 05:18 PM   #66
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 7
Unhappy Typical warranty problems

Attn: Quality Assurance Dept.; Parts Supply Dept. & all interested parties

This is the story of my RV since purchasing it in April of this year in fact next week I’ll have it for nine (9) months. I live in South Carolina and purchased my Jayco in Virginia, it was a couple hundred mile trip but the dealer had what I wanted at the right price. The ride home was a white knuckle trip all the way. I’m sure by now that you know what the handling problems are. After spending $1500 on suspension parts I am now a happy driver.
I didn’t quite get home from Virginia when I ran into another problem. The leveling system alarm went off and clearing it only delayed the alarm going off again after about 10 minutes. After I got home I called the Equalizer folks and they were aware of the problem and sent me a fix kit which I installed and it fixed the problem.
We took the unit out for a couple of short trips and when pulling it out of the garage for a trip I noticed oil on the garage floor by the left rear wheel. An inspection led me to believe that the left rear wheel seal was leaking. I took the unit to my local Ford dealer and they replaced the seal under warranty.
The next problem was the GPS portion of the Radio; GPS; DVD unit. The GPS would enter multiple letters every time one was entered. ie: the word “two” would show as ttttwwoooo, regardless of how quickly you entered the letters. A call to the manufacturer was next and they were aware of the problem and the tech there walked me through a software update that did not fix the problem. I next called Jayco and explained the problem and what had been done to try to repair it. The person I spoke with said no problem it would be replaced under warranty and therein lies the problem. I explained that I could replace the unit myself but he explained that a dealer would have to do the replacement. Just try to get an appointment with a dealer. I used to be in business myself so I understand scheduling problems. If I bring the RV in they will be able to look at it in two to three weeks. If after that time they determine it is not working properly, they will order a new unit. Since they are dealing with a third party, they can’t tell me with any certainty when the unit will be ready. I said okay then when you have inspected the unit, determined it’s faulty and ordered the part I will take the RV home and use it and then bring the unit back to you to have it installed. Nope that won’t work because then they put me back at the end of the line. So this involves leaving the RV at a dealer for an unknown amount of time, that’s insane.
The next problem was with the electric portion of the water heater. It quit working. I called the manufacturer and it was determined that the problem was the electronic control. Same repair problem as was with the GPS unit. They wouldn’t let me replace it. I ordered one online and replaced it. It’s working fine.
The next problem was with the main thermostat, the one that controls both the heat and front AC unit. It died. Same repair problem as with the GPS and the water heater. They had to have it repaired by a dealer. I ordered one online and replaced it. It’s working fine.
In these last three cases I offered to remove the faulty devices and send them in while I waited for them to confirm the parts were bad and then they could send me replacements once that was determined. Obviously the response to my suggestion was negative.
I guess I’ll just have to live with that faulty GPS. I did purchase one that’s mounted on my dash.
This letter is mostly just to let you know what has happened since the purchase of my Jayco in April. If customers didn’t make you aware of problems then they probably wouldn’t get rectified. Some other system needs to be implemented with the RV warranty procedure. As it stands, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I am quite capable of repairing many things on my RV but I feel bad for the poor soul who has to go to a dealer every time a problem pops up.

Thought I'd share this with you folks. This letter to them could have been much longer but these are the highlights. Did get a (almost) form letter response.

Jim D.
Jim D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2020, 05:33 PM   #67
Senior Member
 
dmctlc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Florida
Posts: 492
Quote:
Originally Posted by SmackIt View Post
Uhmm... what?

That's like every family in America buying 4 RV's in one year. The real number was around half a million.

Although the economic contribution of the RV industry is substantial, there's another significant downside to the quality problems. Every family that loses a vacation, and every minute wasted dealing with quality problems, is a net loss to the consumer.
That was a test and you noticed it first great job but I do agree that was typo. It was supposed to be a little over 504,000.
dmctlc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2020, 06:55 PM   #68
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 4,223
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim D. View Post
Attn: Quality Assurance Dept.; Parts Supply Dept. & all interested parties

This is the story of my RV since purchasing it in April of this year in fact next week I’ll have it for nine (9) months. I live in South Carolina and purchased my Jayco in Virginia, it was a couple hundred mile trip but the dealer had what I wanted at the right price. The ride home was a white knuckle trip all the way. I’m sure by now that you know what the handling problems are. After spending $1500 on suspension parts I am now a happy driver.
I didn’t quite get home from Virginia when I ran into another problem. The leveling system alarm went off and clearing it only delayed the alarm going off again after about 10 minutes. After I got home I called the Equalizer folks and they were aware of the problem and sent me a fix kit which I installed and it fixed the problem.
We took the unit out for a couple of short trips and when pulling it out of the garage for a trip I noticed oil on the garage floor by the left rear wheel. An inspection led me to believe that the left rear wheel seal was leaking. I took the unit to my local Ford dealer and they replaced the seal under warranty.
The next problem was the GPS portion of the Radio; GPS; DVD unit. The GPS would enter multiple letters every time one was entered. ie: the word “two” would show as ttttwwoooo, regardless of how quickly you entered the letters. A call to the manufacturer was next and they were aware of the problem and the tech there walked me through a software update that did not fix the problem. I next called Jayco and explained the problem and what had been done to try to repair it. The person I spoke with said no problem it would be replaced under warranty and therein lies the problem. I explained that I could replace the unit myself but he explained that a dealer would have to do the replacement. Just try to get an appointment with a dealer. I used to be in business myself so I understand scheduling problems. If I bring the RV in they will be able to look at it in two to three weeks. If after that time they determine it is not working properly, they will order a new unit. Since they are dealing with a third party, they can’t tell me with any certainty when the unit will be ready. I said okay then when you have inspected the unit, determined it’s faulty and ordered the part I will take the RV home and use it and then bring the unit back to you to have it installed. Nope that won’t work because then they put me back at the end of the line. So this involves leaving the RV at a dealer for an unknown amount of time, that’s insane.
The next problem was with the electric portion of the water heater. It quit working. I called the manufacturer and it was determined that the problem was the electronic control. Same repair problem as was with the GPS unit. They wouldn’t let me replace it. I ordered one online and replaced it. It’s working fine.
The next problem was with the main thermostat, the one that controls both the heat and front AC unit. It died. Same repair problem as with the GPS and the water heater. They had to have it repaired by a dealer. I ordered one online and replaced it. It’s working fine.
In these last three cases I offered to remove the faulty devices and send them in while I waited for them to confirm the parts were bad and then they could send me replacements once that was determined. Obviously the response to my suggestion was negative.
I guess I’ll just have to live with that faulty GPS. I did purchase one that’s mounted on my dash.
This letter is mostly just to let you know what has happened since the purchase of my Jayco in April. If customers didn’t make you aware of problems then they probably wouldn’t get rectified. Some other system needs to be implemented with the RV warranty procedure. As it stands, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I am quite capable of repairing many things on my RV but I feel bad for the poor soul who has to go to a dealer every time a problem pops up.

Thought I'd share this with you folks. This letter to them could have been much longer but these are the highlights. Did get a (almost) form letter response.

Jim D.
Sounds like your problem is with the dealer. I’m also very suspicious of dealers and would never base my buying selection based on dealer service.

That said, there are exceptions. I bought my MH from a dealer 30 miles away. Their price was within $500 of the lowest I could find on line...anywhere. No need to go into detail about the issues (which were pretty insignificant) but I discovered I could call this dealer about them and learned how they work. Their system is to make an appointment for a specific date and TIME for them to evaluate the issues. After their evaluation they will advise the owner how they will order parts, get warranty approval, etc., then contact them to schedule the fix..again specific date and time.

My MH has had three warranty visits and has never been physically on the dealership lot for more than two hours. I’ll add that the Forester is considered by them as an entry level unit since the majority of their business is with very expensive motor homes. I have an issue now with discoloring vinyl flooring and we are handling the setup for a fix by emails and pictures. They advised me that once they have the required parts on hand they’ll schedule a time to fix it (estimate less than one hour).
__________________
BIRDS AREN’T REAL
emm-dee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2020, 08:18 PM   #69
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 1,092
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim D. View Post
Attn: Quality Assurance Dept.; Parts Supply Dept. & all interested parties

This is the story of my RV since purchasing it in April of this year in fact next week I’ll have it for nine (9) months. I live in South Carolina and purchased my Jayco in Virginia, it was a couple hundred mile trip but the dealer had what I wanted at the right price. The ride home was a white knuckle trip all the way. I’m sure by now that you know what the handling problems are. After spending $1500 on suspension parts I am now a happy driver.
I didn’t quite get home from Virginia when I ran into another problem. The leveling system alarm went off and clearing it only delayed the alarm going off again after about 10 minutes. After I got home I called the Equalizer folks and they were aware of the problem and sent me a fix kit which I installed and it fixed the problem.
We took the unit out for a couple of short trips and when pulling it out of the garage for a trip I noticed oil on the garage floor by the left rear wheel. An inspection led me to believe that the left rear wheel seal was leaking. I took the unit to my local Ford dealer and they replaced the seal under warranty.
The next problem was the GPS portion of the Radio; GPS; DVD unit. The GPS would enter multiple letters every time one was entered. ie: the word “two” would show as ttttwwoooo, regardless of how quickly you entered the letters. A call to the manufacturer was next and they were aware of the problem and the tech there walked me through a software update that did not fix the problem. I next called Jayco and explained the problem and what had been done to try to repair it. The person I spoke with said no problem it would be replaced under warranty and therein lies the problem. I explained that I could replace the unit myself but he explained that a dealer would have to do the replacement. Just try to get an appointment with a dealer. I used to be in business myself so I understand scheduling problems. If I bring the RV in they will be able to look at it in two to three weeks. If after that time they determine it is not working properly, they will order a new unit. Since they are dealing with a third party, they can’t tell me with any certainty when the unit will be ready. I said okay then when you have inspected the unit, determined it’s faulty and ordered the part I will take the RV home and use it and then bring the unit back to you to have it installed. Nope that won’t work because then they put me back at the end of the line. So this involves leaving the RV at a dealer for an unknown amount of time, that’s insane.
The next problem was with the electric portion of the water heater. It quit working. I called the manufacturer and it was determined that the problem was the electronic control. Same repair problem as was with the GPS unit. They wouldn’t let me replace it. I ordered one online and replaced it. It’s working fine.
The next problem was with the main thermostat, the one that controls both the heat and front AC unit. It died. Same repair problem as with the GPS and the water heater. They had to have it repaired by a dealer. I ordered one online and replaced it. It’s working fine.
In these last three cases I offered to remove the faulty devices and send them in while I waited for them to confirm the parts were bad and then they could send me replacements once that was determined. Obviously the response to my suggestion was negative.
I guess I’ll just have to live with that faulty GPS. I did purchase one that’s mounted on my dash.
This letter is mostly just to let you know what has happened since the purchase of my Jayco in April. If customers didn’t make you aware of problems then they probably wouldn’t get rectified. Some other system needs to be implemented with the RV warranty procedure. As it stands, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I am quite capable of repairing many things on my RV but I feel bad for the poor soul who has to go to a dealer every time a problem pops up.

Thought I'd share this with you folks. This letter to them could have been much longer but these are the highlights. Did get a (almost) form letter response.

Jim D.
I'm sure that writing this made you feel better, but I would bet a significant amount of money that nobody is going to read it. (I didn't).

If you want to convince someone to do something for you, your best bet is short, declarative sentences. Save the emotion for your campfire stories. Nobody at Forest River cares how you feel.

I honestly believe that anyone who is likely to have this land on their desk *wants* to help you. Help them by making it abundantly clear what reasonable solution will make you happy.

Describe the problem.
Describe the service failure.
Describe the solution that you desire.

That's it.

"Dear sir, the water heater on my motorhome has failed to maintain water at an appropriate temperature since delivery. The dealership has replaced the control board twice under warranty, but the problem remains. I believe that replacing the water heater with a new unit, under warranty, is the appropriate next step. Please contact my dealer and provide authorization for this repair."

In this way, there is no interpretation needed. It is clear what is wrong and it is clear what it will take to make you go away.

Short, clear, and professional will serve you better every time.
__________________
-Qwkynuf

2003 F150 Supercab 4x4, tow pkg, 3.55 gears
2020 Flagstaff Micro Lite 21DS
Qwkynuf is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2020, 08:48 PM   #70
Site Team
 
bikendan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,607
Quote:
Originally Posted by Qwkynuf View Post
I'm sure that writing this made you feel better, but I would bet a significant amount of money that nobody is going to read it. (I didn't).

If you want to convince someone to do something for you, your best bet is short, declarative sentences. Save the emotion for your campfire stories. Nobody at Forest River cares how you feel.

I honestly believe that anyone who is likely to have this land on their desk *wants* to help you. Help them by making it abundantly clear what reasonable solution will make you happy.

Describe the problem.
Describe the service failure.
Describe the solution that you desire.

That's it.

"Dear sir, the water heater on my motorhome has failed to maintain water at an appropriate temperature since delivery. The dealership has replaced the control board twice under warranty, but the problem remains. I believe that replacing the water heater with a new unit, under warranty, is the appropriate next step. Please contact my dealer and provide authorization for this repair."

In this way, there is no interpretation needed. It is clear what is wrong and it is clear what it will take to make you go away.

Short, clear, and professional will serve you better every time.
According to their post, they twice stated that they wrote it to Jayco, not FR.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
bikendan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2020, 08:55 PM   #71
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 1,092
Quote:
Originally Posted by bikendan View Post
According to their post, they twice stated that they wrote it to Jayco, not FR.
And according to my post, I admitted that I didn't read it! :-D (I probably should have, but...wall of words...)

My point remains though - penning an opus feels good, but it doesn't help your cause if what you actually want is for the recipient to understand what you want, and *do* something about it.

If you present your argument in a way that suggests that the easiest thing for them to is help you, they will likely help you. If they have to do work just to figure out what you want, then you are creating your own obstacles.
__________________
-Qwkynuf

2003 F150 Supercab 4x4, tow pkg, 3.55 gears
2020 Flagstaff Micro Lite 21DS
Qwkynuf is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-27-2020, 08:59 PM   #72
NXR
Senior Member
 
NXR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Family room couch
Posts: 4,526
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim D. View Post
Attn: Quality Assurance Dept.; Parts Supply Dept. & all interested parties

This is the story of my RV since purchasing it in April of this year in fact next week I’ll have it for nine (9) months. I live in South Carolina and purchased my Jayco in Virginia, ...

This letter is mostly just to let you know what has happened since the purchase of my Jayco in April.
May I ask why you are writing about Jayco problems in the forum only for Forest River? The Jayco brand is owned by Thor Industries, not Forest River.

https://www.thorindustries.com/thor-companies/jayco

That being said, what you wrote is a problem with most manufacturers. Some are more lenient than others and I've read that Forest River has sometimes sent parts directly to to the end user for warranty replacement. I have no idea what their criteria for doing so is, though.

Ray
__________________
2020 Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
NXR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2020, 08:40 AM   #73
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 7
Warrantee issues

Quote:
Originally Posted by Qwkynuf View Post
I'm sure that writing this made you feel better, but I would bet a significant amount of money that nobody is going to read it. (I didn't).

If you want to convince someone to do something for you, your best bet is short, declarative sentences. Save the emotion for your campfire stories. Nobody at Forest River cares how you feel.

I honestly believe that anyone who is likely to have this land on their desk *wants* to help you. Help them by making it abundantly clear what reasonable solution will make you happy.

Describe the problem.
Describe the service failure.
Describe the solution that you desire.

That's it.

"Dear sir, the water heater on my motorhome has failed to maintain water at an appropriate temperature since delivery. The dealership has replaced the control board twice under warranty, but the problem remains. I believe that replacing the water heater with a new unit, under warranty, is the appropriate next step. Please contact my dealer and provide authorization for this repair."

In this way, there is no interpretation needed. It is clear what is wrong and it is clear what it will take to make you go away.

Short, clear, and professional will serve you better every time.

Yes this was a Jayco, yes it was long. But my intention was to show what the average person can possibly expect. I got rid of a Forest River Solera that I purchased in 2015 and could have listed the multitude of problems with it as well but I won't since I see brevity is all important.
Jim D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2020, 11:40 AM   #74
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,263
Quote:
Originally Posted by emm-dee View Post
Sounds like your problem is with the dealer. I’m also very suspicious of dealers and would never base my buying selection based on dealer service.

That said, there are exceptions. I bought my MH from a dealer 30 miles away. Their price was within $500 of the lowest I could find on line...anywhere. No need to go into detail about the issues (which were pretty insignificant) but I discovered I could call this dealer about them and learned how they work. Their system is to make an appointment for a specific date and TIME for them to evaluate the issues. After their evaluation they will advise the owner how they will order parts, get warranty approval, etc., then contact them to schedule the fix..again specific date and time.

My MH has had three warranty visits and has never been physically on the dealership lot for more than two hours. I’ll add that the Forester is considered by them as an entry level unit since the majority of their business is with very expensive motor homes. I have an issue now with discoloring vinyl flooring and we are handling the setup for a fix by emails and pictures. They advised me that once they have the required parts on hand they’ll schedule a time to fix it (estimate less than one hour).

Thats how the dealership I bought mine from works as well. As far as time on the lot though, different story. Of course the first time we had everything already sent in for the warranty, and it was a decent size list and they got it all done in under a week. This time though they have a 2 week warranty wait, takes about that long on average from when submitted to when they are approved and then wait for parts. Dropped it off on 11/4, haven't heard back yet what is being done, but not in a rush since we aren't going anywhere until next spring.

Here's the thing that I think is taking so long. The slide box it out of square at the interior side. The seal is gapless when 1/3rd out, then has a 1/4" gap at the top about a foot down when fully out. I can slide my pinky in it without moving the seal. Only true way to correct it is to replace the box, so not sure what they are planning to do. The other issue is the Furrion 12v fridge melts things in the freezer when on the middle shelf and doesn't do anything when it is below 50* ambient.
Bhrava is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2020, 12:18 PM   #75
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 4,223
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bhrava View Post
Thats how the dealership I bought mine from works as well. As far as time on the lot though, different story. Of course the first time we had everything already sent in for the warranty, and it was a decent size list and they got it all done in under a week. This time though they have a 2 week warranty wait, takes about that long on average from when submitted to when they are approved and then wait for parts. Dropped it off on 11/4, haven't heard back yet what is being done, but not in a rush since we aren't going anywhere until next spring.

Here's the thing that I think is taking so long. The slide box it out of square at the interior side. The seal is gapless when 1/3rd out, then has a 1/4" gap at the top about a foot down when fully out. I can slide my pinky in it without moving the seal. Only true way to correct it is to replace the box, so not sure what they are planning to do. The other issue is the Furrion 12v fridge melts things in the freezer when on the middle shelf and doesn't do anything when it is below 50* ambient.
The dealer I was talking about doesn’t want anything on the lot awaiting parts so they encourage you to leave. I have seen units sitting there so I guess it’s not mandatory that you leave.

Maybe they don’t want to provide free storage?
__________________
BIRDS AREN’T REAL
emm-dee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2020, 03:52 PM   #76
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 1,092
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim D. View Post
Yes this was a Jayco, yes it was long. But my intention was to show what the average person can possibly expect. I got rid of a Forest River Solera that I purchased in 2015 and could have listed the multitude of problems with it as well but I won't since I see brevity is all important.
You can be offended if you like, but the point is this - imagine that *you* work for whatever manufacturer, in the customer service department. Now imagine that the letter that you shared above landed on your desk. What would your response be? Would you read it carefully, to try to determine if there is something that needs to be done, vs just someone venting?

What if you receive 5 of those every week? 10? 20? At what point would you just start scanning them for keywords, or just ignoring them & chucking them in the round file?

If you are looking for a favorable response, be clear, be concise, be professional, and be clear. (and yes, I said 'be clear' twice). Or, you can send them your life story and hope for the best.
__________________
-Qwkynuf

2003 F150 Supercab 4x4, tow pkg, 3.55 gears
2020 Flagstaff Micro Lite 21DS
Qwkynuf is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2020, 06:12 PM   #77
Senior Member
 
dmctlc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Florida
Posts: 492
Quote:
Originally Posted by Qwkynuf View Post
You can be offended if you like, but the point is this - imagine that *you* work for whatever manufacturer, in the customer service department. Now imagine that the letter that you shared above landed on your desk. What would your response be? Would you read it carefully, to try to determine if there is something that needs to be done, vs just someone venting?

What if you receive 5 of those every week? 10? 20? At what point would you just start scanning them for keywords, or just ignoring them & chucking them in the round file?

If you are looking for a favorable response, be clear, be concise, be professional, and be clear. (and yes, I said 'be clear' twice). Or, you can send them your life story and hope for the best.
I have to agree being clear and precise but IMHO concentrate on the most important, major items because the goal is to get their attention and desire to help. They're not going spend very long reading it before they lose interest. The goal is to show them you want to work with them to correct the issues on a product you enjoy. Let us know how you make out please.
dmctlc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2020, 09:16 PM   #78
NXR
Senior Member
 
NXR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Family room couch
Posts: 4,526
Quote:
If you are looking for a favorable response, be clear, be concise, be professional, and be clear.
Or as Supreme Court Justice Bader used to say "Never use four words where three will do."

Ray
__________________
2020 Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
NXR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2020, 09:31 PM   #79
NXR
Senior Member
 
NXR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Family room couch
Posts: 4,526
Quote:
Originally Posted by dmctlc View Post
I have to agree being clear and precise but IMHO concentrate on the most important, major items because the goal is to get their attention and desire to help. They're not going spend very long reading it before they lose interest. The goal is to show them you want to work with them to correct the issues on a product you enjoy. Let us know how you make out please.
I respectfully disagree. The goal is to protect your current and future interests. Only by documenting everything including the minor issues will you build a history with the manufacturer's warranty system (and the dealer's).

If a documented repair recurs outside the warranty period, within a reasonable period, you have a good chance at getting all or most of it covered anyway because of the history that was established.

You also have no idea how a seemingly small item may in fact balloon into a major one. The attached picture is of a Norcold 1210 evap cup on the back of the fridge. I was annoyed because it slightly melted to the burner stack so I wrote it up. No leaks, no holes, just a trace of melting. The yellow is from a highlighter I used on the picture to point out the problem, not leakage of the coolant. A poor choice of color to be sure...

At the factory they told me they had never seen that before and they brought it to the attention of Norcold. Norcold told them that the material the evap cup is made of will withstand 500 degrees F and they had never seen one melt like that before. Norcold had them remove the entire refrigerator and replace it with a brand new one.

I thought I might get a new evap cup and instead I got a brand new refrigerator.

I shuddered thinking that somehow that thing got so hot that it could have caught the motorhome on fire. The evap cup on the new fridge has not melted. The dealer had worked on the propane burner a few times so my guess is they misadjusted something. You can see some discoloring of the metal below the cup.

Ray
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Norcold.PNG
Views:	43
Size:	841.0 KB
ID:	243824  
__________________
2020 Georgetown GT5 34H5
2020 Equinox Premier AWD 2.0L/9-speed
NXR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2020, 08:28 AM   #80
Senior Member
 
dmctlc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Florida
Posts: 492
Quote:
Originally Posted by NXR View Post
I respectfully disagree. The goal is to protect your current and future interests. Only by documenting everything including the minor issues will you build a history with the manufacturer's warranty system (and the dealer's).

If a documented repair recurs outside the warranty period, within a reasonable period, you have a good chance at getting all or most of it covered anyway because of the history that was established.

You also have no idea how a seemingly small item may in fact balloon into a major one. The attached picture is of a Norcold 1210 evap cup on the back of the fridge. I was annoyed because it slightly melted to the burner stack so I wrote it up. No leaks, no holes, just a trace of melting. The yellow is from a highlighter I used on the picture to point out the problem, not leakage of the coolant. A poor choice of color to be sure...

At the factory they told me they had never seen that before and they brought it to the attention of Norcold. Norcold told them that the material the evap cup is made of will withstand 500 degrees F and they had never seen one melt like that before. Norcold had them remove the entire refrigerator and replace it with a brand new one.

I thought I might get a new evap cup and instead I got a brand new refrigerator.

I shuddered thinking that somehow that thing got so hot that it could have caught the motorhome on fire. The evap cup on the new fridge has not melted. The dealer had worked on the propane burner a few times so my guess is they misadjusted something. You can see some discoloring of the metal below the cup.

Ray
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough or misunderstood, I don't mean not to note everything that's wrong. What I meant is and as previously mentioned you send a lengthy letter I doubt the mfg. customer service person reading it will lose interest in it. Like also mention think of not one customer letter like that but many and the purpose will be lost. They say the proper size should be no more than 500 words or one page for a compliant letter. IMHO I'd be surprised if anything more than that gets completely read and you'd be kidding yourself if you think so, as well.. Things to include need to clear and concise. ...
State exactly what y
Is wrong. ...
Don't write an angry, sarcastic, or threatening letter. ...
Include copies of relevant documents, like receipts, work orders, and warranties in chronological order so as to show time elapsed... and though it sounds simple don't forget to include your name and contact information.
dmctlc is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
quality

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:04 AM.