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PilotPodder View Drop Down
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Joined: 04 May 2016
Location: Portage, MI
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: No Warranty
    Posted: 11 Sep 2018 at 7:47pm
I can get an R-Pod cheaper if I am willing to travel to buy it, but warranty work becomes an issue if it is very far. Local dealers are not obligated to service your Pod or prioritize the work since you bought it elsewhere. So there is a trade-off buyers need to understand. I've bought both locally and at a distance. Buyers need to count the cost of service delays (or no service) into the money saved up front if they buy at a distance.  

On the other hand, my first R-Pod (New 2016 171) was bought locally and I had it in three times for the same problem, so not not all local dealers have similar skill sets in repairing items. The same local dealer gave me (a first-time RVer in 2016) a 15-20-minute walk-through, set up an E2 WDH with a Honda Pilot about as unlevel as can be (because they used the wrong shank, I discovered later), and made it a hassle to get any work done even under warranty. This is all to say, local is better only if it is, and you really can't use a broad brush in giving answers to this problem. 
Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — My RPod YouTube Videos
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2018 at 2:03pm


This subject matter comes up from time to time.

Sorry to hear about the troubles - really. Unfortunately, the RV industry doesn't work like the automotive industry. In a past post, I said that I do not refer to sellers of RVs as "dealers". I think a more appropriate term is "retailer". I believe the majority of sellers of RVs are single location/mom & pop type operations. If they are going to devote their time and resources to you, they need to make some money.   Warranty work is likely a little or no profit situation for them. It may be even a money losing proposition. I suspect that the re-imbursement rate on warranty work is much less than their "retail" rate.

Imagine that you and I are professional house painters who happen to use "Brand X" paint. You paint someone's house, collect your pay and go on. After a month, the owners who paid you are unhappy - the paint is pealing and you missed some spots. They call me, as I also use "Brand X" paint and want me to come to their home and fix things - for FREE!

Even if the "Brand X" paint company agrees to give me free paint, I'm still out my time and losing in a big way. I'm working for free when I could be earning a profit from someone else. I still have to pay my own bills and employees while I'm not earning a profit.

Though I may feel very sorry for the home owners, I ain't working for them for nothing or at a loss. I wouldn't be able to stay in business very long doing that.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2018 at 3:24pm
Moral of the story, buy a used rPod in good condition.  Take it to an independent RV repair shop for an inspection before you buy it.  It's a big investment and the fee to give it a once over is well worth it.  Sadly, there are many RV dealers out there who do not have the integrity one would expect and you cannot depend on their promises.

With a used pod, the warranty items should have been fixed or the problem should be obvious and the dealer should disclose un-repaired warranty items.  Most people really don't use their new rPods so much that significant wear and tear will occur.  Quick sales after purchase occur because either the owners realize that they are not using it enough to justify the investment, it's too small for their needs, or there are problems that they can't get fixed.  If it's the latter, it's fraud to conceal them.  Ask the seller whether there are any known defects or open warranty matters and confirm in the sales contract that there are none.
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Fred & Maria Kearney
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2018 at 3:44pm
+1 to Lostagain, I bought used with no warranty and fix my own issues. Not for everybody.
Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."
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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Sep 2018 at 7:43pm
We bought our 180 brand new this year, mostly to get a warranty. While, thankfully, nothing major has been wrong with the rPod, there are a few minor problems we have found. (A scratch in the table, a crack in the plastic faceplate of the power converter, and the caulking is separating at the top of the shower enclosure on the side wall.)

Nothing major. We bought Locally, and our Local dealer REFUSES to answer emails or return calls. The service manager is ALWAYS out when I call. It's kind of ridiculous. We payed $19,800 for ours brand new which was list price. They gave us $750 in trade for my '89 Coleman Sequoia tent trailer with EXTREME dry rot in the roof. (sight unseen.) Plus they gave us a $350 voucher for their parts dept for various things; a group 27 marine battery, a new ball hitch and bar, towing mirrors, and a brake controller. (I had to pay the installation $ for the brake controller.)

I thought at the time it was a fair deal but we could probably could have gotten a better deal in hind site. (Knowing from the past it is always harder when you have a trade in, especially one that the dealer doesn't want.) It still bugs me that they won't take care of the few small repair items we found. All of these items were noted the week that we bought the unit. 

I sure wouldn't recommend Pacific RV on the CA Central Coast. I count myself fortunate that nothing major was wrong with the trailer. It was sure a different experience when buying a new vehicle. Is this par for the course when it comes to RVs? I have always purchased my campers used before. They don't hide the fact that they really only want to sell new RVs. 

We had a friend who bought a used cabover camper from Pacific Coast RV and he is NOT happy with them at all because they refuse to honor their written warranty. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2018 at 8:26am
Every owner and every"dealer" has a different story and approach.

 We bought a used pod from a local dealer.  There was no warranty and we knew it and were well aware of the potential problems. The dealer prepped the unit very well and gave us a thorough walk through and demo.  Everything worked when we picked it up.

shortly after purchase, our refrigerator died completely.  both circuit boards were bad.  We don't know the cause -power surge, lightning, bad boards, corrosion??????? Regardless, we had to replace the refrigerator.

We went back to our dealer and I think they did the very best that they could.  They scheduled us immediately, ordered our new refrigerator and installed it within a week.  we paid for the refrigerator and they"absorbed" the installation cost. I think that was a fair deal.

I feel like the dealer took care of us as best as they could.  sure, we had a failed component on a used 2015 unit that we owned for a month.  I was not happy with Dometic, but I have no issues with Forest River or the local dealer.

I understand what the dealers must do in order to stay in business.  I think the most important thing is to work with a local dealer, be honest with each other and do business in a business like manner.  check out the dealer for all aspects of the business, not just the lowest price.  a bargin price  is not always the best  long term solution. A relationship matters.

Vann

Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2018 at 11:49am
We have had a different experience with our dealer. The day we picked it up they gave us a very thorough walk through that took almost 2 hours. They also spent around a 1/2 hour to 45 minutes going over the intricacies of the WDH and brake setup. I wasn't happy with the after-market (Teconsha) brake controller, but that was mostly esthetics, and they took back that brake controller without a fuss. I installed the Ford OEM brake controller myself and am happy with the way it fits right into the dash.

We had a couple of minor issues with the WDH, and the service manager gave us his personal cell number. He's given me advice, and met us on the lot one afternoon to verify that the WDH didn't have an issue for us.

So I guess everyone and every dealer varies quite a bit.
bp
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2018 at 2:05pm
That souns like a poor dealer.  Ours did a great job prepping ours, and has been responsive for years to service issues even though we didn't get a more expensive RV.  When buying new check out the dealer.
Keith-N-Dar
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Sep 2018 at 2:30pm
Originally posted by OldNeumanntapr

We bought our 180 brand new this year, mostly to get a warranty.

Nothing major. We bought Locally, and our Local dealer REFUSES to answer emails or return calls. The service manager is ALWAYS out when I call. It's kind of ridiculous.


My sincere advice to you or anyone else who is experiencing a problem with your dealer is to call The R-Pod reps that handle warranty claims directly. There is no reason why you should put up with any dealer treating you that shabby. Take some time and read through the Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins thread in this forum. Familiarize yourself with your state laws concerning RV's and warranty repairs which varies state by state. Also many independent RV repair shops will do warranty repairs and file the claim for you with your RV manufacturer. You might have to pay the difference between what the manufacture shop rate for the repair is and that independent shop rate charges but IMHO it can be more then worth it.

I often wonder why the manufactures of RV's don't realize that by not requiring their dealers to adapt to warranty system like car dealers they are just shooting themselves in the foot! How, well for instance would you be more apt to buy brand X RV if you know any dealer in the country will honor the warranty or brand Y RV under the present warranty repair system that is in place now? Lastly I would say if you get the chance complain to your State Representative about the abysmal warranty repair laws on RV's. 
Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
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