Forest River not Responding
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins
Forum Discription: Have a warranty or service experience to share?
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4687
Printed Date: 29 Apr 2024 at 1:31am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Forest River not Responding
Posted By: lbrhino
Subject: Forest River not Responding
Date Posted: 05 May 2014 at 5:58pm
| We purchased our lovely r-pod in 2012 and have enjoyed it tremendously. Dealing with Forest River on the other hand has been a completely negative experience. Has anyone out there had to seak third party intervention to get warranty work covered? |
Replies:
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 05 May 2014 at 7:12pm
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Just bought our 2014 179 10 days ago- I'm about to find out about their warranty department! First the television labeled as 12v is not a 12v model. Today we were horrified to find major delamination and swelling of the kitchen counter- it appears there may have been water intrusion during transport or during the time on the dealer lot. It is severe enough the entire kitchen counter will have to be replaced. The camper has not been in any rain or washed since we've owned it... ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 05 May 2014 at 7:50pm
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Hi Budward, I am just curious. You seem very experienced with TTs. Much more so than me. When I purchased mine, I spent at least an hour going through every locker, operating every system, open and closing windows, etc. I wouldn't leave the lot with the problems you have described. And I would have noticed them. Did you buy it mailorder?  fred ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 8:06am
In the five years I've owned my r-pod, I've experienced nothing but excellent service from Forest River. But... question... why are you personally contacting Forest River for warranty work? This type of thing should be done by your local dealer. Typically, you bring your trailer to the dealership, the dealer fixes the issue and arranges for payment directly from the manufacturer. You shouldn't have to be involved at all. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 10:20am
Yup, agree with Outbound 100% there. Warranty work should always be done through your dealer you bought it from. The Forest River warranty department is set up to specifically work with the dealers that they sell to, not individual owners. And while in the past they have at times gone to great lengths to help fix many issues they do have a responsibility in their department to handle dealer issues first. ------------- https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=cnBvZC5zcG90dGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ - RPod Rallies https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1W1foQXGtrjf8aYly1uh0b-bHPfI&hl=en_US - RPod Owner Map |
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 1:37pm
No we did not have them disconnect AC power to see if the TV worked on DC- it had a big ole sticker right on it that said 12V. I did turn it on and it worked- didn't occur to me it was running on AC as it should not have been. Of course I was ASSUMING the sticker on it was correct- it was not- see my other thread about Jensen screwing up and labeling tv's as 12V that were not. The counter issue was NOT present when we checked it out at the dealer- I now believe the dealer got the counter wet, perhaps when they washed it, maybe blowing water through the slide out seal. It had to take days for the counter to swell as we didn't see it until a week after getting the camper. And believe me the wife and I were in and out of it a lot setting it up for our first trip. The camper has not been in the rain or washed since we've owned it. So tell me HOW you would have noticed it since it wasn't present at the time of delivery??? ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 1:42pm
Some issues, in my case like the counter needing replacing I can do a better job of than the dealer, I'd bet money on that. Ideally I'd like the replacement counter sent to ME if FR will do it. The dealer will most likely balk at that as he won't make labor on it- so I'm confident I'll end up talking to FR directly when he does. My other issue with the tv has already been addressed by Jensen. I'm sure the dealer and maybe even FR wouldn't have a clue about the tv being mislabeled as 12v. ------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 1:45pm
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I ain't going to get into the yelling that seems to be going on.. But I agree.. if it's a warranty issue, it should be the dealer who you contact, not FR. just like if I had a warranty or recall issue on my truck, I don't call FORD, I call my local ford dealer... That is at least part of the whole dealer network idea, and exactly why FR highly recommends buying from your local dealer.. ------------- |
Posted By: lbrhino
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 1:45pm
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We are in Western Canada and purchased our rpod from a US dealer out East.
Unfortunately, the dealership we get our work done at won't deal with forest River directly because we didn't purchase our unit from them. We had some initial work covered, but sine then it has been a nightmare. We have left several voice mails and followed up with even more emails. |
Posted By: wingnut2312
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 3:09pm
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I had an issue with them returning a call. No biggie, but it did take a while. The issue was simply that the vert blinds were not installed with the "lock down" parts. Camping world didn't have the proper sizes, so I called FR. I was told by FR that the dealer would have to order from FR, then ship to me. I asked why I couldn't just order and have them sent direct. FR said it's a paper work issue. Good enough for me!
Our dealer is in Muskeegon, MI, three hours away. I took the pod in once to another dealer for warranty work. Here's a quick recap... It took a lot of wierd stares and dumb questions for them to start work. They didn't want to because we bought it somewhere else. Problem was, they don't advertise as an authorized pod dealer. Nor are they suggested by FR's sight. Again, took calling FR to locate these guys in the first place. Long story short, it can be a pain in the rear to get stuff done if you bought from somewhere outside your area. ------------- 2014 rpod 182G Ford Expedition |
Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 06 May 2014 at 7:38pm
Posted my pics over in the TV discussion thread just for your reference if you keep working with Jensen. ------------- https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=cnBvZC5zcG90dGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ - RPod Rallies https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1W1foQXGtrjf8aYly1uh0b-bHPfI&hl=en_US - RPod Owner Map |
Posted By: lbrhino
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 12:36am
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We have the 176T model with the pop out tent. The fiberglass around one of the hatch door handle was cracking. The dealer called it Filon damage. Anyway, the problem was diagnosed along with other defects before the warranty ran out. We had some of the minor work done right away, but the fiberglass repair was going to cost close to $600 so we held off until we could get a response from Forest River. I emailed the invoice to Forest River and asked about the Filon repair work. It took the rep some time to respond and when she did she admitted to dropping the ball on it and said she would cover the work already done. No mention of the filon repairs though. I sent another email (because they don't return calls and a paper trail is always good) and never got a response on the Filon issue.
We went ahead with the work, but because of the delay (their lack of response) and the fact we had to wait for some parts etc, the actual work was done after the warranty expired.
Now the rep (different but no better) we are dealing with is saying the work isn't covered. I'm not quite sure where to take it now. I'll probably start with the Better Business Bureau and go from there.
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Posted By: Budward
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 4:33am
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Was the work done by an authorized FR dealer or repair center? If not I think you are wasting time trying to get it reimbursed. Not saying that is right but probably is reality.
------------- 2014 179 Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
Posted By: CasaJack
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 9:36am
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When we finally got serious about buying an R-pod we went on a rainy day, not intentionally but glad we did. We walked through about 8 of them and one of them was leaking water from the A/C all over the kitchen counter and floor. Maybe that is what happened with yours. If it were me I would be hosing the pod down thoroughly and for a long time to find the leak or make sure it's not leaking.
------------- Jackdaddy |
Posted By: lbrhino
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 12:26pm
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The repair was done by a dealership that handles RPods. If the defect is identified prior to the warranty running out I don't see why it shouldn't be covered.
I seem to recall there being an organization out there that helped resolve warranty complaints for RV owners. I was hoping someone would know about them as I can't remember where I saw the ad. |
Posted By: Old Dingo&Mrs.Dingo
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 6:06pm
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lbrhino, Trailer Life magazine seems to have quite a bit of success dealing with owner vs manufacturer issues. They request, after you have exhausted all other resources, send a typed letter with copies of appropriate bills and correspondence, as well as a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: RV Resolutions 2750 Park View Court Suite 240 Oxnard, California 93036 Good luck! ------------- Old Dingo and/or Mrs. Dingo 181G 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee |
Posted By: lbrhino
Date Posted: 09 May 2014 at 6:26pm
| Thank you for the info. We are still battling but are coming close to a resolution. |
Posted By: Belin
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2017 at 9:35pm
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Unfortunately, sometimes you have to contact Forest River yourself if the dealer is not getting the problem taken care of. |
Posted By: Tridemtnr
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2017 at 10:32am
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Hi All, I am also having trouble getting a real response from FR about an exterior panel separation issue that just happened to to my 2012 178. They respond to my emails with comments like the supervisor may be back in a few days (apparently hasn't been back since or is maybe too busy to respond, etc.) Also, this camper was purchased used in 2015 in Edmonton, Alberta. I have the buyers original paperwork but the selling dealer is a 4 hour one way drive away from me so I am trying to find information of how to do the repair myself and also maybe find out what may have caused the damage in the first place so I can prevent it from happening again. We love the Rpod mostly but are not having the same trouble free experience many others seem to enjoy. so far the following problems have occurred in two years: Microwave broke (no longer heats food), trip holding fridge and microwave in place keeps pulling away (nails pulling out), Frig stopped working on propane (still works on batt and shore power)
Thanks for your help and suggestions Pix of damage: http://imgur.com/a/Q6Czl |
Posted By: Tridemtnr
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2017 at 10:34am
|
Hi All, I am also having trouble getting a real response from FR about an exterior panel separation issue that just happened to to my 2012 178. They respond to my emails with comments like the supervisor may be back in a few days (apparently hasn't been back since or is maybe too busy to respond, etc.) Also, this camper was purchased used in 2015 in Edmonton, Alberta. I have the buyers original paperwork but the selling dealer is a 4 hour one way drive away from me so I am trying to find information of how to do the repair myself and also maybe find out what may have caused the damage in the first place so I can prevent it from happening again. We love the Rpod mostly but are not having the same trouble free experience many others seem to enjoy. so far the following problems have occurred in two years: Microwave broke (no longer heats food), trip holding fridge and microwave in place keeps pulling away (nails pulling out), Frig stopped working on propane (still works on batt and shore power)
Thanks for your help and suggestions Pix of damage: http://imgur.com/a/Q6Czl |
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 05 Jul 2017 at 2:27pm
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What are you wanting from FR? It is long out of warranty, and has been in other people's control for several years. ------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |