The converter on my one month old R-Pod failed while I was on a trip to Alaska.  I called the Forest River warranty department and explained that none of the Forest River dealers near where I was had the unit in stock.  I was told that if I paid for the repair out of pocket and submitted the invoice and proof of payment, I would be reimbursed.  Following is the email exchange that I had with the warranty department after I emailed a copy of the invoice and proof of payment.  I was not told that I had to send the defective part back to Forest River during my first conversation about reimbursement.  I've put this information on the forum because I was appalled to learn that the warranty is basically worthless.  Perhaps forewarning about what you will have to deal with if you need warranty work done will inoculate you against some of the frustration I have experienced.

Do you have the bad converter we can have pickedup to get it back to the factory?

 Thank you,

Samantha Ferguson

Surveyor/Rpod

Warranty Administrator

(574) 642-3119 ext. 275

sjhoover@forestriverinc.com

fax: (574) 343-5920

Dear Ms. Ferguson,

 I just arrived home from my trip.  While Iwas traveling, I did not see your email, hence the late response.

 The old converter is still in the R-Pod.  IfI remember the conversation accurately, the owner of Bulletproof Trailers whoinstalled the new converter said that the original fuse panel and converterwere all one unit.  He said there was nothing wrong with the fuse paneland that only the converter had failed.  Moreover, he said he did not havea single fuse panel-converter assembly in stock, but he did have the IOTA 55amp power supply.  He bypassed the connections to the old converter andinstalled the new one behind it in the space under the seat.  I have hadno electrical problems since the installation.  Even if I were to bring itto an R-Pod dealer to extract the failed converter for you, I would then (if Iunderstood the technician who did the work correctly) have no fuse panel.  

 I note that other R-Pod 180 owners have reportedon the R-Pod owners forum that they also have had the converters fail in their180’s.  This leads me to believe you must have multiple claims for thesefailures and already be familiar failures of this unit.

 I hope you will process my reimbursement asquickly as possible.

 Thanks!

Maureen Rubano

Maureen,

        I wouldneed the bad converter back for our vendor to test. Once I receive that back Ican start the reimbursement process.

 Thank you,

If this is the case, then you need to direct me aForest River R-Pod dealer who will replace the defective unit under warrantyand return the defective part to you.  I will then keep the converter Ipaid for out of pocket as a spare.  Please advise where I may get thewarranty work done.

 Thank you.

Maureen.

        Can younot take it to your selling dealer?

 Thank you,

Samantha Ferguson

I live in Maine.  I drove to Ohio to purchasethe unit.  Please advise what local (i.e., New England) dealer willperform this warranty work.

Thanks.

Maureen

 http://www.forestriverinc.com/DealerLocator.aspx

 Above is the link to our Dealer Locator featurefrom our website, Forest River cannot advise what dealer to take the unit to asall of our dealers are independently owned and operated.

 You plug in your zip code, first drop down boxchoose Travel Trailer and second drop down box is a list of Forest Riverproducts, you don’t have to stick with Rpod as any Forest River dealer orCamping World location can do warranty work for Rpods, please keep in mind thatbeing that these dealers are independently owned and operated that some maywork on units they didn’t sell and some may not.

 Thank you,

Samantha Ferguson

Do you understand that yourwarranty is worthless if Forest River cannot compel its retailers to honor awarranty because they are all “independently owned”?

I apologize you feel that way, however, that is whywe strongly suggest to purchase locally.

 Thank you,

Samantha Ferguson

This is not a matter of“feeling”.  If Forest River cannot get its dealers to honor themanufacturer’s warranty, then the warranty is a fraud.  I can only assumea class action suit will eventually be filed.

If you want to go that route thanI can no longer speak with you.

Thank you,

Samantha Ferguson

This is not a problem, sinceForest River has failed to honor its warranty and there really isn’t much leftto say.

Forest River has not failed to honor its warranty,I clearly gave you instructions on how to find a dealer if you cannot take theunit back to the selling dealer.

 Thank you and have a great day,

Samantha Ferguson

Instructions about how to finda dealer does not equal reimbursement for money I paid for a failed componentof my one-month old Forest River trailer.  Telling me that whatever dealerI find through your instructions may choose to replace the part for me — ornot — does not honor Forest River's “warranty”.  “Warranty" means themanufacturer will fix, or cause to have fixed by a retailer of its products, adefective part: it does not mean providing information about finding a dealer whomay elect to fix a defective part — or not.  “Warranty” means you tell mewhich dealer is going to replace the defective part without cost to me. You have not done that.