Did it take a year to get the bug worked out

[ct78barnes]

Would like to hear first hand from you owners about ordering and getting your new coach how many trips to the dealer to get things fixed in the first year and did you have to leave your coach any length of time at the dealer.Should I figure on a lot of trips to the dealer also did you wait till you had a list of items before you drove it to the dealer Please let me know how your first year went . Thanks

[FleetMan]

We ordered ours new. The driver who drove it out from the factory had one write up which was corrected by Freightliner in Mt Vernon, WA and the dealer did their pre delivery work before we took possession. The MH has NEVER gone back to the dealer for anything. That said, we did have a few problems. The charger/converter failed and was replaced by Winnebago at the factory. We had HWH leveling system problems, a jack replacement handled by our local Camper World under warranty and a pump/solenoid problem which was handled by HWH at their factory. We also had a toilet water valve fail. That part was provided by the dealer under warranty and I replaced it myself in about 20 minutes rather than drive to the dealership and lose a whole day in the process. The factory visits were not a problem since we go cross country on a regular basis. Remember, you may have authorized repair facilities close to home who can do warranty work on many of the systems or components and save the trip to the dealer.

[hoppers4]

I had to take my first MH (Class C Jayco) back a couple of times for things I couldn't fix. Had a 12V short I didn't feel like chasing and then some fiberglass problems I wasn't capable of repairing.

My current MH hasn't been back to the dealer and I've had it for 2 1/2 years. Since I'm a DIYer the last thing I want to do is take it back to the dealer so I'll make any repairs or mods I can. My TV had to be repaired (flashed) but I took care of that through the mail with Audiovox. Had a power steering leak that was just a loose clamp. Had a leaky skylight that I repaired with Eternabond. Have done a bunch of mods just for fun, but that's just my entertainment.

I would think the best choice would be to build a list and take it back at your leisure. That is unless something is major enough to be a safety risk or show stopper.

FYI, just finished my current mod (replacing kitchen faucet with single handle/soap dispenser/undersink filter) today, so my MH is always being tweaked.

[tcopeland]

What if don't live near the dealer?

[Bob and Vicki]

We bought our 2006 Meridian in October of 2006. She had 4000+miles on her from delivery etc. Our dealer checked her out, changed a jack, washed her and we took her home. We now have 43,000 miles on her. Besides routine service, she has had two Freighterliner recalls (minor), one Norcold recall and this last winter we had an HWH leveler slide problem that HWH helped remedy in a short time frame.

To really answer your question, our dealer has not seen our Meridian since the first day we drove her off the lot.

[ct78barnes]

Thanks this is great as we have 8 weeks till our coach come from the factory. We have a 2003 Sightseer but bought it 3 years old and I am like the first post and try to do most everything my self, oil changes and gen set two. That said I have had my coach almost 5 years and no problems so I hope I have the same luck with the new one again thanks.

[Doug Sage]

Good luck with your new motorhome. We ordered ours from the factory and the dealer was worthless! There was a punch list of things that needed to be fixed. The motorhome sat in the dealers servfice department for over three months. We finally gave up and eventually drove it 1,800 miles to the factory where the list got completed. It was about a year and a half before it was where it should have been when it was delivered.

[John H...]

It is always nice to be able to repair as many things as you can on your own. Avoid dealers as much as possible. If you can't do it yourself, maybe you know of a friend who could help with minor fixes. Try anything before the dealer.

[John Mo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ct78barnes Would like to hear first hand from you owners about ordering and getting your new coach how many trips to the dealer to get things fixed in the first year and did you have to leave your coach any length of time at the dealer.Should I figure on a lot of trips to the dealer also did you wait till you had a list of items before you drove it to the dealer Please let me know how your first year went . Thanks

We bought new from a dealer lot -- not ordered from the factory.

Lesson learned: Even though it's brand new, don't sign for it if you haven't driven it. Mine required a trip a couple of hours down the road to the Ford dealer to fix an alignment problem. It wasn't a showstopper problem, but if I'd found it before I closed the deal, it would have been the dealer's problem to resolve rather than mine. Happily, the dealer stepped up and covered the cost. Related to this particular problem, I don't have anything nice to say about Winnebago. They were aggressively unhelpful.

Mine went back to the dealer multiple times for a total of several weeks out of the first year. I had a three-page list of problems some of which are still problems. The things that remain are either minor annoyances or things that got fixed but didn't stay fixed. My dealer was pretty decent to work with, but I eventually gave up and my dealer subsequently ceased being an authorized Winnebago shop. I don't know who chose to end the relationship there.

It depends on how far it is to your dealer and how serious the problems are. Unless there's something significant, I'd just keep a list and head for the dealer when there's a decent amount of work to do, especially if your dealer isn't close. If your dealer's close or you have the time and inclination, you might take it in sooner and/or more often.

Despite the large part of the first year that ours was in the shop, it didn't cut into our travel plans much because the problems weren't showstoppers and I managed to get it in and out of the shop between trips. One issue that was a major hassle while on the road was not handled satisfactorily by Winnebago.

[okie-dokie]

We have a Fleetwood Revolution with windows that look like they haven't been washed in 5 years. They are dual pane windows, that all of the gas inside has escaped. They are very smokie and brownish/grey colored. I have a sign on each side of coach that Fleetwood will not take care of the problem. Sorry Fleetwood, but you asked for it!!!!

[mickey53usa]

We bought our 2009 Destination in May 2010. Before we picked it up, it was at Freightliner having an A/C problem fixed and a charging problem fixed. After we got it, it has been back to Freightliner twice, once for a front wheel seal, and once for a fuel filler leak. It has been to the Winnebago Dealer a couple times for little odds and ends (aligning cabinet doors, toilet that rocks, tank levels that don't read properly). I always plan to just leave the MH for a couple weeks and don't rush them.

[bluepill]

I can buy a Chevy Aveo for under $15K with this warranty:

NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY
GM vehicles registered in the U.S.A. are covered for 3 years/36,000 miles (whichever comes first). The complete vehicle is covered — including tires, towing to your nearest Chevrolet dealership and cosmetic corrosion resulting from defects. Repairs will be made to correct any vehicle defect, and most warranty repairs will be made at no charge. In addition, rust-through corrosion will be covered for 6 years/100,000 miles (whichever comes first). Powertrain components will be covered for 100,000 miles/5 years (whichever comes first). See dealer for details.


Or spend TEN TIMES as much for a vehicle with many parts covered only for a year. WHAT'S WROING WITH THIS PICTURE?

[John Mo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluepill Or spend TEN TIMES as much for a vehicle with many parts covered only for a year. WHAT'S WROING WITH THIS PICTURE?

Yep, it occurred to me that this thread basically acknowledges that a factory-new MH comes with a built-in expectation of a bunch of warranty work. The one that really kills me is that the manufacturers basically think that we have the time, money, and good will to drive great distances for things to get fixed the right way at the factory.

[GG1]

If things stop working only within the first year consider yourself lucky. Document everything and report it as soon as something malfunctions. Keep good records.