Community Forums

huntnjim · 08-04-2013, 11:58 AM

Some of you may have read my intro under (new member check in)
I just bought the new 2014 Mtn Aire 4360 and I have a 11 item punch list for warranty.
The 11th just happened yesterday while at a campground in Nathrop CO. Came back from a 2 hour outing to find the Silver Leaf alarm of inverter fault.
Sure enough open the bay door and a burn smell was strong. Crawled between the frame and the Magnum 2800 watt inverter is toast. Even melted the plastic moisture barrier above.
I left the coach at the park after long discussions with Newmar High Priority Support. They are sending out a new inverter for a local mobile rv service guy to install. (Home is only 2 1/2 hours in jeep.
My question is would you recommend me taking the coach back to Newmar factory for all the remaining work and to check out the system or go to the Newmar recommended service in Denver (All Stars RV)?

powerboatr · 08-04-2013, 12:05 PM

if your not to far I would go to the factory
I say this based on how great they treated my sister and brother in law there last year.
They had purchased a new unit in spearfish s.d. and it had some odd wiring and a back door problem.
my sister was overjoyed at how well they accommodated them during the repairs and the overall experience.

granted the unit never should have left the factory with the problems it had....but hey it happens

since then they have been very happy with their rig.

Route 66 · 08-04-2013, 12:26 PM

Factory.

Lug_Nut · 08-04-2013, 12:46 PM

100% the factory!

MJFZ · 08-04-2013, 02:11 PM

Factory. Six months after we bought our coach we made an appointment at the factory service center for our punch list. Very happy we did. While fixing our punch list they also made adjustments to one of our slides and added a support to our awning-- these two items they noticed and not me. The work was was completed quickly, and beyond our expectations. everything done top notch and the coach was returned without a trace of work being done. On the last day we sprung a surprise on them, that we wanted a washer/dryer combo added to our unit and to our amazement, the techs found time that day to do it, including having the paint shop paint a matching exterior vent cover, and fabricating an extra shelf above the unit!! Your coach will go into the high line service area for even added special treatment.

We made our factory service trip into a very pleasant experience, enjoying local cuisine, touring several manufacturing facilities ( including Newmar), visiting the Auburn/Cord museum, chatting with other owners in Camp Newmar, and of course one of my favorite pastimes watching the freight trains running through Nappanee.

Mike

GaryKD · 08-04-2013, 03:46 PM

Hi huntnjim,
Let's look at this without the emotion. Your in Colorado? If you make an appointment at Nappanee it will be about 6 months before you can get in. That time of the year, Nappanee is not a pleasant place to be. Then there is the drive (mileage), wear/tear and time away from home. For me, it comes down to:
1. the seriousness of the open items
2. competency of the local dealer
3. your ability to spend the time away from home at that time of the year
4. are the repairs really rocket science

My recommendation is to plan a trip to Nappanee in the 9th or 10th month of your warranty. Hopefully, will be at a time of the year more conducive to having a touristy good time while you are in the area. Get repaired locally, what can not wait. Save the rest for Nappanee.

huntnjim · 08-05-2013, 08:48 PM

After a couple of guys did some string pulling. I have a scheduled warranty work time set up for all items in less than 3 weeks at the Newmar Factory in Nappanee. They will repair the 11 items and update any necessary software and go through the coach with a fine tooth comb.

Newmar is stepping up to the plate and I'm looking for a homerun!

"007" · 08-05-2013, 09:00 PM

Congratulations I do not think you will regret your decision.

Mr_D · 08-05-2013, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJFZ

We made our factory service trip into a very pleasant experience, enjoying local cuisine, touring several manufacturing facilities ( including Newmar), visiting the Auburn/Cord museum, chatting with other owners in Camp Newmar, and of course one of my favorite pastimes watching the freight trains running through Nappanee.

What would a campground be without a train running nearby?

An RV Resort!!

Took ours to both Spartan and Newmar in 2004. Great experience, they even put me up in a Bed & Breakfast at Spartan since they had the entire front axle (12,000#) out and put a new one (14,600#) in.
Fixed stuff the dealer claimed Newmar wouldn't send parts for. Even replaced a bad (my fault) water heater element at no charge.
Watch out for the bike riders about 6:00 am coming to work!!

Deek · 08-06-2013, 07:28 AM

You will be very happy with your decision to return to Nappanee. We had several warranty issues with our 2011 Ventana 3433 because the dealer (no names, please, but know that it's the dealer which bills itself as the "largest Newmar dealer in the United States") promised to fix them at PDI but didn't and then after we got home (1,500 miles), our DS slide hyperextended and all of the exterior facia was destroyed due to a build problem that no one knew about where the wrong voltage motors were installed in all slides.

We were so devastated with all we had experienced, including the miserable PDI we got at the dealer, that we were seriously thinking about selling the coach and getting out of motor homing.

We called Newmar and got Chad Kaylor from Customer Service. Great guy. He told us not only that Newmar would fix our problems from beginning to end and that he could promise us that we would be happy with our coach again as if it were brand new, but he offered to pay all of our expenses including fuel and tolls to get our coach to Nappanee -- and he also told us that he would assign a tech to us 24/7 while we were there just like they do at Newmar factory delivery, so that we could get the full orientation that we never got from the "largest Newmar dealer in the United States" and to answer any and all questions about our coach that we had till we were fully satisfied and ready to return home with our repaired coach.

Tough thing to say no to.

We took Chad up on his offer, not knowing one way or the other whether we could be made happy again. Well let me tell you, Chad Kaylor was absolutely true to his word and he delivered 110% on each and everything he promised. The problem slide was fixed and looked like it was perfect from the factory, all slide motors were replaced, all warranty items that the "largest Newmar dealer in the United States" never fixed were fully addressed and resolved to our complete satisfaction, our full expenses were paid, we got the best PDI orientation we ever had with a coach, and we left Nappanee with a renewed sense of optimism about our love of motor homing and huge respect for and loyalty to Newmar.

Proof of the pudding is our decision, after then using the Ventana thereafter without any other hiccups, to upgrade to our 2013 Dutch Star for more room and better features this year.

I am certain that you will be very glad you returned your MA to Nappanee to resolve your issues. I sure hope -- and predict -- that you will get the same fabulous treatment we did.

Good luck!

Deek

JMonroe · 08-06-2013, 07:39 AM

Firstly, I agree. Take it to the factory, if at all possible. They have knowledge and resources just not available at any dealer.

Second, only 11 items on your punch list?! As sad as it seems, count yourself lucky. Ours had to have been at least ten times that. Most were what I'd call annoying, as opposed to dangerous or game enders, but it took three trips to the factory service center to get them fully addressed (we're still working on an intermittent problem with the Aqua Hot).

Newmar has a good reputation for customer service. I'm confident they'll take care of you.

Good luck.

GaryKD · 08-06-2013, 09:20 AM

Hi huntnjim,
Congratulations on getting an appointment. It's nice to own a high line coach. There is a saying about Nappanee. "You may or may not leave a better person, but you will leave a larger one." If you have never been to the area, enjoy all the Amish have to offer. Their cooking is outstanding.