I really regret buying a Newmar

[JMonroe]

As someone contemplating the purchase of a new Newmar, I find this thread distressing. With consideration for Newmar's side of this, in my opinion there is no excuse for turning away a less than 6 month old coach with this type of problem. Don't have the manpower to deal with it - get it.

I'm also concerned for friends with a 13 month old 2015 Dutch Star, they said that same slide is starting to make "strange noises".

[Hit_the_Rhod]

Originally Posted by two-niner

To all the posters pounding on the OP, this coach is only six (6) month old.

What would you do in their situation? I'll bet they NOW have buyers remorse!

X4, I would be royally pissed if this were my coach!

[smlranger]

Not knocking Newmar owners because I read similar threads about Winnebago and, yes, even Entegra. IMO, we in the USA have lowered our expectations for customer service, for education, for government, for quality, etc. The comments that Newmar is so busy building new rigs (yes sales of all RV's are up), they are slammed I say so what? Anyone who would excuse the response to the owners of a fairly new coach by Newmar has low customer service expectations.

It is rare in this goofy RV industry to find a dealer who is competent to make complex repairs. The manufacturer is not blind to this and they need to step up to the plate and either engineer these things to work right or have the resources at the factory to fix them when they don't.

Brand loyalty is one thing but it should not blind us when reasonable service is not provided.

[Air Baron]

Originally Posted by JMonroe

Don't have the manpower to deal with it - get it.

I remember visiting the factory in 2012 for a tour and asking Mahlon Miller how the company was doing. He said fine, that he owed nothing to the bank and they actually owed him money. I have also heard that Newmar survived the 2008 RV Industry bust by letting half their work force go. Evidently they have not all returned and business is booming. Maybe service people are now working on the production floor...which makes more money for the company than doing warranty work?

[PDR John]

Originally Posted by Air Baron

I remember visiting the factory in 2012 for a tour and asking Mahlon Miller how the company was doing. He said fine, that he owed nothing to the bank and they actually owed him money. I have also heard that Newmar survived the 2008 RV Industry bust by letting half their work force go. Evidently they have not all returned and business is booming. Maybe service people are now working on the production floor...which makes more money for the company than doing warranty work?

When our coach was built in the summer of 2012, Newmar had 400 employees. They now have 800, I'm sure they'll not the only to ramp up that much.

Hiring people is easy when people want to work, not the way the world works these days. The only people not working in that part of the country are people that don't want to work.

It's not just the RV industry that is suffering this fate.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by two-niner

To all the posters pounding on the OP, this coach is only six (6) month old.

What would you do in their situation? I'll bet they NOW have buyers remorse!

FWIW It sounds like buyers remorse.

As to what I would do, I would consider it annoyingly normal. Most problems manifest themselves in the first year. Annoying but true. Given the recent cutback and rebuilding of the workforce throughout the industry I am not surprised at problems caused by people learning their new job either making parts or making the new house out of those parts. I don't like it but I understand it.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by Air Baron

I remember visiting the factory in 2012 for a tour and asking Mahlon Miller how the company was doing. He said fine, that he owed nothing to the bank and they actually owed him money. I have also heard that Newmar survived the 2008 RV Industry bust by letting half their work force go. Evidently they have not all returned and business is booming. Maybe service people are now working on the production floor...which makes more money for the company than doing warranty work?

The service people are usually the most skilled in the workforce and paid as such. Putting them on the shop floor for any length of time would seriously annoy them as well as cutting their pay. The net result would not be good for the company.

[patch-y]

I wish the OP luck and hope the issues with his coach are resolved promptly and professionally by Newmar.

According to the OP.....there was a problem with the slide when he picked it up at Newmar when new. Why did he leave the factory without it fixed?

The OP also says that they have had problems with the slide since they bought the unit in April-6 months ago- Why did he not schedule with the selling dealer or with Newmar for a repair prior to complete break-down?

The OP states he was told not to come to Newmar since he wasn't on the schedule. Why did he not work his way up thru management and come to a mutually agreed plan with Newmar as to how to handle his slide issue??

I have found Newmar to be one of the better companies I have dealt with as to "customer service". They, as well as Freightliner in Gaffney, as well as my Ford and Benz dealer, tell me don't come in without an appointment.......

While I hope that the OP issue is resolved, I also know there is two sides to every story. The large number of satisfied Newmar customers on this site, as well as the many I see and speak to in campgrounds, say to me that Newmar is truly trying to do the right thing when it comes to quality and customer service.

Is this a case where Newmar has screwed up???--- possibly----- but based on my experience with Newmar, and compared to my previous experience with Thor (which was horrible) I would certainly buy another Newmar.......

[unw1red]

Originally Posted by patch-y

Is this a case where Newmar has screwed up???--- possibly----- but based on my experience with Newmar, and compared to my previous experience with Thor (which was horrible) I would certainly buy another Newmar.......

We should compare notes about our Thor debacles. Still fighting with them and don't even own the coach anymore.

[brobox]

I have been in the OP's shoes. All I can say is Newmar not taking care of the OP's problem to his satisfaction....this post and other social media input is the worst publicity a manufacture can have. If it cost Newmar one sale, they lost a heck of a lot more than paying someone overtime to fix that slide.

How may potential buyers will this story be told to in RV parks?

[sinjineer]

Originally Posted by patch-y

I wish the OP luck and hope the issues with his coach are resolved promptly and professionally by Newmar.

According to the OP.....there was a problem with the slide when he picked it up at Newmar when new. Why did he leave the factory without it fixed?

The problem slide made a thunk, thunk sound when it went in and out. We brought it to the attention of our delivery tech, who was with us in the unit when we opened it and closed it. He stuck his head under the sink and told us it was the plumbing chase seating and unseating when the slide moved in and out and it was "normal". This is our first motor home. We trusted the "expert". By the time we reached DC the sound had turned into a very loud BANG/BANG. I crawled under the slide and saw that the cog was chewing up the track. The rear bedroom slide was fine.

The OP also says that they have had problems with the slide since they bought the unit in April-6 months ago- Why did he not schedule with the selling dealer or with Newmar for a repair prior to complete break-down?

Our dealer is in CA, a bit of a drive away, so we arranged to have it fixed close to our summer home in NC at Myrtle Beach,SC. Their second fix seemed to do the trick, no thunk/thunk or bang/bang on our month long trip to FL and back to NC. We then put it in storage while we enjoyed our beach home. While packing for our trip west we opened and closed the slide a couple of times and it was ok, when we opened it after our first night on the road it was back to thunk/thunk. The second night of our trip it was back to BANG/BANG and the the slide wouldn't close in the morning.

When exactly should we have been getting service or making an appointment with Newmar?[/QUOTE]

The OP states he was told not to come to Newmar since he wasn't on the schedule. Why did he not work his way up thru management and come to a mutually agreed plan with Newmar as to how to handle his slide issue??

It was the weekend. We were on our way northwest, we know no one in Tennessee and Elkhart is the motor home capital of the world. As an aside, we talked to someone in the parking at Pro Custom last night; they called for an appointment with Newmar over 3 weeks ago and were told the first available was late November. So I guess I should have made my appointment 2 months before I had a problem. Or maybe have a standing monthly appointment just in case.

[rodz]

This isn't an isolated issue. Newmar quality has gone to crap. I had my new 2015 Canyon Star for 1 year and finally gave up and got rid of the POS. So many problems it would take a whole page to list them. I've owned mh's since the 70's and I've never seen something so poorly built as that one.

[VP Chianese]

Originally Posted by palehorse89

What a sad state of affairs! Factory don't have time to work on them either?
Sorry to read of your problems in your travels, hopefully it will be a fixed up soon, and you can be on your way! Good luck!

I would like to point out that this may be part of the problem here. We have become use to just going back to the factory with our coaches and thinking nothing of it. This is great. But try that with anything else you own. Show up at the Ford plant that built your truck and park in the lot until they come out and fix it. Take the Sears washer, oh I'm sorry you can't because Sears didn't make it. So let's take it back to the Whirlpool plant, wherever that is, and wait there. Not happening.

My point is that the reason they do not do this at other companies is it totally disrupts their operation. Yet several motor home builders do it as a courtesy, business model or for what ever reason.

The true "sad state of affairs " will be the day they all say "just take it to your dealer we only build them".

I hope this all gets worked out for these folks. But I think their best plan is going to be to sell it and move on to some other brand. This coach will never be OK for them.

JMO.

[unw1red]

The unfortunate thing about the 2008 bust was when all RV manufacturers had to layoff skilled employees, those people were forced to find another job. If they were lucky enough to find meaningful employment, they probably stayed when the economy and job openings started on the way back up. The dilemma for all of the manufacturers is that they have had to hire unskilled labor and train them to do what it is the skilled laborers before them did very well.

Newmar can certainly go out and hire people in masses, but they are not the people you want working on your coach. Patience and tolerance will help.

I feel bad for the OP, but everything will work out in the end and Newmar will stand behind it. I would much rather have an issue with Newmar than most of the other manufacturers. Go read the other threads and you will get a quick lesson in poor customer service experiences.