Learned My Lesson

[kjburns]

I must confess that I bought a 2015 HR Vacationer 36DBT. It was a disaster from the moment we got it home. The more I visited irv2, the more I saw the error of my ways. I'd always owned Winnebagos and had good luck with them. I knew Tiffin had a comparable or better reputation. The HR (Monaco) owners forum didn't paint a pretty picture of the new Vacationers.

I got with my dealer about making things right. My HR had been basically unusable since we bought it in December. It's been in their shop for over a month. They proposed some options and I found a 2006 Allegro with the Ford V-10 and Banks. The paint needs work, but the rest is very nice so we jumped on it. We're having a Trav'ler installed, along with new tires and HD TVs. I think this coach will be a keeper.

[jqt1954]

I learned my lesson too.

Bought a new 2011 Sportscoach, my first foray in the diesel pusher arena, and immediately regretted it.

On the way home from the dealer, the engine overheated. The Cummins engine and drivetrain were solid, but even the good ones have a problem now and then.

It got towed in for service at a nearby Cummins dealer, but they had to remove the drive shaft to do so. The warranty repair was made and then the dealer quibbled over re-installing the driveshaft.

The first night we drove it, we noticed we could not see anything; why? The headlights were pointed at the ground. Not a big deal but so much for the lack of attention to detail.

Other issues:
Soft spot in the floor - the more it was walked on, the softer it got. The dealer said they had no way to fix it and referred me to the manufacturer. They said if I would bring it to them, (1000 miles each way) they would fix it.

Awning - It was installed so that it was not fully wound up, it extended away from the sidewall about 8 inches.

A strong wind caught it and ripped it from the coach; it was replaced under warranty after some haggling, the manufacturer alleged I was driving with the awning extended.

The new one that was installed had the exact same issue, turned out the Dometic awning model they had put in was not to be installed over a slide out; when I spoke with the Dometic rep, they told me I had the wrong awning and would have to buy the correct model.

When I told them it was a brand new coach; they clammed up.

Luggage Compartments - One had no latch installed at all; the strut kept the door closed...most of the time.

Bedroom Air Conditioner - On a routine inspection of the roof, I noticed a bit of water standing around the A/C, the unit was sinking into the roof.

Another session with the manufacturer. He arranged for me to take it to a dealer to have the repair done.

Manufacturer told the dealer, "We don't warrant the roof when he and his fat buddies were on the roof watching a NASCAR race."

By this time, the service manager and I were well acquainted; he probably should not have told me that but ...

Before the repair was made, the dealer said that if they find that a repair had already been made, I would be responsible for the repair bill. Seemed fair enough to me.

He suspected a broken truss; one of the points the dealer made was the trusses were doubled around the areas that were heavily loaded, such as where the air conditioner sat.

Sounded good at the time.

Turns out the trusses weren't broken at all...they were never installed; so trusses had to be ordered and installed.

It looked good at first then a couple of weeks later, same issue.

On the phone with the manufacturer and he refused to take further action.

He said, "The dealer made the repair, YOU need to take it up with them, we are done with this coach." (Or words to that effect.)

The dealer said, "We made the repair they authorized, they are the manufacturer and know their product."

They left me in the middle with a roof that was about to cave in again; shame on SportsCoach for treating me that way.

A couple of things here:
- The SportsCoach I purchased (owned by Coachmen at the time) was an inferior product, as I learned all to well.

- The manufacturer went out of his way to avoid making necessary repairs and incurring costs. He did his best to pit me against the dealer and was insistent that when the warranty expired, it would be my problem.

Moral of the Story!
I traded that coach at a huge loss on a Bounder gasser and have never regretted a day of it.

Before you tell me I should have sued them; I considered it.

My lawyer said I had a pretty good case but he required $10K up front to take the case, as did another one. Did not seem like a good financial decision so I cut my losses and went away.

I'm not saying, don't buy a Coachmen product; but before you do or buy another brand, look at the warranty carefully; talk to others who have what you are considering.

No matter who the manufacturer is, EVERY manufacturer has a problem now and then.

It's not that you have a problem that matters, it's how you react to it.

In this case, the manufacturer knew they had made a problem and were looking to get out of it the cheapest way possible.

That will cost them dearly in the long run.

[PeaceOwl]

May your travels be less stressful as you move on to enjoying life. We all have had our "never again" decisions. I'm sure that quite a few people have given up their RV dreams because of bad experiences. It's a high maintenance hobby mostly because of companies who don't have a clue about customer satisfaction and responsible sales.

Looks like the dealer at least tried to help. I bet they get fed up as well.