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Old 02-25-2007, 06:43 PM   #1
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Not wanting to hijack another thread I decided to start a new one. When our motorhome was new we had some trouble with it and it had to be towed four times during the first 1000 miles for a "reduced engine power" error message. It was finally diagnosed on the fourth try as a loose fuse holder and it has worked correctly since. It was aggravating enough to have to put up with this but the Workhorse parts warranty system was even worse. All four times the warranty repair was performed by Chevy dealerships that were also Workhorse service centers. The first three times they just threw parts at it unitl it was finally diagnosed on the fourth try by a real tech that looked beyond what the computer was telling him. The Chevy dealership had the required part in stock but were forced to order the parts from Workhorse. We wound up staying 15 days with friends approximately 100 miles away and in a local hotel for 3 days while waiting for parts from Workhorse. Other Workhorse owners I have talked with have experienced the same thing. I realize Workhorse wants to see the bad parts, wants to trace warranty items, etc. However this is extremely aggravating when the required part is available at the local dealer. Surely the local dealer could install the part immediately and have Workhorse replace the dealer part with a warranty part. Meanwhile I am back on the road. When I called Workhorse about reimbursement for the hotel bill they said submit and they would evaluate it on a case-by-case basis, but the chances were slim. In other words, don't bother. If I buy a new car I don't have to wait 3 to 5 days for warranty parts to be shipped from some central warehouse and be without the car in the meantime. Can someone explain the me why Workhorse adheres to this policy when the parts are setting on the shelf at the local dealer. At times it seems like they could care less about their customers and only want to keep their books straight at the expense of the customer. If I had a Ford chassis I'm sure the local parts would be installed immediately. My chassis is on warranty until June this year. Then I can get back on the road quickly since it will be on my nickel. I love the Workhorse chassis but this part warranty issue will make me think twice when it comes time for a new motorhome. I will step off my soapbox now but I would still like to know why Workhorse won't allow local part to be installed.
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Old 02-25-2007, 06:43 PM   #2
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Not wanting to hijack another thread I decided to start a new one. When our motorhome was new we had some trouble with it and it had to be towed four times during the first 1000 miles for a "reduced engine power" error message. It was finally diagnosed on the fourth try as a loose fuse holder and it has worked correctly since. It was aggravating enough to have to put up with this but the Workhorse parts warranty system was even worse. All four times the warranty repair was performed by Chevy dealerships that were also Workhorse service centers. The first three times they just threw parts at it unitl it was finally diagnosed on the fourth try by a real tech that looked beyond what the computer was telling him. The Chevy dealership had the required part in stock but were forced to order the parts from Workhorse. We wound up staying 15 days with friends approximately 100 miles away and in a local hotel for 3 days while waiting for parts from Workhorse. Other Workhorse owners I have talked with have experienced the same thing. I realize Workhorse wants to see the bad parts, wants to trace warranty items, etc. However this is extremely aggravating when the required part is available at the local dealer. Surely the local dealer could install the part immediately and have Workhorse replace the dealer part with a warranty part. Meanwhile I am back on the road. When I called Workhorse about reimbursement for the hotel bill they said submit and they would evaluate it on a case-by-case basis, but the chances were slim. In other words, don't bother. If I buy a new car I don't have to wait 3 to 5 days for warranty parts to be shipped from some central warehouse and be without the car in the meantime. Can someone explain the me why Workhorse adheres to this policy when the parts are setting on the shelf at the local dealer. At times it seems like they could care less about their customers and only want to keep their books straight at the expense of the customer. If I had a Ford chassis I'm sure the local parts would be installed immediately. My chassis is on warranty until June this year. Then I can get back on the road quickly since it will be on my nickel. I love the Workhorse chassis but this part warranty issue will make me think twice when it comes time for a new motorhome. I will step off my soapbox now but I would still like to know why Workhorse won't allow local part to be installed.
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Old 02-26-2007, 04:50 AM   #3
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I ran in an issue while headed West this past Oct. Due to an issue with my W22 starter it was agreed that Workhorse would overnight a starter to a service center they suggested. After a special trip to the service center (somewhat out of our way) the starter never arrived.

I also ran into problems obtaining the fuel-rail clip to comply with the recall.

I think if Workhorse expects repeat customers they need to address their service center issues. I for one would travel out of my way to go to a center who actually cared about Workhorse customers.
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Old 02-26-2007, 06:08 AM   #4
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Joe - In my case the Chevy dealers were more than helpful and tried to diagnose the problem and get me on the road again. They had the parts required for the repair but said their hands were tied by Workhorse. The warranty parts had to be ordered from Workhorse. It just seems nuts to me. Maybe its a good system from Workhorse's view but it is terrible from the customer's view. I agree with you, I would drive out of my way to a good Workhorse center and have done so in the past. However, the Workhorse warranty parts system can make a good center look bad from the customers view. If the Workhorse center is an RV dealership or a private mechanic I can agree they most likely won't have the parts and must order them from Workhorse. But when the Workhorse center is a Chevy dealership and already has the same parts as Workhorse it seems just plain ludicrous to be forced to order the exact same part from Workhorse and make the customer wait several days at their own expense. It sure sours your view of a good product.
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Old 02-26-2007, 07:32 AM   #5
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As much as I love my WH and the motorhome, I have to agree. When I was on warranty I had to have my brakes replaced. This was a year or so ago, the place that did the work (work horse service center) had to order the parts from them as well, even though another dealer had them no more than 20 miles away. The other dealer would not give any one of three of their parts to another dealer for some unknown reason. There is something wrong with the system and as you can see it's been going on for some time. I have not been in a position where I have been on the road and needed parts. I only hope that time does not come.
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Old 02-26-2007, 08:05 AM   #6
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Reply </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I had the same issue with a bad starter on my W22. The local Chevy dealer had a starter on the shelf. Would not sell it to me. Found one at another Dealer saying it was for a Heavy Chevy truck, and they were happy to sell it to me. Good chassis + these type of issues = something else next time. If you build it-back it.
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Old 02-26-2007, 02:40 PM   #7
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I can only speek for my self but the WH parts unavailability is what surprises me that they can stay in business for long. Many MH owners are much more forgiving than me. We can get parts for every other vehicle we own locally , I can get parts for the snow blower, weed whacker, lawnmower or leaf blower, the motorcycles or the hot tub but I had a **** of time getting a fuel filter. 3 & 4 weeks, twice waiting for an air bag, 2 or 3 weeks for a fuel pump. The IP surprisingly took only a few days.
Have they ever fixed fuel filter problem? Are they available any where yet?
I'm still amazed that WH has time to develop and try to promote their new UFO and they seem to care less if we have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for even simple maintenance parts for their older , traditional front engine chassis.
They absolutely would not get away with this if these were trucks used for business. could you even imagine shutting down business while you wait for parts for a new truck?
Maybe WH just thinks of the dealers as their customer and we're just a bunch of 'pains in the butt'
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Old 02-26-2007, 05:28 PM   #8
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If Workhorse would take a page or two out of, say, Caterpillar's dealer support strategy, they'd be unbeatable. Many characteristics are similar:

- Relatively low dealer/service center density
- Need to get parts to dealer/service center NOW NOW NOW (delays are expensive for the customer)
- No second-tier parts distribution (the auto makers have regional parts warehouses)

So Cat has the capability to get just about any part to any dealer overnight. You pay for that, of course, but in a pinch I'd spring for it.

All of the above is very expensive, let me tell you, and the market may not sustain it. So they could do something else. In this area the biggies would be:
- Ensure that the retail parts channels can cross over to Workhorse part numbers
- Authorize use of second-source parts for warranty service if all else fails
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Old 02-26-2007, 06:11 PM   #9
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I did'nt think comparing WH to Cat was fair. Parts availability is probably the biggest reason you see more Caterpillar hvy. equipment than all other brands combined. There Denver dealer (Wagner) delivers parts on a daily basis to dropboxes for contrators all over Colorado. They probably do this every where. They also have 24 hr emergency svc and they will come to you. Of course this is expensive like every thing else but it sure is nice to know they can get you going fast.
I've never used it yet but my Volvo powered outdrive (Chevy Engine) boat guarantees parts delivery within 24 hrs.
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Old 02-26-2007, 06:17 PM   #10
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I wouldn't mind paying a little extra to have a Workhorse part overnighted to the Workhorse center where my motorhome is waiting. Its got to be cheaper than the hotel bill for a few nights, plus I would be on the road again the next day. When I was farming we got pretty upset if the part we needed wasn't in our hands in a couple of hours. Usually wasn't a problem since the dealership carried most of the parts you might need. You are right Mahlon, today most parts are overnighted to save on inventory costs. If you break down in the early morning and you have to wait until the next morning for the part and part does not arrive, then there will be you know what to pay. However that seldom happens and you are in the fields again the next morning. At least the farm equipment dealerships understand that if they do not get needed parts in the farmer's hands quickly, the farmer's will trade off that equipment and buy a different color.
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Old 02-26-2007, 06:23 PM   #11
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I don't know why WCC does not make some sort of an agreement with their Chevy WH Service Centers to use Chevy parts and then replace them from WH stock plus a "usage" fee.

When I go out of warranty You can bet that I will use Chevy HD truck parts when ever possible.
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Old 02-26-2007, 07:03 PM   #12
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You hit the nail right on the head oemtech. It doesn't seem like a very complicated thing to implement. I would love to have a new motorhome one or two years downstream with the new UFO chassis. However, if I have problems and I either drive or tow the UFO chassis to the nearest Chevy Workhorse center for warranty action because I am fairly certain they have the parts needed for the engine, etc. and they have to order parts from Workhorse that are identical to the parts on the shelf at the Chevy dealership, then I don't think I would want a UFO chassis. I will probably look for a FRED chassis or something else. Don't get me wrong, Workhorse has stepped up to the plate on the warranty and has paid all the towing bills, etc. They have been excellent in that respect. And I understand that if the local Chevy dealer doen't have certain parts for the chassis itself then they must be ordered from Workhorse or some other source. My only complaint is if the local Chevy dealer has the parts on the shelf that are needed for the warranty repair then use them and settle with Workhorse later. Meanwhile I am back on the road instead of sitting in a hotel room at $60-$100/night wondering when the Workhorse parts are going to arrive. We don't own a house anymore so we don't have the option of flying home or taking the bus home, the motorhome is home.
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Old 02-27-2007, 03:48 AM   #13
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You can bet Workhorse is aware of every issue discussed on this and most other forums.
This is not a new issue by any means and you would think they would be more responsive with their services.
This, like most businesses is driven by the consumer and people will not ignore these issues forever.
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Old 02-27-2007, 04:02 AM   #14
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Spoonman:
This, like most businesses is driven by the consumer and people will not ignore these issues forever. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I am working this issue for you guys in the background and I hope to have something for you shortly. I just don't want to offer anything at this point that may not be 100% accurate.

I will offer this, "Point taken!"
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