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Ed_G · 07-17-2012, 12:48 PM

Short version: Carefree will not honor their warranty that came with our new motor home package.

Long version: We purchased our new Motorhome in January, 2009. It came with a Carefree Eclipse motorized main awning. We used it infrequently over the past couple years. On July 11, 2012 while camping in a remote location in Vermont, we extended the awning. It began extending and then suddenly dropped the last few feet into full extend. After that we found that the awning would no longer retract. I called Carefree and they advised me to go to their website to find a local Carefree service agent. Since were enroute Niagra Falls I looked up Carefree agents in some of the locations along our route. I called 5 Carefree warranty dealers as listed on the web site. Three of them had no idea what I was talking about, one of them said he had not been a Carefree agent in 15 years, and the last one called was apparently a one man operation who was unavailable. In frustration I called Camping World in Syracuse New York who was willing to squeeze me in. Camping World is not a Carefree agent but they diagnosed my problem as a bad motor assembly. I provided Camping World with my Carefree warranty statement which clearly showed warranty coverage for another 6 months on the faulty parts along with labor and shipping too. They contacted Carefree in attempt to get my warranty coverage applied to this repair and was told by the Carefree factory agent that they had " terminated " all four year warranties in January, 2009, the same month I had purchased my new motor home.
As it stands now, I will have to pay the full costs of repair so that we can complete our return trip to home in Oregon and I intend to do some serious follow up on this issue.
If anyone on this forum has comment on this subject I would certainly be interested in hearing it. I find it astounding that a company with such a widely sold product would deny our warranty issue in such a blatant manner.

Mr_D · 07-17-2012, 10:38 PM

Well, a company does have the right to change the warranty at any time without warning. Since we don't know when they changed the warranty length or when you bought your rig we really don't have anything to comment on, other than Good Luck!

Carefree will stand by their change in the warranty and you're pretty much left to your own. You MIGHT get some help through Good Sam or Motorhome magazine though. But Carefree would have to do it as a good will thing.

Ed_G · 07-18-2012, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Well, a company does have the right to change the warranty at any time without warning. Since we don't know when they changed the warranty length or when you bought your rig we really don't have anything to comment on, other than Good Luck!

Carefree will stand by their change in the warranty and you're pretty much left to your own. You MIGHT get some help through Good Sam or Motorhome magazine though. But Carefree would have to do it as a good will thing.

Mr.D, as stated in my original post, Carefree dropped their 4 year warranty the same month I purchased my new motor home. I had thought that when I purchased a product with a warranty I was also entering a contract with the company regarding that warranty. I did not know a company reserved the right to change that warranty subsequent to a purchase. I can only hope that some letter communication with the company will alter their decision in my case.

Monacoach · 07-18-2012, 07:00 AM

A company can change or cancel warranties but not after they are issued so have you checked your paperwork to see if you have the 4 year warranty . I would call Carefree back and ask them when they cancelled the warranty, and if it is after your purchase date then you have a very solid case. If it was before your purchase date I would question why the rv dealer gave you false info.

Ed_G · 07-18-2012, 09:22 AM

All the questions you asked were stated in the original post. After a little research on the WEB it appears to me that I may have a good chance to contest this decision by Carefree to not honor the written warranty I received with my new motor home awning. I will began the letter writing campaign when I return home next month.