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Old 02-22-2017, 02:10 PM   #1
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Customer Service Horror Story (Long Sorry)

Like most of you we have had some issues with our new coach and for the most part customer service has handled them well until recently. The following story is almost laughable now although the day it happened I was extremely frustrated and angry by the events.

Last Thursday when I attempted to bring in the slides the bedroom vanity slide was dead, out of the blue no previous issues. So I call Entegra CS for about the 15th time. Another new person takes the call. It's the same guy I had spoken with two weeks earlier trying to get a new window for the BR and one for the driver's window. He had me take pics and send him but I never heard back. I don't mention this because I'm now focused on getting my slide in. He is very polite and tries to be helpful although I can tell he does not know much more than I do about the issue. He references his guide and talks with another tech and comes back and has me switch the wires from a different slide out controller to the non functioning bedroom slide. Made sense but unfortunately it was not the problem. All of this takes nearly an hour.

Here is the unbelievable part. We came to the conclusion it's a bad slide out motor. This is a 2017 Anthem which had a recall due to water getting into this slide motor and killing it. I had the recall done in January at NIRVC and had driven in the rain very little prior to that. So the rep tells me I have to access the motor to pull the pins so I can manually crank it in or remove four screws from the brake to release it so I can crank it. Well I'm not overly mechanical but I know how to remove screws with the best of them and I used to replace sheer pins in my grandads old Evinrude outboard motor so I figure I can do this. One problem, I don't know where the motor is and it turns out neither does he. First he tells me it's between the two rear tires. So I look and look and I don't see but one possibility, a rectangular panel held up with four screws. So he is still on the phone and I describe it and he says that's it you have to remove that panel. We think that's the panel NIRVC installed to protect the motor from water damage. OK, I get down on the ground between the two tires and finally underneath the coach between the two tires and remove the four screws holding the panel, guess what, no motor there. He says are you sure, yeah I'm sure, but I take pictures and send to him and while doing that I see another panel made of sheet metal closer to the wall of the motor home that is neatly and very tightly held in place with lots of a black silicone substance so I take a pic of that too. He looks at the pics and tells me that sheet metal panel is it. I say are you sure. He shows the pics to someone else and says yes that's got to come off. Ok, lets do it, so with him still on the phone about 1.5 hours now I'm down there again trying to cut the glue and stuff holding the metal plate up. I cut and cut at the side edges trying to remove the plate by now it's been two hours and the campground is all over me to move because the folks who have that site now are there waiting. Finally, I tell the rep I have to move the coach so I will do that and call him back after I get that plate off. So I drive down an interior road in the CG with that slide still out. Still can't cut the stuff with a razor knife so what the hell I take my dremel and some sheet metal cutters and butcher it but I get it out. Guess what, no motor there.

Now I'm really pissed, I have ruined my jeans and shirt, spent almost two hours on the ground with sore knees and still no motor. I call the tech at NIRVC that did our PDI and tell him the issue. He says the motor is in front of the drive tire between the rails and the sheet metal plate I butchered was not the recall but a plate installed at the factory.

So I call Entegra CS back. I get someone else, thank goodness, and tell him the story. He apologizes and stays on the phone while I get back under the coach to remove the four screws of the panel where the motor actually is. Now I'm under the coach somehow wedged between the two tires, arms stretched as far as they will go, one with a flashlight looking for the two pins. By this time they know I'm pissed so they have a senior tech on the phone helping. Remember, to manually get the slide in you have to remove the four screws holding the brake or remove the two pins attaching the rod to the motor. Well the motor is up in a box like with only about 2.5" of clearance around the brake. I can't get a screwdriver to it. So I go got the pins. Well they are placed in from the top so I can't even see them. You would think they would place them on the bottom of the rod so you could get to them in this situation, but know, that would make it to easy. So after trying for another 20 minutes the senior tech says we can call someone and have them come out to fix it.

I apologize for such a long story but I wanted to try and share the experience since it was so memorable to me.

Here is what l learned from this:
1. Turnover and lack of training are really damaging to Customer Service. Many guys I talked with last year are not there any longer. These new people are put on the phones helping customers before they are properly trained resulting in experiences like mine. They often have to go to one of the senior techs, PJ or Michael to get answers.
2. Next time I have a serious issue, no do it yourself under the coach stuff, let them pay for a Mobil tech to come out.

The bright side of all this is the week before we were at Big Bend NP. Good luck getting a mobile tech there.

Also, those of you with 2017s may want to check your BR vanity motor. When I removed the screws from the covering panel a good bit of water streamed out. I would have hoped NIRVC would have caught that when they did the recall back in December but that didn't happen.
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Old 02-22-2017, 02:25 PM   #2
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Wow Mike, sorry you have go through all that. Hopefully the tech they send out will square you away. Did you have set plans for a place to be tonight? Or did the campground have another empty spot?
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Old 02-22-2017, 03:49 PM   #3
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Sorry that you had to go through all that in a campground Mike. We had the same issue (I think we were the first actually). Luckily we had just pulled into our building and the slide failed IN not out. The pins were at the top position because they assemble it from the top before the floor goes in.

If you have the chance when the new motor gets there, wrap the end of the black rubber boot with rescue tape. They put this rubber boot on and then put a zip tie around it to keep water out but it doesn't work. It does not seal out the water.

Its a shame that the first CS person you talked to did not have the correct information about the location. They should make these folks work in the factory for a month in every department so they can get a better handle on how these things are put together.
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Old 02-22-2017, 03:54 PM   #4
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They should not allow them to guess at the answer. If you don't know, ask someone who does, but don't guess.
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Old 02-22-2017, 03:57 PM   #5
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I have needed to do a lot of talking with Middlebury CS in the past couple of months as I am having my share of problems while on the road. I think I have talked with someone new or virtually new (never talked to before) every time I have called in. Has there been a fairly big loss of old experienced hands in the CS phone answering consulting group or have they added a bunch of people to make the group larger?

Gary
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Old 02-22-2017, 04:01 PM   #6
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Mike, I hate to hear of that nightmare. As for CS reps, I have run into the same thing lately. Very new and don't have a clue what is going on. I ran into the same thing regarding shade motors the other day. Thank goodness for this forum and knowing what is going on with the motors that others have reported. The CS rep I got on the phone didn't have a clue, he was saying I was out of warranty. I have found it is easier and more accurate to search the forum first than to spend the time on hold. Just my experience.

Someone brought it up here on the forum to seal that panel with Enternabond tape. Excellent idea after you said so much water came out of that panel even after the "update".
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Old 02-22-2017, 04:29 PM   #7
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That is what I like about my Bedroom and wardrobe Accu-Slides. Heaven forbid the motor fail.. I pull 3 or 4 screws, Break out the flexible Power Screwdriver extension and the reversable drill and I have a brand new motor in my hand that can run it out easier than you can say "Emergency Operation"..... Have done it for a short distance just to make sure it works, Worm drive, no brake.
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Old 02-22-2017, 05:19 PM   #8
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What did the update consist of from Entegra on the vanity slide motor?
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Old 02-22-2017, 05:39 PM   #9
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Welcome to Thor.
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Old 02-22-2017, 09:40 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brobox View Post
Mike, I hate to hear of that nightmare. As for CS reps, I have run into the same thing lately. Very new and don't have a clue what is going on. I ran into the same thing regarding shade motors the other day. Thank goodness for this forum and knowing what is going on with the motors that others have reported. The CS rep I got on the phone didn't have a clue, he was saying I was out of warranty. I have found it is easier and more accurate to search the forum first than to spend the time on hold. Just my experience.

Someone brought it up here on the forum to seal that panel with Enternabond tape. Excellent idea after you said so much water came out of that panel even after the "update".


My PS and DS shades aren't working either nor is toll shade. What and where should I look. The font window shades, same thing, not working. Any suggestions?
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Old 02-22-2017, 11:44 PM   #11
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My PS and DS shades aren't working either nor is toll shade. What and where should I look. The font window shades, same thing, not working. Any suggestions?
Yes. You have a 2014 with United shades. Entegra knows they have problems and will warranty them for 3 years. Call CS ASAP and let them know that you know about the ongoing problems with United and they will send you replacements. Did this with my 2014 a month ago or so for two shades.
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Old 02-23-2017, 12:43 AM   #12
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Old 02-23-2017, 04:53 AM   #13
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My PS and DS shades aren't working either nor is toll shade. What and where should I look. The font window shades, same thing, not working. Any suggestions?
Just posted yesterday. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f278/mcd-...ng-328045.html
Using the Google Search Bar at the top of the page will bring up several posts on how to change the motors. Type in "Entegra" first, then the subject and it will pull up all Entegra post first.
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Old 02-23-2017, 08:16 AM   #14
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Hi Mike - Sorry to hear of your troubles with the vanity slide motor.

I had the same issue a while back, around Thanksgiving last year. Stopped into NIRV and they replaced the motor. Prior to this Entegra performed the TSB in Indiana. What they should have done was replace the motor AND perform TSB. For those who don't know what the TSB is well it's adding two covers one on each side of the motor covering the cog and shafts for the slide. This puts three covers within the drive wheels on the passenger side of the coach for the vanity slide. This is to prevent water from getting into the slide motor.

While you were here at Wilderness RV Resort we met. I was in the process of sealing everything up associated with the motor TSB. I squeezed into the wheel well and caulked everything. This included all screws, gaps, and lips of the sheeet metal that didn't sit flat. After sealing everything with a good caulk, I then sprayed the whole setup with a rubberized undercoating. Hopefully this will keep all water out and the motor sealed. I'd suggest that you do this also before you move on.

Good luck and if you have any other questions feel free to pm me....
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