More shade failures

[Gary.Jones]

I have been on the road 6 weeks on the current trip. This is the third night-shade motor that has failed since this trip began. As of right now, I have been living with a toll window shade held up by a clothes pin and rope for about a month, the driver side living room night shade permanently down for about two weeks, and as of yesterday, the driver front window main shade permanently down and making the coach un-drivable unless I roll it up and hold it up with two clothes pins. So my $350,000 motorhome has two shades held up with clothes pins...... sounds about right, right? That follows the door night shade that was already replaced over in Kerrville..... all on a 7 month old coach. I am pretty sure that the only reason that they are failing is that we are actually expecting the shades to go up and down once a day. They are still broken because Entegra and I have problems finding a mobile tech who can meet our travel schedule to do the replacement and get them fixed. I tried to tackle the toll window shade and it was virtually impossible and gave up. Now the others are piled up and the tech we finally get will have to deal with them all. However, it is clear that it is just a matter of time before the others fail too, and the only reason they have not failed already is that we don't use some of them, ever. This is CRAZY for Entegra and for us.... all of these yellow (ours are actually older than yellow) motors need to be replaced. When a tech arrives, they should change everything in the coach. Amazing!

There also seems to be a lack of consistency on how the shades are replaced. One of the Entegra CS people said they are replaced on a unit by unit basis, meaning, if they have to replace the night shade, they want to replace both night and day motors while the unit is removed. Another says they only replace motor by motor, so if the night shade goes out, they send a tech and he/she only replaces the night motor, and we get to have someone again when the day shade fails. Can we figure out that if someone is going to pay for a tech to replace one motor in a fixture, then it is money to the good that they replace both motors, as doing so will avoid travel costs and tech time to do the same thing for the other motor when it also fails????


Gary

[CoreyinWP]

14 and counting

[DSL417]

Found out last week...United provides the new motor and Entegra forwards the cost for warrantee installation back to them. As stated in the other thread on this...somewhere between 1000 and 1200 coaches have these motors (not all are failing). No one has any understanding of why (other than blaming China which is the only supplier; note they also provide them to MCD). So that is somewhere between 55-70000 shades. At $80 a motor, and probably 6 hours a coach, JMHO, we aren't going to see a recall or a replace all. From a business perspective, it is just cost prohibitive for a company the size of United Shades (my guess, especially as they are not all failing in all coaches).

Until someone figures out why...and I don't see anyone really working this other than to get the next color motor...well, welcome to the battle initiated:(

[Gary.Jones]

Dave

I think I fully understand why this is difficult for United Shade and for Entegra. However, if Corey has had to have 14 shades replaced, and I have already had 4 or 8 depending on how you count in 7 months, then for those people who just happened to have gotten all their motors from defective batches (apparently) should have theirs replaced "en mass". Maybe there is a threshhold that should trigger the mass change.

What is equally not fair is to burden the owner of one of these coaches with repeated shade motor problems to deal with repetitive and constant failures: getting motors, arranging schedule for them to be replaced, disrupting our use to deal with these problems, or having to live in coaches where we can't run around in our undies because the shades won't work, etc. Therefore, it is bad for everyone involved. Given that, then there is a need for another strategy which is more fair for everyone. Replacing 14 one at a time is not it. As Gene says , JMHO

Gary

[757driver]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

There also seems to be a lack of consistency on how the shades are replaced. One of the Entegra CS people said they are replaced on a unit by unit basis, meaning, if they have to replace the night shade, they want to replace both night and day motors while the unit is removed. Another says they only replace motor by motor, so if the night shade goes out, they send a tech and he/she only replaces the night motor, and we get to have someone again when the day shade fails. Can we figure out that if someone is going to pay for a tech to replace one motor in a fixture, then it is money to the good that they replace both motors, as doing so will avoid travel costs and tech time to do the same thing for the other motor when it also fails????


Gary

Gary,

I agree with you 100%. It only makes sense to change out both at once while the shade is down. The extra time involved is about 3 minutes. It is not if that other yellow motor will fail but when. If someone at CS said they were only going to replace one at a time I would ask to speak to Joyce.

[Bill in FL]

I have now replaced 34 motors. Only one day shade has failed. I have been fortunate in that when a motor fails now, CS has shipped an extra red motor to replace both motors in the unit. Three windows now have red motors only, 11 windows to go. I'm at Entegra right now and had a motor that was showing signs of failing. Wouldn't you know it, the tech ran it several times and it would not fail.

[brobox]

Originally Posted by Bill in FL

I have now replaced 34 motors. Only one day shade has failed. I have been fortunate in that when a motor fails now, CS has shipped an extra red motor to replace both motors in the unit. Three windows now have red motors only, 11 windows to go. I'm at Entegra right now and had a motor that was showing signs of failing. Wouldn't you know it, the tech ran it several times and it would not fail.

It is hard to believe, on your coach, that all of the motors are not being replaced with Red motors. I think you lead the list for the number of replaced motors. If they are not replacing yours, the rest of us probably don't stand a chance.

[gizmo123316]

I am only on my fifth motor and was told by CS that they only want me to replace the ones that have failed. Didn't like the idea that I carry a spare, just in case another one quits. It would be nice to change two at the same. I use the day shades so seldom that it will be at my expense before they fail, I am certain of that. That is not fair, and I think that there are several people in the same situation. I guess I might as well order red motors on my dime, and change the day shade motors at the same time as I am changing the night shade ones. At least I won't have to take them down again.

[waterboy10]

I wonder how other manufacturers would handle this problem? I know it is a mess but at least they seem to be stepping up to the plate as best they can. I am not sure other builders would do the same. If Entegra is having the problem I would think other builders would be facing a similar issue. How would you feel if the builder did nothing after year one (I bet some would take that stance)? I believe eventually it will all work out and most everyone will be happy campers.

[Anthem46]

2016 Cornerstone Picked up Sept. 4. Have had 1 shade replaced, another work only at the shop!!! Not when I want it to.

[Marcosdad]

Originally Posted by Anthem46

2016 Cornerstone Picked up Sept. 4. Have had 1 shade replaced, another work only at the shop!!! Not when I want it to.

Red motors??

[Ann n Gene]

MCD shades!


2016 Cornerstone 45B
Formerly 2011 & 2013 Anthems and 2015 Cornerstone
2014 Lincoln MKT towed

[Mr_D]

Well, one of our MCD shade motors failed too, but it was the gear that stripped they say as the motor still runs. Trying to order one now but no answer back from my email of yesterday.

[AlKat]

Originally Posted by DSL417

Found out last week...United provides the new motor and Entegra forwards the cost for warrantee installation back to them. As stated in the other thread on this...somewhere between 1000 and 1200 coaches have these motors (not all are failing). No one has any understanding of why (other than blaming China which is the only supplier; note they also provide them to MCD). So that is somewhere between 55-70000 shades. At $80 a motor, and probably 6 hours a coach, JMHO, we aren't going to see a recall or a replace all. From a business perspective, it is just cost prohibitive for a company the size of United Shades (my guess, especially as they are not all failing in all coaches).

Until someone figures out why...and I don't see anyone really working this other than to get the next color motor...well, welcome to the battle initiated:(

__________________________________________________ ______________

X-2 on that Dave!
We have lost 4 so far and #5 is down now.....