Community Forums

tammyinwv · 04-28-2005, 07:47 AM

We bought a new HR 5th wheel, quad slide last fall.It was a leftover 2003.Before we signed papers we noticed a spider crack in endcap about 2-3 inch circle.Dealer said they would recommend just letting their repair person repair and paint it. He was afraid there would be a leak problem develop if replaced end.We had never decided yet what we were going to do for sure,but had leaned towards letting them repair.It looks as if it had been hit during construction from inside.You cant feel cracks.Now just about a week ago while hubby was cleaning it up, he found an area with cracks about 8" high and about 3" wide to left of the left window on the edge of the back endcap.These cant definitely be felt.And they run up to the edge of the window.I am waiting to take it in when dealer gives me a date to bring it in for recall repair on frame.(I have already been waiting over a month for them to recieve parts they supposedly ordered, but when I called Monacco,they told me the parts have never been ordered)I hate the idea of patching a new expensive trailer,i feel the panel should be replaced by Monacco,I dont trust dealer.Should I have any concerns in replacememt or just letting them paint?I would like some other opinions. Another thing that upset me after purchase was that when we first took it out to camp last yr, we were trying to figure out the valves, and accidently pulled the black one instead of gray one and all kinds of sewage started to flood out before we could get it shoved back in.In my opinion this makes it a used trailer, but hubby says they freq use their trailers for shows and personal use at these businesses.Another incident was the first time we had it out last fall after buying, our first trip away from kids, and fridge quit,about a month after purchase.The dealer and monacco and fridge co refused to pay for anyone to come out and fix it,said we would have to hook tralier back up and bring it the 2 hr drive to a dealer.We have not got off to a good trusting relationship with this dealership.

tammyinwv · 04-28-2005, 07:47 AM

We bought a new HR 5th wheel, quad slide last fall.It was a leftover 2003.Before we signed papers we noticed a spider crack in endcap about 2-3 inch circle.Dealer said they would recommend just letting their repair person repair and paint it. He was afraid there would be a leak problem develop if replaced end.We had never decided yet what we were going to do for sure,but had leaned towards letting them repair.It looks as if it had been hit during construction from inside.You cant feel cracks.Now just about a week ago while hubby was cleaning it up, he found an area with cracks about 8" high and about 3" wide to left of the left window on the edge of the back endcap.These cant definitely be felt.And they run up to the edge of the window.I am waiting to take it in when dealer gives me a date to bring it in for recall repair on frame.(I have already been waiting over a month for them to recieve parts they supposedly ordered, but when I called Monacco,they told me the parts have never been ordered)I hate the idea of patching a new expensive trailer,i feel the panel should be replaced by Monacco,I dont trust dealer.Should I have any concerns in replacememt or just letting them paint?I would like some other opinions. Another thing that upset me after purchase was that when we first took it out to camp last yr, we were trying to figure out the valves, and accidently pulled the black one instead of gray one and all kinds of sewage started to flood out before we could get it shoved back in.In my opinion this makes it a used trailer, but hubby says they freq use their trailers for shows and personal use at these businesses.Another incident was the first time we had it out last fall after buying, our first trip away from kids, and fridge quit,about a month after purchase.The dealer and monacco and fridge co refused to pay for anyone to come out and fix it,said we would have to hook tralier back up and bring it the 2 hr drive to a dealer.We have not got off to a good trusting relationship with this dealership.

CyberVet65 · 04-28-2005, 08:26 AM

It sure is a hassle when the dealer is only concerned with sales and not aftermarket Customer Satisfaction. Is there a way to get HR's Customer Rep involved? I would not accept ANY defect in an new RV. Even if it is a year old model. That end cap needs to be replaced. And from the sound of your dealer I would consider taking it to the factory for repair.
Chet

Hitchhiker · 04-28-2005, 09:13 AM

I agree with Chet, your new trailer should be virtually flawless. Have you considered Chet's suggestion of contacting factory personnel for their input?

I have no idea how far the factory is from where you are but it might be in your best long time interst to have the cap replaced there. If they're willing to replace it at the factory maybe you could route a vacation in the area of their location and turn a bad situation into something a little more pleasurable.

Another point, maybe they'll foot the bill to come and pick up the trailer and deliver it back. It's a long shot, but it never hurts to ask. Shucks, if they'd just buy the diesel fuel to tow it there it'd be helpful.

Good luck with however you choose to resolve it and keep us posted on the progress.

Arctic Owl · 04-28-2005, 11:59 AM

Tammyinwv, I had some crackes develope in the Gelcoat in the front of my first 5th wheel. My dealer did not even attempt to repair. He took my trailer down to the local boat repair facility& let their expert gelcoat repair person do the repair. It never cracked again. the marine place told me the gelcoat was too thick & heavy & that is why it cracked. He said not to worry as it was just surface cracks & had not & would not go all the way through. Just some information you might find handy when talking to your dealer. You might suggest he get a marine place to give him some input if he has little experience in repairing that type of material.

Reg.

tammyinwv · 04-28-2005, 01:02 PM

I think your right it might be best to call monacco directly.I dont trust the people at the dealership.They finally called me back today(5 hrs later) to tell the parts had been ordered and they would call when to set up appt. They tried to make it out as if they were ordered when they were suposed to have a mnth ago and didnt know why monacco didnt have a record of it. I immediately called Monacco back and they said they had been ordered, I asked when and she said just now.I explained what dealer said and they just laughed and said they had just ordered them today and wont ship until monday due to being in the middle of inventory.I live in Wv and I think the closest factory is Florida.I tried to talk hubby into a fl vacation this yr,lol.

Ray,IN · 04-29-2005, 07:33 PM

If you don't mind, I will offer a suggestion. Document everything! Phone calls are hard to prove, put every request to the dealer in writing and request replies by letter(or fax),and keep all received letters. If you must use the phone keep a log with time, date, person talked with, and summary of conversation.
This is extra work, but if the dealer stalls until the warranty expires and then waffles, you have documentation to go to court. A lawyer once advised me on this, and it worked the one time I needed evidence.

04-29-2005, 08:32 PM

....fiberglass cracks....get used to it. Especially fiberglass panels and boats made with a chopper gun....that's why a quality part is hand layed up with glass cloth.....I was in the boat repair business for too long....geofkaye

tammyinwv · 04-29-2005, 08:42 PM

We have a 93 Rinker ski boat that still looks and runs like brand new.We got it in 98 used.The only hint thats its not new is that since last yr we couldnt keep it in garage when not in use all summer and the red strip has faded slightly. Not one crack anywhere.Our old Terry 30G we had about 6 yrs,looked like brand new inside and out other than the yellowed smooth fiberglass walls.Not one crack.
Tammy

robertsonthego · 05-01-2005, 07:50 AM

At the dealership I worked at, using the facilities in a new trailer was grounds for dismissal.(*) Your trailer was used when you received it, the price should have reflected that. The appliances do not need to be repaired by the dealer you bought the rig from, any certified repair center for that brand of appliance can do warranty work (they are covered under their own warranty anyway, not the trailers'). I would take it to a good body shop and ask their recommendation on the fiberglass repair, if they can't do it, they can send you to someone who can. Good luck. John

* On occassion we would find that a "customer" had an "emergency" and used the toilet (We did check for this once and awhile, yuk) we would do the best we could do to return the tank to new condition. (rinse, sanitize, etc...)

Mike Z · 05-10-2005, 09:55 AM

I've had 5 hairline cracks repaired on my new Jayco's front cap. Three at a fiberglass shop and two by a local dealers bodyshop. Hopefully it won't happen again. I didn't want them to replace the cap and potentially damage something else or cause a leak. That's the luck I've had at RV shops, fix two things and cause one new problem. I now do all but the most extensive repairs myself. Mike

tammyinwv · 05-26-2005, 08:41 AM

still playing around with dealer. he took pics of the new cracks said he would send to Monaco and call me the next day. A week later I call, and he said the pics didnt show up, wanted me to take digitals and email them to him. Well he said he used a digital, he would know immediatley if they showed up.I called Service manager to complain and he said it would be best to just contact Monaco ourselves and set up appointment.Well monaco says they dont pay anything for us to get it to them, and they dont send someone after it. A two day drive will be at our expense.Now I dont know what to do, the cracks are about 1 and1/2 feet long,not spiderweb fashion and can be felt.I dont trust the dealer to do an adequate job.

woodburner · 11-15-2005, 02:07 PM

Our 2005 Everest is in the shop now because of cracks on the rear cap. Dealer said it was due to the framing not being catilievered properly and was a common issue with the late 04 and early 05 Everests.
Sorry you had such a problem.

Quality On-Site · 11-25-2005, 06:45 AM

A lot of times the crack in the end cap are a result of minor flexing and are not a concern, but as a former Service Director at a Large RV Dealership Here in Arizona, I have found the majority of them are caused by the trailer making contact to something, ie: Forklift, Truck, Another Coach, ect. I would start with the selling dealer and go from there. Sorry to shed a negative outlook on this situation, but I know all to well how the dealerships operate.