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Old 11-26-2012, 09:51 AM   #1
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What were your dreaded "New RV" issues...

So I keep hearing about the new RV issues. Statements like:
"All new motorhomes have issues..."
"It's better to get one a few years old will all the problems worked out..."
"Allow a few months to work out the kinks before your big trip..."

This is scary stuff! Especially if you are not super-rich and thinking of spending a sizable percentage of your net worth on vehicle that may be plagued with problems.

If you bought a new motorhome, what exactly were the problems you ran into? What type of RV was it and how did the issues affect your plans?
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Old 11-26-2012, 10:10 AM   #2
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I think that you should think of a MH as a boat on wheels. The old adage about boat ownership is "It's a hole in the water you pour money into".
A MH is a hole in the asphalt you pour... well, you get the idea.

It is unrealistic to assume that once you buy it, you will have no problems.
A MH is too complex to not have problems. Some of them are built in. Some of them just happen. I find something that doesn't work on every trip I take. I fix most of them on my own. I do get discouraged about the amount of time it takes, but I'm hopeful the issues will taper off in frequency.
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Old 11-26-2012, 10:31 AM   #3
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I have had a number of issues with my new Fleetwood Bounder. First of all it is a 2010, so it sat in the desert climate on a parking lot for over 900 days. So I made sure to check all of the rubber and to ensure that a lube, oil, and filter were changed as part of the deal (including the generator). I allowed myself to feel rushed during the predelivery inspection at the dealers. If I could do it again, I would have taken the time I needed, as it was I looked over some obvious problems. The dealer has since taken care of the items but my motor home has sat in his shop for 15+/- days out of the 31 days I've owned it.

I have to remind myself to be patient, the motor home has a 90 full adjustment warranty (all of the minor stuff, like cabinet doors etc.), a 365 day bumper-to-bumper warranty, plus I purchased the seven-year extended warranty from XtraCare via my dealer.

I have 11 months available on my bumper-to-bumper, and 59-days of my full minor adjustment warranty that I plan to use often, well as much as it is needed. What I like about new versus used, is that by me going through all of the little pain-in-the-neck fixes, is that I know everything that has been done, and I am learning about my motor home's nuances.
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Old 11-26-2012, 10:39 AM   #4
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I have never understood how the breakin perod for RV has become kind of a right of passage and not a reason to revolt, but consumers seem to keep coming back. As for me we intended to buy one MH use it until we were done then part with it and that is the course we are on ten year into it now.

In our case, and I suspect many, the actual MH had few defects, except those created by shoddy workmanship. The basic unit was well constructed and mechanically sound as it is today.

However, our VCR was jambed in so tight would not eject a tape, the W/D did not work, was not plugged in, the wrong table was delivered with the unit, when we went to pick our unit up they were taking parts from it to repair other units. There is more but you get the idea.

All this could have been avoided but, it is a long story, the PDI inspection was not done. We were told it was and that everything was in working order. On that particular day they were very late delivering our coach and we no longer had time to wait so we went on our way after getting the guy to swear he had checked every appliance. Turned out he lied.

It is a longer story but we prevailed after I called the owner and they arranged a service schedule for us at another dealer who corrected everything and billed our selling dealer direct.

When repairs were done at our purchasing dealer they were never, and I mean never, done correctly the first time. But they always fnally made it right.

While all this was aggravating it did not cost us any more than time and aggravation because we were under warranty. And every thing was corrected eventually satisfactorily.

Mechanically all I recall was we had a leaking rear levelor which was replaced. I noticed once in the middle of a trip, after smelling the odor of antifreeze, that we had a small pin hole coolant leak at a radiator hose connection, I just tightend the clamp on the hose and that was that.

We had a roof leak, which you only find out about in a driving rain storm. No such thing as a small roof leak they all seem to big as big as a trash can lid. It was panic time when it happended but it was recaulked and still is fine today. Also we had a problem with a flow valve and our water pump. All corrected under warranty.

Our coach was part of a brake recall which went very well and was easy. We never had brake problems. We also had our ABS light come on, it was checked and repaired at a regular oil change stop.

IN ten years since we have had a leaky water heater fitting, failed bearing on a furnace motor and a water pump fail because i'm sure it froze which was my fault and a water heating element burn out same thing my fault.

From time to time things come up and most of it I handle myself.

An RV is like a boat and takes constant preventative maintenance to keep it running. The kind of use they get, sit for long periods then run hard kind of works against them.
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Old 11-26-2012, 12:11 PM   #5
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New versus used

I've bought two new motorhomes - the first was a 2002 Triple E class C on a Ford 450 with V10. The first winter I used to start it up every month but had a battery problem - took it back on warranty. The radio had not been wired right and Ford replaced the battery. I then drove it for 6 years without another problem. Should have kept it but in 2008 bought a 36 ft Fleetwood Southwind with everything on it. Thankfully I got the extended warranty. The usual adjustments of doors, etc. but the biggest problem was the seal on the basement doors. They tried 5 different times to correct the seal but to this day the dust still gets in. The jacks were another problem, took it back a number of times, finally two pins sheared and they had to take them off and replace the pins. When I got it home it still didn't level properly. I figured I'd have to try to fix it myself. The problem from day one had been that the wiring harness to the rear jacks was reversed! I switched them and now the jacks work fine. And the way I found it was I read the label on the end of the harness wires where it plugs into the jack - clearly says "RIGHT REAR JACK" but was plugged into the left jack. So I think a big problem is the service from the dealers - hit and miss. So now I try to trouble shoot any problems I have and of course the dealer doesn't like it when I tell them what is wrong if I can't fix it myself. I've also done a lot to try and fix the ride and handling without a lot of success but that is another subject - you'd think for this kind of money you should at least be able to enjoy the drive! So whatever you buy, make sure you give it a real test drive on the highway in windy conditions.
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Old 11-26-2012, 01:55 PM   #6
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We bought a 2012 Fleetwood Bounder just about a year ago. Our punch list after the maiden voyage was relatively short with no serious issues. (A mini-blind wand broke, the hood latch was loose, one of the dinette benches needed to be tightened down, etc.) I was so nervous after reading all the "DON'T BUY NEW!!!" posts on every forum I went to, I just knew we would have problems. Thankfully, we have had no regrets about buying our new Bounder.

When we returned from our first trip, I contacted the dealer's service manager and set up an appointment to have our warranty items taken care of. They asked for two weeks to fix everything, and they completed the work on time as promised.

Frankly, after reading about and seeing first hand what kind of treatment some RVs have had, I'd rather not buy anything used. I like knowing what kind of care and maintenance has been done...but that's just me.
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Old 12-02-2012, 09:24 PM   #7
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We call ours a "Monday" motorhome because we figure that it was built on Monday. On one of our first trips we were traveling through Kentucky and their rough roads caused the electric shade on the driver's side to fall down, but only one side came loose so my wife held it up until I could get off of the road to take it down completely. We have a loose wire somewhere which causes the engine to die while driving and then restart. Monaco has "fixed" it twice and it still happens. The stove was not secured correctly and I fixed that. The belt on the Washer/Dryer was not installed correctly and I fixed that. The electric slide in front of the passenger seat quit working and I fixed that. A motorhome is a constant adventure because it is a home on wheels and things are always bouncing out of place but sleeping in my own bed every night makes it all worthwhile.
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Old 12-03-2012, 05:07 PM   #8
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My check list for Newmar pretty much meaningless. I could fix all, save one, myself in an afternoon.

The one I can't: Wood on the front of a base cabinet snapped in the middle. When it went I thought somebody was doing something outside, so I got up checked everything out outside. Didn't figure out it was the cabinet till the next day while cleaning the floors.

No clue why it split, solid wood. I've seen house cabinets do it before as well, so I don't blame Newmar. They'll fix it when I get up there.

Would still buy new again in a heart beat.
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Old 12-03-2012, 05:22 PM   #9
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I should also add: Our first coach was 5 years old and 60,000 miles when we got it.

My fix it list was bigger then this new one. I still did it myself, this one just has warranty.
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Old 12-03-2012, 06:08 PM   #10
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3 motorhomes. 2 were used. Less problems with the new one.

When a traveling earthquake zone regularly exceeds 5.0 on the Richter Scale.....
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Old 12-03-2012, 07:00 PM   #11
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We bought our latest motorhome new in 2007. Our first year we had a basement door that needed adjusting, 2 wallpaper corners needed glued, a minor Freightliner recall, and a manufacturer's recall to replace an air conditioning seal. Since then we have had a circuit board failure in the inverter, a control board failure in the electric awning, 110 sockets had to be replaced, an air conditioner needed repair and a rear wheel seal failed and needed repair (all covered by extended warranty). We also had 4 dual pane windows that had to be replaced after five years.

Quite frankly, our first year experience with motorhome defects was a pleasure compared to the junk workmanship I have seen in the dozen or so new stick and bricks we have bought through the years. I guess we were just lucky with the motorhome.
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Old 12-04-2012, 09:32 PM   #12
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Last May 2012 I bought a new 2012 Itasca Navion iQ. I have had no issues and my RV has spent no time in the shop. I'm new to RVing and am always surprised when I read that others have had problems with their new purchases. Maybe I've just been lucky and/or bought a good high-quality product. Anyway, I'm extremely happy.
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Old 12-05-2012, 04:06 PM   #13
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My #1 dread was hoping it did not leak like my previous new HR. No leaks so I could deal with anything else.
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Old 12-06-2012, 09:31 AM   #14
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Our 3rd MH, 2013 HR Ambassador, purchased at the Hershey show. From Hershey to Lake George NY, and home, have 1600 miles now. As it was a sitting at the show as a model, I think it was pretty well gone over. Also driven from IN, so if a driving problem came up, was probably fixed. Two things that I fixed: central vac floor sweep not connected to vac. The sani-con hose end would not fit thru opening, and dump valve wrong alignment with opening. (changed the angle of the dump connector, and had to cut new opening for sani-con hose end, and new plasic cover/lid). For myself, it took testicular fortitude to buy new, but after two used, felt it was time. Very happy with our decision and love the motor home.
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