Newmar Frustrated

[docj]

Originally Posted by stutch

Oasis Hydronic Heating Pumps: Just paid $275 for a new pump. Replaced a pump that is known to fail. No reason I can think of why the pump failed, but when the new one came, I could not believe I actually paid $275 for what seems to be a $50 part.

I would assume that your Oasis pump is similar to the one in my Hurricane system since both were made by ITR. I purchased my replacement pump directly from a retailer without going through either ITR or a middle-man such as Newmar. I still paid $259 for it because it's a high quality pump designed for pumping hot liquids.

[FLJOE]

Originally Posted by ptw

Since it appears that Newmar is switching to Splendide in the new models, I doubt it is very good. Whirlpool is large enough that they probably don't care about Newmar.

I had terrible experiences with the Whirlpool microwave, washer, customer support and service. A lifelong Whirlpool customer, I will never again buy one of their products. Newmar and our dealer were great though the whole fiasco.

It's easier to get tariffs on imports than it is to make a quality product.

I hear you. We will probably just tell Newmar to replace ours with the Splendid when we have our October factory appointment. It will be worth the $1,500 or whatever they charge us just to get rid of this pos washer.

[TJ]

We have, thus far, had a very good experience with the newer version of the Whirlpool washer-dryer. DW did five loads of laundry today without a hiccup. She loves the units. Not sure why Newmar is now changing to Splendide after apparently resolving the Whirlpool issue. It wasn't too many years back when Splendide went through a period of faulty machines.

TJ

[redbaron73]

Originally Posted by Tranquil Jim

We have, thus far, had a very good experience with the newer version of the Whirlpool washer-dryer. DW did five loads of laundry today without a hiccup. She loves the units. Not sure why Newmar is now changing to Splendide after apparently resolving the Whirlpool issue. It wasn't too many years back when Splendide went through a period of faulty machines.

TJ

I think it is the glacier water that keeps the whirlpool running smooth

[Steele]

Originally Posted by FLJOE

I hear you. We will probably just tell Newmar to replace ours with the Splendid when we have our October factory appointment. It will be worth the $1,500 or whatever they charge us just to get rid of this pos washer.

$1,628.71 to be precise.

Lynn

[stutch]

Let me take another whack at this. I read all your responses and I believe you are missing the point. In fact, I think some of you have become "accepting" to the way things are.

When I buy a car (bad example but it is the only one I have) I expect the manufacturer to support my purchase till it is in the junkyard. Support being 1) easy access to parts 2) responsible for vendor manufacturing defects (at least to guide me to a reasonable solution) 3) provide me with superior customer experience.

This is where Newmar seems to fall down. Since I have only owned a Newmar, I cannot compare other manufacturers, but that is besides the point.

Given a very large purchase $400K, I expect Newmar to stand behind their name and quality by standing behind their vendor choices. Example.... It is not a secret that ITC lights were defective and ITC admits it. Where is Newmar in being my advocate in working with ITC to find a solution? Afterall, the name on the vehicle is NEWMAR and they should be concerned about the quality of the parts they install in their MHs. Don't you think the ITC/NEWMAR master agreement should have some sort of warranty (not to be confused with a vehicle warranty) that the parts they sell and advertise lives up to their agreement? LED lights advertise 50,000 hours, more or less, but when my lights give out after 50 hours of use, Newmar should be all over this!

Why isn't there a owners posting in Newgle that says "Known issues with vendor parts not performing as expected and this is what you do if you experience these issues?"

Remember NEWMAR's name is on the rig and they should NOT send a customer to one of their parts suppliers to fend for themselves IF IF IF the part is a known systematic problem.

Again, I am not talking about warranty work and do not expect a warranty to last forever BUT I would think it is in Newmar's best interest to guarantee the stated quality of their vendors. After all, the quality of their vendors reflects on the quality of their overall product.

I mentioned my steering.... Didn't someone at Newmar notice this when they were performing QA on their MH when it came out of the factory? OR, did their corporate culture say "This is a Freightliner issue."

Bottom line.... In a time where social media is front and center in how corporations are viewed to their clients, one would think that Newmar should have people that CARE about what people like me think about their support.

That said, I'll offer a solution.... Newmar listen up!!!! Invest in Newgle. Put in an online catalog so people like me can order paint. Listing paint codes is not a solution unless you are a body shop. Get rid our that brochure you call an operating manual and list technical manuals for every part in the MH. I should not have to turn to GOOGLE to get parts information. (I had to BEG ITC to send me specs on their lights so I can purchase replacements. Newmar didn't know.)

I read "Why don't you go to Freightliner school?" WHAT? Newmar, list in Newgle the fuel filter, oil filter, air filter, Oasis Heat Transfer fluid, maintenance specs, etc... that people like me can perform without having to spend a week in Gaffney.

SO... when I call Newmar's support, I never want to hear "Call XYZ and talk to them about your problem. You are out of warranty."

For what it's worth, I love my MH and believe Newmar is better that the rest. My issue is with their lack of customer experience concerns. Not a winning strategy!!

[Johnsonk64]

Great concept, but it is not the way the world works. I am in trucking and have bought many trucks over the years including many Freight-liners. The only time I deal with a Freight liner dealer for anything beyond the cab and chassis is if the dealer also happens to be dealer for that product. Many times they are, but many times they aren't.

Back to your example of purchasing a car. Your car manufacturer also manufactures the drive train and chassis. So of course they would warranty those. However, have a tire issue and the car manufacturer is not going to warranty that tire. Your dealer may on your behalf, but that is not the manufacturer, and there is no obligation for that dealer to do so.

[TJ]

Yep...the car purchase analogy was certainly a bad one. Compared to a motorhome, a car is about as complex as a rock!

A better example...as noted in a previous post...would be a house. When you buy a house, the builder may...and, may not...provide a warranty on the structure. Newmar does that too! For the heating system, plumbing fixtures, appliances and all the rest, the builder will send you to the suppliers of those components for warranty service. Same as Newmar does...and as car manufacturers do with tires, sound systems and a whole bunch of other things.

I've been the "new house" warranty route...a couple of times...and, if you think working with Newmar leaves something to be desired, don't buy a new house and expect comprehensive warranty service! You will be badly disappointed.

As, as for being "accepting of the way things are," I long ago gave up tilting at windmills! I'd rather spend my time enjoying the places we go in the motorhome. Now, if you want to change the way motorhome manufacturers provide service and support, more power to you. You have a major job ahead! I do hope you succeed, but I will not be holding my breath.

TJ

[Dutch Star Don]

"stucth"....You know...I typed several responses to your post, rewrote them several times and when all was said and done, they all sounded snarky. So, I can't help you with your issues and realize that owning an RV may not have been the right thing for you....you'll never enjoy it!

The rest of us just take the small repairs in stride and enjoy seeing this beautiful country through the windshield of an RV, while we can!

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

The rest of us just take the small repairs in stride and enjoy seeing this beautiful country through the windshield of an RV, while we can!

Spot on, Don!

[ptw]

Yes, I think it is really good idea to go to Camp Freightliner if you want learn from very knowledgable people about your engine, transmission and chassis.

I wasted 10 minutes of my life trying to help you. It won't happen again.

[redbaron73]

I can relate to the pain stucth is feeling. It will take time to adjust to how things are. My rude awaking was with Fleetwood 3 days after ownership. There was a chassis problem and I just assumed the dealer would be able to fix it. That is when I learned what "freightliner" meant, and started my real education on what it meant to own a motorhome.

Then it got worse when I had a problem with an engine sensor. I again learned what Cummins meant, and went to their service center.

The culmination of the issues is when a sensor issue was determined to be a wiring harness that neither Cummins or freightliner would admit to owning, both pointing to each other.

I must have had a deer in the headlights look going on, as the Cummins tech in Portland,or took pity on me and just fixed it. When I presented my extended warranty he decided to figure out how to bill Cummins as he didnt want to hassle with the warranty.

These rigs are complex, and one has to understand each of the components to know where to go for repair.

That is where Newmar customer service comes in. One call, and they will provide you with the contact information for the manufacturer and often even conference you in.

If you are under the 1year warranty, newmar will do more heavy lifting on your behalf, and often after the warranty.

I guarantee you that the way Newmar handles it is better than most in the industry. I have heard Entegra is on par with Newmar.

Some other manufacturers will not assist after the warranty period at all.

I know its frustrating. They advice you have recieved here is solid and the best you will get. The group that responded to your posts is among some of the most helpful I have seen, and have a lot of experience with these coaches.

Take a breather, reread everything, and then decide to either build a better wheel, or join the crowd.

Newmar was founded by a few that were fed up with how the industry ran, and they have built one of the best RV companies in existence. Entegra coach spawned from Newmar, and follows many of the same construction and service procedures.

If you are in a position to improve on what they have done and build a strong competitive RV company, I applaud you, and wish you well.

If not, then join the crowd.

[JMH]

Ok I will make my answer to this thread of what Newmar should do very simple, because you all know how simple I am.

They don’t have to, and you can’t make them.

You can argue with me, but I can’t make them either.

Go build a better RV at the same price and I guarantee you’ll be very rich and well liked.

And please don’t take this as a good personal insult, not meant that way. Just stating the obvious IMHO.

[RKins]

Originally Posted by stutch

Again, I have a 2015 Dutch Star and outside of normal wear and tear, Newmar should be supporting their products by making parts available and at reasonable price. I understand warranties and that's fine, but cannot but feel frustrated by having to turn to these message boards for solutions.

Cummins, Allison, ITC, Dometic, Girard, etc... to me it is all NEWMAR!

At a NKK rally in Tampa I asked the head of service how long they maintain parts for their rigs and he replied "for most parts we maintain stock for 20 years". I asked because I am not planning on buying a new coach, but keeping the one I have running/working. Unfortunately when I asked this question my coach was already over 20 years old. I feel your pain and when I called for parts or help, all I got was "no longer available" or "no one here knows anything about that". Frustrating. Got the same answers from Spartan.

We decided that the coach was worthy of us putting some money into so we got quotes from Newmar for new slide motors and rollers. I also got a quote ("estimate") to remove and reset my windshields - they seemed to be sagging down. They gave me a quote, which I approved and they added it to my service date. Now my coach is sitting in Newmar's service center waiting on new windshields (6 weeks) and while I was there for a week, I learned that they indeed still have many people working there in service that were around when our coach was built, some of them actually part of the build process. I met many of the guys that were there over 30 years - the tech working on her has been there 30 years and when he can't remember how it was done back in '97 he calls a huddle of a few guys to pick their brains.
Someone mentioned in a recent thread that Newmar will work on any of the vehicles that they built over the years. I think they now cherry pick what they will work on. As they pulled the windshields and started to replace the gasket, they realized something was wrong. The support system for my windshields (unsealed plywood) had disintegrated due to water intrusion over the years and allowed the windshields to sag about 3/4". I was told by the group leader that had they known the extent of the work, they would have turned it down. So anyway, they gave me a new quote which I approved (no choice, either scrap the coach or pay) and they dug in. It ended up that it disassembled much easier than they predicted and I made sure that any plywood going back in was totally sealed with resin.
So, the people you talk to on the phone may be relatively new to Newmar but I can guarantee you that there are guys on the service line that have been there a long time and have answers to your questions - I think their estimator has been there 48 years.