Community Forums

kbrand22 · 03-25-2023, 06:25 PM

I’m a fairly new owner of a Newmar Canyon Star (15 mths or so) and have twice called service to be told they’re scheduling appointments for WAY in the future - most recently was told a year in advance.

For those that go to Nappanee for service….Do you book appointments for ‘general service’ a year out and then decide exactly what service you need as the time gets closer? What’s the ‘trick’ for getting service from the ‘home base’?

My brother has a Tiffin and doesn’t seem to have near the trouble getting in for service in Red Bay (Tiffin ‘home base’) that I do into Nappanee. Plus, apparently there’s a whole secondary level of Tiffin service providers in Red Bay, most of which are current or former Tiffin employees. Does such a secondary network exist near Nappanee?

Thanks.

RKins · 03-26-2023, 03:24 AM

I went up there for work in 2018. You need to get a service quote before they'll book you a date, so have your list ready then. If other stuff comes up you can contact the service writer again and try to add the new stuff to your list.
I booked a year out to fit it into my schedule. They were not booking out very far back then.

wildtoad · 03-26-2023, 02:51 PM

There are Newmar certified service centers, call Nappanee and they can tell you the closest one to you. We bought our unit at CW in Charlotte and they were the closest (90 miles) Newmar dealer at the time. May still be for all I know. We found a more local RV service center near Lexington SC so we go there for things I can’t or won’t do myself.

I’ve had my unit for 7 years, and never thought about going back to the factory for service except once, but then just to show their management what the f’d up on our unit. But, I thought better of it.

ericllucas · 03-26-2023, 03:26 PM

I've been back to the mother ship a couple of times, most recently the first and second weeks of March 2023. I booked it in October of 2022. I wasn't having general maintenance done - I was having some significant remodeling work done. Yeah, there are two seasons at the Newmar Service Center. Winter and Not-Winter. It is far easier to get in during the Winter months, but I'm betting late 2023 and early 2024 is filling up fast. You DO need a quote in hand before you can fix a date in the calendar, so work that first.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbrand22

I’m a fairly new owner of a Newmar Canyon Star (15 mths or so) and have twice called service to be told they’re scheduling appointments for WAY in the future - most recently was told a year in advance.

For those that go to Nappanee for service….Do you book appointments for ‘general service’ a year out and then decide exactly what service you need as the time gets closer? What’s the ‘trick’ for getting service from the ‘home base’?

VDPDan · 03-27-2023, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbrand22

... those that go to Nappanee for service …

I understand they prioritize warranty appmts ... which I got for May. Called in Feb. And, as stated, not until I signed a tentative work order (which I've revised once already) -- and it has mostly non-warranty service.

Winger2 · 03-27-2023, 05:35 AM

May not be a popular opinion but, I think there are folks that "clog" the system for routine, simple maintenance. That hurts the folks who really have some issues with their coaches. So someone with a non working slide cannot get in because there are thirty ahead of him paying for things like lubing the slide seals

wildtoad · 03-27-2023, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winger2

May not be a popular opinion but, I think there are folks that "clog" the system for routine, simple maintenance. That hurts the folks who really have some issues with their coaches. So someone with a non working slide cannot get in because there are thirty ahead of him paying for things like lubing the slide seals

GUS2000 · 03-28-2023, 05:48 AM

Just like the ER at a hospital.. .people showing up for a paper cut and a person with a broken arm has to wait...

Country Road · 03-28-2023, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GUS2000

Just like the ER at a hospital.. .people showing up for a paper cut and a person with a broken arm has to wait...

And then they send or call you with a survey wanting to know how you were treated! OMG! How stupid!

pilotspike · 04-04-2023, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winger2

May not be a popular opinion but, I think there are folks that "clog" the system for routine, simple maintenance. That hurts the folks who really have some issues with their coaches. So someone with a non working slide cannot get in because there are thirty ahead of him paying for things like lubing the slide seals

Would definitely be better for people to wait until their stuff breaks before doing factory maintenance .. yup, makes sense to me.

Reminds me, time to schedule my bi-annual maintenance trip to the factory. Its due this year.

J

Indy Glenn · 04-05-2023, 03:55 AM

You have to have a "reason" for wanting to make an appointment. To fox a problem, have general service performed, etc.

You can't just call and make an appointment and figure out what you want done when you get there.

Newmar calculates time and parts needed when they conform the appointment with you. With that said, you can request to add an item to your appointment. i have done this many times with no problem, albeit small issues, nothing major.

I have had to wait up to 6 months to get an appointment, I do my best to plan accordingly. For general maintenance, like oil changes and the like, it is cheaper and much quicker to do it somewhere else than Newmar.

As far as Tiffin, at the factory, they do not make appointments. they have an express lane for simple items or you wait in line for more major issues. i have friends ehe go to Tiffin factory all the tome for their issues. Seems they wait about 2 weeks in the Tifin camp ground before they get taken care of. Keep in mind, you need to be there waiting.

Good luck to you - I can tell you this, in my view, Newmar service for issues with your house side are well worth the wait. I too have a Canyon Star and am lucky I found a Ford Commercial dealer I take the rig in for routine maintenance.

g

kbrand22 · 04-05-2023, 08:31 AM

Appreciate all the responses!

There’s a large RV dealer near me that I’ve used for a few general things and there’s nothing wrong with them other than you have to drop your rig off and they get to it when they can….they don’t schedule an actual service day or time. Oh yeah, they also quoted me a grand to adjust a slide that wasn’t closing evenly. A buddy and I adjusted it ourselves in about an hour or 90 minutes.

I’ve looked at Newmar’slist of recommended service locations ‘near me’. The list is short and one of the locations provides service only to rigs that were purchased from them. Another is a mobile tech that I couldn’t find any favorable online reviews of. Oh well. Is what it is.

Thanks again.

Tedj101 · 04-05-2023, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winger2

May not be a popular opinion but, I think there are folks that "clog" the system for routine, simple maintenance. That hurts the folks who really have some issues with their coaches. So someone with a non working slide cannot get in because there are thirty ahead of him paying for things like lubing the slide seals

Interestingly, I was at the factory for warranty work and a little maintenance a month ago. While lubing the slide seals was on my list (since I was going to be there anyway) and the tech said they don't lube slide seals and don't recommend that you do it either.

<TED>

Winger2 · 04-06-2023, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tedj101

Interestingly, I was at the factory for warranty work and a little maintenance a month ago. While lubing the slide seals was on my list (since I was going to be there anyway) and the tech said they don't lube slide seals and don't recommend that you do it either.

<TED>

Interesting as when I was at Nappanee in Sept for warranty work. I asked the tech what to use and he stated you should lube the slide seals at least one a year and to use 303