Community Forums

fsc · 07-05-2011, 05:51 PM

I went to the Fleetwood Rally in Shawnee, OK, and had a great time. There were some disappointments (the unrelenting heat, half the number of people as last year, and it seemed like fewer vendors [I didn't count so I don't know for sure]) but for the most part it was a good rally. We enjoyed the coaches on display so much that we bought one of them, a Terra 34E (trading in our 2006 Fiesta 26Q).

The Terra met most of our criteria (nothing has ever met all of them) and it seemed to be a good deal as purchased through the local vendor. SEEMED is the operative word. We traded in a coach with all components working right for a 2012 coach with so many problems that our extended summer vacation trip is has now been interrupted twice with layovers waiting for service on the brand new coach. Fleetwood, you have significant quality control issues in your manufacturing process. Mind you, I LIKE my coach, I just want it to work like it's supposed to. So far, I have a list of fourteen items that are problems.

1. The rear air conditioner did not work because one of the wires to the thermostat was not attached in the construction process. Do you know how important working air conditioning is in 100 degree temperature?

2. The door to the bathroom won't shut easily because it binds on poorly installed door trim. And it is NOT the humidity or the weather. I'm in New Mexico with almost NO humidity.

3. The outside screen door will not reliably latch closed. It hits the bolt on the door frame for locking the exterior door and gets stuck. The latch was also totally misaligned.

4. The main exterior is misaligned and does not reliable open easily. I don't like being locked in my own rv. And sometimes the locking deadbolt will not hit the hole for it and I cannot lock the deadbolt for safety and security without pulling up on the door.

5. The front driver's side curtain didn't snap at the front. The snaps on the wall were too far apart for the snaps on the curtain to reach. The snap was moved by a tech in a service center, but that, of course, left a hole in the wall.

6. The shower drain was not properly installed and leaks into the storage compartment underneath it and onto the ground with water running down the wall and dripping onto the tire below it. I haven't been able to use the shower since I bought the coach. Thank goodness for campsites and rv parks with showers! Maybe...maybe...it will be fixed by the second dealer I've tried to get to pay attention to it. The dealer I bought it from (McClain's RV in OK City) couldn't get me in for at least ten days even though it was their sale (yes, the salesman was from their Dallas store, but it was sold through the OK City store despite the refusal of the service department to accept that responsibility; by the way, the service manager was helpful to me and took care of some problems but couldn't find the time to fix all of them in a busy schedule).

7. A bad kink in the waterline air vent for the fresh water makes it difficult to fill the tank.

8. The front driver's side blinker didn't work. The bulb was broken because of moisture in the bulb housing...it wasn't properly sealed in the manufacturing process. This is a safety issue.

9. The water heater door is warped by a poorly installed water heater. The shield pushes against the door and keeps it from closing.

10. The passenger captain's chair swivel mechanism is inoperative. The cable isn't attached. This could be a safety issue and it is definitely a nuisance.

11. The toilet paper bracket was bent in the installation process and won't stay in place. I did take my pliers and fix it, but why do I have to do Fleetwood's work?

12. The carpet installation was so poorly done that edges are already frayed even in places we haven't touched.

13. The t-connector on the windshield washer fluid tubing was broken rendering the windshield washer inoperative. That is definitely a safety issue.

14. The relay box in the Utility compartment was so poorly installed that it was ripped loose when I got the coach.

This is shoddy workmanship. There is no excuse for it. And lest you think I'm nit-picking, I know automotive products often have problems that need to be corrected but I have bought cars with NO problems requiring a return to the dealer or another service center. There is no excuse for this many errors. And it makes me wonder what is hidden that will be a future problem and may even threaten my safety. Is anyone from Fleetwood paying attention to detail and quality?

Camping4fun · 07-05-2011, 06:09 PM

Are you sure it's not a Itasca, sorry about all your problems hope Fleetwood takes care of them for you.

Elkhartjim · 07-05-2011, 06:24 PM

Was there a PDI by the dealer and then by the purchaser?

fsc · 07-05-2011, 06:26 PM

I want to be clear that I really DO like the Terra 34E. It fits us well. And I think that when the problems are corrected, we will be very pleased with our coach. I'm just sorely disappointed that a coach that was driven straight from the factory to the Fleetwood Rally for sale by a local dealer was so poorly made. Quality Control is important. Or at least I think it is.

fsc · 07-05-2011, 06:35 PM

Jim,

We were told that a PDI had been done by Fleetwood techs at the Rally and that all was well. Either no PDI was done by the techs or they were incompetent or lazy.

We went through the coach but obviously were dumber than dirt. Live and learn. But that still doesn't excuse poor quality control. I couldn't take a shower to discover that the shower drain leaked. The only way to discover the kink in the air relief line for the fresh water tank was to try to fill it and then wonder why it was so quickly sending the water back at me. That didn't seem possible, but maybe you do a PDI much more thoroughly thant I do. When you do a PDI do you try the directional blinkers? I obviously didn't. I checked the obvious. And obviously didn't check the hidden well enough. I'll quit trying to defend myself. I did what I knew to do. And thought that I was buying a well-built unit from a quality manufacturer. Obviously I was mistaken.

Tha_Rooster · 07-05-2011, 06:42 PM

My second new coach was in the shop 6 months of the first year I owned it, the madder I got did not help. The revolution had some minor problems sometimes they were repaired twice to do it right. I think quality control is lacking in most Rv manufacturing. What do you think a car dealer makes more money from selling cars or fixing the cars they sold?

Elkhartjim · 07-05-2011, 06:48 PM

I guess I'm different. I had a 10 page PDI checklist that took almost 6 hours to complete. I'm sure FW will satisfy you.

fsc · 07-05-2011, 06:58 PM

Jim, maybe you just know more than I do. :-) Is your PDI list one that's published or one you developed?

BTW, I am confident that this will all be made right in the end. Some of my frustration is with a dealer that said take it to the service department and this will be straightened out ... and then the service manager said I'll get to you in ten days. I'm on a six week trip which is the major part of RVing we will get to do this year. To wait for ten days for service was a costly delay with reservations made, etc.

But my question remains, why do we have to accept poor quality control from the manufacturer in the first place and do a very time consuming inspection to catch the mistakes they made? I bought a Honda Fit last fall and it has had 0 defects. None. Zip. Nada. True, it's a little smaller than a Terra 34E but ...

BounderRVer · 07-05-2011, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkhartjim

I guess I'm different. I had a 10 page PDI checklist that took almost 6 hours to complete. I'm sure FW will satisfy you.

Will you publish that 10 page PDI? I'd like to use it for safety and quality control on my "vintage" 88 Bounder before I take off. Can't be too safe and you probably thought of something I did not. I know I'm not under warranty, but I can't think of everything. Please post it or at least PM me. I really want to make sure I'm good to go and that all necessary repairs and maintenance have been performed.

Thanks, Lisa

JMonroe · 07-05-2011, 07:59 PM

Same song, different verse.

Sorry to say fsc, but this seems to be par for the course, regardless of make, model or brand. Your post is one of probably hundreds over the years on the exact same subject. I've seen even a Prevost owner complain (although they flew a tech to him to do repairs on his site). Our American Revolution had an initial list at least twice as long as yours. It just came back from it's second trip to the factory for repairs or adjustments. Our list grows steadily shorter, however. When we left the repair shop last April I went ahead and made another appointment for October, figuring I would find more problems and could swing by on my way south. I did, and I will.

Is it right? No. Is it "normal"? Yes, unfortunately.

Good luck.

fsc · 07-05-2011, 08:08 PM

Maybe I just need to call and make an appointment at the factory, then. Retirement offers me the option of making such a trip so I might as well take advantage of it. Right now, I just want to be able to take a shower. LOL.

**NLOVNIT** · 07-05-2011, 10:10 PM

I'm sorry to hear you've got such a list of fix-it's. From what I hear, it's not just FW with QC problems & that's a shame & a disgrace on the workers who let that unit go out like that. Fleetwood must make everything right for you. Best of luck & keep us posted on the outcome.

We sure must've been lucky with the purchase of our Bounder. We had just a few QC problems upon delivery & our dealer took care of all of them promptly. We've found no others since....well, not counting the Norcold, but that's not FW's fault. Ours must've gone through production on a day when the workers were paying attention.

Lori-

Elkhartjim · 07-06-2011, 04:57 AM

This thread has some very good PDI checklists that can be tailored to your specific needs.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f84/pre-p...ded-64194.html

wa8yxm · 07-06-2011, 11:17 AM

I think you need to call Fleetwood and schedule a factory visit.

I know I had a couple of issues with my Damon Intruder.. For example it came with the optional self removing windshield (not something I'd ordered) and there was an air conditioning issue,, and on the way to the factory the workhorse dash issue popped up. ON THE WAY TO THE FACTORY (No way to warn them in advance)

I cleared the FMCA G.L.A.S.S. rally in Berrian Springs, MI. within an hour I was backed up to the factory in Elkhart IN (Map says 30-40 miles) and plugged in for the night.. Spent the night in the lot, had breakfast and just as we were putting the dished in the sink they knocked. 3 days later (We got to spend our nights in the rig) the windshield was no longer self-removing, the air conditioner worked, the dash indicators worked properly and a few other nits were picked as well.