Community Forums

alindsay · 05-01-2014, 07:02 PM

We drove from Omaha to Elkhart Wed and today picked up our 2014 36.1 from Total Value RV today.

So far only minor items on the punch list for tomorrow but the most annoying one is the whistling sound when driving between 25 and 50 mph.

Still trying things out and hope all problems are minor. I'm looking forward to adding some mods...faucets, pantry upgrade and all LED are on the list as well as a Winguard HD sat for out DTV.

I did meet Gingerela (she and her family are parked next to us) and she showed me the ropes on a few things. Now that I have the 36.1 it will be fun to go through more posts and see how they relate to mine.

Allan

**TonyDi** · 05-01-2014, 07:17 PM

Good luck with your new rig!!

Redridge · 05-01-2014, 07:23 PM

Congrats Alan... many happy miles and safe travels.

Now post up some pics....

TheArnolds · 05-02-2014, 05:03 PM

Congrats and welcome to the Palazzo family!

Steve N Sal · 05-02-2014, 05:11 PM

Glad you joined us and welcome aboard. Congrats on your new coach and hope you have many happy miles down the road.

alindsay · 05-03-2014, 07:00 PM

Well, 50 miles from home, the check engine and low coolant light came on. Stopped and sure enough, the reservoir was low. Added some and continued home. The temp was fine.

The next morning, I saw a big spot where the coolant had leaked. And again the check engine light was on.

Looks like it's time for my first service call - bummer.

I really was hoping I would not have lots of problems...wish me luck with the service call.

Allan

ChallengerRN · 05-03-2014, 07:15 PM

You might check the transmission cooler hoses. The hose clamp on both end of the cooler were loose on mine allowing a small leak. It is located right Inside the rear bumper

Russell

Davdeb1 · 05-03-2014, 07:50 PM

I just don't understand it. This site is littered with complaints about defects with Palazzo's house, slides, plumbing and everything else.
This is clearly a chassis issue. A dependable solid xcs, and Cummins engine.
Why on earth would a dealer not catch this leak? To me, this should be shame on the dealer.

Gingerela · 05-04-2014, 06:20 AM

alindsay, It was a pleasure meeting you. I am sorry you have had some trouble already. I really wish we had turned around and left and never set foot at Total Value. They did such shotty work on our LED light strip. Between the materials I purchased (I bought the high end professional lighting stuff) and the labor I paid, I am out just under $500. I posted the photos on another thread here. It's a downright shame everyone seems to think these folks are great when it comes to service. Maybe you can negotiate a good price on a Thor product in the sales department, but as far as service goes, they downright suck.

I will be in Elkhart for two weeks so I am looking to find someone else to remove the strip, repair the hole (if such a thing is possible) and reinstall the lights correctly. I don't even know if that is possible to reuse the strip given that it uses commercial grade 3M tape. The company I bought it from told me it's stronger than the standard tape used on their other light strips.

I expect a struggle to get my labor costs returned to me. I may just take the loss and avoid the aggravation altogether. They'll argue that it's fine, maybe even offer to fix it, and possibly make it worse.

Sorry for venting! On a brighter note, welcome to the Palazzo family. I really do love the 36.1 floor plan and we are very comfortable in it. I'm already planning a cross country trip for next spring. If you continue to have problems, you may want to return to have the coach worked on through the warranty department. My understanding is that they do a very thorough job and the folks here can attest to that.

Happy and safe travels!

alindsay · 05-04-2014, 08:04 AM

I'll check the connections....I tried to get underneath yesterday and where I was parked it was tight.

Gingerela, I read your other post and sympathize with you. I found a few little things that needed repair but decided I didn't want T V RV working on it. I had a hunch they would do shoddy work based on my conversation with them...their approach seemed to be "Live with it".

I ended up fixing the bad sliding drawer and crinkled awning myself. Bill in service did offer some advice so I appreciated that. I still have a whistle between 25 and 45 mph, a Microwave that squeaks when driving and now the coolant leak. The Coolant leak is the one that bothers me since it is critical.

If I can't find the leak today, I have a Cummins repair facility 5 miles away but just the hassle of going is motivating me to find the leak myself.

I'm also working on another mod today...I want a "cover" for the stairwell so my Dogs or passengers don't fall during travel. I relocated the Fire extinguisher to the other side and raised it so I can have a board lay over the Hole. I'll have the board finished in a material that looks nice and store it underneath when not needed.

Also need to find out how the HD/SAT prep was done since I want to add a Direct TV Winguard Traveler to my rig. Also want to add a CB and air horns...boy, I could have used the horns on my trip home....later, Allan

vsheetz · 05-04-2014, 09:39 AM

Congrats!

Gingerela · 05-04-2014, 04:30 PM

Also need to find out how the HD/SAT prep was done since I want to add a Direct TV Winguard Traveler to my rig. Also want to add a CB and air horns...boy, I could have used the horns on my trip home....later, Allan

Allan, the only other thing we had done at Total Value RV was to have them add RG6 from the bedroom and front televisions to the front controller via connections the wet bay next to the existing park connection so that we can use our Winegard Pathway. It has dual receivers that work independently of each other. They charged us for five hours of labor, and with parts, the total was $625. They added wall plates inside but they used WHITE ones. I stopped by Menard's and changed them to brown ones. You'd think they would have cared enough to use brown wall platesd which cost me a whopping $.32 for each.

Never going back to Total Value for anything whatsoever, that's for sure. What a rip off for subpar service.

While here, I wanted to purchase a MaxxAir 7500K fan for my rear bathroom. I have one in my half bath that I purchased from a dealership in NY via ebay for $237. Arrived new, in a sealed box and I had it installed locally. I asked Total Value for their price on that same item, and also called RV Surplus. Both quoted me $409 for the fan alone, not including labor. When I asked the Total Value RV tech about the difference in price, he told me 'You can't go to a particular McDonalds and expect to get a discounted hamburger.'

So, I pulled out my iPad, went to ebay, found that dealer I'd bought from previously, and ordered another one. Total cost: $244 and they shipped it out an hour later. Bam!

I'll have to wait until I get back home to get it installed. I've learned my lesson!

ChallengerRN · 05-04-2014, 05:22 PM

Really sorry about the issues you had with Total VALUE RV. I have had many things modified, added, and go there for my service.

I have been very satisfied with their prices and service.

Russell

Palazzoblues · 05-04-2014, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChallengerRN

You might check the transmission cooler hoses. The hose clamp on both end of the cooler were loose on mine allowing a small leak. It is located right Inside the rear bumper

Russell

I too just noticed that tell tell leak under the rear just behind the engine. Sure enough, it was coolant leaking from the transmission cooler. All I did was tighten the clamp a little and voila, no more leak.