Community Forums

flaggship1 · 12-15-2012, 08:57 AM

For supplies and replacement items like fluids, air conditioners, refrigerators and such, I view them like a 7-11 or Quick Stop. They have most of what you might need in a pinch but at a price that would bring you to tears if you could only shop there. Like the circus you're paying to be under the big top and expect to see clowns.

The same is true for installation. Next time you're in a midsize town with a CW and visit a local shop as the preferred service choice, ask them about the good folks at CW. I have done this and you would be amazed at some of the stories they will tell. Making this one up - but it mirrors the truth - "the guy that runs their service shop worked here a while back until he.... I wouldn't let him within 10' of a MH."

Of course you have to take such statements with a grain of salt, but when they already have you - know your passing through - what's in it for them to make things up? In smaller towns people know people, especially in a small industry.

Like every transaction, if the price isn't right or the conditions unacceptable, go elsewhere. But when you have to have bacon right now, sometimes 7-11 will have to do.

I will admit that sometimes I do find Internet sales and use them if I'm on a mission. But I always check other places first - RVupgrades, Amazombie, etc. YMMV.

Francesca · 12-15-2012, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flaggship1

The same is true for installation. Next time you're in a midsize town with a CW and visit a local shop as the preferred service choice, ask them about the good folks at CW. I have done this and you would be amazed at some of the stories they will tell. Making this one up - but it mirrors the truth - "the guy that runs their service shop worked here a while back until he.... I wouldn't let him within 10' of a MH."

Of course you have to take such statements with a grain of salt

I guess!

Isn't that a little like asking at Burger King whether or not McDonald's is any good???

flaggship1 · 12-15-2012, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francesca

I guess!

Isn't that a little like asking at Burger King whether or not McDonald's is any good???

Or asking anyone here for their opinion I suppose.

Everyone has one - some are better than others and a grain of salt is recommended. But I have been told by waitresses that they don't like certain things on their menu and why. I always take their word for it. Mercifully, not everyone is cunning, conniving, and duplicitous. I do however assume you are not arguing the premiss that CW sales and service generally leaves much to be desired.

Mr_D · 12-15-2012, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francesca

Isn't it a shame that so few nationwide companies have such a simple method for customers to get in touch with them?

OTH: why should it be necessary for so many people to need/use it?

Mr_D · 12-15-2012, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49

There is supposed to be an 'anti billowing' latch on the slide awning. I know, I just had my whole awning replaced and it was probably because the anti billowing latch broke.
Most (maybe not all) RV repair shops will try to squeeze every dime out of you that they can. They don't worry about repeat or happy customers and figure if you own a CL A you best be able to fix it your self or pay $100+ an hour to have them even look at it.
I think there are some good smaller shops out there but I have'nt found any in CO yet except for 2 Mobil RV Guys. And they probably knew more about RVs than all the techs at camping world combined.

On A&E (now Dometic) the Anti-billowing latch is an option.

Francesca · 12-15-2012, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

OTH: why should it be necessary for so many people to need/use it?

Maybe you're too young to remember, but there was a time when nearly ALL companies had what used to be known as a "Customer Service Department". Any time folks had a complaint, they could just get right in touch and voila! Their problem got addressed.

This kind of thing has fallen greatly out of favor in recent times...most companies have substituted a form of torture involving long waits on a telephone tree that usually end up with the "customer" hanging up in disgust/frustration or dying of old age while waiting. This works very well to keep "complaints" down...cause nobody ever actually gets to make one!

Camping World is a sort of throwback to the old days- they've established a way for customers not only to get in touch, but to initially do so under a Cloak of Anonymity that enables them to say absolutely ANYTHING about the company that comes into their heads! And there's no editing of the opinions/experiences, either.

I realize this is a novel, outdated approach, but let's hope Camping World doesn't suddenly realize that they're going about things all wrong and start routing folks overseas like everybody else does.

jackandjan · 12-18-2012, 06:24 AM

We stopped in a Camping World early on a week day as we were departing from Bakersfield. Picked up a couple of items and noticed a low tire on the 5th wheel.

After asking the cashier about the location of the air hose, we were told to see the folks at the service desk. I walked over to them and without even a greeting, was asked for my name, make of vehicle, etc. for the work order?!?!

I asked why a work order is needed. Keep in mind, this 8:15am and no one else was in the store and they were not busy. Well, they needed to schedule a tech to fill the tire and 1/2 hour labor would be charge....$65!!!

Our local CW does one thing very well (towing toad hookups) at this time, but other than that, they are overpriced and could care less about assisting a traveler in need.

JC2 · 12-18-2012, 06:32 AM

Use Camping World only as a last resort.

Libero · 12-18-2012, 10:00 AM

I shop at CW frequently and while I find few bargain prices, it is convenient. However the one time I did get some work done it did not turn out as best as I would have liked.

It was in the Knoxville TN CW several years ago and had a master brake system installed on my Toad. All seemed well and it worked. I looked at the job closer when I was miles from there I noticed the power wire to the breakaway solonoid was wired direct to the + battery terminal with a 14 GA wire. This wire had no fuse protection at all. Had that wire shorted out it would have melted immediatly and could have started a fire. I am somewhat savvy about these things and was able to correct by putting an inline fuse to appropriately protect that circuit.

I never did report this to CW but I should have, because of the serious nature of doing such a stupid thing. The knowledge of the technician was certainly lacking to say nothing of the serious lack of QA.

I generally do myself or assist in having work done on my RV. I am the final QA person now.

Dutch Star Don · 12-18-2012, 12:18 PM

I have to ask why you need a rapid response team to do make a local dealer do the right thing. I believe all of the CW's are company owned. It's not like a franchise where you have some varying policies.

As with any large organization, they would be better served to put more energy in fixing the local managers than having a Rapid Response Team.

sgtjoe · 12-18-2012, 12:47 PM

Here's a thought, post your CW experiances on www.rvservicereviews.com good or bad, that way before someone uses them they can see if they really want to use them.

Jack1234 · 12-18-2012, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diplomat Don

I have to ask why you need a rapid response team to do make a local dealer do the right thing. I believe all of the CW's are company owned. It's not like a franchise where you have some varying policies.

As with any large organization, they would be better served to put more energy in fixing the local managers than having a Rapid Response Team.

Don...while I agree with your final thought that corporate CW needs to put more energy into working with QC at their various locations...I think a rapid response team is s great idea and something that should be applauded.

I would prefer to work with the local small business whenever possible, but I would also miss the national superstore concept represented by CW....anything that would make them better (ie. Rapid response) is a step in the right direction IMO.

As full-time travelers the convenience and selection of useful RV related accessories at CW is something we would miss if their business model and/or execution fails.

bdickson · 12-18-2012, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diplomat Don

I believe all of the CW's are company owned. It's not like a franchise where you have some varying policies.

An independent dealership in my home town became a Camping World last year. I happened to know the service manager quite well. He told me that when CW buy a dealership (they almost never build their own from scratch), they apply a "veneer" to the existing business, but under the covers it is still the old management, staff and policies, good or bad. That does seem to explain the very varied quality of CW work. The sales side is the same. I bought a MH from CW last year. The paperwork had the name of the previous business and did not mention Camping World at all. I suspect that each location is registered as a separate LLC so that if one crashes it does not pull down the whole company.

Wayne MD · 12-18-2012, 11:57 PM

Let's don't post comments to RV Service reviews. Let's start our own thread about service at CW. They generate enough complaints to have their own service board of complaints. In the meantime, I take my unit to local guy who does splendid job and the rates cannot be beat. He is well known around here too. No CW mechanic will touch my rig as long as I got my cold dead hands on the steering wheel.