Community Forums

Homeby5 · 01-25-2023, 03:02 PM

I am new to the RV world but have read a lot and know people with RV's. My goodness...the horror stories I hear about never ending unsolved issues when taking your RV for repair. It seems like it's normal to expect several return trips to solve the original problem and then it's iffy. And don't get me started on how long I hear it takes.
Soooo...any shout outs to a great experience?

boomersooner · 01-25-2023, 03:43 PM

When under warranty we took our Tiffin back to Red Bay AL (2x) and never had issues. We still visit Red Bay annually to get things done by the vendors in town. We make appointments well in advance and are usually in and out of town within a week or so. At home I have a Tiffin authorized service facility. I make an appointment with them, bring my RV in on the day of the appointment, and usually have my RV back the next day. Once they had to order parts so I took my RV back to my storage facility, they called me when the part came in, and I dropped my RV off and had it back later that day. It just depends on the severity of the problem and how you manage it. I would NEVER leave my RV at a dealer for months on end. Yes there are many horror stories, but there are those are that are untold which usually are that way because there were no issues in obtaining service.

allenb12 · 01-25-2023, 03:44 PM

I fix most things myself. but I have had our RV in the shop 4 times at two diffrent repair facilities. Never a bad experience.

twogypsies · 01-25-2023, 04:18 PM

As full-timers and traveling constantly - never an issue with Newmar places or Cummins for maintenance. In/out in a day with premade appointments and offers to spend the night before moving on.

TomandGloria · 01-25-2023, 04:24 PM

I have nothing but praise for the positive results from NIRVC Atlanta (Lawrenceville). They have gone out of their way to repair issues on our new Dutch Star, including check engine and stop engine lights by getting our coach to and from the Cummins dealer.

The General Manager, Todd Springs is dedicated to customer service and will do everything within his power to satisfy his customer’s. Would highly recommend them.

Old-Biscuit · 01-25-2023, 04:27 PM

Rarely do you see Positive Posts

Negative posts are abundant
Rank, blow steam, seek support.

When new we took our RV in for 'fixes' from PDI....done correctly w/o issue
When FTng we had one repair needed while out in nowhere land. Local RV got us in/out repaired next day
When FTng we had damages from a blowout....local RV repairs told us it would be couple weeks to get parts provided they sent correct items. We called the factory, made arrangements for repairs and drove to factory service center. 3 days to repair damage and an issue with sidewall
When FTng we had a major water leak flooding the RV....2 weeks for repairs (1 1/2weeks for material then took it into shop/repairs done in 2 days then another 2 days for new flooring

So depends on what needs repaired and WHERE you happen to be when needing repairs

Not something I sweat over and IF it happens deal with it at that time

**NLOVNIT** · 01-25-2023, 04:44 PM

I think service has gotten worse over the 20+ years I've been RV-ing. Used to be, you'd make an appointment, bring the RV in. They'd get it in the back within the hour & get me an estimate on what was needed. Ordered parts came in quickly &, usually, within a week at most I'd have my RV back.

Now, all the appointment gets you is a spot in the lot. I've waited weeks, even as much as a month before the RV was even taken in to get an estimate. Then having to wait on parts takes weeks if not months. All thanks to COVID supply-chain backlogs.

Service quality was good for me 20 years ago. Now it's a crap shoot. Qualified techs who can do a repair right the 1st time is slim. It's difficult for centers to get & keep good techs.

It's possible to have a good experience, but it's getting more difficult to get it.

MtCamper · 01-25-2023, 04:47 PM

After many (over 25) used RVs we finally bought new in 2014, a CreekSide by ORV. We were so impressed with the trailer that we traded it in on a new 2016 Arctic Fox fifth wheel when we wanted more room. Both units needed a few minor tweaks, but neither required a trip back to the dealer. We still have the AF, it has the record for being the longest we have ever owned an RV and may even be our last one.

EdInArk · 01-25-2023, 05:14 PM

BC RV Repair in Cabot Arkansas.

I've had nothing but positive experiences with them.

Our first experience with them was an air conditioner that wasn't cooling. We drove in and stated the problem. A tech checked the temp at a register, then he climbed on the roof and checked something, then he climbed back down and said "You need a new air conditioner. Your extended warranty will pay for that. I'll order it today. It should be in Friday. If you can come back by we'll install it immediately." It did show up Friday, they did replace it immediately, we went camping.

Since then, we've been delighted with their service and have recommended them to friends who have been equally delighted.

Donskiman · 01-25-2023, 05:22 PM

We've used a local company, Premier Auto & RV several times and had good service. First time was to setup our toad. They got it done in a couple days so we could go on a trip the following week. The next time they replaced the slide guides on our big slide. Got it all done in less than a week including ordering the parts. We were leaving on another trip the following week. They slightly damaged a bay door while doing the work and told us they would fix it when we returned. Took it back a couple months later and they had it all fixed in a few days.

We also used Transwest RV and had good service. The biggest problem was getting the parts as this was during the height of covid. We just kept our coach at home and took it in a couple months later when they were finally able to get the parts. They replaced the entire Schwintek assembly in a couple days.

Dutch Star Don · 01-25-2023, 10:41 PM

We bought two new Lance campers, then a new Fleetwood Jamboree Class C, a one-year-old used Fleetwood Terra Class A, a new Monaco Diplomat, a new Newmar Dutch Star and our current coach, a new Dutch Star.

Of all those RV's the worse was the used Fleetwood Terra which we sold a year later. As stated above, the positive reviews don't make it to this board. I've NEVER had any of the experiences that many post on here in over 50 years, so it makes me wonder sometimes about these complaints.

Over the past few years, the issues I've run into have been recalls, primarily from Freightliner. When I get one, I arrive early in the morning, bring my breakfast and lunch and tell them I won't be leaving the coach. To this day, I've only had a coach stay overnight three times. All three times, I stayed with the coach.

I tell the shop what I need repaired and if they can't fix it today, don't take it apart. I know many don't like to be adversarial and just let the dealer dictate the terms. If it needs parts and they need to be ordered, I allow them to order the parts and then return when the parts are in.

hemifoot · 01-26-2023, 07:23 AM

i've only had my units in a service center twice in the last 10 years.my Northstar tc was in a few years ago for a toilet issue. they misunderstood what the problem was and changed my fresh water pump by mistake, but it got sorted out after a mechanic walked by the unit and heard the toilet pump running. My Cougar tt was in in the fall for a bunch of little things after our first shakedown trip after we got it and they didn't address the safety recall on the inverter wiring. i got the notice the day before i was supposed to pick it up.no big deal, i can have it done in the spring. it's already booked in. it's just a quick inspection.i guess i'd call it semi positive.they did have me in and out resonably quick and the majority of the repairs were ok. i've had much worse, especially my last boat warranty service. i know i should not tolerate shoddy service but it's pretty much a given that i'm going to get sub par results.if i can fix it myself i will, then i only have me to blame.unless it's my vehicles.i absolutely hate working on vehicles.

Gumpster808 · 01-26-2023, 08:23 AM

Not us personally but someone in the RV park we are staying in….

They picked up a new Tiffin from Lazy Days in Tampa. Trying to get it in for warranty work was getting stressful.

Another couple in the park recommended they try calling North Trail in Fort Myers.

North Trail set an appt for them and got everything taken care of even though they didn’t buy from them.

Nice to hear since we purchased from North Trail.

Alpine36 · 01-26-2023, 10:03 AM

We’ve never had any of our RVs mechanical systems serviced at any RV service center. One benefit of being a retired mechanic I guess, maybe sometimes it’s more like a curse…
We did have our fogged windows repaired and both windshields replaced by Coach Glass in Coburg Oregon. Outstanding operation with no surprises. If you ever need glass work I highly recommend them.