Tony’s RV is the definition of the “Rip Off Artist”. I dropped my motor coach off at Tony’s for repairs on my HWH leveling system at Tony’s. While 3.5 hours away from our home, because of their website listed as being a certified HWH repair facility it seemed to be the best place to have the work done. On 7 August I dropped off the coach and I described the issues I wanted corrected with repair of the HWH leveling system being the primary issue.
(Note: My coach was slated for an Aug 13 start work date, I finally picked up the coach on September 25th.) On 13 August I received the below email.
From: Parts Manager <partsmanager@tonysrv.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2024 10:02 AM
To: rick.merritt
Subject: Slide-out repair
Mr. Merritt,
We have looked into your leveling system and deemed that the leveling system pump and motor need repairing. This calls for part to be sent out for 4-6 weeks for repair.
The cost of the repair of the part would be between $2000-3200. We won’t know the cost until they repair it. We would also have 4-5 hours in labor ($160.00 per hour). Please reach out with any questions or concerns,
Mark Smith
Parts Manager
Tony’s RV Parts & Service, Inc.
130 Pond Branch Rd
Lexington, SC 29073
(803) 894-3071
Knowing this was not the truth because on the HWH website states:
“Repair Part Questions: There are several options available other than new components. Most parts can be sent in for repair. Sometimes, certain parts might be available as a remanufactured part. Remanufactured parts are sold at 70% of the cost of a new part.”
Also, after checking the HWH website, I found out that a new pump assembly from HWH is about $1,150.00. Not $3,000.00!
Based on their response I sent the email appended below:
Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2024 4:00 PM
To: 'Parts Manager' <partsmanager@tonysrv.com>
Subject: RE: Slide-out repair
Thank you for the update. I do have some questions regarding the diagnosis.
The pump motor does run, you can hear it when activating the leveling system. However, it does not seem to be under any load / freewheeling. What are the indications that the motor has failed? Did the voltage to the pump motor meet specification (when running +9v or greater)? Is the motor spline and the pump receiver in good condition? Did the 50-psi pump pressure switch on the manifold show the appropriate ground when closed or did it stay open? What was the status (on or off) of LED 33 on the control box when testing the pump? What was the pump pressure when tested? (I was thinking it might be the 50 psi or shuttle valve initially). I’m told it is rare for both pump motor and pump to fail at the same time and because I can hear the motor running, I’m trying to understand the diagnosis. Lastly please provide part numbers for required parts. I may be able to resource them quicker or possibly find used parts. Thanks, Rick
I followed up the email with a call to Tony’s RV asking about the specific items I requested that they check. I was connected to the Owner (Aaron Langenburg). Per the HWH troubleshooting guide, I was asking about step 1, “ensure that there is at least 9 Volts at the motor”, Aaron Langenburg started yelling and cursing at me, saying who am I to question him or his technicians. I tried to deescalate his outrageous behavior by reminding him that, I was his customer and not his adversary. Bottom line I was unable to get answers to my questions. Note, that in the above email I asked specifically to have the 50psi valve and the shuttle valve checked.
On August 14 the parts manager sent an email stating that the coach now needed a new starter which cost $563.00 plus 2-3 hours labor (Labor rate is $160 per hour) to install it. However, I did a quick search and found several starters for $200 - $400. Because of all the discourse and lack of information from the service manager, and in an attempt to smooth things out, I went ahead and authorized the repair, albeit $150 to $250 more than I should have paid, I just wanted to get my coach repaired and on the road.
In an effort to save time and money, I did a parts search on the HWH website, and located a new replacement pump assembly. I purchased the pump assembly and had it shipped to Tony’s. The pump was installed and after it was tested, I received a call from Tony’s RV saying I needed a new Shuttle Valve, an item I specifically asked to have checked as an initial troubleshooting step prior to replacing the pump but, as previously stated never received an answer for, other than getting cussed at by the owner. Fortunately, I asked for and received the old pump when I picked the coach up. Later I had the old pump checked out and it was working, making pressure etc. So, in summary I paid for a pump I did not need, along with all of the labor hours associated with the removal and replace process. Turns out and I suspected the problem was actually the Shuttle Valve that cost about $100.00. with about an hour of labor to have it replaced.
Tony’s RV is dishonest, unprofessional and has no understanding of customer service.
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