Powderpost beetles

[Sjgraves10]

I just recieved this from another person with powder post beetles.

"The only way to get rid of powder post beetles is to fumigation/tenting. It cost us $750 but we received estimates up to $2500.
We had to pay up front but Newmar reimbursed us. The sooner you get your RV tented the better, they can multiply very fast."

Perhaps I have a chance.

[Sjgraves10]

I met with the people at Tom Johnson RV sales
It was disappointing. The people there offered to take apart the wall and replace the wood. I said no
Thst would not solve the problem. They assured me it would. I know better. I got nowhere with them
I believe they are sorry for my plight but do not have the authority to help. They have seen this but can not help
When I ask to speak to the owner I discovered it is not privately owned but part of a corporation. I got no where. My dream camper is a nightmare. Forrest River is my only hope and I must kling to that until it proves hopeless.

[Sjgraves10]

Originally Posted by archerwoman

we have a 2019 newmar and it has powderpost beetles.
Newmar paid for the fumigation.
The was damage to a couple of walls and we think the ceiling.
There were several hundred found in the skylight area between the roof and ceiling.
We don't know the extent of the damage there. Dealership said it would cause more damage to take down the panels and newmar claims that there is not any wood in the ceiling. It sounds like we are getting the run around. We know they have had problems with other newmars having the powder post beetles, so i'm wondering what is the solution. It is still under warranty.

who fumigated your camper? We don't believe forest river will help us. Please post name and contact info.

[Sjgraves10]

I talked to exterminators and they do not guaranty that powder post beatles will be killed. They take a year to imerge from the wood. All the wood needs to be exposed and that is not possible in campers.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by Sjgraves10

I met with the people at Tom Johnson RV sales
It was disappointing. The people there offered to take apart the wall and replace the wood. I said no
That would not solve the problem. They assured me it would. I know better.

What does that mean? From many readings this likely is not an entire RV problem but rather a localized problem. Some people have had the powderpost beetles just in some pieces of trim, a cabinet door, etc.

If this were me I'd have had them go ahead and replace the wood and take it from there.

What do you expect Forest River to do differently? If your camper is under warranty they almost always use the dealer as the first attempt at the repair. If you're contemplating legal action, courts usually require that you exhaust the remediation avenues given to you.

I do understand your plight but it will take court action if you think Forest River or any other manufacturer will just give you another camper. Their warranties cover the repair of manufacturing defects, just like car warranties do.

Ray

[edgray]

Originally Posted by NXR

.....

If this were me I'd have had them go ahead and replace the wood and take it from there.

What do you expect Forest River to do differently? If your camper is under warranty they almost always use the dealer as the first attempt at the repair. If you're contemplating legal action, courts usually require that you exhaust the remediation avenues given to you......... it will take court action if you think Forest River or any other manufacturer will just give you another camper. Their warranties cover the repair of manufacturing defects, just like car warranties do.**Ray

CORRECT. While a full "buy back" does happen OCCASIONALLY, it never happens until the responsible party has exhausted all reasonable attempts to repair the problem under the terms of their warranty. Hiring a Lawyer or threatening to sue, without at least FIRST giving them a chance to "fix" the problem, will most likely only delay reaching a satisfactory outcome.

[Sjgraves10]

Originally Posted by edgray

CORRECT. While a full "buy back" does happen OCCASIONALLY, it never happens until the responsible party has exhausted all reasonable attempts to repair the problem under the terms of their warranty. Hiring a Lawyer or threatening to sue, without at least FIRST giving them a chance to "fix" the problem, will most likely only delay reaching a satisfactory outcome.

About a half century ago people were buying cars that did not last a year. I bought a Chevy Vega. Before that i received a brand new Dodge Dart as a college graduations present. It would shut off while driving down the road. Then the lemon Law was pasted and the car industry is still making a profit even though the cars have better quality.
The RV industry was not included in this law. That is a huge injustice to the consumer. These beetles take between 1 to 5 years to immerge. the answer is simple. wood must be kiln dried before used to build something. When you are spending $30,000 for an item you expect it to free from manufactures defects like infested wood. powder post beetles will ruin the value of the RV long before it ruins the construction. My $30,000 investment is almost worthless because I received a defective RV. Sjgraves10

[edgray]

Originally Posted by Sjgraves10

About a half century ago people were buying cars that did not last a year. I bought a Chevy Vega. Before that i received a brand new Dodge Dart as a college graduations present. It would shut off while driving down the road. Then the lemon Law was pasted and the car industry is still making a profit even though the cars have better quality.
The RV industry was not included in this law. That is a huge injustice to the consumer. These beetles take between 1 to 5 years to immerge. the answer is simple. wood must be kiln dried before used to build something. When you are spending $30,000 for an item you expect it to free from manufactures defects like infested wood. powder post beetles will ruin the value of the RV long before it ruins the construction. My $30,000 investment is almost worthless because I received a defective RV. Sjgraves10

I understand your frustration and disappointment, but the advice given by another poster and me was intended to help you understand the reality of the situation you find yourself in. I guess we thought you were looking for opinions about your options going forward.

[Sjgraves10]

Originally Posted by NXR

What does that mean? From many readings this likely is not an entire RV problem but rather a localized problem. Some people have had the powderpost beetles just in some pieces of trim, a cabinet door, etc.

If this were me I'd have had them go ahead and replace the wood and take it from there.

What do you expect Forest River to do differently? If your camper is under warranty they almost always use the dealer as the first attempt at the repair. If you're contemplating legal action, courts usually require that you exhaust the remediation avenues given to you.

I do understand your plight but it will take court action if you think Forest River or any other manufacturer will just give you another camper. Their warranties cover the repair of manufacturing defects, just like car warranties do.

Ray

This is not a localized problem. The beetles emerge in the warmer months. They lay larva in the wood creating more damage. This goes on for years. Most believe fumagating will end the problem. The problem may not be solved. They hide in the wood for years. With replacement of wood I do not get rid of unseen beetles. The wall is sealed and more damage begins.
If I allow a chemical solution to t nu is infestation, I am risking my life. I have a lung disease called MAC. I have only one lung left. Should I be required to risk my life because the manufacturer did not use properly kiln dried wood? Kiln drying is required so if it is not done properly is it my fault?

[WalkTheWalk]

Wow. Shocking. So stressful for you, too.

I'm ill myself with chronic pain and can't fight battles like I used to do. It's exhausting.

There are a few options:

1. Demand that they buy back the unit at full price and pay for you to rent a similar unit from RVShare or such site, if available. Such a demand is normally done by a certified letter, usually from an attorney.

(However, I once sent Samsung a certified letter notifying them of my intent to sue them in small claims court over an exploding washer, and got a full refund after months of runaround.)

Given that it's way more than a small claims court in cost (typically $5K), you would have to go through circuit Court. You would need an attorney. Lemon laws might apply, so be sure to look at that LL booklet which is specific for your state.

(We got a new 2013 Ford Escape in Tenn, but live in FL, and TN lemon laws were a joke. FORD refused a buyback. Someone totalled the car in '17, so we never got to the suit.)

2. Cheap option. Start a YouTube account. Make a video with the exact model in the title, then describe how the mfgr is not helping you. Post the video. Share it on their Facebook page. Tweet it to their Twitter page, and the pages of their CEO, VPs of Operations, etc.

Drawback: You have now gone public on the issue, so reselling your rig will then require disclosure. I don't know what the loss of resale value is for this issue, but it would be significant. Put differently, no one will want to buy your rig now, sorry.

3. File a complaint with your state attorney general's office. If you are in NY or CA, they can be very effective. Many other states,, too..

You are a senior and have been defrauded.
Their product should not be riddled with WDO (wood destroying organisms.)

4. Park it somewhere where it can be stolen. Leave the keys under the visor. No, just kidding. That's a felony. Don't do it. Don't set it on fire, either.

5. Get a big banner made. Park your RV by their company HQ, call the local media. Or, just call your own local news channel, if they have one of those "help the consumer" segments. They'll call the mfgr for comment, who will suddenly want to solve your problem yesterday. Of course, this is stressful, but short lived.


Don't waste your time with the Better Business Bureau. They've been a business centric paper tiger for years. You can copy them with your AG office complaint, if you wish, just don't count on their help. They're obsolete. Useless. I know. I was a BBB member for years.

[AZ RV'r]

You are stuck with this unit and thats it, until you sell it... or trade it.

Many have posted worse stories... worse than the beetles and almost nobody had their coach "bought back" from the manufacturer. Many others have posted about the same beetles on here and I have never seen any of them say the coach was "bought back" I met a guy with a +$500k new RV that had a roof leak that ran down the walls and he had black mold in the ceiling and walls.

Good Luck!

[Sjgraves10]

Originally Posted by walkthewalk

wow. Shocking. So stressful for you, too.

I'm ill myself with chronic pain and can't fight battles like i used to do. It's exhausting.

There are a few options:

1. Demand that they buy back the unit at full price and pay for you to rent a similar unit from rvshare or such site, if available. Such a demand is normally done by a certified letter, usually from an attorney.

(however, i once sent samsung a certified letter notifying them of my intent to sue them in small claims court over an exploding washer, and got a full refund after months of runaround.)

given that it's way more than a small claims court in cost (typically $5k), you would have to go through circuit court. You would need an attorney. Lemon laws might apply, so be sure to look at that ll booklet which is specific for your state.

(we got a new 2013 ford escape in tenn, but live in fl, and tn lemon laws were a joke. Ford refused a buyback. Someone totalled the car in '17, so we never got to the suit.)

2. Cheap option. Start a youtube account. Make a video with the exact model in the title, then describe how the mfgr is not helping you. Post the video. Share it on their facebook page. Tweet it to their twitter page, and the pages of their ceo, vps of operations, etc.

Drawback: You have now gone public on the issue, so reselling your rig will then require disclosure. I don't know what the loss of resale value is for this issue, but it would be significant. Put differently, no one will want to buy your rig now, sorry.

3. File a complaint with your state attorney general's office. If you are in ny or ca, they can be very effective. Many other states,, too..

You are a senior and have been defrauded.
Their product should not be riddled with wdo (wood destroying organisms.)

4. Park it somewhere where it can be stolen. Leave the keys under the visor. No, just kidding. That's a felony. Don't do it. Don't set it on fire, either.

5. Get a big banner made. Park your rv by their company hq, call the local media. Or, just call your own local news channel, if they have one of those "help the consumer" segments. They'll call the mfgr for comment, who will suddenly want to solve your problem yesterday. Of course, this is stressful, but short lived.


Don't waste your time with the better business bureau. They've been a business centric paper tiger for years. You can copy them with your ag office complaint, if you wish, just don't count on their help. They're obsolete. Useless. I know. I was a bbb member for years.

at this time all i can say is thank you. You do understand my plight. It is an injustice that needs to be corrected. As a senior with limited funds. Time, and energy , i am overwhelmed.
Sjgraves

[Sjgraves10]

Dear walkthewalk, You mentioned in option 2 that selling the unit would require complete disclosure. I feel I can't sell the unit. It is defective beyond repare. This is the essence of my problem. I am NOT passing my RV off to other person. No one deserves that. But I do understand your mention of this possiblity. There are some that would cheat others out of there money for personal gain. NOT ME.
S J Graves

[TOM GUY]

Dear SJ,

Powder post beetles can be killed with boric acid. This is a cheap material that you can buy and mix yourself. It works only on areas that you can treat by rubbing or spraying.

If you mix some and spray it on the wood surfaces, it may kill off any beetles that you can find. Remember that it works on surfaces that have been infected, so it is possible that not all of the wood has been infected.

It is possible that all of the infestation can be treated and killed this way. The infestation has to start from somewhere. If you can spray boric acid on nearly all of the areas, the nest can be killed, and you win.

It won't hurt and it may be all you need to solve the problem.

Worth a try.

Tom