This article details a recent Liz Amazing video that documents what has become an issue for more than a few RV owners. Jayco damaged a motorhome while it was being serviced. Now the dealership refuses to pay to fix the damage.
Who wants to pay for something the RV technicians damaged or broke? Not me! Here’s what happened and how you can work to prevent the same thing from happening to you.
Case summary
Consumer advocate Liz Amazing posted a detailed video (below) about an owner whose Jayco motorhome developed serious issues. After the unit was in for work, the owner discovered additional damage. However, the manufacturer/dealer response left the owner on the hook.
Note: Liz’s channel documents many similar owner-vs.-manufacturer situations. She has helped escalate cases (including buybacks and settlements) by bringing public attention to them.
Documentation matters
Imagine your RV goes into a shop and comes out with new scratches, loose cabinets, or other damage. It’s up to you to prove those problems were caused during service and not pre-existing issues. That proof (or lack of it) will determine whether a dealer, manufacturer, or insurer will pay for repairs.
Public pressure has helped some owners get buybacks or repairs done properly, but good documentation is your best preventive insurance.
Practical checklist
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:
- Take a time-stamped, high-resolution video walkaround from the outside in. Film every exterior wall, roofline, all seams, decal areas, the tongue/hitch, and the undercarriage clearance, if possible.
- Open and film cabinets, appliances, slides, bays, wiring areas, and the interior ceiling and flooring.
- Speak during the video, stating the date, dealer name, VIN, and odometer/hour meter reading. This creates a verbal record that will be embedded in the file’s metadata if you don’t edit it afterward. Save the original files. (Don’t crop or export files to a format that strips EXIF/metadata.) Immediately upload the video to a cloud folder so there’s a cloud-stamped copy.
Work order
Request a written work order that lists every system you want inspected/repaired and a line that documents existing damage.
Insist that the advisor walk the RV with you and initial/sign the work order acknowledging pre-existing defects. If the dealer resists, photograph the signed work order with the date/time visible and keep a copy.
Ask the service advisor to note who will be working on the unit (names or tech numbers). Also have them note whether any subcontractors or third-party shops will be involved. Keep all written estimates and authorization forms. These small pieces of paper are often critical later.
During the repair
If you can’t stay while work is being done, ask for a written checklist of the expected steps, parts to be replaced, and the name of the lead tech.
Ask the dealer to text photos during progress and to keep the RV’s keys locked and accounted for (get that in writing). If the dealer refuses progress photos, at least insist they sign a declaration on the work order that no other workmanship will be performed without owner authorization. If the unit is moved to another building or shop, get a signed transfer note. Document every phone call (note date/time and name of person you spoke with).
After the repair
Do a video inspection the moment you pick up the RV. Record the same routine as pre-service, from the outside in, and talk through each area. Show the repaired items plus the rest of the RV.
Compare the “before” and “after” files in the presence of the service manager. Ask them to sign a pickup acceptance that lists what was repaired and any known remaining issues.
If you find new damage, photograph and video it immediately. Refuse to sign any “all good” or “accepted as delivered” forms until the issue is resolved in writing. If they insist you sign, make a clearly legible notation “signed under protest — dispute pending” on the copy you return. Keep every invoice and work order.
If you suspect the dealer/tech caused damage
If you cannot come to an agreement about the damage caused during the repairs, here are some steps to take:
- Contact the manufacturer’s customer service and include your timestamped video, signed work orders, and photos.
- File a complaint with the dealer’s corporate relations, if there is one.
- File a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and save the reference number.
- If your state has an auto/RV arbitration or lemon law program, learn the eligibility rules and file quickly. Arbitration or small-claims court can be effective for lower-cost claims.
- If you’re getting stonewalled and the dollar amount is large, consider consulting a consumer attorney who handles lemon-law or warranty cases. [Ron Burdge is an excellent RV lemon law attorney.] Public-facing documentation (e.g., sending your documentation to a well-followed consumer advocate like Liz Amazing or local news consumer reporters) has produced results in some high-profile cases. Use that option carefully and only after exhausting official channels.
Evidence tip reminders
Keep raw files (don’t edit or re-encode). Make sure your videos include the timestamp and GPS/location data.
If you must crop or make a short clip, keep the original raw file, too. Use a cloud upload right after filming so there’s a server timestamp.
If you need an independent record, hire a mobile RV inspector or a certified technician to do a pre- or post-service inspection and provide a signed report. Third-party signed reports carry weight with manufacturers, insurers, and courts.
Use email (not only phone calls) whenever possible so you have written records. When you speak on the phone, follow up with an email summarizing the call and ask for confirmation. Keep names, dates, and times.
Be firm but professional. Litigation or arbitration becomes easier to win when your paper trail is organized, factual, and unemotional.
Insurers and warranties
Insurance policies and factory warranties have different rules. Your RV insurance may cover accidental damage, but not damage that the shop claims was owner-caused (and vice versa). Talk to your insurer early in the dispute.
Manufacturer warranty processes can be slow and often involve the dealer as the gatekeeper. That’s why third-party evidence and written sign-offs can change the outcome. When warranty channels fail, documented consumer complaints and arbitration have, in many cases, led to buybacks or settlements.
Realistic leverage
Public attention, consumer advocates, and persistent documentation have produced buybacks and settlements in high-profile cases. At the same time, not every dispute ends that way.
The combination that gives you the best leverage is thorough, timestamped pre-service documentation; signed work orders that list pre-existing damage; polite but persistent written communication; and the readiness to escalate to arbitration, small claims, or legal help if the dealer or manufacturer refuses to make things right.
Follow industry outlets and RV consumer sites that compile owner complaints and buyback stories. Those reports may be useful if you open a formal dispute.
Has your RV ever been damaged while in for service? What did you do? Tell us using the comments below.
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RVT1249
If you have to go through all that mess and/or insist that the dealer do what was suggested, you need to find another dealer. And if you get too insistent the dealer or shop will refuse to service you, which is their right, because you just labeled yourself as a potential problem. For all they know, you may be trying to set them up.
Do the exterior video as you’re walking around with the service person upon arrival. If you’re at a good dealer or service shop they’ll be videoing right next to you. Ours does. The interior video may be a good idea but any slides likely will be in when you do.
Just tell them up front that you will create a short video upon arrival “to protect both of us”.
I had that problem with my ’92 Ford pickup. They scratched the top of the chrome grill. The service manager insisted it was that way when I brought it in. I asked why they didn’t document it and his answer was they probably didn’t see it. ??????
I spoke with an attorney and he also said to take pictures or videos with the service manager at my side.
The SM said it was not necessary and he would just look it over.
He finally agreed.
One more thing.
When I take my TT in for service, the service writer goes out and takes pictures, inside and out. I even pointed out a dent on the side that I did that he didn’t see.
They wanted to cover their own a$$.
Those suggestions sound good, just not practical and realistic. I suppose if you were preparing for a jury trial that stuff may be effective. If you have to do all of that you went to the wrong dealer.
What a nightmare. I think that Jayco should buy back the RV and pay fair compensation for expenses incurred as a result of Jayco’s incompetence and dereliction of duty. Kevin should get as far away from that brand as possible. Good luck, Kevin.
No one is going to do all that.
95% of these suggestions are totally impractical. No one has the hours & hours of time it would take to do all of these steps. And many elderly rvers don’t have the technical savvy to do it. Instead, spend your time finding a trustworthy service center or mobile tech to rely on. During a long trip, use internet reviews of nearby service people to help in finding a tech.
If I was a service tech or service center & encountered an rver like this, I would politely refuse to take in their rv, because they are almost a guaranteed trouble maker & I would lose money on the entire encounter. Only an obsessive/compulsive person would go thru all of these steps.
I had problems with the dealership doing warranty work causing more damage then what they were supposed to repair. I took all the steps listed and even had a lemon law Attorney. After finding out that it could take up to 2 years to settle $5,000 of damage caused by them. I turned to Small Claims Court. Filed myself (No Attorney needed) presented my case and received the maximum amount awarded by the state of Pennsylvania. Which is $12,000. Within 2 months of filing. I have written about this before. So this is another reminder. Check with the State you purchased from Small Claims Division. The dealership sent a representative and he didn’t dispute my evidence. The attorneys dropped me.
If I am expected to go to all that trouble of videoing everything on the rig, I want no part of it. If I can’t depend on a reputable dealer and have trust in them, I will go somewhere else or sell my RV and choose another recreation.
Finding reputable dealer after the fact does not fix the initial problem though.
Small claims court and even Consumer Protection, which also doesn’t cost anything would be the first step.
Also, being proactive by taking pictures or videos with the manager at your side doesn’t take long and is proof of where the damage occurred.
This is one reason I will never buy from a big chain dealer. Especially CW!
If a small independent dealer has been in business for decades, it’s because they care about customers.
Mine was made a buyout offer from CW and turned it down.
It’s a darn shame this is what the RV industry has come to. Probably more common than we are aware of too.
Seriously??? I suppose we should record the tire air pressure and the number of gallons in all the tanks too. Geesh
Our MH got towed in Houston after a heater hose ruptured and the coolant escaped. That required the wrecker to remove the drive shaft. The local shop appeared to be less equipped to handle the repair but managed to fix the leak. It was their responsibility to reinstall the drive shaft. Two miles from their shop, the drive shaft came loose. It destroyed the transmission, torque converter, bell housing, rear shocks and nearby wiring. The repair cost almost $30K, done by our regular RV service center. Progressive very reluctantly covered most of the repair. The original shop’s liability insurance refused to cover the $5K balance. Going to small claims court just wasn’t worth the legal hassle.
I never had a good experience with a service department. They don’t seem to pay enough to keep anyone that knows what they are doing, so they hire buffoons that cannot follow instructions. There was no question who was at fault, so they did repairs but didn’t do a decent job. Then there was 300 mile round trip twice, having to cancel a trip, cleaning up their mess etc.
Photograph your RV all the way around at dealer before leaving. File lawsuit and demand a copy of repair area videos…every dealer monitors repair area with video. Get two repair estimates. You’ll win!
This works both ways. My service center installed multiple cameras to protect itself from customers who accused them of damaging the RV that was already damaged. He told me the cameras have easily paid for themselves from settling with scheming customers.