By Tony Barthel
You bought a new RV and you got a great deal out of state. But now you have a few things wrong with it and so you take it to the corner dealership where you saw the RV the first time. Now they’re saying they won’t work on it. What’s going on? Are they trying to rip you off?
Actually, this is fully legitimate and well within the agreement between the manufacturers and the dealership. So what’s going on?
Understanding RV dealerships
When you go to a car dealership, that dealership is a franchise. That means that the franchisor, which is the vehicle manufacturer, can make demands on the dealership. In turn, they have to agree to the demand to be in compliance with that franchise agreement.
This can include things like signage, branding, having brochure racks in the lobby and also details about the service department. A vehicle manufacturer can demand that a franchise dealer have a specific number of certified service technicians. It can also demand that some, or all, of those technicians go through the manufacturer’s service training.
Nowadays, with customer ratings being more important than ever, it can also be the case that vehicle manufacturers require a dealership to maintain a certain rating with the customers as well.
Service training
Most vehicle manufacturers also have training and certification programs. We’ve all seen signs that read something like “factory authorized service” or “factory trained service” at a vehicle dealership. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this at an RV dealership and, right now, it’s not likely that we will, either.
There are very few RV manufacturers that even have training programs. Further, some RV manufacturers don’t consistently build the products they sell us.
How are RVs built
RVs are built in different ways, but some manufacturers only have a general idea of how an RV is going to be made. It’s up to the workers on the line to flesh out those details.
For example, there are RV factories where there are huge spools of wire at the point on the line that the electrical is being installed. When they need to wire in a light fixture, a line worker will just pull enough wire to complete the task. Today they may have red wire with a white stripe. Then, after that spool is done, they may switch to blue wire with a yellow stripe.
So your RV might be wired with very different colors of wire from the one that followed it down the assembly line. That may also be somewhat true of plumbing. While some RV manufacturers are really consistent about how they wire and plumb their products, this isn’t universally true in the RV space.
In fact, one of the more unusual things I’ve seen on an RV assembly line is workers hand-cutting holes in floors, ceilings and even side walls for things like windows and doors, vents, and plumbing. It just boggles my mind.
When a vehicle is being built you can bet that the manufacturers very closely monitor every aspect of that build from the wiring to the number of screws being used. Much of that assembly is done by machines that very precisely repeat the same process over and over, day in and day out.
RVs are almost all built by hand
RVs are almost all built by hand and while they do use a lot of the same components, there are still a huge number of pieces that are built by human beings on the assembly line. In fact you see RV companies brag about this. But think about how much better automobiles became after the assembly line made production so much more consistent.
I recently talked with one marketing manager who said his RV company had almost 500 floor plans. This is just one of the many brands from a major name in the RV space who also owns many, many other brands. Imagine going into a car dealership and seeing 500 different choices of Chevrolets or Toyotas?
Dizzying diversity of floor plans
The dizzying diversity of floor plans including dozens of almost identical layouts that are built by differing brands held by a large company means there’s not often a lot of planning or design that goes into a floor plan. For example, Thor’s Jayco division might build almost the same floor plan as Thor’s K-Z or MPG divisions, but the three divisions are completely independent of one another.
Of course there are measurements and drawings of the units. But those planning documents don’t necessarily include where the wiring, plumbing, or other things go. This lack of wiring diagrams and specific plumbing schematics means that the tech at your local RV dealership might be spending as much time figuring out how a light or stereo is wired and what color wires are used in this RV as they are spending to actually repair an issue.
In fact, one of the issues our techs constantly complained about was the lack of available wiring and plumbing diagrams.
Cost of warranty
A lot of the time spent on the warranty repair of an RV may be the tech just figuring out the wiring and plumbing or other aspects of how that RV was built.
When an RV dealership has a warranty claim, typically they figure out what’s wrong, take as many photos as possible of the offending pieces, and then submit the claim to the manufacturer. The manufacturer then evaluates whether the claim has merit and approves or denies the claim.
Part of that process is the dealership requesting reimbursement for time spent on making the repair. Most of the warranty repairs typically have an hourly time estimate assigned to them by the RV manufacturer. For example, if the tech has to replace a stereo, the manufacturer might include 20 minutes of time to do so.
Let’s say that you have a speaker that’s not working. The tech first spends time fiddling with the stereo to make sure that it’s set correctly, and then more time removing the speaker and testing the wires that lead up to it. Overall the tech may have spent an hour or more just figuring out that the speaker was bad.
Warranty guidelines from the manufacturer
The warranty guidelines from the manufacturer may only budget 15 minutes to replace a speaker. That means that the dealership could end up just “eating” all but 15 minutes of the tech’s time to facilitate that repair.
This is just one example. When I was facilitating warranty claims at a dealership there were times where it would take hours for the tech to even figure out what the issue was and then additional time removing the broken component.
Furthermore, not only did we pay the tech who facilitated the repair itself, the dealership also had to pay me to manage all these warranty claims. There was absolutely no accommodation in the reimbursement schedules of RV warranty departments for my time or for the time of whoever is administering the warranties at a dealership.
My time included not only handling the photographs and details of the warranty claim, but also, if there were parts involved, boxing up and shipping the failed components back to the manufacturer.
After we got the claim approved, we would have to order the new component, and the tech would then spend time putting that new component in. In the meantime, sometimes we’d have to store the owner’s RV while we were waiting for parts to arrive.
This was one thing in the days when parts were readily available. But as I write this, many parts are on severe back order so it can take weeks or even months for some parts to arrive at the dealership. And that’s assuming that the repair is even authorized by the manufacturer.
It’s not worth it
So, the bottom line on all of this is that warranty service at a dealership isn’t a profit center at all. Many dealerships only do the warranty service for customers who purchased their RVs there simply because it’s such a money losing proposition.
The shortage of RV technicians only compounds the problem. Your local dealership might only be able to find enough qualified technicians to barely cover the warranty claims from customers who purchased their RVs at the dealership.
Many times I had customers shop us and spend time with our sales staff, who were very well trained and educated, only to ultimately purchase their RV at a wholesale dealer a few hundred miles away. Now not only did we lose that sale, that customer also took time from the sales staff. Later they would return wanting us to do warranty work, which is typically done at a loss.
In this circumstance, which was common, we had no obligation to the customer to perform warranty work on their RV. Furthermore, our techs were so busy servicing the customers who did buy from us there just wasn’t time to service the RVs from people who did not buy from us. So we were within our rights to refuse to do warranty work on RVs that weren’t purchased from us.
But that’s not always the case.
Good neighbor policy
There were times when someone was traveling and had an issue that would force them to go back home if it weren’t repaired while they were on their journey. We took in a number of these people just so they could enjoy the remainder of their getaway.
Our practice was also to help folks who had moved into the area and discovered an issue with their RV. In fact there was such a housing shortage where the dealership I worked for was located, many traveling medical professionals and educators actually lived in their RVs because there weren’t enough houses available.
Again, we got a decent number of folks who simply took the time of our sales staff and then went a few hundred miles away to an RV discounter and bought from them. The funny thing is, we would have happily matched their pricing if they had given us the opportunity.
What can you do?
If you find yourself in the position that a local dealership won’t do warranty work on your RV, there are actually things you can do.
Knowing that there’s such a shortage of RV technicians and service people, some RV manufacturers are now authorizing independent service professionals to perform warranty work. You might contact the manufacturer of your RV and ask them where the closest RV service places are.
There are also occasions where an RV manufacturer may authorize a mobile RV technician to perform the warranty work. However, this isn’t always the case as mobile technicians often charge a significant fee just to show up at the door. You might work out with your RV’s manufacturer to pay for the cost of the technician to show up and then they reimburse that technician, or you, for the actual cost of the job that needs to be done.
Final thoughts
Lastly, there is something we all need to do. If you know someone who is relatively handy or has a good work ethic, you might advocate to them to look at a career in the RV industry. It may shock some of you to know that there are hundreds of thousands of RVs being built every year – but there are no more RV technicians out there today than were there ten years ago!
Being an RV technician is a great opportunity and is a job that does pay well. Learning the trade can happen at a local dealership. There are also training schools where someone can become certified in the trade and increase their earning power.
The RV industry also recognizes the issue and the RV Industry Association, or RVIA, has put together a school to train technicians. The cost of completing a certification program is probably lower than just the lunch privileges at a local college but could return a lifetime of income.
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An RV technician brings joy to customers
An RV technician is a job that brings joy to customers because you’re saving people’s vacations and there is absolutely no shortage of work. Opportunities exist at dealerships and other RV service centers. And there’s also plenty of work for someone if they want to strike out on their own.
I have often said that if someone chooses this career path and gets certified and trained in the repairs needed, they can buy a van and put a magnetic sign on it and have so much work just by driving through an RV park that they’ll want to take that magnetic sign off now and then just to get a break.
Not all bad.
I also want readers to know that not all RV companies operate in the same manner. While I often come across people complaining about companies like Thor and Forest River, it’s important to know that these larger companies encourage their various brands to operate fairly independently and also to often compete with one another.
As much as I’ve seen RV companies operate willy nilly, I’ve also seen very precise and quality-oriented practices. I try to share what I know in my daily RV reviews here on RVTravel.com, including how a company handles warranty claims, if I have direct knowledge of that.
##RVT1030
I found this to be true with a previous motorhome when I asked for a wiring diagram. I was told it was wired as per the schematic but several teams on the assembly line may run the wires in different paths through the unit. I then ran a new wire from point A to point B my own way fixing my problem. Lol
I believe I was fortunate enough to purchase my new Greyhawk before Thor got their hands on Jayco. I requested the electrical and plumbing schematics shortly after purchase and have found that they are spot on for location, color, wire gauges and routing. I have been asked questions from new RV owners during our travels about things and systems not working properly on similar new Greyhawks and the installation of these systems is atrocious. The wiring and plumbing routing is a mess, not to mention the need to remove equipment and items just to access and change a water pump. I can see why it would take a tech a couple of hours to change a pump, lying on your side with your head and two arms stuffed through a hole with no space to use the proper tools.
RV’s and boats; from past experiences working on them I always felt the best person for working on them should be a blind, one armed, midget contortionist. Agree with most posts if you own an RV you best have some abilities to fix things and figure them out on your own. That or have lots of patience and deep pockets to keep a tech on call
Now that Thor has purchased Jayco I expect quality to suffer as Thor pressures Jayco to reduce costs.
Great article. Puts the obvious issues with dealerships into plain English.
Local dealers who sell my brand won’t do any service, warranty or insurance work on my RV because I didn’t purchase from them. I subsequently found several mobile RV techs. Much better service; the few times I’ve had to rely on a mobile tech for something I couldn’t do myself, the jobs were done the same day and the workmanship was excellent! If more people would support local mobile RV techs, I’m sure we’d see more people take up the trade.
Totally agree RC. I have a fave mobile guy in town that I call for ‘serious’ stuff that I’m not comfortable doing. I make an appointment at a time HE can make it. He and his son show up, on time, ready to go. Work gets done, I pay him, and life is good. The dealer I bought my trailer from is now out of business.
Mobile techs are hard to find too. In my area there are three that won’t even return my calls for non warranty issues. And when they do call, they do not even know when they can come out just to look at an issue.
This is true as well. I feel lucky on this one. We used to have another SUPER guy but he has since retired. Our trailer is now 10 years old so there is no warranty work, just fixits.
I credit my local dealer for telling me about this up front. When I asked about it, they told me straight-up that they were a small dealer with a 2 bay shop and just did not have the time to take care of people who did not buy there. The only exceptions were real emergencies for travelers passing through the area – as you mentioned. And you’re right. I got quotes from dealers in 4 neighboring states. Presented the best one to my local dealer and they beat it! As to quality, yes, the RV industry is broken – badly. I see no hope in improvement as long as we continue to line up in record numbers like sheep to the slaughter to buy this garbage.
This is one of the reasons I purchased an Airstream Trailer.
My experience with AS, they are as typical as any other RV, same cheap plastic parts, misaligned screw and rivet holes, sloppy duct and wire routing, very little attention to detail and manufacturing clean up. Many things unseen until you start really looking or need to find and fix problems.
Look who owns Air Stream, explains a lot.
This literally makes no difference. They have all the same issues except you are charged more for the luxury of your AS breaking.
At $1000 a course the cost is at least twice what the local community college would charge. Please try to be more accurate.
It’s only $3000 to get level 2 certified ($1000 for level 1, $2000 for level 2.) That’s the whole education, not just a “course” at a community college. There will be some hotel costs to visit the campus for a week or more, depending on the path chosen. But that’s a quick way to get into a career, vs. two years to get an associates degree at a much higher cost (though community colleges do have certificate programs that are faster than an associates for things like welding, HVAC, etc.)
I had trouble finding a dealer to do warranty work 2 years ago. This was before the RV sales boom. A dealer gave these reasons on why they didn’t like doing warranty work: 1. The paperwork involved takes a lot of time, and isn’t worth it. 2. The RV manufacturers are very slow to reimburse the dealers. 3. Limited storage space. Warranty work needs to be approved before the work can be done. They didn’t have the storage space on their lots to keep RVs while waiting for approval and parts.
I ended up taking our 5er back to where we bought it, which was 3 hours away. When I made the appointment, I told them what needed fixing, so they’d have the parts on hand. I ended up bringing it home the same day.
Final thought – Salespeople are part of the problem as well. Before we purchased, I was repeatedly told that I could take our trailer to any Forest River dealer. Not true!
Great article well written. Thank you for your time.
Like these things typically do – makes perfect sense when you are knee deep in it but if you step back it makes no sense whatsoever. I wonder if the industry is not ripe for disruption from some eager entrepreneur.
Joe,
I think the author tried to show how it makes sense-in cases where people don’t understand the process. To me it seems perfectly logical, especially when you consider the manufacturer’s reimbursement process.
As a plumber; why would I honor a warranty on a faucet purchased from someone else. If you want a warranty from me PURCHASE THE FAUCET FROM ME!!!!!!!! It’s not complicated- so don’t be so cheap.
People new to rving come in expecting RV dealerships/manufacturers to operate like the auto industry, which provides services on new cars, regardless of where they were purchased.
They aren’t trying to be cheap (most) they are uninformed.
“they are uninformed” or lied to by a salesperson trying close a sale. This problem is far worse now than ever, with all the newbies buying RVs they are ripe for the con.
Perhaps RV manufacturers should adopt ISO 9000 standards
Which would double the cost of a unit. Most people have a Walmart mentality they don’t care how crappy a product is made as long as it’s cheap.
The difference is, Walmart stands behind their crappy products.
Walmart sells billions of dollars of Chinese made products. Just wait until a Chinese company makes a superior RV, where they make them consistently well and the dealers are happy to sell them profitably. Another loss to America.
That day isn’t far off, unfortunately. Just as the Japanese ate the American auto industry for lunch, that day will likely come for the RV business as well but at the hands of China.
If I wait for a Chinese company to make a superior RV, I will die waiting.
Great article, thanks for sharing. Definitely bringing my tools on the next outing. 😎👍
Being a skilled DIY has finally paid off
I had the same problem when i purchased my RV at the show in Hershey. The dealer was 3 hours from home. I called, told them what I needed, set the appointment, they looked at it, and said make another appointment because they had to order the parts. I had the manager by the front of his shirt and across the counter. I explained to him that he had 30 minutes to find a part and fix the problem. The owner came out and when told what the manager did, he called elsewhere and got the part.
I filed a complaint with the company who built the RV and received a letter with names of local service dealers who would honor the warranty, if not all I had to do was call them.
Word to the wise: Don’t piss of Law Enforcement, on or off duty!
Totally bogus last sentence (imho).
You’re a servant of the people, or should think of yourself as one. 🤨🚓
Maybe a charge of assault and battery should be filed against you by the manager.
My takeaway on this is you think it’s okay to be a bully, and hide behind your badge when you employ this tactic. Your behavior is unacceptable and causes problems for law enforcement everywhere.
What an excellent and informative article, Tony. Thank you for all you do for the RVTravel community.
A couple yrs back my RV neighbour with a $400,000 DP told me his microwave fell down on the ceramic cooktop while driving down the highway! He said the rest of the coach has similar quality control issues. My coach is not immune. Even with top notch Engineering, if the assembly line workers are not experienced, held to account, then warranty work becomes necessary. Dealership told me the Pre-delivery inspection does not allow them to fix or adjust anything! The customer has to drive it away, then come back and tell them what needs fixing, or adjusting. Only then will Dealership be allowed to go back to the manufacturer on your behalf! Crazy.
“Dealership told me the Pre-delivery inspection does not allow them to fix or adjust anything!”
Huh? This is nuts! So if you’re walking through your new coach and spot loose something-or-others, the dealer can’t do anything until you drive away with it?
I’m sure there are limits to the insanity of it. But that’s what they told me. Stops the Dealership from ‘finding’ billable warranty work. Things like cupboard doors not in alignment was what I was discussing with the service desk at that very moment.
Must have been that particular dealer. Ours found things on ours and was able to repair before we picked it up, or maybe just the RV brand.🤷
I’m with Tommy – that’s ludicrous. There were plenty of times we’d get something in and find a problem and fix it under warranty before it even went on sale. There were even times we’d get something in and reject it for a major quality gaff such as the walls delaminating.
That dealer is not being truthful with you.
When we picked up our 5th wheel, we told the dealership that we will do the PDI first then after we are satisfied, we will do the paperwork. It worked out great! No major problems during the PDI. We did noticed a few things on our first trip but everything was taken care of with the first service appt. We worked with Simi Valley RV (CA). They beat the price of anyone around by tens of thousands of dollars, the sales people still talk to you after the sale and it’s a top notch dealership! Rare these days in this industry!
The only thing that works on an RV is the owner
Great and insightful article, should be mandatory reading for new RV purchasers.
As said, I’m happy to be a skilled DIY’er and get it done myself.
There are too many stories of people returning to the factory for loose screws and what nots.
Funny, but true! I am getting too old to contort my body for access to repair stuff like I used to. I need a grandson or daughter to train, lol!
Super article, thanks. So often I read on social media about people buying out of state…days away from their homes…I try to warn against it for the reasons you’ve stated.
Do you happen to have a resource for checking on the history of warranty claims/quality of the different manufacturers? That would be helpful to many of us.
We have a Lance and it can be very difficult to find in just the drop down menus on various sites.
By the way, I did appreciate your reviews of a couple of their models in the past. Thanks!
I wish I did have such a resource. This would be great information to be able to share, but the only way I could do it is to set-up some sort of a dealership survey and I don’t see them participating as it wouldn’t be worth their time in their eyes.
Thank you for the kind words about the reviews. Lance generally makes a great product.
Good article Tony, but you didn’t really tell us anything that we all haven’t figured out ourselves. Don’t rely on your dealer if you want to actually use your coach, be self sufficient, and bring plenty of tools.
I do have to say that the drawings and schematics that I’ve gotten for our Accolade are pretty accurate.
I’m not seeing suggestions on extended warranties and being covered. Maybe a different article. Have I spent too much money on a warranty I might not get honored?
I’ve only purchased one RV new, and I did purchase the “extended warranty” offered…(foolishly, I might add). Turns out, “extended warranty” is a misnomer. It’s a “service contract”, and so far, it’s had so many exclusions as to be utterly useless. The most glaring example: When our out of factory warranty RV’s step below the door broke from normal use (and we aren’t “heavy weights”..we are well within the capacity of the step), I contacted the “service contract” provider, and the lady on the phone literally told me “We don’t cover things that break…..” Uhhh, say what? I had to argue and fight and talk to other people at the company, and then they finally begrudgingly said they would “maybe” cover it if I went through the dealer..in the middle of COVID…and wait months for service and replacement with no step in the meantime. I bought a step off Amazon and installed it myself in less than a week. I also will never purchase an RV “service contract” again.
Stay tuned – I do have an article about extended warranties coming out.
Very interesting article. I had suspected that dealers were facing the challenges you described for many years. In 2015, we purchased our first Class A to begin our retirement dreams journey. Long story short, after the selling dealer not being able to correct many problems (they tried their utmost), started to take our coach to the manufacturer (not Thor or Forest River, but another major with many brands). After seven trips to the manufacturer over a few years from all parts of the country, with fixes that did not last , sued them. We settled on them giving us a new at the factory, 2020 same model. But they changed the layout, so we sold it, planning to buy another A from a different manufacturer. At the same time Covid hit, so we backed off. Now have lost going on three years of our dream. We are looking again but for a slightly used and hoping for the best. Warranty not important as I have a very good local RV repair facility.
My guess is that many RV dealerships are no different than auto dealers with their service departments being no more than parts changers. I have always thought that the “book of rates” used in the auto repair industry has lessened the quality of the repair. The “Book” tells you how long the repair should take, not taking into consideration things like rusted on nuts and washers, age, or even wear and tear. Remember when a brake job included turning and resurfacing the drums or rotors which would add maybe $25 to the price of the brake job. Now, they just pitch the much better quality OEM rotors and throw on China junk at a huge cost.
What I find alarming in the RV industry is my local dealer where I have purchased 2 motor homes from does that have any kind of loyalty program for customers who have purchased from them. They could offer a free dump station, or a discount on propane fills, or maybe priority on repairs. Their labor rate, $145 hr vs diesel repair shop $95!
RV Dealers ARE NOT Franchise Dealers like a OEM vehicle dealer. RV manufacturer’s do not have a Franchise agreement like an OEM vehicle dealer. As such the manufacturer and the RV dealer are not bound by the franchise laws of the state in which they operate.
Those “Franchise Laws” in each state AND the “Franchise Agreement Contract” the OEM Manufacture and the Dealer signed outline the specific responsibilities of each party to the agreement. The state Franchise Laws can also outline specific things such as the hourly rate for warranty repair by the OEM Franchise Dealer.
Why? Because the Automobile Dealers trade association is a big deal in every state and had a big say in the crafting of Franchise Laws in the past. This is why it will be very difficult for the OEM vehicle manufacturers to git rid Franchise vehicle dealers.
The RV Industry has no such lobby group at the state level, no Franchise agreements with dealers who sell their products and therefore NO RESPONSIBILITY
“The funny thing is, we would have happily matched their pricing if they had given us the opportunity.”
If two people are selling the same item, why pay more for it? What is funny about that?
Especially when it could be 1000s of dollars.
I think that the main reason that a dealer “300 miles away” can offer a lower price, is that they know you won’t bring the RV to them for warranty work!
One comment contrary to the articles statement that warranty work is a “money losing proposition”. I have been told by people at two different large full line dealers that they make more profit on service then sales. It never used to be that way but in the last several years the decline in build quality has created a gold mine for service departments—especially at $150.00 to $180.00 an hour labor rates.
Difference between “Service” work and “Warranty” work. Service work is when the customer knows they will pay for the work done. Warranty work is the customer expecting the work to be done for free.
True. It has been my experience when paying out of pocket how many hard to get parts “magically” appear.
Don’t expect the dealer to keep you on the road. Learn to maintain, alter, and repair things yourself. We’ve had three new and two used RVs in the last five years, and none have been back to the dealer for anything. These are simple, poorly designed and manufactured, easy-to-repair vehicles. If it’s got an automotive chassis (Class A, B or C) use the Ford, Chevy, Mercedes dealer for mechanical repair, but learn to fix the RV part yourself.
I can’t agree more with the “learn to fix the RV part yourself” statement. Out here in the western US, I’ve found that when things fail, we’re usually 100 or more miles from ANY RV parts or service center. We’re carrying parts for things that could fail and wreck our trip..spare water pump, some plumbing repair fittings, electronic boards for furnace, fridge, water heater, some electrical wire and connectors, even spare faucets since they are cheap and easy to replace..we boondock a lot and water is at a premium in the desert southwest, so no leaks/drips is very important. We’ve had faucets start to drip out in the boonies and I can switch one out in no time and then fiddle around with fixing the leaky one when we get back home. There’s nothing worse than having to use up travel/vacation time trying to do a bodgy repair when I can just quickly swap something out and bet back to having fun.
Don’t Buy the Mostly Worthless extra Warranty. Take the one that came with the RV. Don’t pay Dealer Prep or other BS Fees.. Take your savings and find a Mobile RV Tech or Independent Service Center. Have your RV Inspected at the Dealership at Purchase and Cancel if they don’t fix it immediately. Have your RV Inspected before your Manufacturers Warranty runs out. The Dealers don’t care about you.
This story is further reason:
1) To not buy a new RV.
2) To not buy an RV from a dealer.
I agree! Never ever TRUST a RV dealer or Manufacturer unless you have experience with them that makes them TRUSTworthy.
What’s the difference between a “Warranty” and a “Service Contract”?
Many consumer products including cars, appliances and electronic devices come with a WARRANTY which is the MANUFACTURER’S PROMISE to stand behind the product. Warranties Are Included in the Purchase Price Of The Product. If a company offers a Warranty it must be available for you to read BEFORE you buy even when you’re shopping by catalog or online.
IT’S THE LAW!
What a Warranty covers can vary widely. When you’re shopping for things by price or style consider comparing what the Warranty also covers.
A “Service Contract” is sometimes called an “Extended Warranty” but Service Contracts ARE NOT Warranties. A Service Contract can help you fix or maintain your product for a specific time like a Warranty. UNLIKE A WARRANTY a service contract costs YOU EXTRA MONEY.
You can find some Service Contracts May or May Not give you the same coverage you got from the original Manufacturer’s Warranty.
Read Contract Terms!
Great article! I learned all these lessons the hard way. Bought my first RV from a local dealer. The service was excellent. Bought my second RV from Camping World. My local dealer wouldn’t perform any warranty work on it until I sat down with the owner. He then begrudgingly agreed to repair some stuff but not all. Of course I haven’t been back since and low and behold he sold the dealership to Camping World. Go figure!
Now I do most of the work on the RV except Chassis work which Freightliner has done on all my RVs.
This is an industry begging for change. If someone ever takes this on in a quality way they will make a killing.
I’ve done residential repairs, home theater installations and computer work for 15+ years and thought about becoming a RV technician, but hearing your description of the non-standards in the build process makes me want to run away from this vocation. What a nightmare!
All your residential repair experience would apply to RVs. Home theater installs would help with electrical work. Maybe buy an old RV for next to nothing and rebuild? Water damage can need everything taken out and replacing walls and often can be bought for little to nothing.
Interesting reading article and comments. We living in so. Calf. We went to the Lance dealer and went through their factory. Not that many models as most manufacturers. Not saying Lance does not have their share of issues, but seem to have more of an assembly line.. We are doing some upgrades so we took it to the factory, for the upgrades. No real problems with our rig.
Not everyone can go to the factory, but seems like a BIG advantage if you can
As the author describes, there are too many floorplans, too many variations to allow for quick and quality builds. I disagree with the author about hand-building being the problem, that’s not the problem, it’s constantly shifting designs, poorly thought out for building and maintenance.
So if you can’t buy from a factory, buy from one of the manufacturers which tries to keep the same models year to year, so the builders can master how to build them properly.
Lance is one of the companies that truly is building a better product. They wire them like vehicles in that they use a wiring harness. I would put Lance in the top five of travel trailer and pickup camper brands.
First – If RV manufacturers were compelled by legislature to pay ALL warranty repair claims, regardless of who does the repair, I’m betting wiring and plumbing standards and diagrams (and better quality) would show up pretty quickly.
Second – I spoke with 2 different qualified RV technicians who said the wages they were offered when applying at RV dealerships were insultingly low. C’mon dealers, STEP UP!.
I couldn’t agree more! Perhaps RVIA or manufacturers could have a school teaching workers how to do quality work and have pride in their work. Based on the quality coming out of most manufacturers neither the workers nor the manufacturers are concerned with putting out a quality product. It seems like the workers don’t care and there doesn’t seem to be any quality control or inspections by the manufacturers at the end of the line.
https://www.rvia.org/rv-technical-institute
When dealing with the lack of design specs by the manufacturers, perhaps someone could teach them how to design and build an RV.
I really think it’s up to the buyer to prioritize quality and engineering over fancy cabinets and swishy swirls.
There are travel trailer manufacturers who do wire consistently and have wiring diagrams. There are some that do use good quality parts. But not all.
There truly is no incentive for the RV industry to change if customers don’t demand it. In other words a big part of the problem lies with the person staring back at you in the mirror when you’re brushing your teeth.
Personal accountabilty- what a novel concept.
On my gosh, thank you for this article. We have our firsr rig on order, but in the mean time we’ve decided to leave and move to possibly TN. That will make any Waranty work really hard.
I think we should get our deposit back and buy back east. The rig we ordered is a western style.
But we were hoping to possibly live in it if we needed to until we find the house we want. What a pickle.
Sincerely,
Suzanne D
Not necessarily. We would work on RVs that were owned by people who moved into the area but show up with a competitor’s sticker on the back of your rig and you were going back to them.
I would also contact dealerships where you’re moving to and see what their policy is.
We were told on our first RV, that only a Keystone trained person could fix our rig, that needed to be fixed due to Keystone put on wall on one of our water lines. We got lucky and found someone in NV. That’s why we never purchased an extended warranty. So wrong.
Keystone was/is able to pay ANYONE they want to do Warranty work on their behalf. It does not have to be a Keystone dealer. Remember there is No Franchise Agreement with the selling dealer and Keystone.
If Keystone chooses to use an independent tech familiar with their product to do a WARRANTY REPAIR on their behalf so be it. If the repair is approved as a warranty repair the manufacturer is paying the bill so they are going to have a say in who performs the work. Remember only the product manufacturer can legally give you a “Warranty”.
An “Extended Warranty” you purchase is a SERVICE CONTRACT NOT A WARRANTY. If you purchase one coverage DOES NOT activate/pay for covered repairs until Manufacturer Warranty runs out do to time or any other limiting EXCLUSIONS written in their Manufacturer’s Warranty.
Great article. When I said pretty much the same thing on an “owners” forum I was lambasted by fellow members saying I didn’t know what I was talking about. This was over a safety recall. They were told that they would have to wait 3 months and their own customers got taken care of first. Having been involved in the car industry and knowing a family who owned a RV dealership, I was well aware of the differences. I just posted this week that dealerships had been fixing the build on RV for years.
The need for technicians is real. Unfortunately a lot of dealers don’t pay their techs very well despite charging upwards of $150.00 an hour. I went to a RV tech school in Texas in 2018 and started my own mobile repair service and have been flooded with work since. We do some manufacture warranty work, but not through them, we have the customer pay us and we give them a detailed invoice to get reimbursed by the manufacturer, most people don’t have a problem with it. The RV industry is self governed, therefore there is very little quality control in the manufacturing of these units.
Absolutely. It’s unfortunate but several people told me that they hired RV techs and then lost them shortly thereafter when the local fast food place offered them a better hourly wage.
That’s just bad decision making on the part of the RV dealership in my opinion. Pay them enough that they’ll want to stay and make the customers happy which then means the dealership also earns more.
Sounds too logical.
This story never ends. So, do this. Buy from whoever you like, and bank the savings in an imaginary accout. Then, when you need work performed, pay for it. Warranties vary, but most stuff is prety much out of coverage by the end of year two or three.
Then, do the math and see if it worked out for you. Oh, and one more thing, report back here when an article of this particular topic appears and we can all learn from the exercise.
Was Master RV Tech-Retired. I left industry because I would get call, diagnose issue, submit estimate, and then the customer says, Oh I will fix it myself. I should have charged them for my time, but I try to give more than I get, unfortunately, usually I would get stiffed. People want it for nothing, and do not want to pay, at least that is my experience. Yes, RV Tech is great job, but work for dealership and moonlight if necessary. Quality service techs are rare. And be specific on which systems you are going to service, i.e., Hydro-hot/oasis, Suburban furnace or all Attwood. More higher quality clients, and when heat is out, they want it fixed.
Generally speaking, warranty service is a losing proposition in all service industries. I think it would make more sense to do research, inspect, and then buy used from a private party with no warranty. If a repair comes up that you cannot handle, service centers are more willing to handle your problem. A healthy service center has a higher ratio of COD to warranty repairs.
“So, the bottom line on all of this is that warranty service at a dealership isn’t a profit center at all. Many dealerships only do the warranty service for customers who purchased their RVs there simply because it’s such a money losing proposition.” You took page after page of unrelated words to say this. egads.
My son worked for several car dealerships when he first started out. The warranty work there is paid at much lower rates than customer pay jobs. Because of this most car warranty work is assigned to the newer mechanics due to the lower pay rate. Experienced mechanics refuse to due warranty work. This article is right on in what they say about warranty claims. RV owners need to lobby their elected representatives to get legislation passed like car warranties. The other recourse is don’t buy new, buy a slightly used unit because your warranty is as useless as a piece of toilet paper.
Is that before or after it is used?
After
Excellent article! This was one of my main concerns when shopping for our diesel pusher motorhome in 2018. After several years of thorough research, I sent build sheets to 5 dealers across the country. All responded with quotes and the difference between the highest and lowest was only $5,000. When I visited our local dealership, they did not want to deal with a knowledgeable buyer and refused to give us a quote. We purchased from a dealer 2000 miles away and the deal couldn’t have gone smoother. When it was time for warranty work we called the service department of our local dealer. They were more than happy to address all our needs. Guess where we take our motorhome for our now out of warranty work and maintenance? Yes, the local dealer service department earned our continued business and loyalty.
All RV’s have manufacturing issues and any brand CAN have a disaster happen on the road. However, it seems clear that the INCIDENCE of such disasters is much greater with some than with others. Just like with cars: you expect Toyotas to break down LESS often than Fiats. Perhaps the answer is to buy those that need less warranty work to begin with. The problem is that, unlike cars, more reliable RV’s usually cost significantly more. Therefore, people should understand that, for example, a 4-5 year old LTV, Coach House or Phoenix Cruiser (and other quality brands) may be a much better choice than a brand new, similarly equipped and similarly priced, Forest River or Thor product.
Phoenix sold. New builders rep has gone down hill. Max bucks is the new deal.
Do your research, it’s not such a great deal if you now have to travel 4 states away to have warranty work done. We learned this 1 week before we were planning to pick up our New MH, 4 states away, and canceled the deal. They didn’t seem surprised when we told them why and they gave us our deposit back without any hassle. We then found a local mom-and-pop dealer 1 hour from home who matched the price. We had to order it and only took a couple of months longer at the time, pre-pandemic.
Thanks for this info. As an engineer, I understand the importance of having detailed drawings. Not only does it mean more consistent assembly, it makes it easier to spot problems before they escape to the customer
As you point out, this would also save time trouble shooting, and getting the correct parts by a local tech.
This makes me want to request plumbing and electrical diagrams for any unit I’m considering buying so I can vet manufacturers quality.
I feel like this is something that manufacturers should be able to supply. If they can’t, that’s a red flag.
Great article, I did not realize that there may not be a standard schematics of plumbing and electrical for every RV made. That’s crazy!
When looking into who would service the RV we wanted to buy from 4 states away, is when we learned, the local dealer would not service, unless we bought from them. They did match the price!! They were great to deal with before and after the purchase.
I had a used Bounder that was not charging the house batteries while driving, the relay was working but no connection to the batteries. I called customer service to inquire about a wiring diagram and was told there isn’t my wiring diagrams due to the fact there were 3 teams doing the wiring and they do as they please as far as how they route the wiring. They said it was wired according to the schematic but how the current got from point A to point B was a mystery, I ran a new wire from the relay under the coach and up to the batteries.
That way, you know where the wire is, the color, and where it goes on both ends.
How does warranty issues work with dealerships that have signs saying “authorized (insert manufacturer name here) dealer”? Is this considered a franchise in the eyes of the law?
I would say “no”. The manufacturer has agreed to sell new units to that dealer, as opposed to a dealer buying units from an authorized dealer in a low-price market, then selling them at their dealership in a higher-priced market. The reseller would not be an authorized dealer. Neither is a franchise.
From a Plumber- If you did not buy it from me; get the company where you bought it from to honor his warranty. He marked it up when he sold it to you. Tell that to Home Depot/ Lowes and see how far that gets you.
I prefer to buy and have Home Depot install the product. I’ve found out over the years independent contractors are not reliable and many charge to much money. Some want just the easy quick jobs. Plumbers seem to be the hardest contractor to get in my area. Things have really gotten bad with contractors since the pandemic.
Excellent, informative article! Thank you Tony for writing it and thank you Emily for re-running it. 🙂 We were driven by the Camping World of Chattanooga to take our first RV to the manufacturer for warranty work. Despite the great distance, we continue this practice. Approval for work and ordering of parts is much faster at the manufacturer. We also use a local (Northgate Parts) service company that only services/repairs RVs for extended-service-contract work. We go to a trusted mechanic for engine, chassis, and transmission work.
This probably the 378th article I’ve read that convinced me to NOT buy a new RV. I’ll just stick with buying used and let someone else suffer through warranty issues.
“The funny thing is, we would have happily matched their pricing if they had given us the opportunity.”
That customer did give you the opportunity. But you elected to try and get as much money as you could, instead of offering a price that made you some profit but still offered the customer a good deal. Businesses have to make a profit. No one disputes that. The issue is, how much money is a fair profit, as opposed to trying to take as many dollars from a customer as you can. All of that said, I do agree that it’s wrong to buy cheaper somewhere else, then expect the dealer you didn’t buy from to do your warranty work. And we all know a new RV is going to need work, sadly.
In 17 years of full timing I’ve never found a tech that was qualified to carry my tool box. Even in the beginning I would many times have to troubleshoot and prescribe the fix. Factory warranty shops would try to blow me off as “Couldn’t duplicate”. Go through a 2 week list in two hours. I learned to fix everything myself.
RV industry is the least efficient, most poorly trained, most overpriced I’ve ever been exposed to.
Would NEVER buy new again! HUGE waste of money and time.
45 years in the electrical industry and no wiring diagrams even the most complicated machine only show you where it starts and where it end not-which conduit or tray the wire is in. Only row houses have some semblance of a wiring diagram because they are all the same
Custom homes have no diagram
Don’t expect to see where a cable was run, as long as it gets there and things work
My issue with an Rv is poor connections that fall apart rather than where is the wire?
After reading about an RV technicians job, the lack of support (financial/warranty and technical) from the manufacturers, the undermanning and resultant pressures and lack of training, I would not wish that job on my worst enemy! My son went to welding school 5 years ago and is making almost 6 figures now as he quickly moves up the skilla and responsibilities ladders. My nephew went to automotive service training with an outfit that supports NASCAR. He got scooped up by Mercedes in NC. In less than 10 years, he’s moved up the chain and is making ridiculous money. Plus Mercedes is a highly organized, profitable company with top notch cars and incredible manufacturer support for dealer techs. Why would I urge a bright young person to go work in the incredibly dysfunctional RV industry again?