Warranty question

[Grizzby]

Warranty should be from pin to bumper! You need to call Redwood for resolution...their email excuse could be applied to any item to deny warranty claims.

Bob

[RomanyLife]

Thanks Bob; I think their attempt to use the word "damage" is (possibly) an attempt to defer the liability to me because I "damaged" the equipment. Well, if turning on your furnace, or pulling open a drawer causes "damage" then they are not honoring their warranty. NOW, if I stood on the DW drawer to be able to reach up to a cabinet and broke it, THAT would be damage.

I am sure the person who answered this warranty claim were misunderstanding it, let's hope so.

I WILL REPORT BACK after I talk to them on Monday. I have not experienced these kind of tactics from RW before and I am hoping the new management isn't doing something new.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by RomanyLife

Thanks Bob; I think their attempt to use the word "damage" is (possibly) an attempt to defer the liability to me because I "damaged" the equipment. Well, if turning on your furnace, or pulling open a drawer causes "damage" then they are not honoring their warranty. NOW, if I stood on the DW drawer to be able to reach up to a cabinet and broke it, THAT would be damage.

I am sure the person who answered this warranty claim were misunderstanding it, let's hope so.

I WILL REPORT BACK after I talk to them on Monday. I have not experienced these kind of tactics from RW before and I am hoping the new management isn't doing something new.

I think if you can get to the right person this can be taken care of. For some reason Redwood has adopted the same ideas that most of the insurance companies have.... "deny, on first claim and hope people are naive enough to accept and not pursue further".

With Redwood trying to rebuild itself with new management, I would find it hard to believe that they would deny a claim caused by normal use. There are legal ramifications for a company that doesn't stand by a warranty. Otherwise a conpany would claim a 10 year warranty to make a sale and then deny all of it.

[RomanyLife]

Thanks Dave; well said, and I agree. As I said, I have had warranty claims with RW before and they have been extremely fair. I like to always give them the benefit of the doubt... I mean I didn't actually see how the claim was presented by the service center. Maybe they didn't relay it well. You never know. Regardless, I will get to the bottom of it. Thanks again!

[RV4us2]

I'm not defending RW on this, but is it possible they are deferring this claim to Fisher/Paykel? If that is the case, they could have a least said that.

[RCAircraft]

I did the Good Sam Extended Warranty thing. So far they have covered failures in the furnace and the hydraulic leveling/slide pump. I use Coach Net for road service however that does not do much and hope I do not need to test it.

[RomanyLife]

Update: RW is denying my claim. Here is what they told me:

Hello Theresa,
Unfortunately, the dishwasher handle is not a warrantable repair. Under terms of the warranty, appliances are not manufactured by Redwood and are not part of the warranty. The dishwasher is manufactured by Fisher Paykel, Model # DD245CX7. Thank you

Warranty Exclusions - This Limited Warranty
Shall Not Apply To:
* Equipment, products, components, appliances, or accessories not manufactured
by Redwood whether or not warranted, including but not limited to, tires,
batteries, generators, washer, dryer, electronics and other installed equipment or
accessories
___
NOW: This is in DIRECT conflict of their selling point of: Most appliances come with only a ONE YEAR warranty, but your RW warranty covers everything in the coach for TWO YEARS.

Obviously that is what they say on the sales lot. I am searching for MY copy of my warranty right now... This is a sad development indeed. If you remove everything from the coach that RW didn't "build" there would be NOT MUCH standing.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by RomanyLife

Update: RW is denying my claim. Here is what they told me:

Hello Theresa,
Unfortunately, the dishwasher handle is not a warrantable repair. Under terms of the warranty, appliances are not manufactured by Redwood and are not part of the warranty. The dishwasher is manufactured by Fisher Paykel, Model # DD245CX7. Thank you

Warranty Exclusions - This Limited Warranty
Shall Not Apply To:
* Equipment, products, components, appliances, or accessories not manufactured
by Redwood whether or not warranted, including but not limited to, tires,
batteries, generators, washer, dryer, electronics and other installed equipment or
accessories
___
NOW: This is in DIRECT conflict of their selling point of: Most appliances come with only a ONE YEAR warranty, but your RW warranty covers everything in the coach for TWO YEARS.

Obviously that is what they say on the sales lot. I am searching for MY copy of my warranty right now... This is a sad development indeed. If you remove everything from the coach that RW didn't "build" there would be NOT MUCH standing.

I'm sorry to hear this. The RV manufactures that purchase these components have more leveraging power due to their purchasing, then the end user. Yes....it was sold as "Everything will be covered from the pin box to the rear bumper for 2 years". It seems to me that was on a sign in the closet of the bedroom but cant say for sure.

A company can legally change their warranties as Redwood has done in the past (usually a sign of financial problems) but it's my understanding that they must grandfather in the units sold under previous warranty clauses.

[RomanyLife]

I agree Dave; The warranty I got when I signed on the line is the one I expect to receive, AND I WILL. The END. When Redwood starts doing this "try it and see if they will swallow it" then this will be their demise. People check on this kind of stupid stunt when they spend more for something like a Redwood. There are plenty of fivers that cost a LOT less. The worst part is having them assume I have no idea what's going on. They picked the wrong person! I can tell you one thing, if they petty-deny this tiny little claim, it's going to hurt, I will see to that. It's about integrity, and I have been a strong Redwood supporter and I will be sad to have to change my tac on that, but change it I will. Thanks for the reply.

[Dave&Ginny]

I just went through the remaining file I had on my Redwood and the only reference to the warranty was "see the owners manual" printed on a form. I thought I had printed out the warranty info but I might have included it in the packet I gave the new owners.

The good news is that the handle on the dishwasher can't be too expensive to replace. The next item might not be the same.

Many RV companies don't cover components like this but that's usually the case for lesser quality units and this was a selling feature of the Redwood. I believe their sales pitch was "with FIT (Falcon Integrated Technology), one point contact for all your warranty needs. No more fighting different warranties or manufactures to get repairs made."

[RCAircraft]

Not to throw fuel on the fire however our RW dealer was very clear on the warranty as we asked a lot of questions before handing over nearly $120,000 cash. The dealer did not have a document that detailed the RW warranty only the sales booklet which has no details. Fridge, dishwasher, washer and dryer, furnace, exhaust fans, water pump, A/C's, gen, satellite and TV's were not included in the RW 2-year warranty as explained to us. They encouraged us to immediately register those products with their manufacturers. We did and as the warranties expired we purchased an extended warranty from GS. As we understood at that time the wiring, plumbing, cabinets, flooring, electrical devices such as wall switches, lighting fixtures, doors, latches, locks, and plumbing fixtures were part of the 2-year RW warranty. Other items such as awnings were excluded. The five year part of the warranty was for the suspension and frame. That dealer is still selling RW' s and folks we know that purchased from that dealer (small mom and pop dealer been in business a very long time) have spoken highly of the sales, service and ownership experience. As RV'S have a high depreciation we also had our RV insurance adjusted to cover a total loss at what we paid for it. Premiums are a little higher. When we started to build our new home we noted that the builder's warranty excluded most what RW does as the builder defers to the equipment manufacturers so...ooo we also have an extended home warranty similar to our GS coverage on the RW. The various insurance coverages keep us in the poor house(including very costly medical insurance) however I sleep better at night. We have had little stuff happen during the 2+5 warranty period. I only go into the dealer for annual service so if something is requiring attention they take care of it otherwise I will take corrective action myself or via GS if a major deal. Apologies for the long note however this RW warranty could be worth exploring at the rally especially if RW could provide a detailed warranty document. RW dealers and factory support personnel could be interpreting the coverage as each understands the coverage leaving owners high and dry at times.

[NW Snowbirds]

Warranty Exclusions - This Limited Warranty
Shall Not Apply To:
* Equipment, products, components, appliances, or accessories not manufactured
by Redwood whether or not warranted, including but not limited to, tires,
batteries, generators, washer, dryer, electronics and other installed equipment or
accessories;

Appliance and Component Warranty Service
Appliance and component manufacturers may or may not provide their own
warranties. These warranties are separate from the Redwood Limited Warranty
and constitute the only warranty for those specific appliances or components.
The terms, conditions, and warranty periods of these items may vary from the
Redwood Limited Warranty. For the appliance and component manufacturers
providing warranties, Redwood does, however, administer those warranties
during the term of this Limited Warranty except for tires, batteries, and
generators. All warranty service claims on components may therefore be
directed to Redwood during the Limited Warranty period. After the warranty
expires, all appliance and component warranty claims must be directed to their
respective manufacturer. Redwood is not warranting any appliance or
component and is only representing that it is authorized to administer the
services for said product. In no way shall Redwood’s Limited Warranty be
modified or amended by Redwood providing the service for the appliance or
component.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have
other rights which vary from state to state.

Here is the official warranty from the owners manual. A bit confusing!

[RCAircraft]

That owner's manual document, pages 5-10 is what we also reviewed at the time. The dealer's short version was very similar. The "damage" vs " defective" allows for wiggle room including an implied exclusion for using the RW for full timing. The warranty only applies if the RW is used for recreational travel and family camping. Seems odd for a "residential vehicle".

[Rick and Mindy]

There website advertises a 2year limited warranty and 1 year roadside assistance. It seems they are right about that............"limited" is the key word. It's soooo limited that hardly anything is covered and usually you have to really squeal to get that. It seems everytime management changes, less warranty is approved. I fear this will be the downfall of the Redwood as we know it.

[Dave&Ginny]

I've said it many times......all RVs have issues BUT it's how a company treats you when there is a problem, that determines if they're a good company or not. Redwood is still a good product but the company isn't treating folks as good as they used to. I hope that changes with the new management.

[RCAircraft]

This being our 4th RV and by far the nicest and best built. We looked very carefully at MH 's while considering the RW as the combined cost for both the RW and TV was north of $200,000. We compared against the Tuscany (at more dollars) and was pleased with the 36RL's layout and quality. The various Tuscany owner's groups at that time had many complaints around warranty and service. After four years we are very happy with our 2013 RW.

[Dave&Ginny]

Originally Posted by RCAircraft

This being our 4th RV and by far the nicest and best built. We looked very carefully at MH 's while considering the RW as the combined cost for both the RW and TV was north of $200,000. We compared against the Tuscany (at more dollars) and was pleased with the 36RL's layout and quality. The various Tuscany owner's groups at that time had many complaints around warranty and service. After four years we are very happy with our 2013 RW.

Everyone has to find what works for them and their purposes. I had someone a few years back (who worked in the RV industry) say "go buy the cheapest RV you can find and take it apart, rebuild to your specs and enjoy" you'll be better off. He might have been right!

The age old question.....bumper pull.... 5th wheel.....or motor home. Regardless of price I've heard and seen some real problems and thankfully I haven't personally experienced them. My current RV is backed by a company that amazes me every time I call them so even though I spent a lot of money I'm happy. It's just a shame that I had to spend so much to get the service that everyone, regardless of the amount spent, deserves.

[Ford truck guy]

I had a microwave on my last fiver go bad within the first month... The dealer swapped it no questions asked..
I had a 2 year warranty also on my last Montego Bay and was told that I needed to register all my appliances to obtain any additional warranty on other appliances . .
I can honestly say that it sounds like RW is doing what any other manufacturer would do... It would be up to the selling dealer to go above and beyond. .

[RomanyLife]

Just a quick update gang; I had a nice phone call from RW and they are helping me with the broken dw handle. I have to give them credit, this is how a company cares. KUDOS to RW for doing this.

[Rick and Mindy]

Originally Posted by RomanyLife

Just a quick update gang; I had a nice phone call from RW and they are helping me with the broken dw handle. I have to give them credit, this is how a company cares. KUDOS to RW for doing this.

My mom always said "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". It shouldn't be that way. Redwood has come through for me in the past but I had to nearly threaten legal action..............not a good way to run your business!! Anyway, glad to hear they are coming through for you!