Reasonable service wait times??

[mstan]

I purchased my previous 5th wheel from a out of state dealer many miles away. I knew I would never use that dealer for service. I recently purchased our new 38GK RW from a dealer close enough to use their service if and when needed and for warranty work. I researched it as best as I could. I felt very good about the personable approach of the sales staff. Ask the questions about the service and was assured that if I purchased a RW I would be given the best of attention and service. My mistake! was accepting a unit off the lot that had several issues which they assured me would be fixed. That may be still possible and I have no reason at this point to doubt that. And to be fair they have just moved their Service department to a brand new state of the art facility. So they do have some growing pains. What i am put off by is the distant, impersonal, your just another RV'er approach. I was assured by the walk through staff that they would order all the parts from RW and call me when they arrived. Would take about a week. So I accepted our new RW and went a on a week long trip expecting when I returned to be getting a call. WRONG! I finally called after owning the RW for 3 weeks. The Service department knows nothing of the order or of the parts. After a week of back and forth calls which each time I have to walk the back through what I am calling about they then assured me the parts would be in the following week except for my slide toppers which I ordered when I purchased it. So one week later I call and they say bring it on over. I get there go through all the list of small detail items that needed attention or replacing. Nothing huge. They told me give them a week and they would call. Well two weeks later I start calling, Again no one seems to know what or who I am. The service man today even said " I am doing the best I can sir! your one of over 60 units i have on the service lot right now." All this after calling him every day this week. Leaving a message, and being assured I would be called back with a update. No updates. They have had it now for 2 weeks. All this was suppose be just a quick bring in let us change the items to fix factory and or RV lot problems. Again none of it is huge. What say ye? Am I being unreasonable? or expecting to much?

[Titan Guy]

Sadly, you are not expecting too much. The RV industry is delivering too little.

[Char & Steve]

Our last RV when new had many small issues and the dealer visits were the worst. What they said they did never got done but was billed as service.
Anyhow, jump ahead to our RW purchase in October of 14. We live in CT. and purchased in VA. so I knew it would not be going back to that dealer for future service. When I did find all the issues that needed attention one dealer closest to me that was certified by RW was the dealer I did not want to go back too. The other said since we did not buy it there I would have to pay for service then get my money back from RW. Couldn't see doing this ether unless no other options.
My RV repair guy that has worked on our rigs and tow vehicles since 2006 could do the repairs. Problem was he was not certified by RW but he did hold the highest certification in the RV repair license. I called RW and explained my concerns and wanted my guy to do the work. After a few transfers and calls by myself and my repair guy RW let him do all my repairs along with future repairs and sent all parts needed directly to him. Except for the frustration of issues that should have not been missed in the factory RW has been great so far on the phone EXCEPT the tire issues.

[johnboytoo]

Two weeks is a quick turnaround as far as my experience shows...
most of the shops around here have signs that tell you 6 weeks turnaround....

[mstan]

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

Two weeks is a quick turnaround as far as my experience shows...
most of the shops around here have signs that tell you 6 weeks turnaround....

Johnboytoo; Under normal circumstances it would not be a issue. However, this is stuff that they were suppose to have already done before I picked it up! The items were: replace the bedroom door and door frame due to busted door frame it will not close. 2 the handrail going up into the bedroom badly scratched. 3 Slide out on the entry side of the coach was not closing properly. 4 the awning wires were not connected properly and had not stayed connected. 5. the lower side panel is several place had broke supports. These need to be replaces so the lower panels were not flopping on the breeze. My list of items was very simple. I ASK if they could connect the propane fuel line to the new Onan Generator I had already set in place and connected the supplied pigtail. I ask them to connect the transfer switch. This was not a item they had to do. They seemed happy to take care of that item also. As you can see all but one of these items was work that they should have already had done before I got there to pick it up. And some of it I was told was done before I left. They scheduled the time for me to bring it in. That is my point.

[johnboytoo]

Understand your frustration...

I'm just pointing out that some "entitites" frustrate you for longer and longer

[RWJSIM2003]

I would not have signed for the RV if it was not done. That usually lights a fire to get it done quickly. When we bought ours there were 5 items that needed to be fixed and I told the dealer if we got there to pick up the RW and these were not fixed I would walk. Do not sign papers until everything is fixed. Amazingly all Items were fixed and RV was ready to go.

[Elliott & Vicky]

Redwood must be getting their parts on an as needed on time basis. It seems forever for Redwood to approve warranty fixes, and it takes a long time to get parts to the dealer. In 2014 and early in 2015, Redwood would send you replacement parts so you could fix it yourself. Those days seem to be gone. I've paid for work that should have been done under Warranty, but would have taken two 200 mile RT trips to a dealer. I actually saved money that I would have spent on fuel, plus time that would have been taken breaking down and setting up the campsite.

[johnboytoo]

I got this in the mail last month... notice the dates ?

IIRC, my rv was AT their shop at the time

[mstan]

Originally Posted by RWJSIM2003

I would not have signed for the RV if it was not done. That usually lights a fire to get it done quickly. When we bought ours there were 5 items that needed to be fixed and I told the dealer if we got there to pick up the RW and these were not fixed I would walk. Do not sign papers until everything is fixed. Amazingly all Items were fixed and RV was ready to go.

yessir, I am fully aware of my mistake now. But i was under a time issue. So I yielded and over rode my better judgement. I guess I could paint this thing with lemons and park it out front of the dealership huh?

[atom ant]

So...the Redwood is a lemon because the Dealer is a jerk?

[mstan]

Originally Posted by atom ant

So...the Redwood is a lemon because the Dealer is a jerk?

NO Sir! Sorry I left that impression with you. Thank you for questioning my implied statement. If you look back I put a smiley face at the end. Indicating a joke. This is why I hate posting things on forums is because you do not get the full picture of what a individual is writing. I felt I had chosen well or I would not have purchased the RW. And I am still doing my best to give the dealer the benefit of the doubt. If you go back and read my original statement. I tried my best to let that be known.

[RWJSIM2003]

I think you could call redwood and see if they can help I have had good luck using them to help.

[ChristianM]

Originally Posted by mstan

NO Sir! Sorry I left that impression with you. Thank you for questioning my implied statement. If you look back I put a smiley face at the end. Indicating a joke. This is why I hate posting things on forums is because you do not get the full picture of what a individual is writing. I felt I had chosen well or I would not have purchased the RW. And I am still doing my best to give the dealer the benefit of the doubt. If you go back and read my original statement. I tried my best to let that be known.

Hi There!
I am joining this conversation a bit late, but let me please apologize for any of the issues you have experienced thus far. I have private messaged you on behalf of Redwood to see if we can be of any service.
Hang in there!
Christian

[RomanyLife]

I would find a different service center. We have been very happy with ours. I am not saying they are FAST but they do what they say they are going to do. THEY DO exist out there! Redwood needs to produce a LIST of service centers and mobile RV techs that can service your coach. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM FOR OWNERS!!!! ***THESE ARE RESIDENTIAL RVs NOT CAMPING TRAILERS!*** Again, our experience has been great, but the inconsistency is frustrating.

[johnboytoo]

Mine was a camping trailer since we both work fulltime... but the rest of the story you know

[RomanyLife]

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

Mine was a camping trailer since we both work fulltime... but the rest of the story you know

LOL JB2, yes. That's true. A very nice camping trailer. Actually, then we have to get into that big discussion about what "camping" is! I fear that a lot of tent campers might accuse you of NOT camping!

[RWJSIM2003]

This is as close to Camping as I want to get

[RomanyLife]

My mother always used to say, "I went tent camping... ONCE." LOL.

[atom ant]

The day my wife got pregnant, the tent went to Goodwill. She looked at me and said "it ain't happenin!".

I bought my first RV (a used StarCraft trailer) and it was like heaven