Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Jayco RV Owners Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 04-10-2024, 02:44 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Hutchinson
Posts: 19
Seeking advice

Hello all, we are in the process of purchasing a 2024 321RSTS . We are between 2 dealers but there is about 7 hours drive between the two. We went and did a general walk thru of the unit which is located about an hour away. We walked through the unit and found some minor issues but one thing that was quickly pointed out to them was the excess glue on gel coat on one of the slides. This glue was in several spots on the exterior. We asked to come back and look at this unit again in about 3 days and asked them to have the glue removed before we arrive. We went later, and the glue was still there. We were assured that they we get it removed prior to use purchasing the unit. After numbers we discussed and agreed upon, we again stated that the glue needed to be removed prior to our PDI. Well, you probably know where this is going. A week later we showed up to complete our PDI and yes, the glue was still there. While completing our PDI, techs worked and worked on removing the glue. They could not get it removed and the sales manager said he was not comfortable with them working on it any longer and wanted to get a body shop to look at it. We agreed and said we would not be signing any paperwork until the unit meet our satisfaction. That really upset the dealership! We left the dealership for lunch and when we returned, there was a different tech with sandpaper and a plastic razor blade removing the glue!!! They essentially sanded down the texture with sandpaper and razor blade, which now can be seen with the naked eye. While doing the exterior PDI, we also found a couple deep gouges that we feel need to be taken care of. The dealership had a body shop who does a lot of fiberglass work look at the issues and they stated that they do not recommend fixing the gouges because the repair work would be noticeable because of the texture already on the slide and their repair work would leave those spots smooth. He also said that they could make the glue spots look like new when you are looking at it but if you were to rub your hand across it, you could be able to tell. The dealership also says there is no need to fix the gouges because it did not get into the actual fiberglass, just the gel coat. They assured us that no water could penetrate that area that would lead to further damage.

The dealership which is 7 hours away from us wants to earn our business and they have been more than helpful when we talk to them. They, however, can't match the exact deal we are getting from the closer dealership. The difference between the 2 dealerships is about $1000 and they will also remove the existing front AC and replace it with a low-profile AC so it will fit in our shop. I am, however, worried about the look of the slide from the closer dealership. We are trying to rearrange our schedules to go look at the unit that is 7 hours away. If that unit doesn't have any noticeable issues we then have to decide if the money savings ($1000), a low-profile AC unit (about $2100 savings), and the cost to drive our trade in unit to them is worth not worrying about the gel coat issues from the dealership that is closer.

Is the gel coat issue worth worrying about?

I just hate spending the money you have to on these new units and then have to deal with this.

Sorry for the lengthy post. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks, and have a blessed day!
Fireater99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 02:55 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Route 66 Traveler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Kingman, AZ
Posts: 2,256
If the original dealer said they would remove the glue before your PDI and then didn’t do anything I would take this as a hint how they will take care of you after the sale.

Then if you buy the one 7 hours away rest assured that the local dealer won’t want anything to do about servicing your new trailer.

How many RV’s are sitting at your local dealers lot waiting for service? How many “Techs” do the have? Using a razor blade and sandpaper on a gel coated surface tells me they are not very well qualified to do even a simple job, let alone something serious.

Tough choice, good luck.
Route 66 Traveler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 03:00 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Grumpy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Where ever the boss says we're going.
Posts: 17,333
Quote:
Originally Posted by Route 66 Traveler View Post
Then if you buy the one 7 hours away rest assured that the local dealer won’t want anything to do about servicing your new trailer.
Especially this..^^
__________________
DISNEY LOVERS
Grumpy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 03:02 PM   #4
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Hutchinson
Posts: 19
Thanks for the reply. These are all points that my wife and I have talked about.

There is another dealer that we would be able to take the unit to if we had issues, that is a bit to our advantage. The dealers I am referring to is a large nationwide dealership so the warranty work I feel would be taken care of. We wish this dealer had this unit on their lot, we would have already purchased it from them.
Fireater99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 03:04 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Hutchinson
Posts: 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grumpy View Post
Especially this..^^
Been down this road with the current camper we have. The nearest dealership was difficult to work with for warranty work. I think being a national dealership, it might be a little easier. But then again, I could be wrong.
Fireater99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 04:17 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Radar57's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Avon
Posts: 618
Must be talking about CW/Gander in Wichita.
__________________
Keith and Lisa Ward
2019 Pinnacle 36FBTS
2021 Ford F350 XLT CC LB DRW 6.7L Diesel
Demco 18K Autoslide Hitch and Timbrens
2019 Ford F350 SB 6.7L Diesel (Gone)
Radar57 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 05:19 PM   #7
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Hutchinson
Posts: 19
Quote:
Originally Posted by Radar57 View Post
Must be talking about CW/Gander in Wichita.
Actually no, lol.
Fireater99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 05:21 PM   #8
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: rochester
Posts: 83
If it were me I would think twice about buying from the dealer who has not taken care of the issues you pointed out. If and when you have warranty work or various other issues I would say they would be the same and not take care of the issues in a timely manner. I assume you have made up your mind on this model unit but if not there are several other brands that may fit your requirements from other dealers. Just my thoughts.
PAL70 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2024, 06:01 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: Port Coquitlam
Posts: 308
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireater99 View Post
Thanks for the reply. These are all points that my wife and I have talked about.

There is another dealer that we would be able to take the unit to if we had issues, that is a bit to our advantage. The dealers I am referring to is a large nationwide dealership so the warranty work I feel would be taken care of. We wish this dealer had this unit on their lot, we would have already purchased it from them.
I wouldn't count on it. Dealerships all seem to have their hands full just servicing RVs that they have sold. Every dealership anywhere close to me turned me down flat when I tried to get some warranty work done because it was not one of their own.
FISTEP is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2024, 01:00 PM   #10
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Sumner
Posts: 47
I definitely feel the outside is an issue. I wouldn’t want mars on a new trailer. I also think they are showing what kind of service you will be getting in the future.
Our dealer is 8 hours away. We have purchased 2 units from them and would go nowhere else. Service is a big issue…and it doesn’t look like u will be getting any from the closer dealer. Rv’s have a lot of issues and u want a good service department. We are very fortunate we found our dealership. They are fantastic!
CoraS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2024, 03:04 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Big bear
Posts: 214
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireater99 View Post
Hello all, we are in the process of purchasing a 2024 321RSTS . We are between 2 dealers but there is about 7 hours drive between the two. We went and did a general walk thru of the unit which is located about an hour away. We walked through the unit and found some minor issues but one thing that was quickly pointed out to them was the excess glue on gel coat on one of the slides. This glue was in several spots on the exterior. We asked to come back and look at this unit again in about 3 days and asked them to have the glue removed before we arrive. We went later, and the glue was still there. We were assured that they we get it removed prior to use purchasing the unit. After numbers we discussed and agreed upon, we again stated that the glue needed to be removed prior to our PDI. Well, you probably know where this is going. A week later we showed up to complete our PDI and yes, the glue was still there. While completing our PDI, techs worked and worked on removing the glue. They could not get it removed and the sales manager said he was not comfortable with them working on it any longer and wanted to get a body shop to look at it. We agreed and said we would not be signing any paperwork until the unit meet our satisfaction. That really upset the dealership! We left the dealership for lunch and when we returned, there was a different tech with sandpaper and a plastic razor blade removing the glue!!! They essentially sanded down the texture with sandpaper and razor blade, which now can be seen with the naked eye. While doing the exterior PDI, we also found a couple deep gouges that we feel need to be taken care of. The dealership had a body shop who does a lot of fiberglass work look at the issues and they stated that they do not recommend fixing the gouges because the repair work would be noticeable because of the texture already on the slide and their repair work would leave those spots smooth. He also said that they could make the glue spots look like new when you are looking at it but if you were to rub your hand across it, you could be able to tell. The dealership also says there is no need to fix the gouges because it did not get into the actual fiberglass, just the gel coat. They assured us that no water could penetrate that area that would lead to further damage.

The dealership which is 7 hours away from us wants to earn our business and they have been more than helpful when we talk to them. They, however, can't match the exact deal we are getting from the closer dealership. The difference between the 2 dealerships is about $1000 and they will also remove the existing front AC and replace it with a low-profile AC so it will fit in our shop. I am, however, worried about the look of the slide from the closer dealership. We are trying to rearrange our schedules to go look at the unit that is 7 hours away. If that unit doesn't have any noticeable issues we then have to decide if the money savings ($1000), a low-profile AC unit (about $2100 savings), and the cost to drive our trade in unit to them is worth not worrying about the gel coat issues from the dealership that is closer.

Is the gel coat issue worth worrying about?

I just hate spending the money you have to on these new units and then have to deal with this.

Sorry for the lengthy post. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks, and have a blessed day!
Tell them to order you a new exact unit. If they want your business they will get it for you at no other cost. That will also tell you how good they will be to work with. For the first couple of years, you will be there a lot, so will your unit.
Retired mountain folk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2024, 09:40 AM   #12
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2023
Location: GRAFTON
Posts: 12
As far as a guy using sandpaper on the gel coat, I would get as far away from them as I could get they actually have shown they don’t care what you feel by their actions sometimes it’s better to drive a little farther if you feel you’re gonna be taken care of in a better way some of these dealers are unreal though no doubt about it. Sometimes I think that these people that build these things are their worst enemy. Good luck
STOKER is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2024, 05:22 PM   #13
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2024
Location: Greenville
Posts: 10
I agree I would find a different dealer as the one close to you wouldn't help you any better in the future. I assume from your post that there ae no other Jayco Eagle dealers close by. I agree with Retired Mountain Folk on having the close dealer order you a new 321RSTS and not buy the one they have in stock.
We just purchased the same model in February while in Florida and love it. We bought it from a national dealer who has 2 dealerships in our home state of Michigan. We hope that the dealerships here will help us out if needed.
__________________
Arndog
2024 Jayco FW 321RSTS
2024 Chevy 2500 HD 6.6L gaser
Arndog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2024, 07:39 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
kirkelli's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: ridgecrest
Posts: 1,226
One thing i've learned is dealers are Pro's at at brushing you off. If it were me,, i'd go elsewhere and do your homework on Service Reviews ...
kirkelli is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2024, 08:37 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Lake Huron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Port Huron, Mi
Posts: 1,755
If your handy you can repair most things on an rv yourself. With that said, the 7hr drive dealer is where I'd be going, no doubt about it. That closer dealer had many chances to get that glue issue resolved and didn't, then makes a mess out of it. No way. If you're like me, you get that unit and you'll NEVER be happy with it because you'll always be looking at that.
Our previous other brand trailer we drove 5.5 hrs away to get it. I should have walked away. The deal went south as soon as we got there. Too long of a story, but in the end we had LOTS of issues with it, had it for a season and a half and that POS led us to our current Northpoint that you couldn't pry from my cold, dead hands. We have a dealer 30min from the house, that I'll never set foot in, we could have got our Northpoint from, but I found a dealer 1.5hrs away that has been hands down the best dealer we've ever dealt with and because if that they've got MANY sales off of us. We quit counting at 12 sales. I recently had to contact them for a slideout seal that's not available anywhere online and again we had nothing but the finest from them.

So, give us an update. What'd you end up doing or in the process of doing?
__________________
2017 North Point 375BHFS
2015 Silverado 3500HD Crew Dually Dmax 4x4
Lake Huron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-05-2024, 08:55 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Jayhawk 29's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2023
Location: on the road
Posts: 404
Nothing surprises me , as it relates to the rv industry and the rv dealerships anymore. But FWIW, even if the gelcoat was perfect, I bet there are other issues with most all new units that will be found after you own it.

Now not knowing what the severity of the gouges or the now sanding marks that may have been left by the attempt to remove the glue, repairing gelcoat dings and gelcoat flaws takes place every single day of the week in the country in the boating industry. There are fillers that gets blended with colors and applied to any ding thats noticable unless the ding is so small and there is a decent amount of gelcoat that you can wet sand and compound out.

Ask the body shop what types of fillers are used. If they say they normally use bondo for this type of job, then you know they do not know what they would be doing for this job.

Multi million dollar boats to the basic skiff hulls gets repaired while in the new state and only the original owner knows where to look to see what progress is taking place of noticable flaws as the gelcoat ages.

And its very common practice to always wax gelcoat on a regular basis to prevent chalking and even moisture retention as it constantly ages and becomes more brittle and pourous as the aging process takes place.

Of course this is a seperate issue from any financial diffferences.
__________________
A nation dies when its people are taught to hate their own history, heritage and culture.

2017 23RB Jayco Jayflight, great camper, loved it but sold, dog told me she needed more room, rigged perfectly and updated for off the grid.
Jayhawk 29 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:46 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.