Warranty issues fix them or take it to the dealer

[MaxDMax]

I have had some issues with my RV since I got it in October last year. Nothing that was major to me but I am an electronics engineer by trade. A few of the issues (all months apart) like a bad circuit board in the both the furnace and the water heater and a small leak in the line to the refrigerator likely would send people back to the dealer for repairs. When I called the dealer a couple of times I quickly found out the lead time for getting it in for repairs was weeks out. The phone support was a joke and the options for taking it in for repairs were not reasonable for me. I really did not want to be without my RV and in my case the dealer is 150 miles away. The cost to replace the two circuit boards was about $120 each for repairs for the better Dinosaur electronics boards and $10 to fix the leak. Total labor time was less than one round trip to take it to the dealer to fix them. The cost in fuel to just haul the RV to the dealer and back each time would have been a lot more. Brings a lot of questions to my mind:

From reading apparently Atwood/Dometic has some significant circuit board issues. I have seen a lot of posts on this for a lot of RVs from multiple manufacturers.

How in the world do people that can’t fix these things easily get a chance to enjoy their RVs?

I am sure I could get some push back for doing all my repairs from the manufacture or the dealer, but they put me in a position to make the decisions very quickly. I don’t really have the patience to resolve something like this on the phone with them either.

If the factory did more quality control and took more care in building the new units the dealers would not be in this situation.

I sure learned a lot about my RV that will help me going forward and enjoyed the learning experience.

What do you all do for repairs, fix them or go back to the dealer for repairs?

Your other thoughts on this????

[DonaandDon]

After full timing for several years you learn sooner or later your warranty runs out and your faced with learning and fixing.

I have found the phone service is helpful but getting the tools out and troubleshooting is better in the end. There maybe a cost to repairing it yourself but,

Sharing your stories "Priceless".

[RogerR]

I would write to the makers and ask for warranty support from them if under their warranty time period. You might get part of the money back or a spare spare part out of it.

My personal try to get anything out of Jayco resulted in Zip. I wasn't willing to turn it over to a dealer a 125 miles away for an indefinite period of time. So I fixed it myself. And Jayco, of course, denied everything my dealer was kind enough to send in for me.

[hoppers4]

I've always been in the camp where I would rather fix it myself if possible. I haven't been back to the dealer yet for repairs and it's been over 4 years.

I think trips to the dealer for warranty work would be more stressful and costly than fixing the minor stuff yourself. Owning an RV and being somewhat handy, especially in the electrical department, is a major step up on the enjoyment level.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by RogerR

My personal try to get anything out of Jayco resulted in Zip. I wasn't willing to turn it over to a dealer a 125 miles away for an indefinite period of time. So I fixed it myself. And Jayco, of course, denied everything my dealer was kind enough to send in for me.

Did you contact JAYCO for authorization first? They will not pay if they didn't authorize the work or repair beforehand.

[MaxDMax]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Did you contact JAYCO for authorization first? They will not pay if they didn't authorize the work or repair beforehand.

In my case I contacted Jayco first and they give me a number for Dometic, then Dometic sent me back to Jayco. Finally Jayco told me to take it back to the dealer. I call the dealer and they make an appointment for 2 months out LOL

[Camper_bob]

My dealer is a LONG way off too. And I also had trouble with a bad WH control board, and I solved it the same way you did with the same logic.

Generally I will do as much as I possibly can myself. Not just because my dealer is so far away and tends to be booked months out for service, but I also want to know how it works and that it was done right.

That being said, I had one major issue on my TT that I wouldn't fix (because it was in warranty). My dealer for that unit was only about 45 minutes away, and he fixed it the way I thought it should have been fixed. At the end of the day, I could have done that myself, but the unit was still under warranty and I had a good dealer, so why do it myself. Out of warranty, I would have tackled it easily.

One major issue on my MH so far that required a shop, and I dealt directly with LCI (levelers were having problems) who said I could take it to my local RV repair facility (who came highly recommended by people I trust). I'm not certain we've been reimbursed for that, but I'm certain it will happen; Jayco was just trying to figure out who was going to foot the bill.

Really the warranty is only 2 years. Seems like a long time, but I still feel like my unit is brand new and I only have about 6 months left on the warranty. So thinking about that, I'd rather fix as much myself as I can because before long I will have to do that anyway. So the more I know, the better equipped I'll be to handle issues in the future.

But then again, I have an extensive tool kit and experience working on mechanical things (I'm still a little weak with electricity, but I'm learning). And I'm not afraid to take something apart, fix it and then put it back together better than I found it. I have a willingness and propensity to learn. Attitude is key IMO.

[MaxDMax]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

My dealer is a LONG way off too. And I also had trouble with a bad WH control board, and I solved it the same way you did with the same logic.

Generally I will do as much as I possibly can myself. Not just because my dealer is so far away and tends to be booked months out for service, but I also want to know how it works and that it was done right.

That being said, I had one major issue on my TT that I wouldn't fix (because it was in warranty). My dealer for that unit was only about 45 minutes away, and he fixed it the way I thought it should have been fixed. At the end of the day, I could have done that myself, but the unit was still under warranty and I had a good dealer, so why do it myself. Out of warranty, I would have tackled it easily.

One major issue on my MH so far that required a shop, and I dealt directly with LCI (levelers were having problems) who said I could take it to my local RV repair facility (who came highly recommended by people I trust). I'm not certain we've been reimbursed for that, but I'm certain it will happen; Jayco was just trying to figure out who was going to foot the bill.

Really the warranty is only 2 years. Seems like a long time, but I still feel like my unit is brand new and I only have about 6 months left on the warranty. So thinking about that, I'd rather fix as much myself as I can because before long I will have to do that anyway. So the more I know, the better equipped I'll be to handle issues in the future.

But then again, I have an extensive tool kit and experience working on mechanical things (I'm still a little weak with electricity, but I'm learning). And I'm not afraid to take something apart, fix it and then put it back together better than I found it. I have a willingness and propensity to learn. Attitude is key IMO.

I agree with you on the attitude.

I forgot about the first issue I had with my new RV, the left and right rear levelers were reversed. Believe it or not but the leveling actually worked on a very level surface. The first time on a slightly un-level site it would not work. I went outside to used the LCI app to manually level it and noticed right and left back levelers were reversed when I tried to level it. Took me about 30 minutes to find the control board and all the levelers were clearly marked except for the two back ones. I swapped the connectors and all was good. I guess that could have been another trip to the dealer I forgot to mention. But it was just an issue they should have found before it left the factory.....

[Nature Ist]

I am going through the same issues with a brand new 2020 Eagle HT fifth wheel. In July, on our first camping trip, we discovered the AC would not cool. Long story short, on July 9th the dealer ordered a new unit under warranty. It is now September 5th and I still don't have the new unit installed. Someone forgot to place the order for the replacement AC unit! My DVD player also failed on the same first camping trip. I still don't have the new one!
I have discovered leaks, a disconnected rod for the gray water tank drain valve, loose bolts and missing nuts and washers on the floor frame outrigger bolts, and on one of the 3 slide units, the factory installed the slide so far to one side of the rough opening that all but one screw from the outside attaching the slide to the frame had missed the frame and threaded into nothing. When opening the slide, the whole side would separate from the frame. I could go on with the complete list, but the point is that there is no way we can wait for weeks or months to have a dealer attempt to repair these issues. My poor experience with what I did try to have the dealer fix has been very frustrating. All summer with an AC that apparently never had any refrigerant put in it in the first place...how does this get all the way to me without quality control or the dealer never actually testing it for performance. (Granted, the unit did sound like it was running and the compressor did start)
So, I have spent many hours troubleshooting and repairing things I have found to be wrong.
I could go on a rant about how disappointed I am in Jayco. In 2019,I sold a Jayco Eagle TT we bought new in 2007, it was virtually free of any defects. The few things that needed attention under warranty were handled efficiently and in a timely fashion.

I feel much more confident making repairs myself. I am well experienced in engineering and mechanical/building/electrical trades and find the attention to detail pathetic! Pinched wires, one screw through a 110V Romex wire in the basement that I discovered literally by chance, not to mention a mattress that has permanent depressions where we sleep after only 2 weeks (I'm 195 lbs and my wife is 115 lbs) of use!
Sadly, for those owners who are not mechanically inclined, knowledgeable, or with the necessary tools, there is little hope for resolution to these kinds of issues. Shame on the entire system from Jayco's factory all the way down individuals at each dealership!

[RedHorse1]

I’ve taken ours to the dealer twice. First was the faded front cap for a repaint, second was a leak in the rear wall and associated water damage to the rear entertainment center countertop.
Both items were things I couldn’t do myself.
We’ve had few other issues but I’ve handled them myself. I consider myself to be pretty handy and can usually figure out issues (with help from JOF and YouTube).

My opinion is a person who can fix most problems themselves will be a “happier camper”.

[MaxDMax]

Originally Posted by Nature Ist

I am going through the same issues with a brand new 2020 Eagle HT fifth wheel. In July, on our first camping trip, we discovered the AC would not cool. Long story short, on July 9th the dealer ordered a new unit under warranty. It is now September 5th and I still don't have the new unit installed. Someone forgot to place the order for the replacement AC unit! My DVD player also failed on the same first camping trip. I still don't have the new one!
I have discovered leaks, a disconnected rod for the gray water tank drain valve, loose bolts and missing nuts and washers on the floor frame outrigger bolts, and on one of the 3 slide units, the factory installed the slide so far to one side of the rough opening that all but one screw from the outside attaching the slide to the frame had missed the frame and threaded into nothing. When opening the slide, the whole side would separate from the frame. I could go on with the complete list, but the point is that there is no way we can wait for weeks or months to have a dealer attempt to repair these issues. My poor experience with what I did try to have the dealer fix has been very frustrating. All summer with an AC that apparently never had any refrigerant put in it in the first place...how does this get all the way to me without quality control or the dealer never actually testing it for performance. (Granted, the unit did sound like it was running and the compressor did start)
So, I have spent many hours troubleshooting and repairing things I have found to be wrong.
I could go on a rant about how disappointed I am in Jayco. In 2019,I sold a Jayco Eagle TT we bought new in 2007, it was virtually free of any defects. The few things that needed attention under warranty were handled efficiently and in a timely fashion.

I feel much more confident making repairs myself. I am well experienced in engineering and mechanical/building/electrical trades and find the attention to detail pathetic! Pinched wires, one screw through a 110V Romex wire in the basement that I discovered literally by chance, not to mention a mattress that has permanent depressions where we sleep after only 2 weeks (I'm 195 lbs and my wife is 115 lbs) of use!
Sadly, for those owners who are not mechanically inclined, knowledgeable, or with the necessary tools, there is little hope for resolution to these kinds of issues. Shame on the entire system from Jayco's factory all the way down individuals at each dealership!

I hate you had to deal with the AC unit, it is hard to believe that was not handled more timely and better. They should have just replaced it.

I have seen some detail issues but nothing but the poor job of wiring cause me to get a little sick when I look at the mess of wires that no one even remotely tried to be neat with at all.

I am glad you were at least able to use your unit though!

Maybe they will learn to do a better job at putting these things together if the RV industry continues to see a downturn in sales and they put some better efforts into quality control to lessen the burden on the dealers. Let’s hope they don’t just continue to ignore the build issues.... or maybe they wake up and realize there is no recession and figure out the poor Customer experiences with repairs was the real issue LOL

[RetiredOne]

I never planned on taking this rig back to the dealer for repairs, but planned on doing them myself. After checking out a few dealers during the shopping/buying process, I saw how inferior they were in their processes and abilities. My dealer is a little over an hour away.

I ALWAYS expected that there would be repair issues, based on how these rigs are built. It's about a mindset, knowing that there will be issues, and you'll have to deal with them. Expecting these rigs to be problem free, based on their cost, is crazy.

I went in with a plan to absolutely hammer them on price and go for the jugular on discounts, figuring I needed to build a buffer to cover any of my repair costs. I was prepared to fly to other dealers in the country to get a lot better deal, and drive it back. Plus, I worked in Sales for decades, so I knew some tricks on how to manipulate them with prices.

I ended up saving an additional $3K over what I thought I could get.

It helps that I'm really experienced with mechanical and electrical systems, so for most of this stuff, I can fix it in my sleep.

Worst case scenario, I'll call in a mobile RV tech to fix something I can't handle. At least I have that $3K buffer in my back pocket!!

[MaxDMax]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

I never planned on taking this rig back to the dealer for repairs, but planned on doing them myself. After checking out a few dealers during the shopping/buying process, I saw how inferior they were in their processes and abilities. My dealer is a little over an hour away.

I ALWAYS expected that there would be repair issues, based on how these rigs are built. It's about a mindset, knowing that there will be issues, and you'll have to deal with them. Expecting these rigs to be problem free, based on their cost, is crazy.

I went in with a plan to absolutely hammer them on price and go for the jugular on discounts, figuring I needed to build a buffer to cover any of my repair costs. I was prepared to fly to other dealers in the country to get a lot better deal, and drive it back. Plus, I worked in Sales for decades, so I knew some tricks on how to manipulate them with prices.

I ended up saving an additional $3K over what I thought I could get.

It helps that I'm really experienced with mechanical and electrical systems, so for most of this stuff, I can fix it in my sleep.

Worst case scenario, I'll call in a mobile RV tech to fix something I can't handle. At least I have that $3K buffer in my back pocket!!

I already used my negotiation skills for a lower cost when I bought my RV to justify all the upgrades and electronics I have added to my RV with my Dear Wife. I don’t think it would be fair of me to spread it out to repair costs at this point!!! LOL LOL LOL

[JimD]

I have done all of the repairs so far on my 2017 Greyhawk and there were many. Had I not done them myself, the new coach would have been at the dealer for at least a year. My service site is only 20 minutes away but that is not the problem, the extended wait time is. They say you wait for an appointment for 2 months, take it in and it sits for 2 weeks before they diagnose, then they order parts, then repair. No thank you!

I have had to repair:

1. Ceiling lights burning out - ended up replacing all as they were a safety recall that Jayco never let me know about. Manufacturer sent me new lights no charge.

2. Shower drain connection came apart causing flood.

3. Leveling jacks mounted too low.

4. Water pump would not shut off.

5. Wiring to fridge caused low voltage error when battery was only down to 12.1 instead of in the 11 volt range. Ran a new wire and that fixed it.

6. Keyless entry keys not working.

7. Under hood battery relay failed causing no charging from alternator to house battery.

8. Power converter failed - received warranty replacement from manufacturer.

9. Bathroom mirrors slid down from mounting tape.

10. Gas door strut failed.

11. Hinge broke on under sink door.

There were other minor fixes that I didn't list. Fortunately I am capable of fixing most things. Next on the list will be the recall for the leveler hydraulics mount.

There is NO WAY I would be willing to keep going back and forth with the dealer. It is far easier to just do the repair myself. Much quicker as there is no 2 month wait time for me to get it done. I don't mind paying for the parts up to a certain point. I have an extended warranty just in case a major component fails (slider, AC, fridge, etc.) but hope to never use it.

To own an RV is to expect repairs. If you use the dealer for them, you will miss many camping opportunities.

[GarlicDude]

The few issues we've had I fixed myself. In the case of our propane regulator going south instead of the dealer putting on another Chinese POS I bought a made in America Marshall regulator. Toolmaker by trade so fixing things is second nature to me.

[Jagiven]

I am very handy, and typically not scared to do any repair. During the first 2 years I let the dealer do the work, as they are located about 15 miles away. I could make an appointment and would have the TT back in a few days. If they had a longer lead time, they would order the parts in advance, or let me take the TT home, and make a follow up appointment.

For the first few years our HTT, at our old home, it sat on the city street all summer (no driveway, and the city allowed street parking at the time). So bring it into the deal was no big deal, and I bet the neighbors liked it gone, even though none complained about it.

Once it was out of warranty, I have done all my own maintenance. It also helps our new house, has a great parking pad.

Someone like my brother, has no clue, and would just keep deferring any maintenance, until he could not any longer. On his PU, I have had to come to his rescue more than once. With both minor and major repairs. He never greases a thing, so his tongue lock jammed, 10+ year old tires, had a blow out on a major interstate, in a road construction zone, he had no jack nor lug nut wrench that fit (he drives a VW van). We were passing through a major city, I had to loop back around to rescue him. My dad and I rebuilt the entire front bunk, as he and his wife have a little extra weight, and over loaded the bunk supports. Removed his frig as he broke it. It now has an old school ice box. Lost his battery going around a corner as the strap degraded. He never did replace it. The list goes on and on. It is always an adventure to travel with them. You just don't know what time you may roll into camp.

Unfortunately his house is kind'a the same way.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by MaxDMax

I already used my negotiation skills for a lower cost when I bought my RV to justify all the upgrades and electronics I have added to my RV with my Dear Wife. I don’t think it would be fair of me to spread it out to repair costs at this point!!! LOL LOL LOL

Ha... I hear you on the upgrades and tweaks too, the list goes on and on... Wifey just keeps asking, "what are you doing to it now"?

Luckly, I've had only two minor actual repairs that would be dealer related, and were easy to fix. Now, all the add-on accessories, electronics and fun stuff.... we're into multiple days of labor... but it's fun!!!

I actually used the extra $3K savings to pay for the bulk of the custom vinyl wrap I did on the exterior, so thanks Mr. Dealer for paying for a big chunk of that upgrade!

[poohbear]

I only had a slide problem while in warranty and ONLY took a month to get fixed at dealer. Probably it took 30 minutes to diagnos, 1 1/2 hours top to replace motor, 30 minutes paper work. Our problem we RV'ers have is dealers are NOT in a service industry, just a sales industry.
Dealers and mfg's should all have dedicated staff for warranty especially for those that have major problems right away. I see these problems thru a mindset of running my AC service business for 31 years. Warranty problems were a priority, they had to be taken care of. I also see poor workmanship/quality control along with cheaply made parts is a major part of warranty issues.

[Camper_bob]

Another problem was mentioned by the GM of the dealership I bought my TT from. He said manufacturers are getting super stingy with how they pay the shops for warranty work. He said he can't make any money doing warranty work and it's a PITA in general.

So, standing in his shoes, as a business owner trying to keep people employed and maybe put a little money in my own bank account, I'm not sure I would prioritize warranty repairs. Of course, my customer service mindset would get the better of me (that's me personally and how I am), but from a strictly financial perspective, the operating decision may be different...

Incidentally, that particular dealer always did me right. He was more concerned that I was happy and camping than necessarily whether he would get reimbursed by Jayco for something. Especially the smaller stuff. It was actually cheaper for him to eat the cost on many things than to deal with a warranty claim with Jayco. Especially since I was willing to provide labor in most cases.

[brokenoaks]

I do most repairs myself. I have found that bypassing Jayco and going directly to the component manufacture works better. that usually involves working with Lippert components. it can be time consuming but they do a good job of troubleshooting things over the phone. ordering parts direct from them is faster too.