Service under warranty

[jim7489]

This is news to me but maybe it is just they way RV dealers work.

I will be purchasing a Jayco/Entegra product later this week from a dealer in another state, about 4 hrs from me.
RVOne is a Jayco/Entegra dealer that is only about an hour from me so I called to see 'if I have a problem under warranty' would they work on my new unit.
The service tech asked of I purchased it there and I said no. He said they prefer to service the RV's that are purchased at RVOne.
I 'might' be able to get in at a later date months from now.

Is that the way it works ? Does Jayco condone this ?

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by jim7489

Is that the way it works ? Does Jayco condone this ?

Note condoned, but dealers are independent since they usually sell multiple brands unlike the auto industry. JAYCO has always stressed "Buy local" for that reason. It is very common in the RV industry. You will find lots of comments on numerous threads about the issue.

[SouthCo]

Yes that’s how some RV dealers work. But due to a huge difference in price I also bought both of my Jaycos out of state and would do so again. Neither of mine ever needed to go back to a dealer...

Some on here get approval from Jayco to use a non Jayco service center which is what I would have done if either of my campers would have needed something.

[RetiredOne]

Originally Posted by jim7489

Is that the way it works ? Does Jayco condone this ?

Here's a different point of view. When I decided I wanted a Jayco and visited the local dealer, I wasn't impressed with what I saw and how they ran things. So, I wasn't really planning on counting on them for service.

So my plan was, search the country for the best deal on my rig (on RVtrader.com), and go in with a handful of print-outs, and beat them up, big time on price. I was willing to fly to another part of the country, and drive the rig back, if it saved me multiple of thousands..

Plus, I'm handy with mechanical things, and knew I could fix most items. If something came up that I couldn't handle, I'd call a mobile tech. By beating up the dealer, and saving like $3K more than I thought I could, I have a buffer for any repairs.

Bottom line, the way these rigs are built, plan for some service issues. It depends if you have he ability to fix them, or need to bring it back to the dealer each time.

Also, if you have a problem with a add on appliance, you can usually contact that manufacturer directly to get help, outside of the dealer.

[EA37TS]

Some different scenarios.

Camping World will repair (or further break) any unit whether or not it was purchased from them. Use them as a last resort.

A non-selling dealer may agree to service your unit, however, their buying customers may take priority so your repair work will basically be done on a space and resources available stand-by basis.

You can call Jayco and ask for their assistance in locating a dealer willing to work on your coach or ask for authorization to use an independent dealer.

Compile a list of warranty items needing attention and schedule an appointment at the Jayco factory service center.

Use the money you saved on the purchase to drive back to the selling dealer for warranty work.

In the RV industry the dealers buy the units from the manufacturer for resale as new. The dealers get to control which units they work on and are not required to service units they did not sell. Dealers do not like to work on units they did not sell because of the reduced labor rate and lower time standards for warranty work. Basically they would be doing cheap labor on a unit that brought them no profit on the sale, a lose, lose scenario.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

Some different scenarios.

Camping World will repair (or further break) any unit whether or not it was purchased from them. Use them as a last resort.

A non-selling dealer may agree to service your unit, however, their buying customers may take priority so your repair work will basically be done on a space and resources available stand-by basis.

You can call Jayco and ask for their assistance in locating a dealer willing to work on your coach or ask for authorization to use an independent dealer.

Compile a list of warranty items needing attention and schedule an appointment at the Jayco factory service center.

Use the money you saved on the purchase to drive back to the selling dealer for warranty work.

In the RV industry the dealers buy the units from the manufacturer for resale as new. The dealers get to control which units they work on and are not required to service units they did not sell. Dealers do not like to work on units they did not sell because of the reduced labor rate and lower time standards for warranty work. Basically they would be doing cheap labor on a unit that brought them no profit on the sale, a lose, lose scenario.

WELL SAID!

While not trying to bash further on CW... but the reality is what it is.

In our case - even when we bought our rig at CW, our experience is that there is no advantage to a better service experience at your local CW dealer after you spent your hard earned money. They treat us no differently than a stinky homeless person sleeping on their sidewalk in front of the front doors.

I say - have no loyalty on your RV dealer for service. We find the best service when we call a "mobile RV Service" that is recommended by the manufacturer of the component that broke (sometimes by the local RV Park too). Most are independent RV service folks that worked in the RV Stealerships and found that if they did good work, at a fair price - they would get a good reputation and be successful out on their own.

[Cincinnati Kid]

We are 4 hours or so from Jayco plant. We plan to take our rv to Middlebury every time, if it's not a total breakdown, as we have little confidence in local dealer. We're going there Feb 3.

[RVermont]

Did you check pricing for the unit you are buying on the rvone web site? In the past the pricing they provided via the web was the cheapest around. The times this was not true was for people located in close proximity to their stores. I used a non local phone number and got a super low price on my unit.

As for service..... it is frustrating to get anything done in one visit due to the nature of the business model. I always had to bring the unit in so they could document the issue, then take the unit home as it takes several days to get approval and parts then a reschedule of the service. Now that I am out of warrentee I will use a local rv repair.

[DonaandDon]

Don't limit yourself to the "dealer". Certified mobile techs will preform warranty work. And, they will come to you...

[jloco]

Originally Posted by jim7489

This is news to me but maybe it is just they way RV dealers work.

I will be purchasing a Jayco/Entegra product later this week from a dealer in another state, about 4 hrs from me.
RVOne is a Jayco/Entegra dealer that is only about an hour from me so I called to see 'if I have a problem under warranty' would they work on my new unit.
The service tech asked of I purchased it there and I said no. He said they prefer to service the RV's that are purchased at RVOne.
I 'might' be able to get in at a later date months from now.

Is that the way it works ? Does Jayco condone this ?

Unfortunately that is the way it works.. while they may not outright deny service, the will put you at the bottom of their list for service, taking care of their own customers first. This could put you out for months. Especially during the busy season. As mentioned independent service is an option with approval from Jayco.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by DonaandDon

Don't limit yourself to the "dealer". Certified mobile techs will preform warranty work. And, they will come to you...

Certified mobile techs are fine when and if you can get them authorized to perform warranty work. After the warranty is expired use them to your heart's content.

On my prior coach getting a mobile tech on my shake down required that I prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that my coach could not be driven to the nearest authorized service center. My slide was jammed half in and half out and could not be moved or further secured for travel.

Also, I had to pay for the service up front because the mobile tech did not file warranty claims and then I had to submit for reimbursement. Since the manufacturer's business process was to cut reimbursement checks once per month it took 6 weeks to get reimbursed.

My claim was for 75.00 and it took the mobile tech 15 minutes to find and correct the issue. He also identified the root cause of the problem which was later fixed with some parts shipped to me by the manufacturer for self install. It took them 3 attempts and 4 weeks to get me the correct parts even though I sent them pictures of what was needed. My local dealer had the parts in stock and could have had me out within 30 minutes. Live and learn.

[eeek]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

Some different scenarios.

Camping World will repair (or further break) any unit whether or not it was purchased from them. Use them as a last resort.

Not necessarily true. In my area, Jacksonville, the local Jayco dealer in 45 minutes south of us, in St Augustine. The closest CW Jayco dealer is in Valdosta- close to two hours away. So we really wanted a Redhawk, but we didn't but it from there. The Jacksonville CW is less than 3 miles from my house. So I called to ask them 1) if I bought a Redhawk from another CW, would they do warranty work on it. Yes was their answer. 2) I asked if I bought it from another dealer if they would work on it. He specifically told me that they were not allowed to do warranty work on RVs bought somewhere else. Reasons were building as to why I wouldn't buy from them and this was the final straw that ended that possible relationship.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by eeek

Not necessarily true. In my area, Jacksonville, the local Jayco dealer in 45 minutes south of us, in St Augustine. The closest CW Jayco dealer is in Valdosta- close to two hours away. So we really wanted a Redhawk, but we didn't but it from there. The Jacksonville CW is less than 3 miles from my house. So I called to ask them 1) if I bought a Redhawk from another CW, would they do warranty work on it. Yes was their answer. 2) I asked if I bought it from another dealer if they would work on it. He specifically told me that they were not allowed to do warranty work on RVs bought somewhere else. Reasons were building as to why I wouldn't buy from them and this was the final straw that ended that possible relationship.

Must be a local thing. The Camping World about 25 miles from me says they will service any unit regardless of where it was bought. The same hold true for the one 110 miles up the road. I bought my coach from the only non-Camping World in the area and that is where it is service. We do have 2 RV service centers that are not dealers but it takes about 4 to 6 months to get an appointment with them. Both of those centers will tell you they are cash only and they will not file manufacturers warranty claims or request warranty authorizations. One of them will deal with a couple of the extended warranty providers but not all of them.

[eeek]

Just one point of clarification, just to make sure we are on the same page. The local CW will fix any RV, however, they will not do warranty work on RVs not purchased from CW.

[Ortys]

The Jayco dealer by us (Joliet, il) will work on any Jayco for warranty, but if you purchase the rv from them, you are put on the top of the service list. So, if it’s camping season, and you purchased the RV from somewhere else and need warranty work done, you might have to wait several weeks before they get you in for service.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by eeek

Just one point of clarification, just to make sure we are on the same page. The local CW will fix any RV, however, they will not do warranty work on RVs not purchased from CW.

That hasn't been my experience. Not all CWs deal Jaycos. I was told by my "local" CW (still 30 minutes away) that since their dealership doesn't deal Jayco, they won't work on it. Even though I bought my unit from a CW in a different city.

[garywilson]

I priced mine out of state, then local dealer matched the price.

When I returned for service less than a year later, they were not helpful at all. Service manager 'forgot', then 'forgot' again, then said they don't sell that brand anymore. The extended warranty was useless.

I had to go to the manufacturer for what I needed. Sending him (CEO) an email detailing the communications with the dealer over a period of several months, manu sent the parts no charge. I got the word from the company's head customer service guy who had refused to assist other than to sell me the parts.
Since then I do my own work on it, but... when I was on the road I stopped by camping world for an issue. They worked on it immediately as was their policy for folks that were from out of town on a trip.

Chevrolet did the same thing for me. Took me to a car rental agency Friday afternoon after determining issue. Had the part overnighted to another town and drove 60 miles for the part Saturday morning, installed and returned vehicle to me on Saturday. I was down for less than 24 hours.

Several dealers that are months behind will move to the front of the line someone passing through.

Sort of like the difference between a doctor office visit and the hospital.

[steve.jurnigan]

I had a 2015 Jayco that never went back to the Dealer It was Dixie in Newport news Va, I bought a 2018 From Camping World who bought out Dixie. Do your Homework and look at service reviews. the 2018 had grey water tank issue, they had it 3months. Suppose to winterize it and the next spring the grey water tank was full water. Next had roof issue. Jayco sent them the materials to replace the roof. They screwed up the roof and a second roof had to be put on. They sealed it with silicone. Glue and silicone is all over the trailer. they lost the freeze sensor on the a/c, it was giving me E5 fault. They broke the a/c cover, several dents in the side wall and damaged the corner trim. Most things were fixed, but the work was sloppy. I have a ladder issue I am trying to resolve with Jayco. It will not go back to Camping World. I love the trailer and all makes have issues. I try to fix the small things my self .Make sure the right people do your repairs the right way. Oh, almost forgot last time I had to deal directly with the service tech, so what's the service managers job.

[dancd141]

I purchased my Greyhawk there and once they got my money they were not at all interested in fixing the warranty items while they had it in their possession for the 4 months they had it there for storage. I ended taking it to a local shop here in Rochester and they have been great. The warranty issues were fixed here by them. RVone stickers are off my unit thank god!
In retrospect I should have bought it from my local dealer and paid a little more

[CAG]

or ask for authorization to use an independent dealer.

When all is said and done that us usually the best option. Find a repair shop you like. There are nationwide evaluations you can search. Ask Jayco for permission to use them. You will have to have the repair authorize and you will probably have to pay and then be reimbursed by Jayco.

Most of these shops can do warranty work on any of the appliances, air conditioners etc and they go directly to that company. They don't need Jayco's ok for that.

Don't go to Camping World unless you are a glutton for punishment.