Dealer... Grrrrrr! Long rant.

DSN46 · 04-03-2014, 08:47 PM

So... during my walk thru and PDI on our pick up day, I asked about a couple of things regarding our new trailer. I knew the answers already (must be the retired detective in me) but I wanted to test the level of honesty and knowledge of the man who was the expert on Jayco trailers. Told me himself he's been servicing Jayco's for 12 years.

Well, he lied on one occasion to me. I asked specifically if he had tested the auto switching on the fridge from electric to gas. He said he did it right before we arrived.... I said "well lets take a look". He went out and unplugged the power. The burner began clicking and trying to light. No dice. He said to me, "I just did this when you guys pulled up... I don't know what could be wrong". I had placed my hands on the propane tanks while walking up to the door of the trailer... they were both closed tight at the valves. This is why I asked, and already knew he hadn't done it.

I called him on it, but he kept insisting he didn't know how that tank got closed...

So, later on, I asked him if he had been on the roof and was it clean? I also asked him if he had cleaned all of the mess from the top of the slide out before sliding it in to move the trailer over to the service bay... he said "oh yeah, we always take care of those things". Right... I asked if I could borrow his ladder and see the roof real quick. He said that due to insurance reasons, they couldn't allow customers to climb up on the roof while still on the property. He swore they had taken care of everything.
This was the only time during the inspection that I got nervous, but, this dealer is known for taking care of its customers if things go wrong, so I let it go. (Yes.... you can flame me for that one)

I get it home after a nice easy tow for an hour.

It towed great with the Equilizer hitch I had purchased. I get out MY ladder on MY property (no insurance problems) and climb up. Guess what I found? Leaves, sticks, twigs, Spanish Moss pieces all over the place. Leaves had filled every crevice. In the 4 months it had sat at there place under a very heavy canopy of Live Oaks, it had time to allow the leaves to leak their tanic acid stuff out and leave the reddish colored blotches all over the place as well. Now for the biggee. The slide out was COVERED in stuff.

This means that it was slid in with all of that on it. Then slid out and slid back in and out again and then back in while I was testing it with little sticks and leaves being dragged under the rubber seals! I thought it was common knowledge that you never slide junk through those seals!!

Anyway, I spent the next 3 hours washing my roof back to nice and white again as well as un-leafing all the fixtures on top. THEN bringing in the slide out about 2 feet so I could inside the trailer and remove and clean that portion of the roof. There were double handfuls of Spanish moss, leaves and twigs on the inside portion of the slide out.

NOT happy at this point with the service "dude" who has his 12 years servicing Jayco's and likes to let the truth slip by without blinking an eye.

Sorry this was so long. We had such a wonderful experience at our last dealer, this was just really disappointing.

As for the trailer itself? We love it!

I retested everything but the water system again in my driveway and all works as it should so far.

Thanks for reading.

James

Parcany · 04-03-2014, 09:51 PM

Well at least now you know that it is clean and tested. Good job.

sask934 · 04-04-2014, 12:04 AM

Thanks....for the post another few things for me to test before my trailer leaves the dealers lot....I will be using the ladder on mine and check the roof and slides before it leaves the lot!

Glad that your trailer is fine and you are able to enjoy it!

Cosmik Debris · 04-04-2014, 07:24 AM

On my last rv, a trailer, I had a furnace that wouldn't light. Took it to dealer and left it. Next day they call and tell me they found nothing wrong, lit everytime they tried it, but my batteries were dead. What?? I knew the batteries were fine and even said "sounds like you looked at the wrong trailer". They said they'd charge it up and try it in the morning and I should plan on picking it up. Got there and their ace mechanic said that I was right, he was testing another trailer, and that the batts were dead because they had just installed a cutoff switch on it. Mine had a bad circuitboard. Some other owner had their trailer delayed another day.
I've got many of these dealer tales.
Next rv came from another dealership.

Tex1961 · 04-04-2014, 07:32 AM

I am sure this thread could go on for quite a while.

When we started looking for our trailer, we were given all kinds of mis-information. One dealer said that my 3.7L truck could pull a 5K trailer no problem.. NOT... The dealer that we finally went with seemed to be pretty honest up front. When we did our walk through, I realized that I pretty much knew as much if not more than the guy training us. (Thanks to this site)... Got home and realized he had the chains and brake away cable all wrong on the hitch when he attached it to our TV.. Lucky I didn't either get a ticket or lost the TT down the road (the brakes would never have engaged)..

DSN46 · 04-04-2014, 08:29 AM

You are right Tex, this could go on forever with "dealer horror stories". I wasn't trying to create an endless thread, just giving another example of how you really can't trust anyone but yourself when it comes to making sure things are right. It is sad.

I'm sure most on this board share the same work ethic and attention to detail that I have.... it just makes me a little sick that those attributes seem to be lost in this day and age for the most part.

James

**WVDusty** · 04-04-2014, 09:20 AM

I really think that most dealers would like you to take your new purchase home knowing that there is a problem with it. The way I understand it is until you take possession of it any repairs is on there dime but after you take it they can then file a warranty claim and get paid labor and parts on jaycos dime.

Salsa03 · 04-04-2014, 10:22 AM

Reminds me a bit of the experience I had my my Kodiak...I had a rear end Queen Bed hard wall slide.

On delivery, the gasket was damaged and they said they would order a new one... After 2 months, no news from them so called them... they had not ordered it, nobody had listed it in the paperwork...ARGHH

They finally got it around early August, called me to bring it in... I asked if it would be ready soon cause I was going on a camping trip 2 weeks later...they said no worries...

4 days before we were scheduled to leave, I called them since I hadn't heard from them. "Oh sorry we been so busy". Told them I would pick it up the next day.

When I got there, my TT was parked at the far end of their lot.... they had to move 10 TTs to get to mine....

Brought it back after my trip... after 2 weeks, no call, so I called! They weren't able to find the replacement gasket/seal...so they had ordered a new one... A month later they called to say it had been fixed.. So I got their the next morning...this was now mid-October (and here this means you needto get your RV winterized, cause the night can plunge below freezing)...

Decided to check the repairs before I left...battery was dead...great... so hooked up my truck, cranked the engine up then went in TT to open the slide room.... I still remember the sound..... when the gasket came with the slide-room... They had done it probably on a sunny day, closed it before letting the glue set in.... It had been cold during the night so when I opened it.. the seal was sticking to the slide room and it puller away from the TT wall...

Got back in the service area...MAD!!!! They corrected this by using aluminium strips screwed on top of the seal.... never had an issue after....

But that was the last time that RV dealership saw me!!!!!

DSN46 · 04-04-2014, 03:36 PM

Well now THAT is truly a horror story!!

James

Camping Couple · 04-04-2014, 04:25 PM

I would have said let me sign a waiver of liability......I want to see the roof! I am pissed reading your post.

Siamese · 08-15-2018, 10:01 PM

It amazes me that this dealer, like so many other unscrupulous businesses, is able to recruit people who are comfortable with lying to their customers.

And, it's not just the lying, it's the fact that when caught in a lie, they really don't care. That takes a particular type of creep. It's a shame they aren't more scarce.

Marcm157 · 08-16-2018, 06:31 AM

Trust but verify comes to mind after reading your story. I too am a retired Detective and as you know we NEVER ask a question we don't know the answer to. I can not find it in myself to trust a salesman, even those who I have dealt with for years. Their job is to sell and money is what drives them. I am not saying all salespeople are bad I am simply stating that by nature I do not trust them...

2edgesword · 08-16-2018, 07:49 AM

I was told the same thing regarding climbing on the roof during my PDI. I climbed up on the trailer ladder anyway to at least inspect what I could see from the top of the trailer ladder. Fortunately in my case the roof was clean and at least the portion of the roof I could see from the ladder everything looked in good shape.

People that work in sales are also buyers. They buy homes, cars, television sets, etc. but the idea that you treat people buying from you the way you hope to be treated when you buy something seems to have escaped some sales people.

ALJO · 08-16-2018, 10:53 AM

Yes it all trickles down from the top (the supposed to respectful). Just look at the world how it not should be. Start teaching ourselves correct and pass it on to the young ones, because they will be the leaders in the future.

We have all seen the picture what lies, deceit, greed and jealousy does. Even the RV industry does his part of it.

**Crabman** · 08-16-2018, 02:23 PM

No political posts please. And this is a 4 year old thread.

T-Roy · 08-16-2018, 02:32 PM

Even though it is a 4 year old thread I am glad I read it so I can be ready for the I can’t get ont he roof story when I get ready to do my PDI on a future purchase. If I get the same song and dance I think I will hand them my phone and request they go up and video the roof seals and overall condition. If they still refuse I will tell them Grand Design is making Momentums’s every day. LOL

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