Average Length of Time an RV is in for repair at a Dealership?
- Thread starter TX_Clay
- Start date
Well! I took the 5ver in for its first warranty work today. Walked in and a sign above the counter said "RV's dropped the week of Jan 20 will be ready the week of March 26". I asked the service writer if that was correct, he said it depended on if parts need to be ordered or other circumstances. Worst case scenario yes. So we went over my list, I showed him everything. I explained to him I use the RV a couple times a month and I had a trip planned for middle of February Could he help me out any. He told me he would have it in the shop next week and would let me know the results. If they needed to order parts, I could pick it back up and schedule it back in when they arrive. Hopefully, it will work out like that. I believe, next time I will do a Jason and Don suggest and fix what I can and hire a mobile repair service for the rest. The bad thing - The dealers don't care if they keep them for weeks or months.
Interesting turn of events. Service Tech called yesterday asking if my sat dish was in the 5er. He wanted to hook it up to see why I was unable to get it to work. Delivered it this morning, tech came out and we discussed some of the repairs he had already done, as well as what I had tried when setting up the dish. At the UDC, I showed him where I had connected it and also mentioned about how nothing is labeled. He asked if I had seen the label showing which coax connection was cable and which was Sat.? I told him I did not. He then pointed up at the back of the slam door. There, bigger than Dallas, was a label, detailing EVERYTHING inside of the UDC. Coax connections, pump switch, 4 way water valve, everything. I HAD NEVER seen that label till he pointed it out. Boy did I fee stupid. Wonder how many others have not seen that label for the UDC? The good news is, I may get my 5er back this week. Has to be some sort of record for quickest turn around?
SeattleLion
Well-known member
Dealers don't seem to be in any rush to do work. Our dealer was horrible in 2013. In 2014 we bought the Bighorn. The dealer promised one week turnaround. That turned into four weeks. I don't understand it. Car dealers only accept the car when they can put it into the shop. RV dealers make "appointmnets" but I am unclear on what that means.
Some dealers have a very inefficient internal system for managing parts. An efficient dealer will receive the coach and within 24 hours diagnose the issues, take pictures where needed, and notify the manufacturer and vendors of needed replacement parts. This requires a parts manager who actually is on top of the work.
This fall, now totally tired of the BS from the dealer, I dropped off the coach and then called the service manager the next day. I asked if he had run through the issues and ordred the parts. He said, "yes." I then called Heartland and asked customer service to see if the parts were ordered. I went through my list of issues that were confirmed by the dealer. To my total surprise, the answer was, "No, haven't heard from them." (being sarcastic). I called the service manager who said he asked for the parts. I asked did he call Heartland. He said the parts manager does that. So I let him know that the parts manager did not call. He said he would take care of it. 24 hours later we repeated the same dance. After 3 tries, I finally got them to do the ordering. The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Some dealers have a very inefficient internal system for managing parts. An efficient dealer will receive the coach and within 24 hours diagnose the issues, take pictures where needed, and notify the manufacturer and vendors of needed replacement parts. This requires a parts manager who actually is on top of the work.
This fall, now totally tired of the BS from the dealer, I dropped off the coach and then called the service manager the next day. I asked if he had run through the issues and ordred the parts. He said, "yes." I then called Heartland and asked customer service to see if the parts were ordered. I went through my list of issues that were confirmed by the dealer. To my total surprise, the answer was, "No, haven't heard from them." (being sarcastic). I called the service manager who said he asked for the parts. I asked did he call Heartland. He said the parts manager does that. So I let him know that the parts manager did not call. He said he would take care of it. 24 hours later we repeated the same dance. After 3 tries, I finally got them to do the ordering. The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
OEFVET
Well-known member
Picked up the RV on Friday afternoon from the dealer. New front and rear Door seals, bottom of the bedroom slide out got the seal replaced. The "electric" recliner is working (seams there is a transformer box that the cord from the outlet plugs into. This had worked out and was "unplugged"). Figured out the Satellite cableing. The left one is Antenna and City Cable. The middle coax connection is coming from the roof, if you have a roof unit dish, then you connect that coax to the satellite coax - U-Connection. The far right one is Satellite dish feed. FYI, it only feeds TV#1. ALTHOUGH, if you hook city cable to it and move the connections at your other tv's to the 2nd coax. It will display picture and sound. But it wont pick up the satellite signal. Only on #1. The other TV's could receive a Sat. signal for a small upgrade that they would be happy to quote to me.
Several other things where resolved as well. Got her home and set back up and I will be darned. The sweeper seal, I guess that's what you call that large flap that is connected to the each slide out seals, was now torn 3 inches from the end. Wife was ready to take it right back and land on them with 2 feet. Convinced her to hold off and we will take it back one last time before warranty is out.
All in all, majority of my concerns were taken care of. Glad to have the 5er back.
Several other things where resolved as well. Got her home and set back up and I will be darned. The sweeper seal, I guess that's what you call that large flap that is connected to the each slide out seals, was now torn 3 inches from the end. Wife was ready to take it right back and land on them with 2 feet. Convinced her to hold off and we will take it back one last time before warranty is out.
All in all, majority of my concerns were taken care of. Glad to have the 5er back.
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
I was talking to the owner of the Channelview Supply Company in I-10 in Houston today (it is on the south side just east of the Dell Dale exit). She (yes she) told me they do their service by appointment. And begin working on it at the apoointment day. She also told me the main hold up is due to waiting on parts or customers to get their money together, or insurance adjusters. She also has a couple of hookups if you are a full-timer living in your rig where you can stay on site while it is being repaired. Just passing info. Don't get paid for the info. BTW they have a great parts department, as big or bigger than Camping World.
JohnD
Moved on to the next thing...
While driving south through Phoenix on the 101 two weeks ago on our way from the Grand Canyon to the Arizona HOC Rally in Quartzsite, we had a wheel bearing burnout on our trailer.
We located Sun City RV on Grand Ave. in Phoenix, AZ less than a mile away using our Rand McNally RV GPS, so we drove there.
As it was around 4 p.m. when we got there, they looked over our problem child and set up an appointment for the next morning at 8 a.m., and as luck would have it, there was an RV park right next door, where we set up shop for the night.
Next morning I was parked in front of their door when the service department opened at 8 a.m., then dropped the trailer where they told me to.
They ended up removing the entire front axle and had to send it out to another shop to have the spindle and brake assembly replaced, and also did a repack of all four wheel bearings, plus they readjusted my trailer hitch as for some reason the trailer was towing low in the front end, even though I just had all of that done last August here in Denver when I got the new truck (should have just used the old hitch as it was set to about the same as the new one is now after Phoenix).
Anyway . . . dropped it off at 8 a.m. . . . we headed west off into the Arizona sunset that evening at around 5:30 p.m. with the trailer in tow!
Those guys and gals at Sun City RV in Phoenix, AZ are awesome!
First shot leaving the RV park next door (front tire showing on trailer is the one with the blown out wheel bearing) at 7:56 a.m. leaving for our 8 a.m. appointment.
Second shot leaving Sun City RV at 5:35 p.m. that same day for the Quartzsite, AZ HOC Rally!
We located Sun City RV on Grand Ave. in Phoenix, AZ less than a mile away using our Rand McNally RV GPS, so we drove there.
As it was around 4 p.m. when we got there, they looked over our problem child and set up an appointment for the next morning at 8 a.m., and as luck would have it, there was an RV park right next door, where we set up shop for the night.
Next morning I was parked in front of their door when the service department opened at 8 a.m., then dropped the trailer where they told me to.
They ended up removing the entire front axle and had to send it out to another shop to have the spindle and brake assembly replaced, and also did a repack of all four wheel bearings, plus they readjusted my trailer hitch as for some reason the trailer was towing low in the front end, even though I just had all of that done last August here in Denver when I got the new truck (should have just used the old hitch as it was set to about the same as the new one is now after Phoenix).
Anyway . . . dropped it off at 8 a.m. . . . we headed west off into the Arizona sunset that evening at around 5:30 p.m. with the trailer in tow!
Those guys and gals at Sun City RV in Phoenix, AZ are awesome!
First shot leaving the RV park next door (front tire showing on trailer is the one with the blown out wheel bearing) at 7:56 a.m. leaving for our 8 a.m. appointment.
Second shot leaving Sun City RV at 5:35 p.m. that same day for the Quartzsite, AZ HOC Rally!
X2 Best and easiest way.
Don
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