Having your RV serviced at a Heartland Dealer

[RVFun4Us]

This is a general question about having your RV serviced and repaired when necessary and would like your opinion. I purchased my current RV about two weeks ago. I, like so many, did a lot of research prior to this to get the best price for the model we wanted. After about 10 days, I selected a dealer that is over 200 miles away from my home. I have a home-town Heartland dealer who could not even come close to the deal I received for my Bighorn. My home-town dealer has serviced my previous Heartland fifth wheel for over 6 years. So here is my question: Would it be reasonable to ask my home-town dealer to work on my RV when needed even though I did not purchase there and not be put behind everyone else that did purchase there? Based on the fact that I have used them over the last 6+ years for any and all repairs on my previous Bighorn? And yes, I did consider this when purchasing. Would save me a ton of mileage by staying local for repairs. There is also another dealer in town who only sells Big Countrys. Since they don't sell Bighorns, maybe they would step up. This is all speculation at this point. I have not talked to my local dealer yet but was considering talking to the service manager and asking him about it. What do you all think? Appreciate your comments.

Bob

 

[danemayer]

Your local dealers may or may not want to do your warranty work since you didn't buy from them. Some will. Some won't. You'll have to ask. Some people use independent service shops, which you can also do as long as you have prior authorization from Heartland.

 

[Miltp920]

Seems to me that you have already established a good working relationship with your local dealer. I am not sure if you would have to wait in line behind their buyers, but I think they are there to make money on repairs no matter where the unit was bought. I say, call them and talk to the manager you have already worked with, and see what he says. It sure would be nice to be able to do business locally.

 

[Garypowell]

Bob,

i understand your concern but I see no problem in asking them when you need help to do the work. Just like any repair you need to get a firm estimate of when to expect the work to be completed. A day or two late.....OK. Late two weeks and they have told you what they think of the idea.

Also, in general, you can use anyone HL will approve.

 

[GregP]

I would talk to the local dealership first. Even though they didn't sell you your present unit, they may want to maintain a good relationship with you...having an eye to your NEXT purchase. We bought our Bighorn new in Minnesota, and imported it into Canada where we live. One of the local dealers (non-Heartland) has no problem with working on our rig if needed. Another won't work on it because it was "made in the USA" and doesn't conform to Canadian standards and they won't accept the liability. I guess they thought that I wouldn't figure out that they are ALL made in the US and the only only apparent difference is in the CSA sticker applied at the factory for export. We also have at least one very highly regarded independent mobile service business in the area that will do work on the BH should I ever need it. Up to now, two years after purchase, we have needed no work that I couldn't handle myself. They are good units.

 

[Gaffer]

Big Country RV in Bend is not kind to people needing service or warranty work done who did not buy from them in my experience. I use High Desert RV in Prineville. Honest and competent. They did warranty work on my Bighorn. Too far to go to my selling dealer in Portland and didn't have to wait months to get in like I would have had to do at Big Country in Bend. In all fairness, I did hear that service at Big Country RV in Redmond was better than in Bend but I still could not get in. Here is a link to High Desert: http://www.highdesertrv.com/

 

[2psnapod2]

If you are a happy customer of the dealership, I would have gotten an estimate and at least gave them the opportunity to meet that estimate. Hope you at least did that. But as for your need for service, it never hurts to go in and talk to them. That way they will know that you have been a good customer for 6 years. That might have some impacted on the situation.

 

[RVFun4Us]

Michael and Kelly,

I did in fact give them the opportunity to post the best price but in the end, they were not close to the purchasing dealership. I think I had an edge with them because I have purchased two previous RVs from them so they gave me a good deal to retain my business.

PJ & Karol,

I have used the Redmond location at Big Country and they have never disappointed me. Of course, we lived in Klamath Falls on our last purchase and I told them that so that may have eased the situation a little. This may be a stretch now but never hurts to ask. Hopefully my six years of doing business with their repair facility will make a difference.

Bob

 

[JohnD]

So far both of the dealerships that we bought both of our Heartland trailers from didn't try to keep us as customers.

Both of them have screwed up warranty repairs so bad that we NEVER want to purchase from either of them again.

 

[RVFun4Us]

OK, I talked to my home-town service manager at the dealership today. After explaining my purchase at another dealer because of the better offer and the fact I had been patronizing them for 6 1/2 years with my old unit, he said there really isn't any problem. In fact, he asked where I had heard that people who purchased units at a dealership are higher priority than those that don't. I simply stated that it was fairly common knowledge among owners. Even says in some of the dealer brochures and also I think it is posted somewhere in the forum. He did not seem to have a problem with me getting service there and indicated I would not be put down on the priority list for service. He also indicated that during the active RV season, when more people need service, that you would probably have to wait depending on the number of units needing service. But where you buy your RV is not a factor in that decision. They just appreciated my business. Guess I will find out when I need something done. But sure worth a try versus driving over 400 miles round-trip to my purchasing dealer. So at least this was positive feedback from my hometown dealer on my concern.

Bob

 

[JohnD]

Seems to me that the priority for the dealerships is where the money is coming from.

And warranty repair work doesn't bring them much money . . .

 

[2psnapod2]

Glad to hear that there are good dealers out there. They all need to realize that the money is not in the sale side of these things. We all know that they are prone to having LOTS of issues. Like I said earlier, it never hurts to ask.

 

[RVFun4Us]

I was not only worried about warranty work but also after the 1 year warranty expires. Have to take both into consideration.

 

[Gaffer]

So Bob, are you having service in Bend or Redmond?

 

[RVFun4Us]

Well Gaffer, going to Grants Pass where we bought it to fix a couple of things at the dealer there in April. Then anything else that comes up, we will take into the shop in Redmond and see how it goes. That is where we have gone for the last 6 1/2 years and I know the service manager pretty well.