Good luck to any and all owners of new RV's that think they have some type of warranty for anything that breaks, malfunctions, causes a fire, leaks, or flat out doesn't work on their new RV. It's all a big lie. I used to think it was all because the dealers were to blame. Although some of the repair centers told me most all the issues are due to the manufactures refusal to pay the going rate or anything close to it, to repair or replace an item on a new unit. The fact of the matter is these big corporations like Heartland and Dometic are to blame. It's amazing that some big time law firm doesn't file a class action lawsuit or the federal government won't do anything about it. I used to think that nobody could out do the sleezness of a used car purchase although that industry pales in comparison to the RV industry. They treat their customers like dirt and are able to get away with. I was fortune that my exposure was limited to less than 50K. I cant even image a person who might spend 200-400 thousand dollars on a large motor home and receive the same jerk around I got on my trailer. When I first got my new trailer Torque T26 Toy Hauler in 2022. I had heard a lot of horror stories about warranty service from RV dealer's in Orange County Calif. where I live.
I figured how bad could it be since I was purchasing my trailer from out of state and saving a lot of money $$$. So I figured we might be able to dodge a bullet? That was hardly the case. Once home with our new trailer we had a gas leak, toilet leak, and new faucet replacement. I was a former plumbing contractor so I repaired these items my self because none of the local RV Dealers would perform the work because I didn't purchase from them. One dealer service department said they did not do any warranty repairs even if you purchased the RV from them, because it is a money losing operation. Besides the time it took to book an appointment and actually get the work done was 2 months or more. I was able to get the parts ordered in a couple of days and completed the repairs in a couple of days. Then the fun really started, when my fridge went out about 6 months in from when I purchased my RV. My so called fake warranty was still in full affect . I took it to a local reputable RV repair facility and they called me a couple days after I brought it to explain my fridge had caught on fire and did substantial damage to the inside skin of my trailer. It was very bad and we all agreed it should of burn down my trailer. After a couple of days the repair facility came up with an estimate of $18,500. to complete the repair. I agreed to pay them direct since they did not want any part of getting involved in a warranty dispute with Heartland. Since they owed them money from some previous warranty repairs they never were able to collect . Of course originally Heartland was taking some responsibility for the repair although as it went up the food chain their attitude changed. At that point they said they needed Dometic to review the claim with their production manger to make a final decision, if they were going to cover the dollar amount. Well they came back a couple days later to explain after reviewing the pictures and the claim they were not going to pay any of the claim cost. They believed the fire was caused by some type of nesting insects like wasps or bees? I never had any of those issues. We used the trailer about 20 nights the first few months we had it so if there was an insect problems it would of been obvious. They further told me to call my insurance company and they will take care of it under comprehensive coverage. I was very mad and disappointed how easily they wiggled their way out of their responsibility and with zero cost to them. Luckily my insurance co. Auto Club came out and wrote the RV Repair Station a check for $18,500. no questions asked. This was the last new RV I will ever purchase. Also ask your self how many people you have talked to in the last few years that can really praise the New RV Buying experience as something they would want to do again ? Nobody I ever talk to. Most people have a very negetive experience.
