Love affair begins to wain

[remoandiris]

My love affair with my 2104 4000, as well as HL, is beginning to wain. The reason is the poor way HL is handling warranty issues with my 4 month old unit. I'm just venting. I know others here have had far worse issues with HL.

Even easy stuff, like the toilet bowl seal, is not easy with HL. HL claims I didn't perform required mx on the seal. Camping World slathered vaseline on the seal. Guess what...the seal has again failed to keep water in the bottom of the bowl. It is plain to see the seal has shifted position. Or the "flapper" has shifted position, one or the other. Vaseling ain't the fix!!!

Tomorrow I'll call CW again and let them know the "fix" HL told them to perform has failed. BTW, it was only 3 weeks from the last time I used the toilet until the next time when the seal failed. Sorry, but 3 weeks is NOT enough time for a seal to dry out and need lubed.

The major problem, my kitchen slide extending too far, has yet to be correctly diagnosed as to why it is happening. Yes, I am still using the coach. I'll bexxxx if I'll allow this poorly QC'd unit to sit idle while I make payments on it.

 

[alex00]

Re: Love affair beginning to wain

What is the required maintenence on a toilet seal? Since I'm looking at the same trailer I'm curious what I'll need to do with the toilet and how often. Sorry you're having trouble. Your experience seems to be the exact opposite of Heartlands biggest selling point.

Are you dealing directly with Heartland or is camping world giving you the information? Since camping world actually has hands on the trailer I'd be concerned they are the weak link in the process.

I'd try calling Heartland to get approval for an independent repair facility to take a look. I know you say Heartland can't diagnose the problem with your slide but unless they have actually seen the trailer they need to rely on the description given by the folks actually doing the work.

 

[cookie]

Re: Love affair beginning to wain

If you have the 300 series toilet, the easy fix for that seal is to just massage it back into position.
Whenever mine starts to leak I just put on a rubber glove or baggie, massage the seal back into position and call it good for a while.
I agree with alex00 in that CW should be able to adjust the slide.

Peace
Dave

 

[danemayer]

Re: Love affair beginning to wain

Hi remoandiris,

Here's a link to the Dometic 310 toilet manual. They have a pretty simple procedure to correct the seal problem. Works for most. If it doesn't work for you, I'd suggest calling Dometic directly (or if not Dometic, whoever's toilet you have). They'll give you firsthand info and if the toilet has a defect, they will help you get it repaired or replaced.

On your slide problem, if Camping World is having difficulty diagnosing the problem, you may need to get a different dealer or service location involved. Quality of techs can vary quite a bit.

 

[olcoon]

Re: Love affair beginning to wain

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if your issue isn't your dealer, and not Heartland. We had a few warranty issues with our rig the first year we owned it, and for the most part the dealer took care of them. A major issue was problems with the slide. Had it in there a few times, & they said they adjusted it. Finally they told me that Heartland said it's operating correctly & they weren't going to do anything else to it. I felt it wasn't operating correctly & took a video of it, & posted it in the ATF section of the forum, (see this post). Bottom line it wasn't working correctly & they "tried" to fix it, but it still wasn't right. I got the factory to fix it correctly @ a national rally. As far as your toilet seal, one thing you might do, according to the info on mine, is to put hot…not boiling, but hot from the tap, pour it in there & let it set for a few minutes then massage it like Dave suggested. Don't give up on Heartland, chances are they aren't even aware of your issues & your dealer is pi$$ing down your neck & telling you it's raining. That particular dealer doesn't have a very good reputation for repairs & customer service nationwide. I know I won't take my rig to the local one here, & only go there if I really need something & can't get it anywhere else.

 

[Westwind]

Re: Love affair beginning to wain

Call Dometic/Sealand if you have a Dometic 310 Toilet. My foot lever would stick open and I tried everything, new seal, lubricating, rubbing the seal, etc., I even tried talking to it, but nothing worked. Called them and explained my problem and in 5 minutes they were sending me a new toilet. It's installed and hopefully in a few weeks it will be serving us well. On the slide problem call Heartland - as it's been mentioned maybe a different dealer's service department can resolve the problem with Heartland's guidance. Don't give up on Heartland, calm, polite, persistent requests for help can accomplish your goal sometimes.

 

[remoandiris]

CW service mgr told me HL's initial instructions to fix the slide was to remove the interior trim, then hyper-extend the slide and move the rollers back 3". There isn't 3" of space to move the rollers so CW went back to HL and is waiting on further instructions.

When I initially contacted HL cust svc, I told the HL cust svc rep I preferred to take it to an indie shop I used for my previous coach. It is closer to me than the nearest CW. HL rep said take it to CW. After these items are repaired and if there is a next time it needs warranty work, HL will have to come up with a valid reason for me to take it to CW vs. the indie shop.

 

[GOTTOYS]

Re: Love affair beginning to wain

If you have the 300 series toilet, the easy fix for that seal is to just massage it back into position.
Whenever mine starts to leak I just put on a rubber glove or baggie, massage the seal back into position and call it good for a while.
I agree with alex00 in that CW should be able to adjust the slide.

Peace
Dave

i agree with Dave. Per the Dometic manual. I've done this several times and follow it with a pan of real hot water to help soften and set the seal. It works every time. Can't imagine what good smearing Vasoline will do. Often the answer to some of the problems we have can be found in the manual for that particular part...Don

 

[JohnDar]

Somewhere I did read about putting a THIN smear of petroleum jelly on the underside of the seal that the ball rides against. This was for the 210 toilet.

 

[olcoon]

Yep, you are supposed to put petroleum jelly on it. Back in May I replaced the seal on our Dometic 310 & the directions that came with it said to use either a silicon grease, or petroleum jelly on it.

 

[danemayer]

Petroleum Jelly is good, but it can only do so much. Reshaping the seal seems to do a lot more.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Im not sure what the rollers have to do with stopping the slide. There are adjustments on the slide ram and gears. I have adjusted mine and its not that hard. My thinking is that HL has paid them for the repair of the slide and the job was not done right. Now CW wants HL to pay again. Well that probably wont happen. HL now has to back charge CW or make them repair it for free. The problem with that is...CW is not a car dealer. There is a big difference between automobile manufactures and RV manufactures as how they can FORCE a dealer to do work. The auto industry tells the the dealers how and what they will pay and has dealer reps that yell, jump up and down on the owners and service managers of the dealer until the item is fixed correctly. I know GM will back charge a dealer for the parts, labor. The tech will be back charged what he was paid, the parts dept will have to EAT the cost of the parts used. A car not repaired right the first time can get ugly. Not so with RV dealers.

 

[remoandiris]

It appears the factory dorked up the installation of the roller under the stove during assembly. That is the problem. CW has done nothing with the slide. They are waiting on HL to tell them what to do to fix the problem.

Im not sure what the rollers have to do with stopping the slide. There are adjustments on the slide ram and gears. I have adjusted mine and its not that hard. My thinking is that HL has paid them for the repair of the slide and the job was not done right. Now CW wants HL to pay again. Well that probably wont happen. HL now has to back charge CW or make them repair it for free. The problem with that is...CW is not a car dealer. There is a big difference between automobile manufactures and RV manufactures as how they can FORCE a dealer to do work. The auto industry tells the the dealers how and what they will pay and has dealer reps that yell, jump up and down on the owners and service managers of the dealer until the item is fixed correctly. I know GM will back charge a dealer for the parts, labor. The tech will be back charged what he was paid, the parts dept will have to EAT the cost of the parts used. A car not repaired right the first time can get ugly. Not so with RV dealers.

 

[danemayer]

It appears the factory dorked up the installation of the roller under the stove during assembly. That is the problem. CW has done nothing with the slide. They are waiting on HL to tell them what to do to fix the problem.

The major problem, my kitchen slide extending too far, has yet to be correctly diagnosed as to why it is happening.

I looked at the pictures you posted in your original thread on this problem. Looks like the rollers may be mounted to the floor too far inboard, making them very visible when the slide is out. I don't think this means the slide is "extending too far." I'd guess the slide will have to come out at least a few inches and be supported from the outside in order to reposition the rollers. Maybe Camping World is waiting for authorization on that since it probably involves significant labor.

 

[remoandiris]

What you described is what HL told CW to do. CW looked and told HL there isn't enough room to move the rollers out. Now it is back to HL to come up with a different fix.

I looked at the pictures you posted in your original thread on this problem. Looks like the rollers may be mounted to the floor too far inboard, making them very visible when the slide is out. I don't think this means the slide is "extending too far." I'd guess the slide will have to come out at least a few inches and be supported from the outside in order to reposition the rollers. Maybe Camping World is waiting for authorization on that since it probably involves significant labor.

 

[Theresau]

Who is manufacturer of toilet? We try to deal with mfr directly if possible.

Our Dometic toilet was defective in the 2010 BH and Dometic sent a new one straight out..we just complained that it wasn't holding water.

The first one arrived cracked and they sent a new one overnight. We didn't work with HL or the dealer.

My love affair with my 2104 4000, as well as HL, is beginning to wain. The reason is the poor way HL is handling warranty issues with my 4 month old unit. I'm just venting. I know others here have had far worse issues with HL.

Even easy stuff, like the toilet bowl seal, is not easy with HL. HL claims I didn't perform required mx on the seal. Camping World slathered vaseline on the seal. Guess what...the seal has again failed to keep water in the bottom of the bowl. It is plain to see the seal has shifted position. Or the "flapper" has shifted position, one or the other. Vaseling ain't the fix!!!

Tomorrow I'll call CW again and let them know the "fix" HL told them to perform has failed. BTW, it was only 3 weeks from the last time I used the toilet until the next time when the seal failed. Sorry, but 3 weeks is NOT enough time for a seal to dry out and need lubed.

The major problem, my kitchen slide extending too far, has yet to be correctly diagnosed as to why it is happening. Yes, I am still using the coach. I'll bexxxx if I'll allow this poorly QC'd unit to sit idle while I make payments on it.

 

[remoandiris]

Thetford.

Who is manufacturer of toilet? We try to deal with mfr directly if possible.

Our Dometic toilet was defective in the 2010 BH and Dometic sent a new one straight out..we just complained that it wasn't holding water.

The first one arrived cracked and they sent a new one overnight. We didn't work with HL or the dealer.

 

[dave10a]

The major problem, my kitchen slide extending too far, has yet to be correctly diagnosed as to why it is happening. Yes, I am still using the coach. I'll bexxxx if I'll allow this poorly QC'd unit to sit idle while I make payments on it.

You should not need to do anything but expect the dealer to correct these problems under warranty. If you really want to create a hornets nest tell your lender that you will not make another payment until the warranties are properly honored and the problems properly corrected. Some lenders will put pressure on the responsible people like the dealer and manufacturer. BTY expecting solutions like this on this forum is not the place. It is ok to vent, but you will not get any sympathy here. You should really get demanding with the responsibly people who promised warranty...... Some times that is what it takes--- unfortunately. Another approach would be to write a letter to the edit at Trailer Life explaining your experience. They have been great at getting results for their readers from manufacturers and dealers.

 

[remoandiris]

As I stated in my initial post, I am just venting. I am not expecting solutions or sympathy. Yes, I expect the dealer to fix these items under warranty. I expect it to be done correctly and in a timely manner. It is quite possible the closest CW is simply the wrong dealer. They have failed to fix easy issues, band-aiding them instead of REALLY fixing them. I may have to circle back with HL cust svc and flat out tell them I will use the independent shop I wanted to use in the first place.

But, several of these problems should have been found/fixed prior to the unit leaving the factory. I have read negative comments about HL's QC. I didn't believe it. Well, I believe now.

You should not need to do anything but expect the dealer to correct these problems under warranty. If you really want to create a hornets nest tell your lender that you will not make another payment until the warranties are properly honored and the problems properly corrected. Some lenders will put pressure on the responsible people like the dealer and manufacturer. BTY expecting solutions like this on this forum is not the place. It is ok to vent, but you will not get any sympathy here. You should really get demanding with the responsibly people who promised warranty...... Some times that is what it takes--- unfortunately. Another approach would be to write a letter to the edit at Trailer Life explaining your experience. They have been great at getting results for their readers from manufacturers and dealers.

 

[kowAlski631]

Just a comment, I've read on other forums issues with quality control on all types of RVs - from Class As to pop-ups. I really don't think there's any manufacturer who builds a perfect RV. You just identify flaws & get them repaired. That's what we've done. HL is great when it comes to their customer service dept. They go above & beyond. JMHO

Merry Christmas!


Paul & Martha

Life's too short. Live so you can say "Remember when" not "I wish I had".