New winnie

shpstw · 03-28-2011, 04:32 AM

hi, was wondering if I purchase a new winnebago out of state can my local dealer do all the repairs even down to little things like loose molding with no charge during warranty period? Thanks

Route 66 · 03-28-2011, 05:01 AM

Yes he can.....BUT, some dealers will not do warranty work if you did not buy from them.

Some dealers will do the work but put you at the end of a long line after their own customers and some will do the work.

Each dealer is different.

Starfire5 · 03-28-2011, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Route 66

Some dealers will do the work but put you at the end of a long line after their own customers and some will do the work.

Boy, I found THAT out recently! I called La Mesa in February to see if I could get our Winnebago dewinterized after we bought it in Chicago from Camping World. They told me they could do it in JUNE!!! And they were NOT friendly about it either! Pfffft. See if I ever call them again for service!

Doug Sage · 03-28-2011, 08:12 AM

I agree with the posters above but would add that they are sometimes better with major problems if you are traveling. This doesn't help with the little trim issues, etc. however.

John Hilley · 03-28-2011, 10:07 AM

I can't understand why dealers do this. If they get payed by Winnebago what difference does it make. I would think that Winnebago would require them to do it in a timely manner, especially if one is traveling.

hoppers4 · 03-28-2011, 10:15 AM

I suspect dealers do it because they get short changed for doing Warranty work. They make more on non-warranty work. All comes down to the bottom line.
Call the dealer that's closest to you and ask that specific question. Find out if they will do warranty work for you if you didn't purchase from them. IMO it would help their bottom line because you would also go back to them after the warranty period is up.

Bjsrv · 03-28-2011, 10:29 AM

Most dealers make their money on sales and are lucky if they break even on service.
Those that can make money on service are lucky because they have a service manager who knows what kind of jobs will pay them correctly. Many times it will take a service tech more time to complete a job than a warranty company will pay. That turns the job into a money loss for the owner of the dealership.
Most dealers work on only rigs they sold. It is usually an unwritten rule.

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zippo · 03-28-2011, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shpstw

hi, was wondering if I purchase a new winnebago out of state can my local dealer do all the repairs even down to little things like loose molding with no charge during warranty period? Thanks

I won't bet on a non selling dealer doing any small repairs under warranty. Our dealers service manager told me Winnebago has tighten up the purse strings when it comes to adjustments and some small repairs under warranty. The dealer now has to eat them on his dime.

Yorker · 04-02-2011, 02:01 PM

I tried to get Mesa in Sanford, Fl to fix a leak while we are here in FL. They could fit me in if I would wait a month. What are you supposed to do on the road?

Five2o · 04-02-2011, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shpstw

hi, was wondering if I purchase a new winnebago out of state can my local dealer do all the repairs even down to little things like loose molding with no charge during warranty period? Thanks

Talk to Winnebago about which company near you they prefer to get to do your warranty work. It doesn't need to be an RV dealer.

FleetMan · 04-02-2011, 06:52 PM

Remember you do not have to go to a Winnebago dealer for warranty work on the appliances and such. There is a network of authorized repair dealers for things like the air conditioner, water heater, refrigerator, etc. Usually you get quicker service if you make an appointment with one of them after calling the component manufacturer for authorization. My selling dealer is about 100 miles away. HWH authorized a jack replacement by Camper World which is about 20 miles away, I had recall work done on the basement air done by a local RV upgrade company which is a Coleman authorized repair center, on the road, I had Atwood hot water heater work done by an authorized repair center in Minot, ND. Don't feel trapped into having non-Winnebago warranty work done by an unfriendly Winnebago dealer.

swyates · 04-04-2011, 06:49 AM

I guess it depends on the dealer. We bought out of state and never had issues getting warranty work done at other dealers both here and while on the road. We may get scheduled after their customers but I've never really noticed it. And I definitely think they service new sales first, but we've always gotten out MH back when promised.

SF Bob · 04-05-2011, 02:44 AM

Fleetman has hit the nail on the head! The big companies (e.g. La Mesa) are so backed up during "high season" that it is a six week wait to get in -- even if you bought from them. Independent service people can do warranty work. It's a good idea to get prior authorization from mfgr. I worked directly with Winnebago on a problem and they were very clear about what I could and could not do. They actually had the repairman call in for additional assistance.

Yorker · 04-05-2011, 08:44 AM

Winnebago service at Forest City is outstanding if you can get there.
Warranty stations may not be anymore convenient than other dealers, at least that was my experience with the Norcold recall.
You will be told that Winnebago will only pay a certain amount for repairs by non-dealers and you will have to pay the rest. They will not pay the service charge for mobile repairs.
Having said that, it's probably the same or worse what ever you buy.

Pusherman · 04-05-2011, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FleetMan

Remember you do not have to go to a Winnebago dealer for warranty work on the appliances and such. There is a network of authorized repair dealers for things like the air conditioner, water heater, refrigerator, etc. Usually you get quicker service if you make an appointment with one of them after calling the component manufacturer for authorization. My selling dealer is about 100 miles away. HWH authorized a jack replacement by Camper World which is about 20 miles away, I had recall work done on the basement air done by a local RV upgrade company which is a Coleman authorized repair center, on the road, I had Atwood hot water heater work done by an authorized repair center in Minot, ND. Don't feel trapped into having non-Winnebago warranty work done by an unfriendly Winnebago dealer.

Good advice. Even if a service center is not a Winnie dealer, they can do warranty work on all the major appliances and systems, including honoring extended service contracts. Call and ask if they can deal with your service issues under manufacturer's warranty or extended service contract.

AFChap · 04-05-2011, 07:49 PM

Our MH didn't make it back to the selling dealer until we had owned it 3 or 4 years. We've had it in to Winnie dealers all over the country and never been told they would not schedule us, and has always been able to work out a date to take it in that worked for us. After the initial warranty items were taken care of (some took several years to get done right), I have normally fixed anything I can fix myself because I can/will normally do a better job than the dealer service techs do. If a specific brand name item needs repair I will find a trained/authorized service location on that mfger's website (Norcold, RVP, etc) that may not be a Winnie dealer. I've even found some mobile repair companies around the country that do good work.

Traps90 · 04-06-2011, 10:03 AM

I've gotten to the point that I trust mobile rv repair people a lot more than most dealers. Since most of the work I've had done at dealers so far hasn't been all that impressive.

One of the things we are seriously considering is making a trip back to the factory before out warranty expires, to have them take care of the final list.

Most of the dealers around here just don;t have enough good techs or they don't pay enough to have good techs.

I now try to do as much as possible on my own.

Trap

shpstw · 04-07-2011, 04:46 AM

I so agree with you about the techs. We traded a 2011coach for this Winnie just because we were so aggravated by the service shop . It was a 2 hr drive for us and when we got there most things were not corrected properly. Hopefully well have better luck now.

Yorker · 04-07-2011, 01:55 PM

Since I mentioned that I was frustrated by Mesa in Florida, I would like to give kudos to Sun Coast in Fla. We went to shops in Jax and Ocala and were impressed by both. It may be the luck of the draw but things turn out great as much as there are problems.

Any day in an RV is better than a day at work.