Oh so new and green

[ctaurie1]

The 2014 Forza WH is gas-only. I added a Hott-Rod to ours within first two weeks of ownership and it works great. We just turn the gas burner on during showers for quicker recovery times.

And... Welome to IRV2

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by TGarrett

Thanks to everyone who have commented, offered help, and have welcomed us to this forum and RV world. Not only are we new to this RV but I'm also new to this website which makes me "doubly green" so please bear with me. :-)

My husband (not me yet) has read about 75-90% of the manuals, is technically inclined, and can figure out a lot of technical stuff, but still, he is finding things that stump him, e.g. the "electric" water heater. To positively and finally settle that question, I plan to call Winnebago directly to hear what they say.

I'm sure with time and experience, we'll get the hang of this new toy and gain a much higher level of confidence, but for now, I'm totally overwhelmed and wondering why the heck we ever started down this road.

I'm listening to all the sage advice from you experienced RVers. :-)

Thanks again,
Thel (and Bob)
P.S. Finally found the TV control panel well hidden above the passenger's seat above the windshield. :-)

So, how are you folks doing? What is your status?

Rick Y

[TGarrett]

Originally Posted by jerichorick

So, how are you folks doing? What is your status?

Rick Y

Hello and thanks for checking on our status. Sad to say, we are NOT "happy campers." Our "new" 2014 Winnebago Forza 34 T has been at the C. W. dealer for 29 days for what we "thought" were relatively minor repairs. (Major issues we "think" were the bed control or control box that was broken and the front a/c control near the driver's seat would only operate on high and didn't seem to produce much cooling.) We haven't heard one word from the dealer since October 16, 2014 when we called them to see if it was ready for pick-up -- after they had had it for TEN days. We were told it was 90% done and they had "just now" received pre-approval to order a part and that they were in discussions with Winnebago to see what could be done about the a/c control. Other repair issues were not discussed.

Because we heard nothing from 10/16 to 10/27, and for other reasons, we wrote to the CEOs of Winnebago and Good Sam's C.W. (10/27) requesting a full refund.

Believe me when I say this isn't "buyers' remorse" -- it's just that we are fed up with the entire handling and run-a-round that we are getting. While we may not get our full refund (and I doubt we will), they and anyone we talk to will receive a lot of negative feedback for these companies.

As a seasoned RVer, do you have any suggestions? I'm aware that perhaps we should have called EVERY day as the "squeaky wheel get attention" but I figure every day they do not contact us just adds more to our case for a refund. I am completely dissatisfied and truly do not feel that I will ever enjoy this RV because of the way this experience has been.

Perhaps I was naive to think there would be service after the sell -- especially since the dealer knew there were things about it that needed to be addressed. I'm "old school" and believe that businesses should treat their customers in a more respectful manor if they wish to remain in business.

Thanks for listening.
Thel

[Kdsgone2dogs]

We've been in your shoes...but not with Winnebago. Camping Worlds are different and if you are not satisfied with one, try another. Doubt seriously that you will get that refund, but I would be on the phone with Winnebago everyday if I had to.
Also, make sure that everything is well documented...especially when it concerns the engine/transmission...well anything about the MH that runs it, but not the house...like Ford,etc. This way you may be covered under the Florida Lemon Law...look it up. We actually used the Lemon Law on a vehicle and won.
I feel your frustration and pain...not fun and takes the fun out of RVing. BUT, when we went thru this, we took our rig to the manufacturer, things were repaired (and many things we hadn't found yet) and from then on, we had great experiences with little to no problems.
I'm very sorry you're going thru this. Please keep us posted on outcome.
Andi

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by TGarrett

Hello and thanks for checking on our status. Sad to say, we are NOT "happy campers." Our "new" 2014 Winnebago Forza 34 T has been at the C. W. dealer for 29 days for what we "thought" were relatively minor repairs. (Major issues we "think" were the bed control or control box that was broken and the front a/c control near the driver's seat would only operate on high and didn't seem to produce much cooling.) We haven't heard one word from the dealer since October 16, 2014 when we called them to see if it was ready for pick-up -- after they had had it for TEN days. We were told it was 90% done and they had "just now" received pre-approval to order a part and that they were in discussions with Winnebago to see what could be done about the a/c control. Other repair issues were not discussed.

Because we heard nothing from 10/16 to 10/27, and for other reasons, we wrote to the CEOs of Winnebago and Good Sam's C.W. (10/27) requesting a full refund.

Believe me when I say this isn't "buyers' remorse" -- it's just that we are fed up with the entire handling and run-a-round that we are getting. While we may not get our full refund (and I doubt we will), they and anyone we talk to will receive a lot of negative feedback for these companies.

As a seasoned RVer, do you have any suggestions? I'm aware that perhaps we should have called EVERY day as the "squeaky wheel get attention" but I figure every day they do not contact us just adds more to our case for a refund. I am completely dissatisfied and truly do not feel that I will ever enjoy this RV because of the way this experience has been.

Perhaps I was naive to think there would be service after the sell -- especially since the dealer knew there were things about it that needed to be addressed. I'm "old school" and believe that businesses should treat their customers in a more respectful manor if they wish to remain in business.

Thanks for listening.
Thel

This is a NEW coach? If so, you are paying for what??? CW has a very bad reputation in general all across the country. But, then, most RV dealer service centers are not much to brag about.

If you are having trouble with the automotive A/C I suggest that you go to a automotive A/C shop that will work on coaches. As far as the bed goes, contact the manufacture of the bed and see what they will do for you. And have them contact Winnebago for warranty coverage issues.

I am so sorry that your first experience with dealing with coach problems is turning out so typical. I have read on this forum good reports for certain repair centers. But the good reports are too often forgotten because of the overwhelming number of reports like yours.

I feel Winnebago has room to improve on there pre-shipment QC procedures. But they are also bashed when a vender product fails. Winnebago builds the body. Some other company build the stuff that makes it a RV, like you bed and A/C. If Winnebago can do a better job getting a clean and securely built product out the door these other problems would not seem so bad. The sum total of problems magnifies our bad experiences.

I hope your letters get some positive action. A trip to Forest City in the spring and even the GNR in July might be a good way to go.

Hope to get some good news from you soon.

Rick Y

[TGarrett]

Originally Posted by jerichorick

This is a NEW coach? If so, you are paying for what??? CW has a very bad reputation in general all across the country. But, then, most RV dealer service centers are not much to brag about.

If you are having trouble with the automotive A/C I suggest that you go to a automotive A/C shop that will work on coaches. As far as the bed goes, contact the manufacture of the bed and see what they will do for you. And have them contact Winnebago for warranty coverage issues.

I am so sorry that your first experience with dealing with coach problems is turning out so typical. I have read on this forum good reports for certain repair centers. But the good reports are too often forgotten because of the overwhelming number of reports like yours.

I feel Winnebago has room to improve on there pre-shipment QC procedures. But they are also bashed when a vender product fails. Winnebago builds the body. Some other company build the stuff that makes it a RV, like you bed and A/C. If Winnebago can do a better job getting a clean and securely built product out the door these other problems would not seem so bad. The sum total of problems magnifies our bad experiences.

I hope your letters get some positive action. A trip to Forest City in the spring and even the GNR in July might be a good way to go.

Hope to get some good news from you soon.

Rick Y

Hi Rick,

Yes, this is a NEW Winnebago Forza 34 T. Had we bought pre-owned, I would have expected some repairs and out-of-pocket expenditures. As a new coach, I naively expected that anything found wrong with it would be repaired either by the dealer or under warranty. Today is the 31st day the dealer has held the RV "hostage." Today is the tenth day since I mailed letters to the CEOs of Winnebago and Good Sam's. We have heard nothing from them. We haven't heard anything from the dealer since I called them on 10/16 to pick up the RV and was told they had just gotten pre-approval to order a part but that 90% of the other work had been done. This whole transaction blows my mind.

The A/C issues should be addressed under warranty as should the bed since the RV is new. There are other issues as well. I may give the CEO's a couple more days to see if they contact us and when they don't, I will begin calling. Hopefully, I can track down appropriate phone numbers.

I really did try to research dealers and C.W. here seemed to be better than others I checked. AND I thought since C.W. is everywhere, that maintenance, etc. would be more convenient.

Thank you for listening and for your suggestions. I'd love to take it to Forest City but my husband doesn't retire until July and he doesn't have the time off to make that trip now.

Thel

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by TGarrett

Hi Rick,

Yes, this is a NEW Winnebago Forza 34 T. Had we bought pre-owned, I would have expected some repairs and out-of-pocket expenditures. As a new coach, I naively expected that anything found wrong with it would be repaired either by the dealer or under warranty. Today is the 31st day the dealer has held the RV "hostage." Today is the tenth day since I mailed letters to the CEOs of Winnebago and Good Sam's. We have heard nothing from them. We haven't heard anything from the dealer since I called them on 10/16 to pick up the RV and was told they had just gotten pre-approval to order a part but that 90% of the other work had been done. This whole transaction blows my mind.

The A/C issues should be addressed under warranty as should the bed since the RV is new. There are other issues as well. I may give the CEO's a couple more days to see if they contact us and when they don't, I will begin calling. Hopefully, I can track down appropriate phone numbers.

I really did try to research dealers and C.W. here seemed to be better than others I checked. AND I thought since C.W. is everywhere, that maintenance, etc. would be more convenient.

Thank you for listening and for your suggestions. I'd love to take it to Forest City but my husband doesn't retire until July and he doesn't have the time off to make that trip now.

Thel

Thel, make your appointment with FC now. Once that is done any problems you have with the coach between now and when you arrive at FC are covered even if the warranty period is ended. If you are not yet a WIT club member join soon. The Grand National Rally in Forest City is a great event in many ways. I truly want to make it in a year or two. At least look into what I suggest.

I do hope you get some results from you letter writing efforts. I have not read good thing by other members on this forum who have attempted this. But, in the dark of the meeting room in some far obscure corner of Winnebago your unanswered letter could be getting some attention along with the other writers. We can only hope.

Thanks for keeping us posted.

Rick Y

[oakcreekeric]

TGarrett...

So sorry to hear of your situation..

Couple pieces of advice I can give..

1. Contact Winnebago IMMEDIATELY - Chances of you getting a meaningful response via email is highly unlikely... Call and talk to a human being... and make sure you DOCUMENT everything (date, name & subject matter).. Personally, once I got in touch with someone.. I asked for their email address and I send an email to "recap" our conversation.. That way I have it time/date stamped on the email...
2. Go to Camping World and "camp out" if necessary to push them along.. I get the feeling from all the threads on this forum I have read, CW tends to use the "firemans" approach.. in other words, they go to the "hottest" customer, not the one that has been patiently waiting.. I think they may be taking advantage of your patients..
3. If you are not satisfied with the way/speed CW is handling your problems, take the RV from them and go to anther warranty/repair center. I would bet the person you speak with at Winnebago will be able to point you to anther place.
4. Finally... as hard as this is to do... RELAX !!! You will be camping in no time and all this will be a distant memory and you may, at some point, laugh about the experience.

I followed these easy steps and was able to get everything done on my RV. While I didn't have anything overly serious wrong, it was serious to me.. In fact, armed with all the information above, I was able to have a laundry list of items handle by the factory repair center in Forest City just over a month ago... mind you I was well over a year outside my warranty period...

The downside to buying new is dealing with the "shake out" of all the problems from the manufacturer.... the upside... it's free, if everything is "shook out" by the end of the first year..

Keep in mind... you have to be the strongest advocate for your repairs under warranty.. Unfortunately, a place like CW is NOT going to give you the same type of customer service you got prior to signing on the dotted line and handing over the check.. once that is done.. you're just another customer.. sad to say.. but oh so true.. and not only with CW, but many dealers..

So... get in a comfy chair, have a pad & paper handy and make sure the battery on the phone is fully charged and call 641-585-3535 and ask to speak with someone about your BRAND NEW RV that is having problems.

Good luck and God Bless !!

[mel s]

Originally Posted by ctaurie1

The 2014 Forza WH is gas-only. I added a Hott-Rod to ours within first two weeks of ownership and it works great. We just turn the gas burner on during showers for quicker recovery times.

ctaurie1
Are you aware that adding a Hott-Rod, (or any other "electric heating element"), is often NOT recommended by the manufacturer of RV "gas-only" water heaters?
(Check the owner's manual for your particular WH).
Mel
'96 Safari

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by oakcreekeric

TGarrett...

So sorry to hear of your situation..

Couple pieces of advice I can give..

1. Contact Winnebago IMMEDIATELY - Chances of you getting a meaningful response via email is highly unlikely... Call and talk to a human being... and make sure you DOCUMENT everything (date, name & subject matter).. Personally, once I got in touch with someone.. I asked for their email address and I send an email to "recap" our conversation.. That way I have it time/date stamped on the email...
2. Go to Camping World and "camp out" if necessary to push them along.. I get the feeling from all the threads on this forum I have read, CW tends to use the "firemans" approach.. in other words, they go to the "hottest" customer, not the one that has been patiently waiting.. I think they may be taking advantage of your patients..
3. If you are not satisfied with the way/speed CW is handling your problems, take the RV from them and go to anther warranty/repair center. I would bet the person you speak with at Winnebago will be able to point you to anther place.
4. Finally... as hard as this is to do... RELAX !!! You will be camping in no time and all this will be a distant memory and you may, at some point, laugh about the experience.

I followed these easy steps and was able to get everything done on my RV. While I didn't have anything overly serious wrong, it was serious to me.. In fact, armed with all the information above, I was able to have a laundry list of items handle by the factory repair center in Forest City just over a month ago... mind you I was well over a year outside my warranty period...

The downside to buying new is dealing with the "shake out" of all the problems from the manufacturer.... the upside... it's free, if everything is "shook out" by the end of the first year..

Keep in mind... you have to be the strongest advocate for your repairs under warranty.. Unfortunately, a place like CW is NOT going to give you the same type of customer service you got prior to signing on the dotted line and handing over the check.. once that is done.. you're just another customer.. sad to say.. but oh so true.. and not only with CW, but many dealers..

So... get in a comfy chair, have a pad & paper handy and make sure the battery on the phone is fully charged and call 641-585-3535 and ask to speak with someone about your BRAND NEW RV that is having problems.

Good luck and God Bless !!

Well stated!

[TGarrett]

First, I truly want to thank all of you nice folks for responding to my posts with such good advice. Here is my promised update.

Today is the 40th day C. W. has had our new MH. On 11/8 we went to CW and talked with the General Manager and three service people --two of whom had been "brought in from another state to get the service department into shape." We were told that personnel problems were the cause of our MH being "lost" in the system, etc. and that three employees had been fired. We have since learned that our service rep was not fired so we don't know what the problem was. Did it really take this long to get Winnebago and the manufacturer of the bed and a/c control to agree to do the warranty work? I don't know.

In my last post, I mentioned writing to the CEOs of Winnebago and Camping World. While we have not heard directly from either, the General Manager at C.W. mentioned that "corporate" had informed him of our letter. Therefore, writing the CEO DID get someone's attention, but apparently not enough to make the GM call us before our visit to see him.

We left the MH again this week to have some touch-up paint applied to some chips. Because we were misled to think that the water heater had a dual switch (and I'm sure partly to appease us), the GM volunteered to have a Hott Rod installed complimentary. I suspect this would not have been the case had we not written a letter of complaint.

Am I happy? Absolutely not. But I think it would take a lot more than poor service and "losing" our MH to get a refund. When my husband called yesterday to check the status, the Hott Rod had not been installed but was supposed to be installed today and we should be able to get our MH tomorrow.

Best wishes,
Thel (and Bob)

[JohnRR]

Originally Posted by TGarrett

we should be able to get our MH tomorrow.

Best wishes,
Thel (and Bob)

Let's keep our fingers crossed but not get the hopes up too high

[JBP]

My Itasca Meridan had it on the panel with all of the other switches. You can call Winnebago and they should be able to tell you.
Remember that your Winnebago diesel Heat the hot water with the heat from the engine. When we were stopped I would use the LP heat for the hot water. I almost never used my electric heat in my Meridian.
Walcome you will love your Winnebago coach.

[oakcreekeric]

Great news and congratulations...

Just remember... You have to stay on top of those people like stink on sh-t...

I hope the good times are just around the corner for you !!!

[JBP]

Just look on line and the Winne Forza does not have an electric hot water heater. It has electric ignition for the LP gas hot water heater. But like I said earlier you probably will not miss it. I very seldom used ours.
My wife never indicated that we were short on hot water. I really like the engine heating the hot water. When we stopped for luch or for the night the ater as already hot. The LP did not have to heat it up.

[OLD1SGT]

One one of our motor homes the switch for the electric hot water heater was on the front of the water heater. You had to open the outside cover to access the switch.

[jerichorick]

Thel, Your gasser is differently set up than the DP's. We have a three way water heater. Your electrical system may not be considered heavy enough to carry the water heater on a full time basis and that may be why it was not installed with one. Or, it may be just another way to cut costs. Who knows.

It is interesting how many folks DON'T use the electric option all of the time. We try to avoid frequent propane fill ups so we use propane for the stove only and boost the water heater with gas if need be, which is rare.

I do hope CW comes through for you in the end. Employes fired? I wonder for what.

We all look forward to 'the rest of the story'.

Rick Y

[ChasA]

Rick,
The Forza is a DP and is 50 amp.

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by ChasA

Rick,
The Forza is a DP and is 50 amp.

. I really goofed on this one. Should have read the brochure .

[Gordon Dewald]

I have heard many wonderful things about the service at the Winnebago factory. You may want to arrange for warranty work with them.

While we were at Lichtsinn for some work we went to the factory for the tour. There were numerous MH there for service. Winnebago provides plug ins for overnight stays, a dump site across the road with water.

Apparently each morning the tech would come out to pick up the MH and return it in the early afternoon for that nights stay.

We are extremely happy with the service at Lichtsinn. They provided electric hook ups, dumped the tanks for us and filled the water. One of our issues was with a leak in the leveling system by the pump. Tech did not like the sound of the jacks so Lippert rep at the factory was called. Rep agreed so jacks were replaced. Winnebago pulled new jacks out of production line as they did not have stock in parts. On the road the next day.