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Old 03-20-2010, 04:11 PM   #21
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Is this issue unique to Winnebago or is this across the board for any brand motor home? I had a Monaco prior to this and took any problems to a service center of which there were several across the country. I always had good service there and my opinion was that Monaco had the right approach to taking the service issue back in house. The problem was I needed that Monaco's service to often and for my next coach I opted for the Itasca as it seemed to have a better build quality, which it turned out it did so far.
I have received excellent service at Forest City as well and would go back there in a heart beat if it wasn't for the distance. So Forest City for me is reserved for really major problems. Most of the problems I have experienced, I have been able to take care of my self thank goodness.
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Old 03-20-2010, 04:18 PM   #22
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I would expect customers that purchased at a dealer to get preferential treatment.

Having said that, and especially if off-warranty, my money is the same color as theirs.

Most importantly, and what is often forgotten... the issue is less "where did I buy my current RV" and more "where will I buy the next one?"

Any salesman can sell me something... it's good service that brings me back regardless if it's an RV, a car, a airline, a plumber or whatever. The smart dealerships give me a reason to return for that future purchase, not punish me for the last one.

Plus, perhaps there's a reason I there now, like I am dissatisfied with the old dealer... an opportunity to steal a customer from the competition is a thing of beauty in the business world.

Been lucky so far...
Good points

But, Winnebago obviously has a problem with more than a couple of dealers. Why would anyone buy from them if they can not travel knowing they can get service anywhere.

If I were Winnebago or any brand I would give Price discounts on MHs to dealers providing better service and keep increasing the discounts until the bad dealers were out of business. Leaving customers in the lurch and harming a brands reputation can not be good for business.
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Old 03-20-2010, 04:52 PM   #23
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Good points

But, Winnebago obviously has a problem with more than a couple of dealers. Why would anyone buy from them if they can not travel knowing they can get service anywhere.

If I were Winnebago or any brand I would give Price discounts on MHs to dealers providing better service and keep increasing the discounts until the bad dealers were out of business. Leaving customers in the lurch and harming a brands reputation can not be good for business.



Unfortunately what you propose is illegal under state and federal franchise laws. The problem is with all RV manufacturers in their sales agreements with dealers. These contracts are just that " Sales Contracts " , the subject of service is only addressed as to how the manufacturer will reimburse a dealer for warranty repairs. No RV manufacturer makes a dealer sign a " Sales and Service Agreement " like the automobile manufacturers do, and they don't verify compliance like the automobile manufacturers. So the dealers have no LEGAL obligation to perform warranty repairs in a timely manner and can even refuse to perform warranty repairs on a unit they did not sell.
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Old 03-20-2010, 08:22 PM   #24
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I read these strories all the time and only shudder to think it is going to happen to me some day. Right now I can't say enough good about my local dealer. To my knowlege they don't discriminate. Their mechanic that works on Winnebago MH's is outstanding. I guess I am lucky since I am only three miles away.
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Old 03-21-2010, 04:07 AM   #25
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The problem at many of the dealers is the technicians. They simply can't get them. I'm sure as a business man they want to serve everyone, but if they did their local loyal customers would never get served. I do not like the question "Did you buy it from us?" yet take a look at the facility and see the # of bays and how many techs they have and you may get your answer. YES, service is a problem...Good Miles
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Old 03-21-2010, 07:56 AM   #26
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The problem is with all RV manufacturers in their sales agreements with dealers. These contracts are just that " Sales Contracts " , the subject of service is only addressed as to how the manufacturer will reimburse a dealer for warranty repairs. No RV manufacturer makes a dealer sign a " Sales and Service Agreement " like the automobile manufacturers do, and they don't verify compliance like the automobile manufacturers. So the dealers have no LEGAL obligation to perform warranty repairs in a timely manner and can even refuse to perform warranty repairs on a unit they did not sell.
I see this as one of the larger problems in the industry, but the manufacturers generally don't have the clout to lay any requirements on the dealers. If they demand very much, the dealer simply refuses to carry their products and sells something else instead. Lots of competition in the RV market and very little brand loyalty from buyers, so dealers won't kow-tow to the manufacturer in order to carry his product line.

Almost no RV manufacturer has had the courage to try to establish a brand reputation for quality & service and require strict adherence by their dealers. The ones that do want to do this have ended up going the factory direct route, e.g. Lazy Days, Born Free, & New Horizon, presumably because the RV dealer community just isn't up to it in most cases.

One would think that a popular product like Winnebago would be desirable enough that dealers would be willing to pay a price to carry the product line, but either that is not the case or Winnie lacks the intestinal fortitude to insist on it. And with such poor sales in the current economy, it isn't likely to change any time soon. It's not just Winnie either - other top brands have the same lack.
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Old 03-21-2010, 08:11 AM   #27
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The problem at many of the dealers is the technicians. They simply can't get them.
When I worked at an RV dealership, they let their best technician walk out the door rather than pay him another $.50 per hour. Guess how many $$$ they lost in repair business when Bubba left. So there may be another side of the story of the limited number of technicians at many dealerships.
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Old 03-21-2010, 08:16 AM   #28
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Update -- I found out that is the owner's 'company policy'. You don't buy from us, you don't get prompt service -- 3-4 months . This is a new Winnebago dealer who previously stocked Coachmen products.
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Old 03-26-2010, 03:52 PM   #29
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Motorhome repair

When I was in the market for a MH in 2006, I found the coach I really wanted but the local owner didn't really want to talk to me. Guess he thought I was a lookey lou. Ended up purchasing at the Pomona, CA RV show - got a newer coach and a much, much better price. However, that local owner stipulated that if I bought a coach from him, I would have preferencial service treatment BUT if I purchased elsewhere, the wait would be whenever - 3-4 months possibly. He was a Monaco dealer and I purchased a Holiday Rambler which is still a Monaco product. I never took my MH to him for repair/warranty but took it to a local RV repair. He not only lost out on a good sale but the service as well. That dealership is now out of business of sales and service and I can see why. Of course, we know what happened to Monaco. To this day I still use the local RV repair shop. They do keep the coach for sometimes 2+ weeks but the work gets done.

Now I'm considering a Winnebago Vectra or Journey - will see which is easier to deal with. One is used the other is new. And, I'll probably still use the local RV repair place. There aren't any dealers in the area and very few RV repair places.

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Old 03-26-2010, 05:01 PM   #30
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I asked the local Winne service center about their policy, they stated "we will service any RV no matter where you bought it, work is work". Sorry to say they closed up shop in December due to the recession.

Most of their former employees have gone out on their own. Two opened an RV parts business, 2 went into mobile RV repairs, 1 opened an RV body shop, and 1 is now doing RV carpenter work. They all seem to be keeping busy, maybe due to the reduced per hour labor charge.
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Old 03-27-2010, 06:44 AM   #31
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American RV just south of Memphis in Mississippi is not one of "those" dealers. When we moved to Tennessee, I brought my old coach to them for some work. They didn't sell that brand, but got me right in and did some great work for a moderate price. I then proceeded to buy a new Vectra at the Perry FMCA Convention in Georgia last year (and not from American RV). American RV is a Winnebago dealer, but they have always gone out of their way to get me in right away and take care of all those little new coach issues. They couldn't treat me any better than they do now and they certainly knew I didn't buy my coach from them. I only mention them because they are the exception and not the rule. Anyone ever needing some Winnebago service in the Memphis area, please give them a call - they're awesome.
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Old 03-27-2010, 06:49 AM   #32
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Thanks Jim -- made a note of American RV and we will definitely visit them if we require RV service/supplies while in that area. We have a son in Southaven so we're in the area frequently.
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Old 03-27-2010, 07:45 AM   #33
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John - They're in Olive Branch at the intersection of 78 and Craft Road. 662-893-3040.
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Old 03-27-2010, 07:55 AM   #34
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Got it -- Southaven, Olive Branch, etc., they are all clustered togther. Our son is a professional boxing promoter/manager based in that area.
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Old 03-27-2010, 08:41 AM   #35
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Same issue with our 2005 Horizon with a 3 month wait together in for service while under warranty. Fridge door fell off (hinge broke) Norcold would only provide parts to dealers and dealer would not take us in for 3 months beccause we didn't buy it there.
That's service extortion! Just give me the part for crying out loud, I'll install it myself! When a dealer is being this unreasonable, I always ask them if they are familiar with this site. Then I tell them I post here often, always the truth, always exactly what happened, then I tell them I'm posting exactly what happened here, and promise to send them a link to my post.

It has actually worked out well on two different situations!
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Old 03-27-2010, 11:09 AM   #36
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Never could understand how or why these RV dealerships will want to keep a coach setting around in their lot for several weeks just to do a few hours work on it. The work can't be anymore complicated that an engine or transmission overhaul on a car, and that doesn't take weeks to do. I know some of them may be understaffed and behind on appointments but why make the appointment for weeks ahead of when they can get to it. Guess they know if they can get you behind their fence you won't be taking it somewhere else for the repair.

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Old 03-27-2010, 11:14 AM   #37
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I was told the reason for most delays is waiting for parts. They diagnose the problem, order the parts, wait for the parts to arrive, and then fit it back in the schedule for parts installation.
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Old 04-04-2010, 09:40 AM   #38
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It's the Local Dealer

We've never had a problem when actually traveling. It's at home. We moved from Atlanta to Nashville about the exact time we were buying our Adventurer. We'd been shopping at Bleakley for about 4 years and finally were ready to buy. We knew we'd be in Nashville a couple of months later, so we priced the same MH at both Bleakley and the Nashville dealer. Bleakley was $9000 less. The local guy even told us that he didn't believe that Bleakley would stand by the price quoted. The local guy was wrong; Bleakley not only stood by the price quoted, he even reduced it about $200 when he found that a particular option had been reduced by the factory.

A few months after moving to Nashville, we had a problem and called the local dealer. He told us he "might" be able to get the MH in for service in 6 months or so. Maybe he remembered us. Since then, we've had thousands of dollars of work done, mostly out of warranty, and we won't go near this dealer. Nor will we recommend him, nor purchase parts or accessories from him.

This attitude seems extremely short-sighted to us. If he truly couldn't match the $9000 price differential, or even come close, he isn't going to grow volume by ensuring that even one local buyer will avoid him like the plague. He would have been far better off to tell us that he couldn't match the price as he is much smaller than Bleakley, but that he'd like our other business in the future. If warranty work pays very poorly--shame on WI--then he could have told us as much and said that he has to take more profitable work first unless it is for his own buyers. We wouldn't have liked it, but we'd have understood that he wasn't just being spiteful.
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Old 04-04-2010, 09:50 AM   #39
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It is the Parts

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I was told the reason for most delays is waiting for parts. They diagnose the problem, order the parts, wait for the parts to arrive, and then fit it back in the schedule for parts installation.
The problem, even at the largest dealerships we've spoken with, is that the techs do their own follow-up on ordered parts. This seems to be the weakest link in the whole process. And, of course, if a particular tech leaves or takes vacation, the coach will sit and wait until somebody notices. Auto parts are generally available locally, or at most within a couple of days. And the largest auto dealers have expediters to follow up on ordered parts.

I've often thought that a smart entrepreneur could make a fortune setting up a well-run repair facility on a major interstate simply by hiring an expediter in addition to the techs. I know from ordering parts for us to install ourselves, that it rarely takes more than a couple of days for a part to arrive. I imagine that the common system of having a tech work a single coach until a stopping point is reached means that parts arrive for the coach he worked yesterday and nobody notices.
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Old 04-05-2010, 06:03 PM   #40
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Just wanted to chime in here.....I bought two winnebago's from General RV in Michigan. My Vectra was purchased from a dealer in Mass. because there where none available in Michigan and it was going to take months to get one......long story short, I took my vectra in for some service and they where great!!! Got me in to the shop in a week from my call and had the work done 2 days later.

I also went to Cullum & Maxey while on our trip to florida (they are in Nashville). They couldn't have been nicer and they did a great job fixing my water heater. I did call about 2 weeks out and let them know I would be passing thru for a couple of days and they got me in early in the morning and had it fixed by afternoon in time to check into the KOA.

I have had dealers ask me the question "did you purchase the coach here" and my response is not this one but I was considering your dealer for my next coach purchase! Just wanted to say that SOME dealers are pretty darn good.....and some, not so much.
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