Trying to help my parents who are "stuck" in Florida...

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I would also be very worried about the wiring.  Any copper wiring that has been subjected to salt water intrusion will corrode and become brittle and eventually have conductivity issues.  Their best bet is to be able to return the unit for a refund or replacement.
 
Another source for reports on vehicles transactions is  using VIN numbers. Try www.analogx.com/contents/vinview.htm or www.verifyvin.com. These should give data on accidents, junk or salvage reports, flood or fire reports, odometer info, lemons and even if there is a current lien on the RV.
Whalewatcher15
 
The question that needs to be answered, probably by the manufacturer, is where was the MH from September 06 to March of 07??  I susp0ect that was the time of exposure and since it was probably owned by a dealer, it was not recorded anywhere.  :-((  The dealer can tell you, if they will, where they got the MH.  It will take a lot of detective work to find out the truth if it is even possible.
 
Very interesting.  Another member gave me the idea of mapping Elkhart, IN to Lakewood, NJ where the RV was purchased and Google Maps yields a distance of 710 miles.  Which only leaves ~90 miles.

The plot is very thick and there are lots of questions to be answered.  I don't know 100% for sure that it was salt water that was in the differential.  I just know that my father said it was salt water and he is a very meticulous person.  I also don't know if they saved any of the liquid that originally came out of the mechanicals.

Mom and Dad are at Disney World now (in the van provided by the dealership that is repairing the MH) and I think they are having a bit of fun... which they hadn't been having much of recently... so I haven't been peppering them with questions.  I'll get back on the case soon.

Will be asking if they are saving any parts and if they have any of the fluid that game out.  Maybe it just poured out on the floor of the shop and that was it??

Thanks again so much.  All suggestions and thoughts have been very much appreciated.

Scott
 
Parents have not left Florida yet.  After parts of the differential and transmission were replaced by a Ford dealer in Homestead my parents were finally released yesterday (3/8/08) to go on their way.  Well... they made it 5 hours up the road before what my dad says were the same symptoms as the first problem happened...  grinding noises in the area of the differential.  Ford had given them some kind of "hot line" to call so they called and were advised not to drive any further.  The MH was then flat-bedded (along with my parents) to another Ford dealership outside where they are likely to make the same repairs that were just made in Homestead.

That is all for now...  the saga continues.

Scott
 
I'm not too knowledgeable about this, but I do remember something about being able to trace the registration of the unit, either by registration and/or VIN's.  At the time of Katrina, there was alot of publicity about damaged units being re-sold but I can't remember all the details.

Your folks insurance carrier might have some information.....

But, I agree with other posters - an attorney may be their best bet - although their immediate issue is getting back home.
 
PattieAM

The vehicle will have no registration record until it is sold by the dealer to the customer.  Only then does the registration record begin.  The vehicle may well have been on several dealer's lots or one of the many lots owned by the same dealer if it is a large dealership.  It's not uncommon for MHs to be shipped around from lot to lot, 'looking' for the right customer.  There may be no 'official' (DMV) record of its travels and only some in-house stuff.  The last (selling) dealer may know where the vehicle came from, but that might have been from another of their own lots.

Just like autos which are traded in.  If they are not of sufficient value to the purchasing dealership, they go to a wholesaler and to,  perhaps,  several dealers from there,  before being finally sold again.  The middlemen in this scenario may be completely left out of the registration process.  I own a used vehicle that went from the original owner and given to a charity for auction.  A 'dealer' bought the vehicle from the auction, sold it to another dealer who passed it on yet again to another dealership in MEXICO.  (The vehicle actually never left the US, just on paper).  It was again transferred to another US dealer, from whom I purchased it.  However, despite all these transactions, the 'official'  DMV record shows that I purchased the vehicle from the original owner.

It will be extremely difficult to establish the vehicle's whereabouts for the missing six months because the records may well go missing, once the vehicle has moved on.  Obtaing these kinds of records, if they still exist, would require civil legal action, subpoenas and a lot of investigatory work.  The best bet is to establish culbability with the manufacturer and selling dealership.  Both of whom are 'of record'.  Due to the time-frame, Katrina is not an issue here.

BT

 
The ford dealership in Orlando has apparently replaced the "entire" rear end of my parent's MH.  They said for the sort of problem the coach was having the first dealership in Homestead should have used the same approach instead of the part-by-part piecemeal approach that was used in Homestead.

In any event after 20+ days out of commission, Mom and Dad were back on the road Saturday morning.  They were in north Georgia by Saturday night and were leaving North Carolina last time I spoke.

They might actually make it home this time!  I'll keep you posted.  They will be figuring out what to do about all their issues once they are home.

Thanks for all the advice, very much appreciated and will keep you posted.
 
Good news that your folks are back on the road.  Hope the problems are behind them now.  Things like they have experienced sure can spoil an otherwise enjoyable trip.
 
Ditto on this RV coming from Katrina, or other flooded area.  Lawyer definitely advised.  This unit may never be right again after being submerged in salt water.  Have heard horror stories of vehicles being pulled from "Katrina" flooded areas, pressure washed, and sold again. 

I wish you parents well with this situation.
 
  Being a new RV last year, i dont think rotted out is the right wording. I live in western NY and the salt they use on the roads will rot out a car but not for quite a few years. So I would take a closer look at that
  I also wonder what the dealer is doing to the rear end. It really not rocket science of what rear end does so yanking out the carrier and rebuilding it should get rid of any effects of salt water. Im guessing the guy who rebuilt it didnt do something right.
frank
 
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