RV Damaged, recommend not buying-storing at Barrington RV

The wife and I had originally gone to Barrington RV in Bartlett, IL to purchase an RV. We found the salesperson deceitful and as you exited one RV to look at another he would cut down the previous RV and talk highly about the one you just walked into. He didn?t seem to care if you like the one you just walked out of. He knew very little about the actual RV itself and seemed to make things up as he went along. Including this fact that ALL RV floors warp and discolor around the toilet. I had only seen this warping in the RV he was trying very hard to talk us into even after I told him I didn?t like it.

So, we decided to go elsewhere to purchase our RV, 138 miles away in fact. I can recommend Abel RV right across the street but they just didn?t have anything we were interested in. They were helpful, they returned calls and our salesman even went out of his way to call me on his day off to give me an update. When we are in the market again we will be looking at both Shabbona and Abel very closely as both worked hard for our business.

Getting back to Barrington RV, when we bought our RV we called Abel and found they didn?t have 24x7 access so that rules out storage in their lot so we went over to Barrington figuring that this was storage, how could they screw that up right? 24x7 access and a person who is there to provide security and they have security cameras. So I dropped off our RV on 8/1/10 and took pictures of it just like I did at the campground, not to document anything except our first storage place, we thought it was kind of cool. Little did I know that these pictures would come in handy just 5 days later, or at least they should have come in handy, if Barrington RV had honest owners.

I go there on 8/6/10 to pick the RV up for the weekend and was shocked to see that the entire front end was speckled from rocks and mud, there was mud caked in the wiper blades and the windshield had new nicks and a few chips in it now. Unfortunately during the that week there was two large storms so much of the junk had been rinsed off of the RV, but enough remained to tell the tale. As I was standing there with my jaw on the ground Bryan comes over in his golf cart to ?see how its going? and I mention that the entire front of the coach is chipped now. I show this to him and he tells me there is no way it could happen there. I responded look at it, this wasn?t like this when I dropped it off, he told me he knew somebody that could ?air brush it?. I told him there is no way this can be air brushed. Then he drove away. Leaving me standing there like an idiot.

Anyway, long story short I emailed him pictures of the before pictures and the after and his response was to find a different storage lot, this is just storage after all and he can?t be responsible for every nick in the paint on my coach. I responded I am not holding him responsible for every nick, just the ones caused on his lot. He has not responded to calls or emails since then so lesson learned I will never do business with Barrington RV and I?m writing this so others can avoid them if possible as well. My insurance company is looking at the joke of a contract Barrington RV has and I may seek the advice of a lawyer. I won?t get this paid for by them, I realize this, I also realize mistakes happen, what I can?t accept is that Bryan refuses to believe that in his gravel parking lot, that has video cameras refuses to check the video out to see what could have happened and refuses to see the proof in the pictures since they are from his lot and I never went to the lot during the 5 days it was there.

In fact Bryan recommended I head over to Abel RV across the street from Barrington RV, I whole heartedly agree!

End of rant, I will be storing the RV at a new location going forward after I get it back from getting the front repainted and the windshields replaced.

I want to thank Abel RV for being great people and Shabbona Creek RV for fitting me in during a very busy week.

I found that Yelp has another bad review of Barrington RV, so I added one of my own, basically a copy of this post.
Hopefully enough people see it and decide against purchasing or storing there. That should take that smug grin off of Bryan's face.

I've followed all your posts since your purchase of the HR.  I must say, you seem to have a special knack for finding folks who are difficult to deal with.  : ??? :-\

aka Porky said:

I've followed all your posts since your purchase of the HR.  I must say, you seem to have a special knack for finding folks who are difficult to deal with.  : ??? :-\

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I'm not sure how to respond, I don't mind jokes but this is serious, I have managed to buy 16 cars, 3 boats 3 houses and several other expensive things without looking for a forum to complain on. I don't think I have a special knack for finding folks who are dificult at all, and if I have found them I fail to see how it's relevant to Barrington RV damaging my RV and failing to handle it. 

Maybe I've been pretty vocal about the issues but this is a forum and I feel pretty good about telling others what issues I have come across so maybe they'll learn from them. Maybe this was a bad idea, it certainly seems some people fail to read the message and instead concentrate on the person writing the message. 

Just an observation, my friend.  I sure hope your future experiences with RV ownership are more pleasant than those of the past few months.

aka Porky said:

Just an observation, my friend.  I sure hope your future experiences with RV ownership are more pleasant than those of the past few months.

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I have to agree though, Barrington RV has been miserable, however Abel RV across the street was great to deal with as is the ownership and service manager at Shabbona Creek RV so I have had positive as well. I will post more about the good things after they have been completed.

I have added pictures at this site.
http://barringtonrv.homestead.com/barrington-rv-issues.html

I bought my RV from Barrington and loved it. Bruce was my salesman and was very knowledgeable. On the other hand when I went to Abel to buy my RV before I went to Barrington it was horrible. I told the salesman at able I only had $60,000 to spend and they kept showing us RV's in the $150,000 range on up. When we said we can't go that high we were told to look elsewhere. When we picked up our RV at Barrington Brian saw that the microwave was not cleaned proper and cleaned it himself.
Just my 2 bits.

hmmmmm......are you saying that someone took your MH out on the highway or gravel road  and the damage was done???......or was it done sitting in the parking lot.........???........looks to me like those chips had to have been done while traveling...i don't see how that could have been done parked in that spot........unless maybe there was a heck of a wind???.......was the windshield pitted??

i guess if it were mine.....i would be wanting to know where it went and who took it...

Beerman said:

I bought my RV from Barrington and loved it. Bruce was my salesman and was very knowledgeable. On the other hand when I went to Abel to buy my RV before I went to Barrington it was horrible. I told the salesman at able I only had $60,000 to spend and they kept showing us RV's in the $150,000 range on up. When we said we can't go that high we were told to look elsewhere. When we picked up our RV at Barrington Brian saw that the microwave was not cleaned proper and cleaned it himself.
Just my 2 bits.

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It's good to hear that people had a good experience at Barrington RV, this is the first I have heard somebody having an issue at Abel but this goes to show that it can happen anywhere.

Tom Deters at Abel was very helpful, informative and tried like heck to stick to our budget. When he realized he wasn't able to he gave me his contact info and I gave him mine and he called us when something came in at our price range. It just goes to show salesman can make or break a dealership, as can the owners in my case.

Thanks for sharing!

digiacomo said:

hmmmmm......are you saying that someone took your MH out on the highway or gravel road  and the damage was done???......or was it done sitting in the parking lot.........???........looks to me like those chips had to have been done while traveling...i don't see how that could have been done parked in that spot........unless maybe there was a heck of a wind???.......was the windshield pitted??

i guess if it were mine.....i would be wanting to know where it went and who took it...

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All I know is this, on 8/1 my RV had no chips in the paint or windshields, the dealership didn't have keys so they did not drive my rig. On 8/6 I went to pick it up, the front paint and windshileds had pits and chips in them that were not there before and there was mud caked on the wiper blades and windshields. There had been storms that week and I highly doubt the storm only hit my RV, I do think somebody got stuck on the incline in front of my rig, they gunned the motor and sprayed the entire front of my rig with rocks and mud.

The rocks and mud I found in my wiper blads and the chips in the paint and windshileds are evidence of this, I don't know how this could be hard to figure, gravel parking lot, mud, somebody with a lead foot.

I'm not understanding how the front end could be chipped by driving on the highway or gravel road, unless they followed right behind somebody for miles or long enough to do a few decades worth of damage. It's not like I'm talking about a chip here or there, there are hundreds, it's disgusting.

yep i can see how some one stuck in the mud/gravel could have done it......i would think that one call from your lawyer to their ins company would solve the problem.........

if it were my lot i would want to know what the heck happened.......i hope the truth comes out........

digiacomo said:

yep i can see how some one stuck in the mud/gravel could have done it......i would think that one call from your lawyer to their ins company would solve the problem.........

if it were my lot i would want to know what the heck happened.......i hope the truth comes out........

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It's in the hands of my insurance company, if they choose to subrogate their insurance they'll determine that. Thankfully I have no deductable so the right people are caring for the problem and I have a new place to store at.
It's working out for the best I think.

"aka Porky"

I can confirm that the dozens of chips weren't there when he went to Barrington RV that day, and they were when he left Barrington RV and came to the campground next week. There were no gravel roads between the campground and Barrington RV and my brother drives very far behind trucks. He also is not in the habit of filing insurance claims that can increase the cost of his insurance across the board.

I can also confirm that he is NOT being overly sensitive. This is a coach that cost over 35K to purchase. It is the price of some luxury cars (Lexus, Mercedes, Infiniti, etc.). Why is it that some RV dealerships don't treat their lots like Mercedes and Lexus dealerships do theirs (given the cost of the coaches onsite, one normally would have surveillance on site for insurance purposes regarding theft, damage, etc.). Such a system is inexpensive to implement, and yet would go far towards giving people storing their coach some piece of mind that if any damage was to happen, it is both documentable and helps keep a lot as orderly as possible.

When I dropped him off at Barrington RV, I saw where he was allowed to park. it was obvious someone had either done donuts in the gravel (the area was gouged), or had spun his tires like doing a brake torque and taking off. Sure it wasn't the owner doing it, but someone visiting the RV dealership was doing this.

The owner had the opportunity to make things right by offering another spot to place the RV in that wouldn't attract gravel, and to act upon what obviously transpired. Sure many people exaggerate about their issues and RV Dealership owners have a right to be sceptical, but there is still a professional way to handle things.... and this owner surely didn't handle this very well.

And if it seems like my brother has not had some good experiences, then it shouldn't be assumed that he might be bringing it upon himself (maybe, just maybe it is obvious that the RV world has joined the rest of the world in not being very nice or professional (and that many in the RV world have become jaded as well).

All I know is that in most professions now, that there is no more customer service even if spending a lot of money. We are now expected to accept less (and that every aspect of the chain from manufacture to sale is only interested in the bottom line and can't be bothered with "petty details" (and only the squeaky wheels get satisfaction).

Many have "lost their way" regarding what should be quality sales and service. And in other cases, some have unreasonable expectations regarding perfection. Both conspire to make the experience for the rest of us "normal people" to be a not very good experience.

If we are PAYING for quality, we should get it. When did that become unreasonable to expect?

amarine1, just a quick post to acknowledge that I have read your post.  I have no comment since I have no dog in this fight.  It appears that "your brother" has done the right thing in putting the matter in the hands of the insurance company and, with your solid support, should prevail.

aka Porky said:

amarine1, just a quick post to acknowledge that I have read your post.  I have no comment since I have no dog in this fight.  It appears that "your brother" has done the right thing in putting the matter in the hands of the insurance company and, with your solid support, should prevail.

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Totally understand you don't have a dog in this fight.

However, my comment covered "professionalism" and "quality" in general also (and the slow degraded aspect of it regarding our daily lives and whom we interact with).

Surely that is worthy of comment?

I can tell you that in my line of work, that most organizations/vendors/companies are all constrained by a thinning of the ranks which contributes to the loss of professionalism and quality.

The fact that GNA and the bottom line are more important than ensuring an excellent customer experience, quality service or products. Making sure even though streamlining processes and one's product, one can still provide jobs in this country (and I'm no socialist, but believe in the same thing the CEO at Costco believes in)... it would seem that the bottom line is the only criteria left at most places.

Which is why many companies fail or are stuck in the minutia of their respective lines of business.

When we stop being a disposable society and start building things for the long term.... and try to do right by the other will things get better.

PS: Klispch is actually my brother in real life (which is why I refer to him as such).

amarine1, I only responded because you addressed your entire post specifically to me.

There are only two established facts here from my point of view.

Fact # 1 - I am sorry that I offered any opinion on this subject at all.  (and it was only an opinion)

Fact # 2 - The original post articulates one side of one situation, hardly enough substantiated facts to form much more than an opinion. I certainly didn't feel obligated to defend or disparage either side by continuing with further comment.  Neither do I care to enter into a philosophical discussion of business professionalism/quality generalizations based on one incident. 

Ummm, how about we start over... but a little less literally regarding things.

1. We appreciated your opinion and wish you and others would bring more of it. Forums don't allow for real time give and take, so if you feel we directed this squarely at you... that wasn't the intent. Actually, I thought I had clarified that on my last post.

2. If you aren't interested in having a give and take about one's general impressions regarding the state of professionalism and quality (even though we were giving one point of view), understood.

I actually would love to hear more REAL opinion than politically correct back and forths (or people abstaining for fear that they will be perceived in any certain way). But you clearly feel that we've crossed some line with you (where you regret posting a response) and that most certainly was not our intent.

Honestly, this forum is for the enjoyment of the RV lifestyle (as far as I know) and too many of us are spending time fixing what could have very easily been taken care of if more people gave a damn (to be honest... and let me provide the caveat that this is my opinion and that may not be shared by all on this forum).

But please don't take these responses as an effort on our part to stifle opinion (one that differs or otherwise). We are only trying to guage what we are going through by posting on this forum.... and to see if we are just daft expecting some decent interaction with the RV community we are in contact with (specifically RV dealerships).

So I ask what is the harm having general discussion regarding such topics?

But clearly you don't want to discuss this, so all I say is I appreciate your comment and opinion (and I pray that you may one day feel like contributing your opinion once more).

amarine1 said:

"aka Porky"

I can confirm that the dozens of chips weren't there when he went to Barrington RV that day, and they were when he left Barrington RV and came to the campground next week. There were no gravel roads between the campground and Barrington RV and my brother drives very far behind trucks. He also is not in the habit of filing insurance claims that can increase the cost of his insurance across the board.

I can also confirm that he is NOT being overly sensitive. This is a coach that cost over 35K to purchase. It is the price of some luxury cars (Lexus, Mercedes, Infiniti, etc.). Why is it that some RV dealerships don't treat their lots like Mercedes and Lexus dealerships do theirs (given the cost of the coaches onsite, one normally would have surveillance on site for insurance purposes regarding theft, damage, etc.). Such a system is inexpensive to implement, and yet would go far towards giving people storing their coach some piece of mind that if any damage was to happen, it is both documentable and helps keep a lot as orderly as possible.

When I dropped him off at Barrington RV, I saw where he was allowed to park. it was obvious someone had either done donuts in the gravel (the area was gouged), or had spun his tires like doing a brake torque and taking off. Sure it wasn't the owner doing it, but someone visiting the RV dealership was doing this.

The owner had the opportunity to make things right by offering another spot to place the RV in that wouldn't attract gravel, and to act upon what obviously transpired. Sure many people exaggerate about their issues and RV Dealership owners have a right to be sceptical, but there is still a professional way to handle things.... and this owner surely didn't handle this very well.

And if it seems like my brother has not had some good experiences, then it shouldn't be assumed that he might be bringing it upon himself (maybe, just maybe it is obvious that the RV world has joined the rest of the world in not being very nice or professional (and that many in the RV world have become jaded as well).

All I know is that in most professions now, that there is no more customer service even if spending a lot of money. We are now expected to accept less (and that every aspect of the chain from manufacture to sale is only interested in the bottom line and can't be bothered with "petty details" (and only the squeaky wheels get satisfaction).

Many have "lost their way" regarding what should be quality sales and service. And in other cases, some have unreasonable expectations regarding perfection. Both conspire to make the experience for the rest of us "normal people" to be a not very good experience.

If we are PAYING for quality, we should get it. When did that become unreasonable to expect?

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amarine1 (brudda),

What I paid for my RV may be higher than average for a new car but in the RV world it was about the cost of a mid-level KIA.  Not to knock KIA or anything. 

What I have found in the RV world thus far and I'm still a newb but I have now dealt with 6 RV dealers and of those 6 there are two I would definately shop at again. You really don't see what any kind of dealership is made of until after the sale, that goes for nearly any product but Cars, Boats, RV's etc... I believe it's most evident. Back to my point, I understand how business works, it's simple really, sell your product for as much as somebody will pay and do so as often as possible. Many dealers have a very good understanding of the "average consumer" so they (not all mind you!) do the bare minimum and most of the time get away with it. Hey, you want a detail, sure, they'll wipe it down and call it a day, most people simply don't pay attention.

Then I come along, I have been doing business with the same car dealership since 1984, they KNOW when I walk in the door I'm not just shopping but likely I am buying, they don't bullchit with me they give me a bottom dollar and they know I have researched it and will know if they are full of it or not. When I call their service department they know me and I get taken care of, probably better than most because they know I don't accept bullchit. I have been spoiled by this dealer and it is the benchmark that I hold all dealerships to. Is this me asking too much or asking for what we should be getting? I believe in giving my customers what I expect to be given, nothing more and nothing less. I have never had a customer tell me my service was lacking, I have been asked how I make a profit based on what I'll do to insure a customer is happy.

When I called out my RV dealer on a shoddy detail at first he became angry with me, then I showed him what I was talking about and I believe he knew I busted them on how they treat used RV's in general (I could be wrong, just my opinion). I had told him on the first day we were looking at RV's and again on the day we signed the papers that I am an anal son of a b and he said don't worry we'll make it "perfect" and I replied I'll hold you to that, and I am. Not to be perfect but to be to my satisfaction, it is a used RV after all but I put out what my expectations were and they said they would meet that challenge.    I have no doubt he is wishing he never met me but to his credit he has his guys doing the job and I respect that.

I think aka Porky brought up valid points, I have mostly only talked about the negatives regarding my purchase, unfortunately up until recently it has been mostly negative. I butted heads at Shabbona Creek but I believe we have worked out the disagreements and things are working smoothly now, at least I hope they are. We'll find out after I go to pick it up in the next few weeks.

How Bryan at Barrington RV handled this situation was like I was an assumed liar and wanted his dealership to pretty up my used RV. He never listened to me when I said I just wanted him to agree it was possible that it could happen on his lot considering the overwhelming proof I had. His response was to suggest I take my business elsewhere, which I have done.

I have heard a lot of negatives about that dealer since and read a scathing review about them as well, so I will not recommend them to the few people I know who are looking to buy an RV, my boss (an ex-boss) being a few of them. As you know, my boss's don't buy used and they don't buy lower models so Barrington RV is missing out on up to 600k deals within 2 weeks of losing my business. My best friend is looking at a Class C to pull his toys, add another loss for them.

This puts a great big  ;D on my face.

Thanks for forums like this that allows us to vent, I will also try to let people know of the positives as well, thanks guys!

I just received the estimates, apparently they have better eyes than I do (my near vision stinks) the windshields had A LOT of chips that I didn't see. They recommend replacing both and those suckers cost nearly 700 bucks each. Total to repair something that could never happen at Barrington RV is $5571.00... holy crud.

I am also getting an estimate on painting the gel coat on both the front and rear caps and getting that over and done with...