New Tent Trailer Damaged at Dealership

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RRollie

New member
Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Posts
2
Hello:

We're new to this group and were to be first time Tent Trailer owners this past saturday.

On friday morning the dealer called to say the tent trailer we purchased in January had leaked and was being repaired under the warranty so we would have to delay picking it up by one week.  We drove straight to the dealer and asked to see the trailer.  It was severely water damaged with the roof all beveled, the canvas stained, the bed end damp and puddles on the floor.  Despite the dealers assurances that it would be restored to new condition (new roof, new tenting material and new bed end) we refused to accept the trailer.

The dealer did offer us a new model with more options for an addition 20% but that's beyond our budget.  They also offered an additional year on the warranty of the repaired trailer which we have also turned down, for now.

My question to this group is: where should we go from here.  We have 3 camping reservations, the prospect of starting our shopping all over again, this time in peak season, and major disappointment.  Please let us know what you would do or what you did in any similar situations.

Thanks in advance.

Richard



 
Richard,

I would not let the camping reservations pressure you into making a hasty decision you might regret later.  There's no way of knowing if the dealer is equipped to restore your trailer to new condition, especially with the damage you describe.  A frequent invisible consequence of water damage is mold, which has to be eradicated and affected parts must be removed.  Sometimes affected parts cannot be easily seen and the dealer may not be equipped to detect the presence of mold.

Your purchase was for a new unit, and that's what you should be negotiating for.  It sounds like the dealer is trying to sell you a new unit and getting you to pay the difference.

Remember that the damaged trailer is probably being repaired under an insurance claim and under manufacturer's warranty, so the dealer is not losing money on your damaged trailer.

Depending on the goodwill of the dealer and assistance from the manufacturer, it would seem the solution is that you get what you paid for..a new unit.

Have you contacted the manufacturer to explain the situation?  I would start with the manufacturer's customer service and if they cannot help you, appeal their decision up the management chain.

My own opinion would be to avoid taking delivery of a trailer that was damaged and is being repaired. 

There's risk of experiencing related problems later, plus the resale value will likely be reduced because of the major repairs.
 
Richard,

Steve nailed it! Water damage can extend far beyond what the eye can see, and may surface months or years later. In most cases, a dealer repair of that magnitude will not be as good as factory built. Push for a new unit, even the higher priced one at the same price as the one that's damaged; maybe offer 5% over your negotiated price. If they value their reputation, they'll bend to accomodate you
 
Thanks very much for your helpful replies.

We went back to the dealership and were offered replacement trailers.  One was a 2006 model (the original purchase was a 2005) with hot water and a shower and the other was an identically equipped 2007 model.  The increase they wanted was 15% for either one of the replacements.  Since our other two options were paying full pop for a trailer elsewhere or going without a trailer this summer we paid the extra 15% and now have a 2007 Fleetwood Cheyenne.

Thanks again.  You confirmed my wife's point of view which meant I lost the argument.  But, in hindsight, that was probably a good thing.
 
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