Can I take RV to any dealer for warranty work?

[Jeff F250]

Buying our first camper on Monday.  Local dealer has strung me out for 6 weeks.  I have found a better deal at a dealer 300 miles away.  If I buy the Keystone 5th wheel from the distant  dealer will I have to got back to them for warranty work?  Or can any authorized Keystone dealer take care of it?  Thank you in advance for the advice.

 

[tvman44]

Bring it back to the dealer you purchased it from.  The local dealer could service it if they want to, but don't be in a hurry.  He will not have people who bought from him wait while he works on yours.  Sorry but that is the way it works.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Any authorized dealer CAN do the work. Whether or not he WILL agree to do it is sometimes another story. He is not obligated to service it if he didn't sell it, and some dealers will not.  Kind of a "sharp stick in the eye" to those who decided to buy elsewhere.

 

[Jeff F250]

So this brings up next level frustration.  Buy in Ohio, travel to  Teaxas, Florida, Arizona etc for winter, something goes wrong and your basically up a creek from what I am hearing.  Makes no sense.  How can the manufactor not force a dealer to provide service as an authorized dealer.  Buy a Chevy in Ohio, any dealer is US will service with a smile. 

Did not realize how shady the RV world was until we started shopping. 

Secondary question for the warranty.  If we purchase an extended warranty is the same game played?

 

[Jim Godward]

Buy a Chevy in Ohio, any dealer is US will service with a smile. 

Not necessarily true.  In discussion with several dealers, they said that while they would service a vehicle not sold by them, they would put it at the end of the waiting line.  This seemed to apply to locals who bought elsewhere.  In my case, the local dealers in my new location are more interested in my buying new from them than in providing good service on the one I own that I bought in my old location.

Did not realize how shady the RV world was until we started shopping.

Secondary question for the warranty.  If we purchase an extended warranty is the same game played?

Usually you just go to the back of the line, but there are some dealers that are AHs.

Extended warranties are a whole different issue.  Check the forum by searching on them and you will get an idea of the issues.  Usually they work well IF you understand what you bought AND follow the prescribed procedures.

 

[Mickey D]

Any Keystone dealership is required to cover warranty work, regardless of where you purchased it. That being said, most places have a waiting list. I am currently working at a dealership and we are scheduling appointments two months out. Where you bought it is not an issue, amount of work and qualified people to do it is the issue. Dealerships get paid for warranty work regardless of the place of purchase. I certainly believe there are places out there that will "put a stick in your eye" for not buying from them, but not all places are like that.

 

[Larry N.]

Buy in Ohio, travel to  Teaxas, Florida, Arizona etc for winter, something goes wrong and your basically up a creek from what I am hearing.

That's a different story than if you live in Ohio, buy in Indiana and try to get service at your local (Ohio) dealer. Transients are often exempt from the "stick-in-your-eye" problem.

 

[Gottasmilealot]

Read the terms in your warranty paperwork that you receive.  It should be spelled out there.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Read the terms in your warranty paperwork that you receive.  It should be spelled out there.

Probably not completely. The consumer warranty statement tells what the owner can and must do to get service, but probably does not identify where that service can be obtained,other than at an "authorized" dealer or service center.  The only place that the manufacturer lists requirements on the dealer is in the dealer franchise agreement, and I know of no such RV franchise agreement that requires the dealer to service vehicle he did not sell.  People assume this will be like a car dealership agreement, but it is not at all the same.

That said, it's not clear how widespread this problem is, but clearly it does happen from time to time. And when it does, it gets a lot of outraged attention on the internet, making it difficult to get an accurate picture of how many dealers actually do this.

The business of being placed on the tail end of the priority list is more widespread, but service at RV dealers is so slow I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference. We see numerous reports of 4-6 week delays in even routine repairs, for any and  all customers!

I've found that many RV dealers are fairly sympathetic when a traveling RVer has a breakdown and try to help. That's one of the reasons that other work gets delayed - the shop takes in emergency jobs ahead of other work and there can be a lot of that during the busy summer season.

 

[tvman44]

Primary reason most don't want to service in warranty a unit they did not sell is because the warranty reimbursement is less than the normal shop charge and they don't like losing money$$$$.
I was in the service business in consumer electronics most of my life & it was the same there.
Usually if you are traveling most will work with you, most likely not as quickly as one they sold, but way ahead of a local who purchased elsewhere.
It is just a fact of life.

 

[scottydl]

During the next 6 weeks that dealers are delaying and spinning you around, shop around for a good used 5er from a private party.  Someone out there is probably selling one in great shape with the features you want, way less than what you'll pay for a new one.  Then you won't have to pay the initial depreciation that all RV's have as a standard feature , and you don't have to worry about which dealer will actually give you some customer service when needed.  That is definitely a weak point of the RV industry.

You may already be set on buying new, but it's something to consider.

 

[timjet]

Buying our first camper on Monday.  Local dealer has strung me out for 6 weeks.  I have found a better deal at a dealer 300 miles away. 

If I were you I would wonder why the distant dealer is giving me a better deal. Is it because he thinks you won't be back for warranty work?

 

[Rancher Will]

There may be more to this than many know. Some time back, I think about two years, I was at RV America at Johnstown, Colorado. I overheard a couple who apparently were customers, complaining about the "long wait" to get appointment repair.  I did not hear how long their would be, but I did overhear the Service manager explain why.

He stated that although RV America has over four dozen repair bays, there are more people who bring their RV in for service and repair than there are enough mechanics to handle all of the work immediately. He explained that he couldn't "pull a mechanic off another job to handle their problem unless it was an emergency". He assured them that their appointment was in the order that they requested service.