Lemon law for RVs

It's been brought up in here fairly often, and the consensus has been that they apparently dont apply in most cases.
Best suggestions are to;
1. Exhaust all options with the dealer
2. Try to get the regional representative from the manufacturer involved.
3 Take the unit back to the factory for repair. (prior to warranty expiration)
Good luck

sandyhu248 wrote:
I know some states have Lemon laws for vehicles, but does anyone know if such laws are in place for RVs? What options do buyers have if their brand new RV has multiple problems requiring it to be taken in for service constantly? These are problems with the RV/house portion, not engine problems. Any help of suggestions would be appreciated.

You're in NC? NC lemon laws are not applicable to anything with a registered GVW of 10K lbs or more.

The RV Industry has a group of lobbyists that are very good at what they do and that's keeping lemon laws off the books or having them altered to not apply to RVs. If they spent as much money on their QA and QC procedures as the lobbyists, they would not need the lobbyists to begin with lol.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

sandyhu248 wrote:
I know some states have Lemon laws for vehicles, but does anyone know if such laws are in place for RVs? What options do buyers have if their brand new RV has multiple problems requiring it to be taken in for service constantly? These are problems with the RV/house portion, not engine problems. Any help of suggestions would be appreciated.

You're in NC? NC lemon laws are not applicable to anything with a registered GVW of 10K lbs or more.

The RV Industry has a group of lobbyists that are very good at what they do and that's keeping lemon laws off the books or having them altered to not apply to RVs. If they spent as much money on their QA and QC procedures as the lobbyists, they would not need the lobbyists to begin with lol.

Exactly. With an RV you are basically SOL.

Unfortunately, no. Your best friend is your own tool box and a good YouTube video (and asking lots of questions on these forums).

This guy explains it pretty well:

Don't buy an RV

I'd suggest you start with the great State of North Carolina. See http://www.ncdoj.gov/Consumer/Automobiles/Lemon-Law.aspx

turbojimmy wrote:
This guy explains it pretty well:

Don't buy an RV

This is one of my favorite pod casts!

Unfortunately he is correct. You're pretty much on your own.

Your best chances are with the dealer and a lot of visits, phone calls and document EVERYTHING with words (dates, conversations, etc) and pictures.

If that does not work call the manufacturer and get them involved using the documentation and pictures to help you show what the problems are and what has been done or not done.

Then if that does not work let them know that you are going to go public and will let everyone know what you have dealt with. Post everywhere, contact the BBB and any RV associations that they may belong to.

Also be realistic in your demands. If the water pump is dead that is a actual issue. If the water pump is loud, and most are, they will not be able to help you. I know a few people that had major problems and they did get fixed after a lot of work on the owners part to get it done. Should not be required but..........

I watch the video from the above post. I must say he presents a pretty bleak picture of the RV industry. Unfortunately there is a lot of Truth in what he says. I don't think it can be emphasized enough that purchasing an RV is not the equivalent of purchasing an automobile. The standards are completely different.

Based upon what he presents in the video, no one would ever buy an RV. But the fact is we keep buying them but we also are aware of the expectations when we purchase them. It still goes without saying that there is a large amount of work that has to be done on an RV yourself. Some things like drawers falling off loose screws or a hinge that might need tightening down is all stuff that anyone can handle them self with a screwdriver or a hammer. When it comes to something major like, a plumbing repair, then warranty should cover those type of issues. But there's also the problem of user abuse. If it's determined that the user has indeed done something incorrect with the camper, then no warranty will ever cover that. And unlike a car it camper is a much more fragile device. The electronics is extremely complicated. There's water Plumbing involved. There's a drain system involved. There is a c electricity involved. There's DC electricity involved. There's all kinds of appliances. There's all kinds of electronics. There's all kinds of materials in the structure, roof, ceiling, walls, floor, countertops, you name it.

Then add to the fact that you're taking a home putting wheels on it and driving it Down a Bumpy Road at 65 to 85 miles per hour, the equivalent of a hurricane, and tornado, all in one, it's a wonder that they hold together at all.

Your absolute best line to protection is to be fully aware of what you're purchasing before you buy it. And then to have a little bit of mechanical ability behind you. It pays to have a few good tools. And somewhere where you can actually work on the camper occasionally. No one ever said that RV ownership is cheap. RV ownership is one of the most expensive Hobbies you'll get into, next to owning a boat. There again your best line of defense is to learn to do things yourself.

sandyhu248 wrote:
I know some states have Lemon laws for vehicles, but does anyone know if such laws are in place for RVs? What options do buyers have if their brand new RV has multiple problems requiring it to be taken in for service constantly? These are problems with the RV/house portion, not engine problems. Any help of suggestions would be appreciated.

Are you familiar with how the lemon laws work. In California if you have an issue and they are unable to repair the problem after numerous attempts you can proceed with a claim.Good luck. The claim is not cut and dried. My friend owned a GMC diesel pick-up. It overheated numerous times, it had a transmission failure numerous times and each time it was repaired until it happened again . His attempt to enforce the so called "lemon laws" were time consuming and frustrating. Auto companies do not just walk up and hand you the keys to a new vehicle. Like Insurance companies they will make every attempt to avoid paying your claim or replacing your vehicle. I have heard of only one person that had their vehicle replaced and that was him, after 3 years of headaches. I have friends that work at dealerships and if the "lemon law" is brought up in the conversation they laugh. A new problem,regardless of how many it may be, does not entitle you to compensation.
The Lemon law is like the death penalty in California, it exists, kind of,sort of......