mtofell1 wrote:
I only have experience with 5th wheels/travel trailers and vehicles that tow them. The Ford truck breaks down and it goes to the Ford dealership. The Jayco trailer breaks and it goes to the Jayco dealer.
So, what happens when a Class A on a Ford chassis breaks down with an engine related problem? I can't imagine taking it to the RV dealer that sold it to me. But I also don't recall ever seeing a 36' RV sitting at my local truck dealer.
Also, are warranty repairs to drive-able RVs quicker than to trailers. I've had some pretty ridiculous waits to get in for service with trailers over the years. On the other side of the coin I've been very impressed with the speed Ford/GM/Ram can get the trucks fixed and back on the road, even with large repairs.
As mentioned warranty repairs on the chassis and related Ford components can be done at a Ford Heavy Duty truck dealership. We have a Ford HD truck shop in our area. They regularly service and repair any Ford built chassis.
Heavy duty Ford truck shops are fewer and farther between than they were in the past. Ford sold the over the road tractor business to Sterling in 1998. Since then I believe the largest truck Ford builds is the F750. However most HD truck shops still service many other over the road brand tractors and other HD trucks.
To be a successful truck shop most of these dealers were also authorized repair facilities for components as well. They did warranty and repair work for Dana, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Caterpillar, Allison, Hendrickson, and a host of other component manufacturers. By in large they are still repairing and servicing these components.
The Ford HD truck dealership in our area is alive and well. Their parking area is filled to the brim with every type of truck and RV imaginable. Before the sale of the HD truck business I would guess about 10& to 15% of their business was RV's. Since the sale it's jumped to between 20% and 25%. At any given time there will be between 10 and 20 RV's being serviced or waiting for service.
This shop runs 2 shifts throughout the week and a single shift on Saturday. You have to make an appointment, but wait times once the vehicle is in for repair are minimal. The longest time I've seen an RV in the shop is a week, and that was only because they were waiting for a part.
We've taken our RV's there for service and repairs many times over the years. In most cases it was in one day and out the next. Very rarely has it been there more than a couple days.