I find it strange that an automobile or truck that is driven and used every day comes with at least a 3 year warranty but an rv comes with a 1 year warranty and if purchased in the fall will be out of warranty before any serious usage occurs. Why don't rv manufacturers install hub o meters on a wheel to document miles driven. Then could warranty miles rather than years. Extended warrantys are both expensive and very restrictive about how they are administered. I think the CC dept. of rv mfg. are hoping no one uses the rv purchased until it is out of warranty..

I agree that it is unfortunate that most RV warranties are only for 1 year. Newmar used to have a 3 year warranty, but people took such advantage of it, they finally went back to the 1 year. I belive Entegra still has a 2 year warranty.However it does seem to me that if you have a 1 year warranty, it does not matter when you purchase it, you will have 12 months to find warranty issues. This means that unless you skip usage for an entire year, you will always have a good camping season within the warranty period.Ed Headington

I would think that the most damage to an RV can come from lack of use rather that constant use, and the miles on the wheels would have little use as a measure of any RV's actual condition. Certainly, around here many rigs are lived in full time all year round in RV Parks..(yes, this is Canada), but winter conditions can be horribly dismal, pouring rain and blowing, then freezing after rains sometimes. The most dangerous of all possible environments. As medium size stores fall under the onslaught of internet buying nowadays astute buyers of empty buildings have been turning them into RV storage warehouses all over town. The one thing to watch out carefully for in RV purchase: condition, condition, condition!

eheading wrote:I agree that it is unfortunate that most RV warranties are only for 1 year. Newmar used to have a 3 year warranty, but people took such advantage of it, they finally went back to the 1 year. I belive Entegra still has a 2 year warranty.However it does seem to me that if you have a 1 year warranty, it does not matter when you purchase it, you will have 12 months to find warranty issues. This means that unless you skip usage for an entire year, you will always have a good camping season within the warranty period.Ed HeadingtonEd I agree except, had I purchased my 5th wheel in the month prior to getting my hip replaced it would have been out of warranty before I was able to take it out of the drive way. Plus those up north do not camp from Labor Day to Memorial day so much....

It's just the nature of the industry. It is, what it is.

Bob Vaughn wrote:eheading wrote:I agree that it is unfortunate that most RV warranties are only for 1 year. Newmar used to have a 3 year warranty, but people took such advantage of it, they finally went back to the 1 year. I belive Entegra still has a 2 year warranty.However it does seem to me that if you have a 1 year warranty, it does not matter when you purchase it, you will have 12 months to find warranty issues. This means that unless you skip usage for an entire year, you will always have a good camping season within the warranty period.Ed HeadingtonEd I agree except, had I purchased my 5th wheel in the month prior to getting my hip replaced it would have been out of warranty before I was able to take it out of the drive way. Plus those up north do not camp from Labor Day to Memorial day so much....We traded our 06' HR Presidential Suite in for unit in my sig on August 12th and it's STILL at the dealership. I had a stroke on August 19th and am still re-habing ..slight limp in left leg and a very, very weak left arm and hand...Dealership has been great to us during this time frame...couldn't ask for better treatment, but as to warranty, Jayco comes with a 2yr warranty and at 65 1/2 yrs old, will retire 1 Aug this year, and this is the first time I EVER purchased a 7 yr. extended warranty, (only did it due to retirement plans). We've probably had the longest PDI ever :)Hope all is well with you nowJim

Factory Warranty | Good Sam Community

jwmII
Explorer
Jan 24, 2016
The poor build quality of our RV industry requires the poor warranty on their products. They seem to be able to sell all they can build without having to offer longer warranties.
Homer1
Explorer
Jan 23, 2016
They count on that acceptance.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Jan 23, 2016
bikendan wrote:
DutchmenSport wrote:
It's just the nature of the industry. It is, what it is.

Yep, comparing the RV industry, to the Auto industry, is pretty much useless.
The only things tney have in common are:
They both sell things with wheels, at dealerships.

Other than that, they don't have much in common.

The Auto industry used to be just like the RV industry, until they got competition from foreign auto companies, especially from Japan.
If that hadn't happened, the American auto industry probably wouldn't have improved as it has.

And I seriously doubt such a challenge will ever happen to the RV industry.

Wow bikendan!
Are you a mind reader or something! You expressed EXACTLY what I was implying. I was just trying to be a little more evasive. You nailed my thoughts 100% RIGHT on the head! Wow!
bikendan
Explorer
Jan 23, 2016
DutchmenSport wrote:
It's just the nature of the industry. It is, what it is.

Yep, comparing the RV industry, to the Auto industry, is pretty much useless.
The only things they have in common are:
They both sell things with wheels, at dealerships.

Other than that, they don't have much in common.

The Auto industry used to be just like the RV industry, until they got competition from foreign auto companies, especially from Japan.
If that hadn't happened, the American auto industry probably wouldn't have improved as it has.

And I seriously doubt such a challenge will ever happen to the RV industry.
Homer1
Explorer
Jan 23, 2016
Of course they cannot issue a familial contingency warranty, but with sufficient proof that you had a problem that prohibited you from exercising your warranty, it could be extended; of course you are going to have to prove it. Lets just call it a fighting chance for the consumer. If you think they have not calculated all of this stuff in to their warranty up front, you have not been in business.
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Jan 23, 2016
wildtoad wrote:
NC Hauler wrote:

I didn't get the memo that I was going to have a stroke 6 days after we closed the deal on my 5er.... Guess you're right.... "That's on me":R

Sorry about your stroke hope you are well on the way to total recovery. Still does not and should not change the warranty period.

I agree with you, thus the reason I said, "life happens". I didn't say anywhere that warranty should be extended over illness or such..Stated it would be nice if ALL manufacturers gave 2 or 3 year warranties on these non- motorized RV's.

I also agree with Lantley...But living where we live and both my wife and I still working makes it IMPOSSIBLE to use the RV all the time, most know that when purchasing an RV, they'll use it as often as time allows. The wife and I expect to be using ours with "alarming frequency" sometime this year:B...and will use it as often as we can from when weather and work allows it for now. We knew it would be occasional camping when we started 40 yrs ago..due to raising a family of three, work, sports and life in general. But we made TONS of memories with family and friends on some of these many short camping trips. Normally, our 5er is parked from 1st of Dec. thru middle of March, unless we can take a weekend trip before that, weather permitting.
wildtoad
Explorer II
Jan 23, 2016
The rest should be at least two years, to allow for unforeseen circumstances such as sicknesses, familial contingencies,etc.

I just can't fathom any company issuing a warranty considering that the purchaser won't be using their product because of a family or personal need.

I can see it now... We warrant this product to be free of defect for one year unless of course your daughter has a baby and you want to be there, then we will extend warranty period for the length of the family leave.
wildtoad
Explorer II
Jan 23, 2016
NC Hauler wrote:

I didn't get the memo that I was going to have a stroke 6 days after we closed the deal on my 5er.... Guess you're right.... "That's on me":R

Sorry about your stroke hope you are well on the way to total recovery. Still does not and should not change the warranty period.
Lantley
Nomad
Jan 23, 2016
An RV that just sits idle is a waste of money period. It does not come down to the warranty issue.
The only way to get value out of an RV is to use it. This applies to all RV types in all price ranges new or used.
Let the RV sit idle for long periods and your wasting more than just the warranty.
Homer1
Explorer
Jan 23, 2016
Good and valid point O/P concerning everything is not on a automotive type chassis. The rest should be at least two years, to allow for unforeseen circumstances such as sicknesses, familial contingencies,etc.

I just listened to a RV representative this morning on TV who said that most RV's are purchased in the months of January and February. So they know what their exposure is up front.

Forum Discussion

Factory Warranty

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

Truck warranty

Extended warranties

Factory desk anyone

Adding factory accessories

Factory Solar Question