Our experience on warranty work:
- phone dealer, dealer says they can "fit you in" in a week.
- dealer looks at your problem, then contacts manufacturer for authorization. Another week...
- after authorization (which they knew they'd get anyway), part is ordered. Another week or two before it arrives.
- part arrives, then they schedule the work to suit their already busy schedule.
End result is that your RV can languish on their lot for weeks and in the height of the camping season when you need it the most.
We had a window in a previous TT that needed adjustment because it didn't close quite right. They decided the entire picture window (large) needed replacing instead. They would have made more money replacing it instead of tweaking it. Was on their lot for 5 or 6 weeks before we got it back but luckily was at the end of the season.
Some dealers are inept at fixing things. Sometimes they can't fix something even when you tell them what's wrong. Sometimes they refuse to fix something that should be under the terms of the warranty. On one occasion the service manager told me "it's just a travel trailer" and refused to fix something. Another time they said the entire warranty was void because of a couple of LED lights I added. :M
Had a defective awning gas strut on our Carefree awning from day one. Several attempts to get the dealer to fix it and they couldn't figure it out. Bought a replacement strut and installed it myself and has been fine since. The latch on our entry door wouldn't keep the door closed properly. Found out when it flew open once at 65 mph. Dealer couldn't figure out what was wrong. Turned out any time the stab. jacks were down, it flexed the frame enough to slightly "rack" the fiberglass sidewall and cause misalignment of the strike plate. Removed the plate and filed the opening a bit and has been fine since.
Unless it's something serious, complex or costly, you're better off just fixing it yourself and can often do a better job. Get a few tools for your RV. Watch a youtube vid or two. You could also be hundreds/thousands of miles from home and can't get work done under the warranty and may not have a choice.
Then their was the time we had an entire TT replaced under warranty.
Am now a hardened and cynical RV owner, lol. :)
