Water Leak Monitor
My wife and I have a 2013 Leprechaun 317SA that has been very prone to water leaks in the cab over section. This is an issue we have fought for over a year now. I am finding that water leaks are a v...
Forum Discussion
Yes this has been an ongoing issue since I bought this motorhome. I would love to say I could get some satisfaction from the manufacturer and/or dealer, and I have spent a lot of time trying to do that. In fact the local dealer had my unit in his shop for 123 days in his attempt to correct the issue. Since that time I have not had any water in it until earlier this week. This is the rainy season in Florida so it has been rained on a lot and I have watched it closely. If you know the history of this motorhome, it would actually accumulate water in the ceiling above the driver’s head and then dump it on him (me!) when he turned a corner. Am I happy about things as they are? No I’m not, but I also have learned enough about laws governing problems with recreational vehicles to know that there is little you as a consumer can do.
The biggest issue is that the laws are very complicated and highly skewed in favor of the manufacturer. In Florida, RV manufacturers had a big part in writing the laws that govern this process. Another major issue is that the law excludes an attorney from recovering his fees if he wins a case. The only exception to this is the State of California where the consumer can recover attorney costs. If you search for an attorney in Florida that specializes in RV warrantee issues you may find a couple, but if you do the same thing in California you get tons of them. There is no money to be made by an attorney in RV law because the laws exempt it, and most attorneys aren’t Santa Claus, so unless you are in California, you are on your own.
What I am saying is that the cards are so badly stacked against the consumer when it comes to RVs, it is a lost cause even before you start. Also, the manufacturer and dealer are well aware of how they are protected, so they don’t seem to worry about it. Go out and buy a new Chevy or Ford automobile and have a problem with it that keeps it in the shop and unusable for 123 days and you will get a lot of action very quickly, but have the same issue with your RV and you are just on your own. Laws governing cars have some teeth, but the laws that are on the books don’t do anything to protect the RV consumer and the dealer and manufacturer know it. All those laws do is give us a false sense of comfort and security that we are protected. I want RV consumers to know their rights, and the fact is they really have no rights under the law. I am probably oversimplifying it, but that is basically the way it is. All you can do is rely on the honesty and integrity of the manufacturer and dealer.
?
So I am make the best of the situation I am in, and that is what I am doing by installing a water leak monitor in the area of my motorhome that I know is prone to problems so I can fix a leak before it causes more damage. (Personally, if I were an RV manufacturer I would be ashamed to know that I produced a new product that needed to be continually monitored for leaks.) The other thing I can do is try my best to honestly inform other owners and prospective owners of the issues I have had so they can be a more informed consumer. I receive emails regularly from people in the same situation that I have been in or that are shopping to buy, and I share with them what I know. If there was something else I could do, I would do it. I am retiring in 6 months and a large part of what we want to do is wrapped up in our motorhome, so I can either continue fighting a battle that is unwinnable or try to make the best of what I have.
The biggest issue is that the laws are very complicated and highly skewed in favor of the manufacturer. In Florida, RV manufacturers had a big part in writing the laws that govern this process. Another major issue is that the law excludes an attorney from recovering his fees if he wins a case. The only exception to this is the State of California where the consumer can recover attorney costs. If you search for an attorney in Florida that specializes in RV warrantee issues you may find a couple, but if you do the same thing in California you get tons of them. There is no money to be made by an attorney in RV law because the laws exempt it, and most attorneys aren’t Santa Claus, so unless you are in California, you are on your own.
What I am saying is that the cards are so badly stacked against the consumer when it comes to RVs, it is a lost cause even before you start. Also, the manufacturer and dealer are well aware of how they are protected, so they don’t seem to worry about it. Go out and buy a new Chevy or Ford automobile and have a problem with it that keeps it in the shop and unusable for 123 days and you will get a lot of action very quickly, but have the same issue with your RV and you are just on your own. Laws governing cars have some teeth, but the laws that are on the books don’t do anything to protect the RV consumer and the dealer and manufacturer know it. All those laws do is give us a false sense of comfort and security that we are protected. I want RV consumers to know their rights, and the fact is they really have no rights under the law. I am probably oversimplifying it, but that is basically the way it is. All you can do is rely on the honesty and integrity of the manufacturer and dealer.
?
So I am make the best of the situation I am in, and that is what I am doing by installing a water leak monitor in the area of my motorhome that I know is prone to problems so I can fix a leak before it causes more damage. (Personally, if I were an RV manufacturer I would be ashamed to know that I produced a new product that needed to be continually monitored for leaks.) The other thing I can do is try my best to honestly inform other owners and prospective owners of the issues I have had so they can be a more informed consumer. I receive emails regularly from people in the same situation that I have been in or that are shopping to buy, and I share with them what I know. If there was something else I could do, I would do it. I am retiring in 6 months and a large part of what we want to do is wrapped up in our motorhome, so I can either continue fighting a battle that is unwinnable or try to make the best of what I have.
