Who provides service ?

[Cerevisaphile]

I had an interesting conversation with campingworld and 8 different chevy dealers 2 days ago.

When I was leaving my campsite last weekend my RV did not want to start ( THOR Freedom Elite bases on the Chevy 4500 chassis )

after a while of trying, opening the hood and giving the engine some stern looks it started but the "Check Engine Light" stayed on. We drove home and when I tried to start the RV the next days the "Check Engine Light" turned off ( after the third time starting it )

Since the RV is less than a year old and I am due for inspection and oilchange anyway I figure I would call the closest Chevy Dealer and let them do the service / read the code and see what caused it.

Pretty simple I thought but I was wrong. I called 7 Chevy dealerships and they all told me they dont service do warranty cases for RVs. I finally found one 65 miles away that can service them but he had a nasty additude from the beginning saying that because THOR "cuts the chasis apart it could be anything and might not be covered under the Chevy warranty...

I called Camping World in Kingston and spoke to the Service Manager. He said they do warranty work for Chevy in RVs... then someone said something in the background and he retracted and said they can read the code and see if it was something bad, he also stated he was surprised that I had such a hard time to get someone from Chevy to help.

So whats the deal ? When I bought the RV I was told that ANY Chevy dealer will handle service and warranty issues with the engine...

Does anyone have / had any similar experiences and how did they deal with warranty issues ? ( related to the engine )

[Cerevisaphile]

In case anyone is interested in the root cause of the issue... I can only recommend Robert Green, Chevy /GM in Monticello,NY ( exit 107 on RT17 )

As descibed before the problem was incorrect wiring of the coach done by THOR...

[John_M1]

We have work on our Chevy chassis done by a local Chevy dealer; also no problems.

[lfcjasp]

We have had our Ford 350 motorhome checked out by a local Ford dealership...no problems. Can't believe all the headaches the OP is going through with his rig. Chevy/GM should taking care of this without all the foolishness.

[tommykelly]

I had the check engine and gas cap light on my ford chassis.

went to ford..was a vapor leak on the filler tube..

ford repaired it and Fleetwood paid the warranty..

[Cerevisaphile]

well it gets better.......

just got a call from the GM shop. The problem is that when they put the RV stuff on the chassis and connect all the electrical they connected a cable to the wrong panel.
the service manager said that happens a lot even though GM gives those RV builder the plans on where/how to hook up the electrical.
because of this its is not covered under the Chevy Warranty.

The good news is the repair is only around $200 , which of course now I have the fun task to get back from THOR.

[mumkin]

Mine is a Chevy 3500, so smaller than yours, but before I bought it, I went to the local Chevy dealer and he said it was too big for him, but sent me to the GMC truck shop and they have done all the work since.

I had the check engine light problem last winter, and the Chevy garage in AZ suggested the new gas cap and turned the light off. It soon came back on, so I bought the cap and it went off for about a month. When I got back to ND, I took it in and it was a minor leak in the exhaust system that they fixed under warranty.

So, my experience has been quite different. It depends on where you are I guess.

[Jim_Shoe]

The dealer where I bought my 'C' no longer sells MHs due to a territory dispute, but they continue to work on MHs because they still have the heavy duty equipment, lifts and mechanics needed. They may not be able to do warranty work, but I'm outside that envelope anyway.

[tommykelly]

I discovered Coach-net when my brother in law blew a tire.

I always ask questions....do you work for any other road side service
"no" how come...."coach net" pays me promptly...so I am here promptly"
good answer...

I am now with Coach Net..

oh yes...they will.. supply new tire if needed

AAA does not

too bad on a Sunday afternoon

[Cerevisaphile]

quick update of what happened during the last 2 weeks.

Camping World told me to bring the RV to a Local Truck repair shop ( they would handle warranty work ).. which was wrong.. Talked to the General manager of Camping World and he said they would call the Local shop and make sure I dont have to pay for the diagnostics. They never did and when I tried to pick up the RV I had to pay $162. ( trying to get that back from CW now )

RV didn't start and when it started ran at reduce power. Returned to shop and called "Good Sams Roadside " they would only Tow me 15 miles to next place that could work on it not the Chevy dealer I finally found that has a truck division. I canceled their membership since I have the same (limited ) coverage with Geico...

Called CHEVY roadside assistance, they agreed to tow to Chevy Dealer but when they heard it's a Motorhome they said WE CANT TO THOSE. I opened a case with Chevy Customer Care and after 2 days of arguing they agreed to tow the RV to Chevy.

This should be happening right now and I hope this is the last of the hurdles I have to jump through.

I guess the lesson learned is that an extra roadside Assistance is pointless while you have warranty and roadside assistance with the Chassis provider.

After the warranty expired check with insurrance to see what they cover and maybe get additonal Roadside coverage with someone like "Coach-net" which seems to have unlimited towing or atleast get something that does 100 miles for free.

the really sad part is that a regular Chevy Dealer and shop does not seem to have the ability to refer me to a place that can handle the warranty work. They all referred me to local shops that could do the work but would not honor the warranty.


.... to be continued ... I guess

[rockhillmanor]

IAMICHABOD wrote:

rockhillmanor wrote:
All Ford dealership repair departments will have the name and phone number for their local Dealership Ford "Truck" repair shop.

You just have to ASK FOR IT. The truck division dealership repair will take your MH.

Ford sells millions of trucks so every town that has a Ford Dealership will have their Ford Truck repair shop close by. :W

The same thing for your Chevy Based Class C, just ask.

This is THE reason I decided on a Class C when I went full time. I have needed major repairs and Ford came thru each and every time using their Truck Divisions. They are not on the main street like the Ford Dealerships but they ARE always a stones throw from them in every town I needed them in.

Not one of my TT's, Class A, Class C RV's I have owned have ever seen the inside of an RV shop. People just need to stop buying into the hype that an RV has to be repaired at an RV shop. Overpriced, inconvenient turn around time, and IMHO they have the most incompetent mechanics.

[kcmoedoe]

Can't really blame the dealers. They are going to get warranty reimbursement based on the hourly book for those repairs. There is no telling what modifications the coach builder has made that would render those reimbursement schedules moot. There are a million and one modifications that the coach builder could make that would make doing those warranty repairs anything from difficult to dangerous.

[Cerevisaphile]

of course I asked the chevy dealers that said they cant service it.... they had no clue I heard everything from "try the one in xyz" to "maybe soandso in sometown,us will do it.

I am sure they have the information somewhere but no one cared enough to look it up somewhere.


so suggesting JUST ASK doesnt always help...

[IAMICHABOD]

rockhillmanor wrote:
All Ford dealership repair departments will have the name and phone number for their local Dealership Ford "Truck" repair shop.

You just have to ASK FOR IT. The truck division dealership repair will take your MH.

Ford sells millions of trucks so every town that has a Ford Dealership will have their Ford Truck repair shop close by. :W

The same thing for your Chevy Based Class C, just ask.

[rockhillmanor]

All Ford dealership repair departments will have the name and phone number for their local Dealership Ford "Truck" repair shop.

You just have to ASK FOR IT. The truck division dealership repair will take your MH.

Ford sells millions of trucks so every town that has a Ford Dealership will have their Ford Truck repair shop close by. :W