Do we have any recourse?

[MargaretB]

We bought a Forest River/PrimeTime Tracer 230 last fall. It was delivered with three non-operable windows (out of six) and a broken shower door. The dealer ordered the new shower door and replaced it a few months later. We also had him order new windows.

One window has been replaced and works fine. The other two were replaced but don't work.

We took the trailer out in March and while driving up I-5, the secured shower door shattered again. Who puts glass shower doors, even tempered glass, in a trailer???

We took the trailer back to the dealer in May for yet another shower door and two more new windows.

Today we learned that the new shower door doesn't fit right, and of the two windows, one works but harder than the original and the other doesn't work at all.

We mentioned to the very helpful - seriously - service guy that we're fed up with a trailer we've been able to use twice in 8 months. We were told that the dealer would never take it back but would tell us that "everything has its glitches." Yes, but these seem to be unfixable due to lousy design. (In fact, when I called the service guy from the road when the shower door broke, he said that the rep had acknowledged that it's a lousy design.)

So our next step is...? We've put some money into customizing it and adding Stuff like a dry-cell battery. At this point, we want back what we paid for it, since we're not about to travel in a trailer in which 1/3 of the windows don't work.

Any suggestions? TIA.

[myredracer]

MargaretB wrote:
We bought a Forest River/PrimeTime Tracer 230 last fall.

Sorry to hear about your issues but unfortunately this sort of thing is not uncommon, but should be straightforward to resolve in your situation. It can be a whole lot worse sometimes (trust me on this). At least it's still within warranty. We had 2 defective windows replaced on a previous FR TT we owned. Maybe they need to change suppliers. 😉 By way of previous experience, the dealer/ FR warranty process can be verrry slow from the time you call the dealer for an appt. and the time you pick it up. There's no way it should take months to replace the shower glass.

We have the identical shower stall in our KZ Spree (see photo). The problem is not with the glass or anything else, it's the latch. The latch is rather small and perhaps not up to the abuse from movement in a TT. We traveled on a long bumpy and twisty section of road in Wa. a few weeks ago and the latch came undone. We were driving after dusk and did a lot of braking for frequent slow speed corners and due to the weight of the glass, that *might* have forced the glass panels forward often enough to eventually pop the latch (rather than from vertical motion). The glass was slamming back and forth enough to break the handles off the glass but the glass survived fortunately. The latch and glass doors are made by SEA (Shower doors of America). The latch will have an SEA logo on it. Sometimes it's better to contact a 3rd party supplier to an RV manufacturer directly yourself and it may help in this case. Have had to do that before due to our dealer being ridiculous ('nuf said) and got the issue resolved pdq.

The metal frame surround of the shower door should have rubber bump stops on the left and right sides. You should check to see that these are present or not damaged.

For the time being, we are using a bungy cord to hold the glass from moving. Maybe SEA has something better to hold the glass in place? With the SEA latch, you need to make 100% sure you have it in the latched/locked position as it's not immediately obvious by glancing at it. If you have a checklist, you should add this to it so it doesn't happen again.

You should contact the factory in writing to register your warranty issues in case things dragged out (BTDT also). Send the dealer a copy as well. It might be a good idea to follow up with a call to the factory.

It's funny that they cut corners on so many things to save weight on an ultra-lite TT and then they go and use heavy glass in the shower doors. Not sure why they didn't go with plastic. The large, above normal size of the walk-in shower is very nice otherwise.

[4X4Dodger]

MargaretB wrote:
We bought a Forest River/PrimeTime Tracer 230 last fall. It was delivered with three non-operable windows (out of six) and a broken shower door. The dealer ordered the new shower door and replaced it a few months later. We also had him order new windows.

One window has been replaced and works fine. The other two were replaced but don't work.

We took the trailer out in March and while driving up I-5, the secured shower door shattered again. Who puts glass shower doors, even tempered glass, in a trailer???

We took the trailer back to the dealer in May for yet another shower door and two more new windows.

Today we learned that the new shower door doesn't fit right, and of the two windows, one works but harder than the original and the other doesn't work at all.

We mentioned to the very helpful - seriously - service guy that we're fed up with a trailer we've been able to use twice in 8 months. We were told that the dealer would never take it back but would tell us that "everything has its glitches." Yes, but these seem to be unfixable due to lousy design. (In fact, when I called the service guy from the road when the shower door broke, he said that the rep had acknowledged that it's a lousy design.)

So our next step is...? We've put some money into customizing it and adding Stuff like a dry-cell battery. At this point, we want back what we paid for it, since we're not about to travel in a trailer in which 1/3 of the windows don't work.

Any suggestions? TIA.

Try first identifying the President and CEO of the trailer manufacturer and politely try to make an appointment to speak to him/her on the phone. Keep it short and sweet and to the point and be prepared to state exactly what you want them to do. This is often very effective. If you end up with the VP of customer relations TAKE IT and deal with them asking politely that they escalate your problem to the President.

You might also try sending this to the "RV RESOLUTIONS" at Trailer Life magazine. They have a very good track record of getting this kind of thing fixed.

Good Luck

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

🙂 Hi, put Lexan in the shower doors. And have the dealer open and close the windows before installing them. Try to open and close the windows before taking your trailer off of the lot.

[Old-Biscuit]

I don't understand folks hesitation with contacting rv mfg. factory reps.

Contact the rep.........
Then you get info directly from factory....not second/third/forth hand from dealership (tech/service writer/manager etc.)

Maybe dealership is giving you the straight skinny.....maybe they aren't....maybe they garbled info.

3 way flow of info.....you/rep/dealership then everybody is on same page.

It is your RV.....it is your problem cause nobody else has same level of interest regardless of their glad handing/smiling/head nodding.
Be pro-active if you want results.

[westend]

I would think someone on the manufacturer's staff should be leading the way towards a solution, if it indeed is a mfg. fault. Just off-hand, the shower door situation might be easily fixed by a change in procedure, holding the glass panels apart during transit. It could also be that replacing the glass with acrylic sheet solves the problem. Might be many ways to a different resolution of the problem.

Unless Keystone has every owner complaining about non-operating windows (I don't know whether that is or not the case), then it would seem that MB's trailer has a unique issue. It may be that the frame is not right and by typical installation process, it is racking the window jambs so the window doesn't operate correctly.
I wonder if the OP might know the reason for the windows not operating?

[awanatech]

We have a 2007 Forest River/ Rockwood that we bought new. It also had a design issue with the roof when it was new. After taking it to the dealer a couple of times, I contacted Forest River & they were very helpful. We arranged a time & they sent someone to our dealer to take care of the problem where the dealer couldn't get it taken care of. I would suggest contacting Forest River for some assistance in getting this taken care of. Even though it is a documented issue on your camper, it gets much harder to address once it is out of warranty. I would push harder to get the factory rep involved ASAP.

[awanatech]

MargaretB wrote:
The dealer had installed a temp rod and curtain when we took delivery, until the new glass doors arrived. I was astonished that anyone would think glass doors, even tempered ones, are a good idea in a movable residential unit.

If you are so astonished that anyone would think that glass doors are a good idea, why would you want to spend more time trying to fix what you recognize as a bad idea? Stick with the shower curtain & rod & continue camping.

[MargaretB]

The dealer had installed a temp rod and curtain when we took delivery, until the new glass doors arrived. I was astonished that anyone would think glass doors, even tempered ones, are a good idea in a movable residential unit.

[chr_]

Trash the doors and get a curtain and rod. I don't understand glass doors in trailers (or rattling behind you in a Motorhome) anyway.

Are all the mfg's and dealers this bad? I bought my rig slightly used, and take care of things my self. The only issue I have is a window frame that leaks sometimes in the rain and another fixed pane window that cracked.

[MargaretB]

I'm not sure we've had bad service. They have been very accommodating. According to what they've told us, the mfr's rep has told them that the shower doors and windows are very poorly designed. They have installed three sets of windows and all seem to be defective from the plant. The service guy we've worked with has been quite helpful. I have no idea what kind of reputation the dealership has, but they seem to be working pretty closely with the rep on our mess. I wouldn't go directly to Forest River without telling the dealer I was doing so. That just seems like a courtesy.

[SoundGuy]

MargaretB wrote:
I was asking about what SoundGuy said:

"it's a classic case of why it's so important to pick the right dealer when purchasing a trailer. "

Too often we hear people making their decision to buy a particular trailer by price alone when in reality that's just one part of the puzzle. IMO the first and most important step is getting to know the principals running the dealership - the owner / general manager, the service manager, the parts manager ... know them by name and make sure they know you by name, because these are the people you'll be dealing with every time you visit that dealership and they are the people you want on your side. Ironically, those you are most likely to deal with first, the sales & finance people, are also the least important to you once the deal is done but they do serve one really useful purpose, to help you fully understand exactly what it is you're buying, including the terms of any warranty. If you feel you're not getting the answers you expect or you get an uncomfortable feeling dealing with any of these people that's a sure sign you've got the wrong dealer for your needs.

Staff in any dealership are no different than you or I and are also just trying to earn a living so treat them as you would expect to be treated ... but go in with an aggressive attitude and you can bet you're interests will instantly take a back seat to those who have already figured it out. Often when someone posts with this type of complaint they speak of the dealer as "they" did this or "they" didn't do that, as if the dealership was a single entity. It's not, it's a collection of people of various abilities, experience, and interest in what they do for a living, and you will receive various responses to your queries, some better than others, depending on whom you're talking to. Yes, service schedules often are clogged, especially at this time of year and particularly in areas where the recreational vehicle business is seasonal, so warranty or not you should expect that during the busy summer months it will most likely be some time before your rig can be scheduled for service. Hey, big surprise - you're not the only customer! Yes, parts departments really are at the mercy of their suppliers, including the trailer manufacturers, and if there's no part to be had quickly or it's the wrong part or it's a poorly designed part all the grumbling in the world isn't going to make it better. Bottom line - know the people who are in the position to do something for you, make sure they know who you are, try to understand they do all face challenges every day and that their sole purpose in life is not to make your life a misery, but most importantly keep the relationship positive. If you feel you can't do all of this with the people you have to deal with, you've got the wrong dealer.

[JimNH]

Forrest River supposedly makes a good trailer. Contact them and tell them their dealer is inept, at best...it sounds like they have probably had complaints before, based on your experiences (you are likely not the first to get bad service, I mean). No manufacturer wants their reps to make them look bad. Hopefully they can get another, more qualified, dealer/shop to take care of it - I would not want to have to go back to the service shop you have already tried, as it sounds like they are all thumbs.

[dave17352]

I was reimbursed 1/2 the cost of new tires for my 2005 Cardinal. I called the manufacturer rep directly. I think you may find some luck there also. But if you have a good service department that will stick with the process and get you taken care of I would go that way first. I would not go above them unless need be.

[campigloo]

I had problems when I first bought ours. Significantly different problems, but I called Keystone and politely explained the problems to the customer service rep. A few hours later she had the root cause of the problem fixed. Moral of the story, they did seem to want a customer happy with their purchase. Might pay to give Forest River a call.

[dan-nickie]

Ask around over on this forum:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f210/