Help Stoltzfus in PA sold us a brand new leaking camper!

[Mardevmitch]

My fiance and I are thrilled to be part of the camping community! We've been thinking about buying a camper for years, and we finally did! A 2015 Viking V12RBST from Stoltzfus in West Chester, PA. We decided to buy from this company because it is employee owned, and we respect that. We picked up our camper last Saturday and saw a puddle in our driveway Saturday afternoon, from the white water tank.... we called and Stoltzfus said they would fix it because it's under warranty! What?! We just left from the lot!!

Well, we went camping with it this past weekend.... and we loved it! Until... the rain was under our mattress and dripping from the A-frame onto the floor. There was condensation around the door, puddling on the floor, and there was condensation all along the frame. We were heartbroken and had to sleep on the dinette.

We spoke with our credit card company, and we can dispute the purchase. Stoltzfus says they will fix the issue, but we are skeptical. Why would they ever sell this to us?! Are these issues even fixable? Should we just start the dispute process now?

Can anyone give us some advice on what to do? Is this condensation normal? Should there be ANY condensation?

Thank you for any help you can give...
Marion

[gmw_photos]

Bird Freak wrote:
They said they would fix it. You should let them. If you think campers are trouble free then you need to get out of camping. You are not going to be happy.
Both are likely very simple problems to fix. Let them do it and enjoy.

^^^^ This.

As I always say, buying a RV is a situation of "some assembly required".
The more handy you are with tools, and the more willing you are to be a "participant" in the whole RV ownership experience, the happier you will be.

[Alabama_Jim]

Call the manufacturer and let them know they built a leaking trailer. Ask them when you can pick up a new replacement. That will get their attention and may even send a factory representative to see the trailer for an inspection. It is the manufacturer that bult the trailer and sold it in good faith. They need to take ownership of the problem.

[quickrod66]

We have bought 2 travel trailers in the last 5 yrs from stoltzfus, If you have a problem they will take care of it. We have found them very honest and trust worthy. We live about 2 hrs away from them in Chestertown Md.They have always addressed any issues satisfactory.

[Bird_Freak]

They said they would fix it. You should let them. If you think campers are trouble free then you need to get out of camping. You are not going to be happy.
Both are likely very simple problems to fix. Let them do it and enjoy.

[Big_Love]

It sounds like you may have three leaks: the white water tank under the trailer, something (maybe the bubble window seals) near the mattress, and what you saw dripping from the ceiling of the Aframe. A leaking window is a well known issue on this forum. The water tank should be an easy fix by the dealer. The water leak from the ceiling should also be easy as the dealer can spray water on the top of the trailer and find the leak.

Not sure if you can do a water leak pressure test on an A frame, but your dealer might know that.

[fla-gypsy]

Mardevmitch wrote:
fla-gypsy, i'll avoid the freak out. lol.

Good choice. Camping and RVing is one the best ways I know to unwind, relax and have fun but it does take a little work sometimes.

[2012Coleman]

OP wrote:
we do want to deal with this company because they are employee owned.

The OP is "slamming" the dealer? Put your teeth back in, nothing to get your hackles up here...

[chracatoa]

patperry2766 wrote:
Jayco factory tour

Maybe if you would have see this video before you purchased, you would have no illusions of a quality build with no issues. What's sad is many people consider a Jayco to be a better built RV

What's wrong with this video? I think it's cool to see how they do it. How should they have done it instead?

It's not like we're buying a million-dollar beach house.

[patperry2766]

Jayco factory tour

Maybe if you would have see this video before you purchased, you would have no illusions of a quality build with no issues. What's sad is many people consider a Jayco to be a better built RV

[beemerphile1]

You are ethically, morally, and legally obligated to allow the dealer to make repairs. Slamming them on the internet (on multiple websites) is wrong and talking about disputing the credit card charge is ridiculous.

Condensation is normal, everything aluminum in our RV drips when humidity is high. Ever see a cold drink have condensation all over it?

Calm down, this is just real life, not a big issue.

[Community Alumni]

I agree with others. Sounds like problems that will have easy fixes. Give the dealer a chance to fix the issues. Quality control in the industry is a joke half the time. One trailer is a gem, but the next one that rolls off the line is a turd.

More than likely you signed a purchase contract anyway, so even if the credit card company reverses the charges, it's still your trailer and you're still on the hook for the cost of it.

[patperry2766]

Welcome to the wonderful, yet often frustrating world of RVing. If you realize and come to accept that most RV's are built as cheap as possible with an endless list of things to break, then you will be better able to roll with the punches and maintaining your sanity.

Give the dealer a chance to make it right. Going in looking for blood will not earn you and extra favors or special treatment. My trailer is almost 2 years old and has been back to the service department about 5 times for various issues..and now my fridge is acting up so I'll probably be taking it back again.

I have had a work order backdated to fall within the factory warranty because I was about 30 days outside of the mfgs. warranty period. Just realize that they didn't build it, but they are the ones that have to clean up the mess and fix the problems from the slackers that built it at the factory.

[sptddog]

I wouldn't panic yet. I think you need to do more to determine where the leak associated with the mattress is coming from. I'm not familiar with your camper, but from googling it, it seems that you don't have soft sides anywhere, so you need to trace the obvious areas that it could have gotten in. Windows, doors, roof etc. My personal thought is if it's a sealant leak, you fix it, learn to check regularly and go on with things. RV roofs are sealed with sealant, which moves and pulls away with age and RV movement. I just had a new roof put on mine (manufacturers defect) and after hauling it 2-3 times, I had to re-seal spots where the sealant is meeting the sides of the camper. Not the dealers/roof installer's fault - just movement and the ways to sealant.

I'd do some research and contact the dealer. Google your trailer and leaks, and see if it's a common leak (for instance, my particular camper is prone to slide leaks - but there is an easy fix...fix and done) and how it's repaired. Ask the dealer what they propose. If you agree, have them proceed. Test it, monitor your sealant, and see what happens.

It certainly is frustrating owning an RV - small things all the time, particularly with new ones and the first time out every season. I'm not far from where you are, and that dealer has a pretty solid reputation in our area - I'd give them a shot.

[rr2254545]

Mardevmitch wrote:
Thanks Toddupton, but it's not about being "mad." It's about whether or not others have had similar issues and found that they could be fixed. We don't want to go through this with a brand new camper if no one has had success fixing leaking issue like these....

If you are not mad why are you slamming them on the internet

[jessjosh61]

As others have noted, this is fixable. When it comes to "quality control", new RV's are going to fall closer to an inexpensive new house than a new car. There are a lot of systems that have to fit together in a small package. Sometimes the things don't get put together quite the way they are supposed to. Once you find something, you have to get it fixed. You are fortunate that there is a warranty that will take care of this without it being on your dime.

Now that it will be going back to the dealer, go look for other things that need repair so you can get them taken care of at the same time. The tank issue doesn't sound so bad that it would make the unit unusable. Take a camping trip to a place close to home. Set it up the way you plan to. Use all of the systems over and over. Use the heat even though it is summer (at least run it long enough to really give the heater a workout). Anything you find add it to your list and get it all fixed at once.

The good news is that once you get through this, your camper will be better than new and you will know more about it.