Poor quality/returning trailers

Hi all,

This is my first time posting as I'm looking for some advice when it comes to dealing with dealers/manufacturers after buying a trailer that was constructed very poorly.

I purchased a brand new Aliner Ascape ST this year and have had issues ever since bringing it home.

First issue we noticed was the fiberglass has spider cracks in one spot. The dealer told us to take it and get a quote but it's been very difficult to find someone that can do fiberglass repair near us. I'm also concerned with the paint quality on the rest of it if it's already cracking.

Next issue is we went to use the 12 v socket and it didn't work, after hours of investigation I determined the factory miswired the trailer. None of the circuits are labeled and many things are on the same circuits. I discovered the 12v outlet is hooked in with the water heater so it only turns on when the water heater is turned on.

First time we used the shower water started pouring out the walls outside the trailer. It appears the shower drain and seals are all leaking.

The small license plate light popped off on our drive home from picking it up. The screws holding it on are stripped it seams and need to be changed.

The back of the license plate bracket rubs on the paint and has already wore off some of the paint.

The first time the water was turned on there were leaks everywhere. I had to disassemble much of the interior to access and fix leaks.

When the water tank was filled it began leaking everywhere from the filler neck. I've tried tightening everything and adding silicone but no luck getting it to seal.

During a rain storm water came in one of the windows but I'm not sure where the leak is.

The overall fit and finish is very poor. Screws missing or sticking out inside cabinets. Wall covering wrinkled and coming down. Holes drilled through the floor are not sealed at all and road spray comes up through them.

Every day I spend in this trailer I get more frustrated as I find more and more issues.

I purchased the trailer out of state so returning to the selling dealer is difficult, learned my lesson there. I have a dealer near me but they wouldn't be able to look at the trailer till July and then they'd have it for months to fix everything.

At this point I've lost all trust in the trailer and really just want to return it and get my money back.

Does anyone have success doing something like that?

I'd really suggest everyone stay away from Aliner for sure. Whoever put this together did such a bad job and obviously their QC is non-existent.

Are this many issues common?

deltabravo
Nomad
May 27, 2020
Bump2012 wrote:
At this point I've lost all trust in the trailer and really just want to return it and get my money back.

Vehicles and RVs, or anything that rolls on wheels and goes down the road can't be "returned to the dealer for a refund"

If you want to get rid of it, then you need to sell it.
campigloo
Explorer
May 23, 2020
I had serious issues with the dealer I bought my Keystone Outback from. One call to Keystone and problem solved. I have also had problems with manufacturers of things not related to rvs. Make an effort to let them resolve it. After giving ample opportunities and if you still get the expected response the words “state attorney general” can be an amazing motivator. Good luck!
azdryheat
Explorer
May 22, 2020
If it's still under warranty take it back to where it was built, if at all possible.
trailer_newbe
Explorer III
May 22, 2020
Aliner is a nich market trailer with some tough competitors around them, and they are not cheap. For this reason you may have some success getting them to address the issues you listed. I would contact them directly and provide them as many pictures as necessary. If you run into road blocks with them contact Trailer Life magazine and work it through them. They will vet your story and may publish it which really gets the attention of the manufacturer.
beemerphile1
Explorer
May 15, 2020
All RVs roll off the line with flaws. The selling dealer is expected to act as the quality control department. Having a good dealer is very critical.

What is the name of the dealer that screwed you over?
valhalla360
Navigator
May 14, 2020
Bump2012 wrote:
It was their choice as a dealer to represent and carry out the work of that manufacturer. If the manufacturers aren't paying fairly for warranty work that's between them and maybe they shouldn't represent that manufacturer but I think it's crazy to say the consumer should suffer just because they didn't buy the RV there. It's illegal to charge additional money on the side for repair work just because you're mad they didn't buy it from you and you don't think the manufacture pays fairly. I've never had an issue buying anything else and then returning/servicing at a different location, why should RVs be any different?
.

That manufacturer affiliation is premised on the profits from selling that manufacturer's units. They accept the lower warranty work prices to get the profit from the sales. If you choose to circumvent that, don't expect them to bend over backwards to help you out.

No one suggested dealers are asking for extra money to do warranty work. They just make warranty work a lower priority (warranties typically have no time frame requirements, so it's easy to push you off). And warranty work for those who don't buy from that dealer tend to be the lowest of the low in terms of priority.

I'm betting you are well aware of situations where you couldn't take a product back to a different store. When was the last time you bought a product at Walmart and then tried to return it for a warranty issue at Sears (same exact model and pick different stores if you have an issue with these two...doesn't change the point). Difference, is you wouldn't even think of trying to do it because you know they would tell you to take it back to the store you bought it at.
Bump2012
Explorer
May 14, 2020
valhalla360 wrote:
Lynnmor wrote:
And #13, you will be told at least 13 times that you didn't buy it here and we need to take care of our customers first.

That one is actually completely legitimate. You cut them out of the profit on the sale and then expect them to do what is at cost work on warranties...very low odds of you buying from them if you just bought a new rig, so no loss if they tick you off.

It was their choice as a dealer to represent and carry out the work of that manufacturer. If the manufacturers aren't paying fairly for warranty work that's between them and maybe they shouldn't represent that manufacturer but I think it's crazy to say the consumer should suffer just because they didn't buy the RV there. It's illegal to charge additional money on the side for repair work just because you're mad they didn't buy it from you and you don't think the manufacture pays fairly. I've never had an issue buying anything else and then returning/servicing at a different location, why should RVs be any different?

I have found a dealer willing to do a full PDI, which obviously the selling dealer never did, and fix all the issues. They have worked on this trailer before and know there are design flaws and manufacturing flaws which Aliner is aware of but hasn't done anything to make sure it doesn't affect more consumers. Aliner really put out a poor product in this case which is too bad because my parents had an A Frame style Aliner and loved it, I think the Ascape series was never thought out. It feels very much like a home built trailer that a guy down the street built on the weekend with no knowledge of RVs, then never tested anything and sold it to someone else to deal with.

I agree, I put way too much faith in the manufacturer and dealer to both build a good product and give support if they failed at that. I will for sure be more careful if I ever buy again and do all in my power to make sure others are aware of the issues with Aliner and hopefully save someone else some headaches down the road.
valhalla360
Navigator
May 14, 2020
Lynnmor wrote:
And #13, you will be told at least 13 times that you didn't buy it here and we need to take care of our customers first.

That one is actually completely legitimate. You cut them out of the profit on the sale and then expect them to do what is at cost work on warranties...very low odds of you buying from them if you just bought a new rig, so no loss if they tick you off.
Grit_dog
Navigator
May 14, 2020
Bummer of a deal, but it sounds like 2 major issues and some stuff that is just annoying.
It’s hard to figure out what needs done for the major issues without seeing in person, but here’s how I’d handle it.
First , make your first priority to get operational so you can go camping. Change your mindset even though it’s frustrating that you feel ripped off.
Second, get a clear line of communication w the mfg and then inform them of the repairs you made on your own dime.
Third, try to get them to pick up the tab for the self repairs or worst case fix the remaining stuff this fall.

Good luck man. If you can stop the leaks, you will be able to be happy camping this summer. And chalk it up to being more proactive next time and less trustworthy , regardless of the situation.
smarty
Explorer II
May 14, 2020
Welcome to the world of RVing

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