Warranty Work for New RVs
We just dropped Big Lou off last week at an RV repair shop for warranty work and for them to check out our awning arm, which was caught on a tree limb in Savannah over the summer (poor Big Lou).
The day I bought Big Lou, March 2016
When we bought our Thor ACE in March 2016, we had 1 year to identify any issues with the motor coach and get them fixed by a Thor approved repair shop- which is the industry standard. We bought Big Lou in Maryland, but moved to New Jersey over the summer. Thor was great at finding us a new repair shop to get everything fixed. We decided to get the repairs done over the winter so they wouldn’t interfere with our vacation plans- some repairs could take 4-6 weeks to complete (or more if it’s complicated or needs weird parts).
Issues with new RVs are inevitable. Manufacturers are unable to inspect every single nook and cranny of a huge RV, although they do try to catch whatever they can. Things like latches and fixtures can become broken or loosened in transport- RVs are not only driven from the manufacturer to the dealership, but could also be driven around to different RV shows. Customers (and their kids) tour RVs and could also break or tear parts of the RV. This is all normal- if you’re worried about RV being handled by other people and being broken, know that the manufacturer will put things back in order for you.
Buying an RV is not like buying a car. It’s not unusual for an RV to have a thousand or more miles on it by the time it gets to you. And a manufacturer is not going to make repairs as they happen just to have it damaged again in the showroom- they wait until someone purchases it to make all the repairs.
You can do an initial inspection of your
RV upon purchase and have the first wave of warranty work done before you take it off the lot, but for me, I only noticed minor issues (I wasn’t able to check on things like the hot water heater until I was home…and then I realized it only heated up with propane and not with electric, or that the TV worked when HDMI was plugged into a DVD player), so we opted to wait until we noticed anything else wrong. The standard for repairs and upkeep likely vary depending on your RVs price point (a $800k RV will likely be repaired and inspected more often than our $100k entry level RV).
Big Lou was the exact RV we saw at an RV show we attended. When I purchased him, I was given a tour by a mechanic- he told me that they find all sorts of evidence of RV showroom customers such as gum wrappers, trash, and dirty foot prints. They cleaned all of that up between when I put the deposit on the RV and when I actually purchased it. I couldn’t even tell that it had been at a show.
But now back to warranty work! Warranty work is inevitable with RVs. If you remember my first vacation in Big Lou (Memorial Weekend at Gettysburg and Philadelphia), you’ll remember that his hydraulic pump for the jacks went bad. We weren’t able to level the RV that weekend, but took it in for repair about a week later (covered under the warranty, of course). Other issues that were fixed was the living room TV (which had a fuzzy picture with anything that was connected by HDMI), and a couple other minor issues- such as some trim pulling away from the counter and a broken latch in the wardrobe.
Window latch broke, so we had to duct tape it.
As we lived and traveled in the RV over the summer, we added more repairs to the list. Many things were the result of the RV just bumping around on the road and coming loose. I highly recommend keeping a running list and, unless the repair is necessary, get everything taken care of all at once and at a time when you won’t need the RV for a couple months.
I keep reiterating that these minor (and sometimes major) issues will come up, because there’s a 95% chance that something will happen to you. And you’re probably going to think I paid $[insert huge sum of money here] for this RV- I should not be having these issues! I totally see where you’re coming from- and I felt the same way sometimes. But that isn’t going to change the fact that these repairs will still need to be done. And if you don’t live near an approved RV repair shop, you’re going to be inconvenienced when dropping off and picking up your RV.
My best advice is to keep a level head, know that in the end it will all be worth it, and don’t let it ruin your RV experience. Owning an RV is like owning a second, tiny home on wheels- there’s regular maintenance that needs to be done (even when you don’t want to) and there’s special maintenance that will come up and you’ll have to learn to deal with that as well. Be mentally prepared to deal with these issues when they do come up.
Padding of dinette seating started pulling away from the wall.
Here’s a list of issues to look out for that should be covered under warranty:
Any broken latches or hinges, missing screws, trim pulling away from the wall or counter, broken window latches, panels drooping or pulling away from the wall, broken fixtures, electrical issues, issues with any appliances including the hot water heater, laminate or carpet flooring coming loose, seals, any issues with the locks or hinges of your under carriage storage, paint or stickers peeling or bubbling, and literally any other issues (as long as it wasn’t you who broke it- like our awning arm). Look out for any mechanical issues as well- such as our hydraulic pump or gnarley sounding shocks (which we’re having repaired at this moment), and much, much more. This list could be so much longer. There are more articles and posts out there listing things you should look out for- I highly recommend reading through a few of these during your first few months as an RV owner.
If you’re not sure if something will be covered under warranty- list it anyway. The worst they can say is, “No,” and then you can choose to have it repaired or not (or wait until a later date).
Are you having any work done on your RV this winter? When you first bought your new RV, were there any surprise issues you would like to warn new or prospective RV owners about?
