service appointments?

[Snoopy]

looking for so advice and knowledge. Is it just my dealer, or is it a industry way of doing business. Made an appointment to have our new HC 331 serviced and some warranty work done. The dealer just now after letting the unite sit since the 16th of May got it in to the shop to have the tech check it out and report to Keystone on the warranty repairs.

Being from the world of auto service and sales, this kind of foot dragging would have resulted in a huge battle with both the manf and dealer being the object of much heat.

Any ideas on how to get this resolved, or is this just the nature of the beast?
Snoopy

[BuilderBob]

It is pretty much how it go's they aren't in any hery to work on them when it comes to warranty work. And then they have to call Keystone and watt some more. I do my own work unless it's like something big like a warranty on a frig or furnes I just do it myself.

[AZ Traveler]

Snoopy,

A good service dept will do much of the coordination with Keystone before the rig comes in. RV service centers don't stock near as many parts as a typical car dealer which contribute to much of the delay.

[jeffba]

6 to 8 weeks for my dealer. Most items I fix myself.
This round they are big ticket items I do not want to risk voiding warranty on.

Already told salesperson any future purchases are dependent on service department.

[mlh]

We have a great dealer here in Western Va. but yes this is the way most dealers do business, sorry.
Even if they would like to do better I’m not sure they could. They just can’t find any help. My dealer can’t find any help. I ask him if he paid more could he find more help. His answer no. I have a friend who also owns a machine shop, I ask why he didn’t hire someone. His answer, the machinist he needs don’t exists. I know that is true. Unless you are willing to spend several years training them they don’t exist.
Lynwood

[jeffba]

Originally Posted by mlh

We have a great dealer here in Western Va. but yes this is the way most dealers do business, sorry.
Even if they would like to do better I’m not sure they could. They just can’t find any help. My dealer can’t find any help. I ask him if he paid more could he find more help. His answer no. I have a friend who also owns a machine shop, I ask why he didn’t hire someone. His answer, the machinist he needs don’t exists. I know that is true. Unless you are willing to spend several years training them they don’t exist.
Lynwood

Much easier to buy in that if it were not for the fact that when I am paying for the service or when buying, the service window is sooner and shorter. Shortage of workers may contribute to it, but I think warranty work is metered. Only so much time per month is allocated for warranty work. Because it is paid at a lower rate.

[richfaa]

Dealers are not dragging their feet it does not make sense that dealers turn away business.

They are backed up with service request even the smallest dealer like ours has a 3 week back up on service request. Parts from the vendors in Goshen/Elkhart will take 3 weeks for delivery if lucky. It also took two weeks to get my Truck into Ford for Repair service.

For any kind of warranty service extended or otherwise the manufacturer will want the problem verified and submitted by the dealer.

[DQDick]

My dealer and the one I use for winter repairs both know we full time so they schedule us in and out on the same day. If pictures are needed I may have to take it in to have that done, then they get with Keystone and then get back to me and we schedule a day for the work to happen. With both of our rigs, the only time a dealer wanted me to drop it off and leave it I got permission from Keystone to have it fixed elsewhere.

[richfaa]

Pretty much the same here DQDick but it can still take 3 weeks too get the appointment to get in and out in one day. Having the advantage of being able to get to the fall rally every year we will have major repairs done in the Goshen/Elkhart area if needed. The service center is very helpful in helping with that.

When we have had a big problem on the road a call to the service center gets us the help we need in short order.

[mtlakejim]

I think it is a combination of things:
1. Shortage of good technicians and with low pay and zero training schools unlikely that will change
2. Sales dealers only care about sales. They only have service because it’s required
3. Poor design and craftsmanship at factories
4. Little pressure for industry to change as we keep buying them

I plan to do most of my own repairs and use a non sales repair only place for what I can’t fix

[mtlakejim]

I would stop carrying it to same dealer over and over that’s insane. Contact Keystone directly and see if there is a repair only shop you can take it too!!!

[1retired06]

The only time we have dropped off a trailer and left it was when we had a warranty frig replacement on our 2015 and they wanted to run the new frig for 72 hours to ensure proper operation. When we need work we schedule an appointment, dealer verifies the work and orders parts. We take the rig home and they have always been usable, ie with the failed frig, stuck a bar frig in the outside storage to use. Dealer notifies when parts in, we schedule appointment, take the rig in and get the work done. If your dealer not willing to operate that way, find somebody else. We bought our first trailer in 1971, wife just hit the drinking age, we have lived many places, and never had a dealer unwilling to operate that way. Over the years have learned to handle vast majority of repairs myself, as even that process is a pain, particularly if the dealer is a distance away.

[Snoopy]

I understand what you all are saying. Our rig is under warranty, and our selling dealer always wants to keep the rig on the lot incase the need more info for keystone. They are unwilling to have a tech look at it as a waiter so that means leaving it for weeks on end till the get to it.

[perfect5th]

Good luck getting anything out of "Keystone RV." They jacked us around for a year for a needed roof repair on our Montana coach until the warrantee ran out, then denied the claim. Cost us a bundle.. "Certainly our LAST "Keystone" product."

[richfaa]

On the other hand we had our share of problems with our two Montana's 2006 3400 and this 2013 3402 Big sky.We never had a problem with Keystone customer service or dealers anywhere in the country Customer service was always helpful.

Example on our way home from Florida in April of this year the upper wheel bearing disintegrated on the rear axle left side destroying everything inside.We managed to get into a Florida weigh station before the wheel came off. We called Keystone customer service for assistance. They advised us that we should not attempt to move the Montana. They found a nearby dealer that had all the parts we needed and a mobile repair service that could do the needed repair. Our extended warranty took care of the cost and we were on the road again the same day.

I read of the terrible service by Keystone customer service but that has not been our experience since 2006.

[Wally Dad]

I think it depends on the dealer. We had a rough start with ours on the day we picked op our 3950BR, but since then they are very accommodating. We full-time so weeks of delay wouldn’t work for us. We do plan our visits to the dealer well in advance. Warranty work is a pain since they must go through Keystone and wait for approval and parts to be delivered. So we will identify issues on one visit and then schedule another appointment when the parts are delivered.

We did end up with a surprise on one routine visit. But they got us in and out in about a week even though the entire roof had to be replaced!

[richfaa]

When we toured the Service center at the last rally they were expanding the center by a lot.They said they were going to start stocking parts.We will see what the result has been at this years rally.

No Keystone does not stock parts.Parts come from the vendor.

[JerLinR1]

Originally Posted by Snoopy

looking for so advice and knowledge. Is it just my dealer, or is it a industry way of doing business. Made an appointment to have our new HC 331 serviced and some warranty work done. The dealer just now after letting the unite sit since the 16th of May got it in to the shop to have the tech check it out and report to Keystone on the warranty repairs.

Being from the world of auto service and sales, this kind of foot dragging would have resulted in a huge battle with both the manf and dealer being the object of much heat.

Any ideas on how to get this resolved, or is this just the nature of the beast?
Snoopy

If you purchased your Montana at a Camping World, you will probably find out that you are always invited in to make a purchase, but their service department stinks. I purchased my 2017 just 13 months ago. Throughout this past year I have heard over and over from many how repairs have taken up to 4 months and then they were not satisfied with the results. I am currently having problems with my slide out, and I still do not have a date when they will start working on my unit. This is very frustrating. I will never choose to use Camping World again. I may have too some day, but not by choice. Next time I need a repair, if possible, I will use someone who's main business is repair, not sales.

[Texan]

You have to look at warranty work like Medicare. The dealer gets a fixed rate that is much smaller than the 125.00 per hour or more most dealers charge for non-warranty work. I didn't buy my rv to sit on an dealer lot but that is what happens with many customers. You are better off if you are out of warranty to find an independent repair shop or use an mobile service. Some independents take an extended warranty if you have one. I've learned how to repair or improve a lot of things through this forum which has much more knowledge than the best dealers.

[richfaa]

The service part of the two camping worlds sort of near us look like RV parking lots with RV's waiting for service . The CW in Florida is were we winter is a mad house.

We are near two dealers here at our S&B in Northern Ohio and 3 weeks to get a appointment is normal.

We always purchase extended warranties for these things and they have never been refused anywhere in the country. There are not many independent repair shop that can service RV's. We had to stay at our local tire outlet to instruct them on replacing new tires we had purchased from them like were to place the jacks, what kind of balancing they needed.