Sounds like this could be a potential problem if someone is cross country with their Montana, has a warranty issue, and runs into a dealer who flat out tells them, "Sorry - if you didn't buy it here..." (pretty sure I heard that someone here had heard something like that from a dealer?)...
While I understand that many dealers around the country seem to have a good faith understanding, Keystone apparently felt they could not support a network of dealers doing warranty work. Therefore, they are putting their faith in Good Samaritan dealers to "voluntarily" do warranty work on out of town RVers.
But it still comes down to the fact that if you cannot make it back to your selling dealer, you are LEGALLY unprotected, and there is NO obligation of a non-selling AUTHORIZED Montana dealer to get you back on the road without a lot of cash coming out of your pocket - if they will even work on your Montana in the first place.
While I understand that, "That's just the way the system is...", I'm sorry, I just don't think it's a good deal. Going for years without a problem is nice to hear from RVers, but I really don't think we should have the additional stress put on us, trying to make calls to dealers, hoping the are in the majority.
Seriously, how many out there ever had a warranty issue on the road, and when you went to pick up the phone, had just a LITTLE extra stress - a little extra kick in the gut, praying this dealer you about call doesn't give you a hard time? None of you??? Great!!! THAT stress should never happen. I don't think that you can justify loading that extra worry on a new owner of a $40K-$45K investment - on top of the stress they are already feeling in their particular situation. I think new owners need to feel a little more comfortable in the knowledge that they don't have to worry while on the road - that Keystone/Montana's support is conditional.
One other thing... Someone mentioned private auto warranty issues away from the selling dealer. I believe they mentioned that it also is a similar system.. they don't HAVE to do warranty work on vehicles they didn't sell. Even if true, this is a poor comparison. The AVERAGE privately owned car/SUV/pickup does NOT range out of the area over 30 miles over most of their warranty lifetime. They are used primarily for going back and forth to work and the occassional family vacation (unless they have an RV). That means that for ~90% of their use, if a warranty issue pops up, they are near their dealer ANYWAY.
Now let's take RV usage. Anyone already guessing what's coming?
If someone stayed within a 30 mile radius of their home, while using their RV for 90% of the warranty life, I'd say that that person/couple/family paid a LOT of $$$ for no return on their RV. Many RVers are FT or longtime and most others get out of town/county/state for their RV usage. This means that any warranty issues that will occur, have a very high probability of occurring far from the selling dealer. This is fine if it is a non-critical component, that can wait until you can get back home. But sometimes it is a critical repair that makes usage/towing dangerous/difficult, if not impossible.
There is no comparison between an RV and a private auto, as to where they will be generally located, under normal operating conditions, relative to their selling dealer, when a warranty issue arises. The primary function of an RV, as a rule, precludes being anywhere near the dealer you bought the unit from.
Doesn't mean I won't buy a Montana... just means I take my chances just like everyone else. But... I'm still not going to drive my car around w/o car insurance because "most of the time there won't be a problem..." I'm still not covered.
I am not an RV expert, by any means. This is just what this looks like on the surface to me, and please keep in mind that this is
JMHO.
After thought:
People are getting by with their new RVs - some are unhappy (some REALLY unhappy), but most seem to be getting through their warranty period without major difficulty. I have only heard of one couple that had an early unhappy experience and sold their RV and went back to their stick house living.
I fully expect Cheryl and my RV lifestyle to be an exclamation point on our lives, and that it will be satisfying beyond what the average "rut/coach potato" type of person will ever imagine. We'll make it through the "speed bumps" of RVing.
Abe Lincoln said, "A person is just about as happy as they make up their mind to be."
AMEN!
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