@@anonymousone2950 poor guy, bought a $60,000 lemon. Don’t know how the big bosses at camping world can look at themselves in the mirror before going to work.
All the other RV dealers are just as bad. I went to a place down the street from camping world. Would have been just as bad going to camping world. Our air conditioner didn’t even work and the walk through guy scammed us. Had to fix it myself..
I stopped in one of there location after filling out an online form. They never followed up and called me. Ignored my online application after giving all my personal information. Our government needs to audit them to see how many social security numbers on people they never followed up with.
I bought from a family owned RV maker 20 years ago and am still a happy owner. That's part of the dilemma. If you make a good RV, people aren't coming back every 5 or 6 years for a new one.
Most...or just some?..camping world is a just some....most are American whomdefend the country! You have a side!. ....unless you're most biased.....then your. on their side
We had exactly the same experience with camping World and Thor in 2016...they had our camper more than we did. We traded in 2019 for a highly ranked Class C with John’s RV near Columbia, SC. THAT is an awesome dealership! Family owned, attentive to their customers, great service! The dealership truly does make the difference! It’s great to know there are still people with integrity and character in the RV community! Jane
Problem is 99% of folks that buy an RV dont do enough research to find out the real truth about Camping World and RVs in general. That is what Camping World banks on...unsuspecting/uneducated buyers. What really needs to happen is the laws regarding the purchase and maintenance of RV's need to change so that there is protection for the buyer.
That is what I did, I boycotted camping world and got a 5th wheel from a consignment shop. And will never get any thing new again do to the fact the corporate don’t give a damm about anyone.
They get new customers no problem. they have Camping World Bowl, they advertise all over. They have the most locations. Now days there are two suckers born every minute. People do not realize how bad customer service can be. Buy from the dealer that is a mile away from the factory. Make sure you are satisfied that there are no issues before heading home.
We made a deal on a trailer. They came in with paperwork and it was almost 4K more than we agreed on. We got and walked out. They tried to tell us all the fees were “normal.”
I actually bought my camper from a smaller dealer and was treated like a king... until that is, I showed up one day asking about some warranty work. The deer in the headlights look turned on immediately.... I'd seen it before and I knew right then there would be no help. I learned to fix the crap myself. Once you sign that paper, you're an adversary, just like at the car dealership.
I'd hope people do a little more than "google it". Large companies can pay google to downgrade negative hits on their business. Watching videos like this and reading forum posts are a good way to get more info. If you're going to invest that much money on an RV I would hope people would spend more time researching.
@@paulao7022 Don't trust the Better Business Bureau and their reviews or attempts to help. I was in the Kitchen and Bath Remodeling business. BBB would solicit us for membership ($$$) .... promoting us to consumers. They represented and promoted our interests. Not the Homeowners/Consumers. Just sayin....
Is really that hard to identify a bad dealer? I know for heck sure I walked out of a bad one. Sadly, it was very local, and well staffed. Or at least it was at the time. No idea about today. They wanted to charge too much for the unit I wanted and I knew it. They did absolutely nothing to win my sale. Well, they did offer a "free WDH", but the value they quoted was well over the market value (retail price!). They didn't talk about their service department. They didn't introduce me to a technician. I talked to my sales rep and a single finance person while in the building. Later, about 12 minutes down the road a different sales rep called by "accident" and tried to sale me the unit at exactly the same price. So again, is it really that hard to spot a bad dealer? Or does the typical buyer just have no idea what their expectations should be? We, the RVing community, need to continue to educate the new buyers.
Camping world is not the only problem, the factory is building nothing but junk. Go to a state, that has a lemon law, for rv's. Then you have a way out, if it is junk.
@@keithgregory8982 I am completely satisfied with my 25' Lance camp trailer. Not ALL RVs are junk. One time I had a 10.5' Lance slide-in camper. The truck was a 1993 Dodge diesel duelie. I hit a washout at 55MPH. It was 18" down, six feet across and 18" up on the other side. It ripped the tie-downs off of the truck, dented in the marker lights of the cab, and the camper ended up sitting on one of the wheel wells. The truck came off the ground 3 times. It did not hurt the camper at all. It really did not hurt the truck toooooo much. If it would survive something like that, I was sold. They are spendy, but you get what you pay for. If you buy the cheapest thing that you can find, that is exactly what you will have!
@@Rat-Builder I am sure, there are good rv builders, out there, but because they don't have customers raising hell about their products, you don't hear much about them. I pull a 1985 Sun Line camper, and because I keep it inside, when not using, it still looks like new. I have run into people that loved sun line campers, and I have talked to people that said they were a terrible camper. About 20 years ago, people from Indiana, showed up at the factory, and offered the owners, so much money for the business, they could not turn it down. These new owners, sent nothing but junk, out the door, for 2 years, then shut the doors. They had to drag down the name, before going out, just to make sure, people did not associate quality, with that name. I have pulled this camper, in all of the lower 48, and most of the Nat. Parks, and plan to continue to pull it. I am sure, this is not the only company, that was bought out, by big corporate, just to get rid of a good competitors. My camper is a 20th anniversary model, so they had been at it a long time. Have a good day.
If RV's were built better you wouldn't need them to be serviced under the warranty. I hate taking vehicles to the dealer even for recalls. Nothing good can come from a dealer visit. Either fix it yourself or accept that it's broke. Avoid the grief.
My wife and I are retired and thought about possibly buying a RV. We did alot of research on it and decided on not buying one. We found there's alot more cons to pros.
You have that right Allen. I'm a "Mom and Pop" business and the corporate machine is trying to kill me everyday. I only deal with other small business' with whatever I do. You will be hard pressed to come out on top with ANY dealer like Camping World. Small dealers will never forget your name and will bend over backwards for you. I'm on my 3rd Motorhome and every one of them have come from my local dealers (mom & pop) and I am still thrilled with the products and service. Great show and thanks for everything you and your team do. You help us more than you know.
@@eveorlando3389 Miller's RV and The RV Shop. Both in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Louisiana. The RV Shop is in the process of building a brand new dealership alongside I-12 in Baton Rouge. Completely outgrowing the dealership they constructed 15 years ago. Top Notch Service Departments at both dealers. ATB
Back in the 80’s my Pops took a management job at CampingWorld, after 2 weeks he separated from them telling them their business model would fail. Pops is always right.
@@williamboyle8918 sadly I agree with you, there's a saying " you can't fight City Hall ". The corporations take no prisoners, Prime example, Camping World. Let them fall on their sword!
We bought a Tiffin, a family manufacturer and good folks. They take care of the customers and want to make sure we’re happy with the RV. Kudos to Bob Tiffin and Family 👏💓
I've heard Tiffin is supposed to be good but you need to be cautious with them also. They have a lot nice stuff on their frame and if you've got one of the Mercedes chassis you have very little amount that you can add to your gross weight without overloading! I've heard stories of those twisting/breaking and having to take it back to the mfg and not get it back for a few months. If you are a full timer, that would suck living in a hotel room for that long! Be careful with you weight limits, whatever you have!
Thank you for this. My friend worked for Camping world for 10 years and told me not to buy a camper from them. I am currently looking for a motorhome. He also told me to stick with Winnebago because they have the best product. Good luck to all who are looking for a future camper.
be very careful with Winnebago. I sold them for 3 years and I won’t buy one. Just garbage to our dealership and not much help in getting repairs for the crap they sent us. We had new motorhomes that were 2 years old b/c they were garbage.
Skip the pre fab RVs and build out a cargo trailer or similar and build out with quality materials. It is the only way to go. Dont make the mistake and buy a pre fab RV. Plus when you build out a rig you have the choice to put in as much insulation as you want. Lots of insulation can really open up your travels... now you have a real "4 season RV". Customization is a plus too.
The AG can only act within the law. As with most states, RVs are not well covered (sometimes not at all). www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Handbooks/MNCarLaws/CH1.asp
Thank you for that all to common commentary/report. I'm afraid a lot of folks-especially those who are new to RVing-go into a dealership like CW thinking buying a new RV is like buying a new car or truck. They won't have any problems with a new vehicle or if they do the dealer will take care of it thru warranty el pronto. Couldn't be further from the truth. Your example here of this fella is way to common. Buying a RV from most dealers is NOTHING like buying a car or truck. I'm sure you started your YT channel to inform people. You do a good job BTW. I started my YT channel to help folks learn how to take care of their RV's themselves. Most people can take care of 80% - 90% of the things on their RV themselves and I show them how. Knowing how to do these things yourself is a MUST while owning any RV new or used. Good customer service from ANY company these days are far & few between. I would NEVER buy an RV from CW.
As a big fan of “The Profit” with Marcus Lemonis (sp) I’m so disappointed he doesn’t practice what he preaches when it comes to Camping World. He has really let a lot of people down with his “business model” for Camping World. He lost me as a fan after my personal dealings with Camping World and all the horror stories I’ve heard from others.
My wife and I are considering buying a 30 ft or so travel trailer and taking our two teenagers ( both have autism) and traveling the country full time. We aren't rich by any means, so when, or if, we buy an RV it's going to be a lot of money for us. Hearing the state of the RV industry as of late is giving us pause and making us seriously take another look at our decision. Thank you for your honesty and look forward to your shows every week. Keep up the good work Wingman
I have been researching RV's for 26 years. They cost more than they used to and have more electronics/technology that can fail. Most are junk on wheels. I'll probably still be looking in 26 more years. I want an RV
The best I understand, if you buy from a state that has lemon laws, for rv's, or if you live in a state, that has lemon laws, on rv's, that you do have some chance of making it right.
@@miriamvivo4279 look on you tube for a site called Lehto's Law, put out by Steve Lehto, who is a lemon law attorney, from Michigan, that warns people about buying rv's. He has said that some states, do have lemon laws on rv's. Look it up.
Camping World got us also! Several issues the first few months and Camping World had an 8 month wait for service. I took it to an independent repair shop and Heartland did cover all of the warranty repairs. The shop had the camper more the first year than we did.
Alan, what I appreciate is that you are so forthright in providing such valuable information on your radio/YT/FB Wednesday evening programs. By presenting the reality of hideous business practices, you are sparing your viewers/listeners from others' travails. Thank you for taking the lead in this, as someone needed to. Please continue to take the high road.
While I agree Camping World sucks, everyone is ignoring the point that they did not build this vehicle, Thor did and there in lies the underlying problem. With quality this pathetic the Attorney General should have made them replace it under the lemon law. Remember folks, research, research, research before you buy ANY rv. The "industry standard" and quality are so low that precious few are worth buying. These RVs are not like cars/trucks and do not come with the same warranties or consumer protections.
Sadly, RVs are not covered under most lemon laws, which are mostly state law. For example, here in Arizona the lemon law only covers vehicles with 10,000 GVWR or less. Few RVs fit that restriction. The US Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act may help, but you will need a lemon law lawyer to have any hope at all.
@@benjaminvivar7855 Benjamin that's a great question. I wish I had an answer. I would suggest finding one you like and then talking with many owners of that brand. Do your homework. If you watcjh videos here on RU-vid you'll see buyers with unbelievable problems so as not to end up like them take your time.
It’s time people to start shaming these dealers and companies all over local and social media...! Again, hit them in their pocket as money is all they care about...! Don’t forget to file complaints with the local Better Business Bureau...! Believe it or not but many new customers will check with them prior to purchasing from a company that they are unfamiliar with to see if they have any complaints and black marks against them. Once a company receives a black mark against them, it stays on file for the life of the company...!
You could open yourself up to be sued by the RV companies. I know someone who was sued for $550,000 for creating a social media group that complained about their builder. It went to arbitration and while the buyer won, they still were forced to pay 30+k in fees plus the builder didn’t have to finish the $100k in unfinished work for which the builder collected early from the bank. Builder somehow got the disbursement and said, ya, we’re done now and left. Plus the buyer signed an arbitration clause. Arbitration clauses are becoming more common. Avoid companies that force you into one. They are heavily weighted for the company it’s written for. It will cost you more money and you will never win.
We bought a used RV from Camping World used it for one trip and received two serious recalls on the Van . Took 1 year to get the parts. Some people are told that their lift was not equipped with a lift to accommodate their Van to replace the parts. Thank goodness our wonderful dodger dealership has the appropriate lift for our Vans and repaired it a year after the recalls received and the pandemic allowed us to get the parts. Thank goodness for the dudge repair in Hurst. Did a wonderful job
Could you please do a video rating the sales and service departments of the top 10 new RV dealerships in the USA? I think this subject and content would be of great interest to prospective buyers, and window shoppers alike.
Interesting perspective. I agree with the sentiments about Camping World. I won't buy anything from them. But, blaming Wall Street for what 1 company has done is ridiculous. Manufacturers need to be held responsible for the crap products they churn out, and Dealerships for their poor Customer Service, and finally the consumer for not doing their homework and getting educated before spending buckets of money on an RV.
There are some great RV's out there but you have to do your homework. Alan is right to a point the money people bought up the small manufactures and quality went in the crapper. Rv's got even cheaper than they where before the buying spree. They are still mostly made in northern Indiana and southern Michigan and many of the employees are Amish. But he materials in the majority are not as good as they once where, so if you look befroe you leap you can get a great Rv
Alan, I've been following you for a while now and have commented before. I think you got it right on this message. The RV industry will pay the price for the junk being put out and the lack of support after the sale. I believe in 2 years there will be a flood of used junk available based on the sales of the last 9 months and the sellers will take a huge hit like this gentleman and they will leave the industry. Perhaps there is an upside? The mom and pop's who can hang in there will have a solid base of customers who are in for the long haul, the corp dealerships will wither away; the junk manufacturers will hopefully close; and perhaps campgrounds will have availablility again. One can hope! I sold my 07 Four Winds Super C (that actually was reasonably solid) in early August and planned on leaving the RV life after 5 years . I decided to give it one more try and found a used 2017 Forest River Work and Play toy hauler outfitted the way I wanted. It was a trade in to a family run dealership. I talked with two owners of this brand and style and they spoke highly of the durability of these units. Fingers crossed. The dealership gave me the "we are the best dealership" speech for a few minutes as usual. The 2 folks I worked with were straightforward and based on the conversation seemed very knowledgeable in the industry. They did work to make the deal work, throwing in some discounts on accessories I needed and reduced a state required inspection fee by 50% and a lifetime 10% discount on parts going forward. Like you said there are decent non corporate dealers out there. Lets see how the next year or two goes. Keep up to good work! Regards, Keith
I've said it once, I'll state it again. If you want a reliable, functional & cost-beneficial RV/Travel Trailer, start from the ground up, design, fabricate & maintain it yourself, or with a few trusted friends/technicians. You'll spend significantly more time in the endeavor, but if you plan to be a regular, long-term camper/traveler, you'll never regret the extra time/effort, as workmanship & patience will reward you in the long-term.
We researched Camping World and decided no way. We found a great dealer in Lacombe, Louisiana called Steve's RV. We have bought 4 Jayco rvs from him. Great service after the sale. Honest mom and pop dealer.
We bought a NEWMAR, Mountain Aire 20 years ago, we have the coach in the maintenance facility 2 time since. buy quality the care of it. Our maintenance facility is Motor Trucks in Everette Wa. great folks.
I took my 2019 Airstream Nest for winterizing, and some minor repairs, to what I thought was a reputable dealer in the MW. What a fiasco, I won’t go into the details, but basically these larger dealers often have staff who don’t care nor take the time to do a job right. My advice is to be sure to take photos of your RV inside and out before and after you bring your rig in for servicing. Get to know the service manager, and be very specific with reviewing your project and insure it is completed before you leave the lot. Smaller dealers and local mechanics you can get to know and trust are key.
That phone call you had received is the reason why I will not purchase a camper from any manufacturer !!! Too many bad quality trailers and bad dealers and very high prices !!! I’m going to build my own travel trailer from a new 7x18x7 cargo trailer with a one piece flat aluminum roof. Trailer is made up special for me with 2 5200lbs axles, .040 screw less aluminum sides, The best thing is that I have total control of the quality of the workmanship , materials, insulation, and price !!! Brand new trailer is $7k and even if I have another $7k in it, it’s still a better deal than buying a new travel trailer from Camping World or any other place !!! Thanks For RU-vid for showing us how to do that !!!👍
Thanks for caring, maybe your team can put together a list of honest RV dealers in USA. We want a well made RV at a fantastic price with a caring sales and service team that stands behind the products they sell. God Bless, keep healthy and happy RVing 💪🏽🕯🙏
You hit the nail on the head beans counters have ruined to many good businesses by being more concerned about the bottom dollar than a good, decent product and forget about customer service.
I'm a first timer/buyer. Aftermath of this new covid world hit me and I had to buy a travel trailer to live FULL-TIME in. Not even an RV. (really, what's the lifestyle difference). I did not purchase at CW but a local chain in the 2hour radius I call home. As soon as I signed my paperwork I felt like nobody cared. Right off the bat in the dealerships lot, they "tech" rushed thru the process of showing me (I'm super green) how everything worked in my unit and my hitch&/hook up components. Then I'm pulling out super nervous of course, and thank God I stopped to take a pic of it because a man (who worked there but I hadn't met during my dealings) asked "yall good with the breaking system?" ....I say "What?...no". Turns out thru the whole rush of getting me out of there and on to the next one, they never installed the system. I could of killed someone on the road or my family straight off the lot. Turns out my towing vehicle/truck didn't work with the new Bluetooth (bullshit unsafe) brake control ($250) they wanted to rush shove on. I had to leave the new rv I just bought there for 3 weeks to get my truck serviced for that. And It turns out what they were trying to put on is ish. Not my trucks fault so to speak. They didn't have they service time to fit me in a timely manner (for them) to install a normal manual brake system. So I had to schedule thru a brake shop in the town I bought the rv in. The entire time, I live nowhere so there goes about 1,500 to stay in a crappy motel for all this added to time parts labor. Insult to injury when I was finally able to pick my rv up after about three weeks, the dealership didn't even remember who I was. And wouldn't refresh me on anything they "taught"/"told" me on original pickup date. On top of all of it too, the 30day warranty they gave me on the unit was basically used up sitting on their lot because as soon as they got the check. No effs were given. The ONLY thing REAL they did for me was let me keep it on their lot the entire time. Oh and I'm still having brake problems, an electrical awning problem tied with other electrical/fuse issues. Today is August 28, 2022. I bought my travel trailer July 12, 2022. For all who read this, thank you. It feels good to get it off my chest. And I hope NO-ONE else ever has this problem.
I was a service writer for cw. Within a few months my numbers were far better than any other employee. Customers would only come to me. Management would berate me, employees were hostile to me even sabotaging my work. Was never recognized for the outstanding work I did.
And then what happened? Service writers don't fix anything, so why did the customers want you to take their order? I could write down what needs to be fixed myself. But my Spanish isn't too good. No habla technicians?
oh i dont believe that; i think you were eventually recognized for the good work you did by them FIRING you!! you were making them look bad!! good on you!!
We bought a 2013 Thor ACE. We had service done on it at the Camping World in Kissimmee, FL. It was a horrible experience. We got the coach back with parts missing from the awning (parts that weren't missing when we dropped it off). They fixed the slide and broke the jacks. We took it back to have the jacks repaired. They fixed the jacks and the slides began leaking again. We traded the Thor in on a Newmar. We bought it from a small family owned business (Independence RV) in Winter Garden, FL. We have been treated very well by Independence RV & Newmar.
Water leakage when it's new is absolutely frightening and I thought Thor would be a good brand. I must tell you I have never heard anything about camping world. Bought some chairs there once. Didn't seem like the kind of place I would want to take an RV for any kind of repair.
I too fell victim to the venomous bite of Crappy World and Crapstone. I bought a 60,000 dollar 5th wheel 17 months ago and it’s been in the shop 7 of those months. When/if I can get all of the stuff fixed I’m selling it and will be done with camping.
Why on gods green earth did you buy from camping world? That doesn’t make any sense. 10 minute google search will tell you no way. You can only blame yourself. There’s lots of good RV out there with lots of good dealers just do your homework, stop acting ignorant and blaming others.
I had a Jayco Melbourne 29D For about eight years and the only problem I had was the hinges fell off a closet door and a piece of the trim fell down from around the slide, but other than that I had no problems. Now if you have a family with kids jumping around that things going to get torn off because they are made really cheap
I am a Level II RV Inspector. I have done several Inspections at Camping World. They have endless tricks. The last one was on a new Class C. I told the buyer to stick with me during the inspection. While I was underneath the RV, halfway through the inspection. He disappeared. When he got back i ask him where he went. He said that they needed him to sign papers. He did. I finished the inspection,and found several problems. I left and he called me 2 hours later and said Camping World could not fix those problems and he would have to travel back from Idaho to California to a Camping World there to get repairs. Sad.
This is good to know. My wife and I r looking into buying an RV and were told to stay away from Camping World. They’re in it for the $$$. But the more I talk to people the more I want to shy away from the purchase. Sad.
People need to read all the forums before purchasing. We bought a used RV that the people never used. No warranty. Thank God I have a wonderful husband that is an all around fix-it person. Every problem that has come up, he has taken care of. The main thing is, you need to check the caulking every six months for any signs of any cracks and take care of it. My advice would be to buy the smallest camper you can get away with and then upgrade once you know what it is all about. When we sold our first camper, an 18 foot, we lost $100.
I purchased a used RV and as I never used it. I tried to do a repair on the RV and it turned into a hell hole. I took it back to the seller, dropped it off, and left it there where I picked it up. I was contacted by the seller a few days later and told him that there were too many major issues with the RV that were not disclosed, and told them to keep the deposit and try to sell to someone else as I was no longer interested in it under any circumstance. the problem was that a rat damaged all of the water system, all of the harnesses, and actually worked just long enough to show there was power available. I never was interested in the RV lifestyle again. I ended up purchasing a 67 ford station wagon and was perfect for camping. everything was in a small trailer towed to the campsite and was the best thing for camping I ever had. used it for several years and sold it for a profit to another camper.
Thank you for the show. Just saw my first episode. Glad I did. Starting to look for an RV to move around the country in semi-retirement. Glad to know who NOT to go to. Thank you.
I have lived a lot of places where RVs are popular. Florida, AZ, NC. I have heard stories like this about Camping world in all of them. I would NEVER buy new or used from one of those dealerships.
I bought my first trailer this year. I went into it knowing I would have to do the repairs myself. Luckily I’m pretty mechanical in nature. Love this channel
I have one and I named my nightmare “Thor’er stories.” It is definitely true. I have a stack of receipts that practically need a room, not a file cabinet.
I purchased a used Thor Vegas (NOT from Camping World) that had been used as a rental. In the year I have owned it, I have had 0 issues. It was very well taken care of and I look forward to many years of use.
We just sold our Rockwood after buying it new in 2012. Very few issues. We were very happy with the quality. I do think it depends on model and QC. The RV industry needs better oversight and accountability across the board.
I’ve got a 2019 Forest River 27’ Flagstaff Super Light. No troubles yet, been to Wy once, Ny twice (only to visit an Army buddy) and Va. we’ve taken some rough roads in Va and WVa without any visible damage, everything still works. Lucky I guess, this is our 5th RV. 2 travel trailers, 2 Slide in’s, and a Raptor toy hauler, and some how never even a flat tire. All the RV dealers were great, 1 in Northern Va, a Lance dealer, 2 in Idaho Falls, the Raptor and an Artic Fox slide in, an the Forest River in Elisabethtown, Ky. Hopefully my luck will continue.
2014 we bought a Forrester 30 ft. motor home. The very first time we took it out, the shower leaked; the ice maker leaked; the bathroom door would not stay closed. We bought this beauty, all $78,000 of it, from Alpen Haus, Amsterdam, NY. They took it in and "fixed" the shower, ice maker and bathroom door. The next time we took it out, the shower continued to leak; the ice maker continued to leak; the sound system for the exterior TV didn't work; our GPS didn't work and the bathroom door still would not stay closed. Again we took the RV in to the dealer. The first time we brought it back for repairs, the dealer had it 6 of the 16 weeks of summer. The next time we brought it in for repairs they had it through the fall and winter months. We got it back in the spring. All the while they had it, we called every couple of weeks to see how the repairs were coming along. At one point, I was told that they replaced the radio/GPS/sound system for the exterior TV 5 times and each time it shorted out. I was told they could give me a plain radio, but could not replace the system that came with the unit. Of course, this was unacceptable. To make a long story short, my daughter contacted the CEO of Forrest River. The repairs were finally made, except for the ice maker. We took it upon ourselves to go to a locally owned RV shop and have the ice maker removed. We have actually been able to use the RV and enjoy the great outdoors. It's a shame that consumers have to jump through hoops to have shoddy workmanship made right. NY state lemon laws do not cover the entire RV.
Buying an RV is a crap shoot. I took possession of 2011 in that year. I am full time and this is my home. The dealer was more than polite, first warning sign, and had all the numbers figured out on paper within 2 minutes, 2nd warning sign, so we went with the deal, I read what I could with all the hub bub going on in the lobby and screwed up and signed the deal. That distraction cost me 2% interest for the life of the contract, no way to refinance. So far I think it has cost me $8K. I am hoping the people I have warned about these folks heeded what I told them. The bottom line hear, take your new contract to an attorney, if the dealer won't allow that, go somewhere else. As far as I am concerned all the dealers and manufacturers are plain out thieves and should be locked under ground till they exist no more.
This problem starts in the manufacturing plant. Wire and plumbing routed like a Roreshak ink blot. Finishings that pop loose due to over charged staple guns 11/4" screws instead of 2inch Placement of awnings or ladders that impede window or door operations.... And this is what can be seen while in a showroom!
I discovered Haylett RV on RU-vid; and Josh's videos have demonstrated that when it's time for me to pull the trigger on buying an RV, I'm giving them a call! I'd never trust a large outfit like Camping World, because to them you're just the next meal for them to chew up and crap out. Give me the personal touch if a family owned business, any day!
Just want to give a shout out to my local RV place here in Missoula, Montana! Bretz RV! They treat you right and will make things right if things aren't right! It's one of the cheapest places to get propane, and you can dump your RV and fill up with water for free every time.. even if you didn't buy your RV there!
I worked for a company that sold yachts. I was a service writer. We would receive shipment on a boat and it was my job to go in with my crew of mechanics and find everything wrong possible. I would write up the service order and file a claim with insurance. Depending on what the insurance would pay is what got fixed. Of course the owner of the boat had to wait months for inspection, parts ordered and work to be done. Finally the boat would be ready and delivered. The owner takes it out and something breaks. Back to the shop it comes and the process starts over again. If the boat was made properly to begin with and if insurance companies payed... I gave my notice after 6 months working and the owner laughed at me and said that the RV industry is worse and because we were yachts this was the most money and best service. Of course I quit anyway. What I learned though is this; Never buy new=depreciation, just driving off the lot, have an independent mechanic look through the whole vehicle, negotiate a fair price and maintain good service, throughout ownership. Food for thought...
I did my research on the brand and dealers. Six years later I’m still a happy camper. I hooked with a mom pop dealer and Tiffin. Even tho I’m way out of warranty both of them still provide excellent customer service and when I’m ready to write a check for repairs I’ve been told nothing owing this time. They felt it was there responsibility based on the situation. I feel for the guy and his family because that should never happen to anyone. So sad!
We had our camper at Camping World in Columbia SC, they were to service the air conditioner, they ran into it two times with their fork lift. We made them buy it.
What??? Get out of the business??? And give up the millions they make every year?? Not going to happen as long as it is legal to steal money from people.
I haven't bought a RV yet. I don't want to buy new because all the craziness they throw out at the buyer. Don't want to buy use because I probably buying someone headache. Definitely if I do it an inspector is a must before I decide to buy.
For 26 years we only purchased used because my theory was let someone else work out the bugs and we had very minor issues that you could count on one hand in all 26 years. My wife wanted a new RV for a change and my theory was right. After 2 years now of ownership of a brand new Keystone product I believe that I have worked out all of the bugs. I lost count on how many issues I have had to work out but I was able to repair everything myself. All I can say is whoever buys or unit will have a very nice carefree experience.
If you do buy used. Watch out what year it is. if it's 10 years or older there are a lot of parks that won't let you in. I mean no matter what, this is industry really how's it out for their customers.
I don't even own, nor have I ever owned an RV, and haven't heard a good word about Camping World. When it comes time to purchase I'll avoid them like the plague.
I feel the need to speak up about Camping World, we bought a new Keystone Cougar 362RKS from CW of Tuscon, Az. We are from California and our local dealer that we bought our last Cougar from didn't even want to try to sell us a unit. So I went hunting on the web, found what I was looking for and Ron Coss picked up my request, let's say a week later and I had my rig. The sales process was painless and we didn't get sold on a bunch of things we did not need. I highly recommend CW of Tuscon, Az!!
I'd like to also add that when I saw the pictures of the dinning table it was the table and chairs but when we saw in person it had the booth dinette, we told them that was a deal breaker, now remember we just drove all the way from SoCal to Tuscon. Anyway they made good on what was advertised and they removed the booth and installed the table and chairs whist we were doing the paperwork. To me that is great service!
Our first two campers were from a Mom and Pop shop, wonderful experience. Our last from Camping World, not the Horror story as others ,but still we got took a little. Only bought there because our regular shop did not sell 5th Wheels.
I started out as an RV tech 40 years ago when Nomad, Palomino, Wilderness, Airstream, were the going names. There were others but these are the names I got familiar with as the dealership that I worked at sold these units. It was a family owned business that cared about their customers and cared about quality and quality control, things you don't see much of these days in RV's. Like Alan mentions, these types of RV dealerships is where folks did their business and came back in a few years to trade in and upgrade their RV's for newer models. They don't make 'em like that anymore, not even close! After being in the business as a service tech for 20 years, I got to see a lot of quality control issues but as the years went by, so did the quality of these trailers. One day, I had to take a fifth wheel to a dealership in Pennsylvania where it was made to have some warranty work done, major repairs inside from a water leak that did severe damage. While I was there, I toured the facility and saw first hand how some of these units were made and I was quite impressed with the whole operation, right up until I got to where they did the quality control inspection on a finished unit. On this day and time (back some 20 years ago), they were inspecting a newly built travel trailer in a far off corner of the building where there was very little lighting to inspect the outside of the unit and they hardly had any lights on inside the unit. There were 3 people, if I remember correctly, and some of them had flashlights doing the quality control inspections!!! I realized right then why quality control issues were the main reason we had problems when we serviced a new unit. Warranty....warranty.....warranty...., the repairs we had to do on new units was covered by warranty claims. It is amazing how much manufacturers are paying out in warranty repairs on new units due to piss poor craftmanship happening on RV's these days. Another problem I saw at the dealership that I was working at towards the end of my career was how few service techs knew what they were doing! They had no schooling in servicing these units, no schooling in LP appliances, nothing. They just "winged it" if that's a good expression, when servicing these units. The dealerships didn't want to pay to send their employees to a tech school to learn about these things, from the appliances to the wiring to how they were built. Mostly the problems were assembly and appliances but still.....no schooling! Absolutely crazy!! And on top of all that, now a days it's hard to find good help that gives even half a crap about their jobs so between the mfg's doing sub-par quality in building these RV's, the dealerships not getting their employees trained on how to properly service and repair these RV's, and the employees not caring a hoot about their job or how well they service these units, whether if they're new or used, you get a mixture of disaster in the making right from the start. By the time the unit is sold to a customer, it's no wonder they have problems right from the start. I'm glad I don't work in the RV industry anymore, I'd be ashamed if I did. I left that profession to become a pressman running a printing press making quality medical journals for hospitals and doctor's and retired feeling good about what I did in that line of work.
Thank you for this. Fantastic insight of what someone "on the inside" had experienced to educate those, like me of what's going on. It's a shame how the dealer's won't pay for the education though, as you mentioned here, finding those that actually have the pride of what they do for their living is difficult, not being more true than can be. I was an electrical contractor. I found a couple guys who cared, less than 2 more than 1 out of the dozen I had. (One of them was a bit wishy-washy but sometimes was decent). Finding competence in any kind of serviceman is nearly impossible in these days, I couldn't agree more.
@@chrischapman276 Hi Chris, I wouldn't even dare step into an RV dealership nowadays. I can't imagine what horror show I might come across. I remember years ago I worked at a dealership that hired older, retired guys to help out with repairs, cleaning, etc... One day he went with me for service calls and at one particular RV park that he had a unit in, the customer was having a problem with their Dometic refrigerator. Luckily the customer wasn't around and there were other issues that I needed to work on and this older guy said he felt comfortable working on the fridge. After all..... he said "I've owned travel trailers for years an fixed my own problems when they arose"! He's got the access door off outside and the fridge pulled out from the cabinet a few inches to better work on the back of the fridge. The next thing I see is the whole wiring harness going up in smoke and he's running around like a chicken with his head cut off not knowing what to do!! I pulled the 110VAC plug out from the outlet and yanked on the 12VDC wires to break that connection. I asked him what happened but he couldn't really tell me what he did to cause this problem. The whole wiring from the bottom of the fridge to the top was burned completely so all the wires were exposed. What a mess! From that day forward, he never went with me again and he had to pay for a new wiring harness for that customer. It's hard to find good help and harder to find someone who really cares about customer satisfaction.....
Part of the problem is that many parts of the RV are made by different manufacturers and each manufacturer has their own warranty. There are warranties for the engine, for the cab, generator, fridge, heater, etc.it can be a real nightmare remembering what’s covered and for how long on each item. It might be worth making a spreadsheet for this.
I have visited my local CW, just to se what prices they have on accessories and fridges. I can’t believe the ridiculous prices on their refrigerators! I can find good prices on the list of my items at MUCH LOWER PRICES at Home Depot -and often on sale, so i got in my car, and left for HD and found much nicer fridges for less, which means! I can shop at Home Depot, Lowes’ AND buy a few boxes of flooring tiles. Not shopping at Camping World any more!
I learned last weekend first hand how bad camping world is. They are absolutely horrible and treat people like garbage. Their most feared RV came to them when I gave them a shot. I research everything before I purchase it. The informed buyer is their worst fear. They tried to rip me off more than 6k. I left. They have been calling me for days trying to keep me quiet. I will not be silenced and hope more people learn how bad CAMPING WORLD is. They are absolute trash!
@@Rat-Builder To long to go in here. I will never try to buy or step foot in their store or sister stores at all. They are the biggest thieves out there.
@@virgierutledge3004 Is it not amazing just how "rabid" acting the left is? They lie/cheat/swindle people. That pretty much sums up the Democratic party. They are consistent, I will say that for them. CONSISTENTLY terrible.
The problem is that Attorney-Generals must operate within the law. Having no lemon laws that protect the consumer gives them no leverage to prosecute or help with complaints.
I have seen a tremendous decrease in the build quality of rvs being sold in the market today. I would love to hear your pick of top rv manufacturers? It seems now a days rv manufacturers are rv assemblers putting parts from Lippert together and putting their own sticker on it. I'm also worried about wait times to get your rv fixed because the products that are being sold now will need a lot of attention. Love your show, keep up the great work!
Hello Allen. You and I had a conversation a while back. To this day I am stunned and grateful that someone as busy and as popular as yourself took the time to get back to me. We were more than a little at odds over the view of the RV situation then. But watching your broadcast today we could not be more in agreement. If I could wave a magic wand. You would have access to much more of a media outlet than just RU-vid or social media. You would have your own cable channel. My concerns having being going on for at least the last two years. For so many the nightmare of RV ownership (for some, not all). The next two years will be real telling. But If I may add here I'm no fan of Camping World. But to think all of this is on them as I have seen brought up here. At the plants were these are manufactured........
Anyone who did their due diligence research knows to never go to Camping World. They also can find the best rated RV's. It took me a lot of research and browsing at our local dealer to know the quality of unit I wanted. We ordered new because of specific features we wanted and we're thrilled to get our new trailer with several upgrades not mentioned in the 2021model. All that for 30% off list. They have taken excellent care of us.
@@Zelda4U Thanks for the reply! I'm always leery of the BIG boys. Henry Ford was quoted as saying "I won't do business with a company unless I can talk to the owner". Not always possible but I try.
Our experience was very similar to Richard's. We sold our Thor Citation and will never buy another. It was nothing but a big expensive headache that we enjoyed a little when we were between repairs at Mercedes and Camping World. Before you buy a motorhome on a Mercedes chassis consider where you plan to travel and how far it will be to get your Mercedes diesel serviced.
Check out Steve Lehto on RU-vid. He is a Michigan attorney who puts up vlogs about consumer related issues. He says to NEVER buy a new RV. He has many horror stories related to this subject. He says that when individual systems require warranty work then the dealers will not cover the issue. He says you have to go to the manufacturer of say the frig and go after them. The claim many times goes back and forth between the manufacturer, the dealer and the company that built the RV. He convinced me to never purchase a new one!
Talk to Steve Lehto. He deals with lemon law cases. But he recomends never buying and RV. The RV"s aren't protected by the same laws as regular automobiles. They also are built to reduce weight so they aren't built to take stresses. If you buy one know what your getting into. Do your research.
This madness is why many folks are building their own RVs from old school buses and tour Buses. At least they know what they have when it's finished and can perform most repairs themselves. I am an advocate for the DIY lifestyle , Cut out the corrupt corporate mafia.
Well, this came about 4 weeks too late to warn me. The Camping World dealer I used had mostly good reviews. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will come through on the few things that need to be fixed. If not, I may be calling in.
Big corporation has destroyed the way of life! I’ve watched many videos here on RU-vid and the horror stories these people go through with these motor homes and the problems. We never owned a motor home just a pull behind camper but that was back in the 70’s and into the early 80’s, had great luck with the used and then the brand new.
