PTParaD TRs and Shenanigans

[Part-Time Paradise]

Got the rig back from the shop...rhymes with schmamping schmorld. Keystone did not provide me with a lot of good options to take the rig for warranty work, so I was stuck going to them. Maybe should've taken my chances elsewhere.

They didn't give me any kind of walk around or talk through what they did. I went out and hooked up and had to plug it into the truck to get the slides and landing gear to work because they left a light on, which killed the batteries. In my walk through I found a wrench they'd left behind and one of the jobs they said they completed on the job order that wasn't done. It was just reattaching a piece of trim, so they begrudgingly went to the back and got an interior guy and he made the fix sooner than it took to find him. No apologies, no whoopsies. No one was a jerk, but no one was more customer oriented than indifferent. I'm anxiously awaiting the "how'd we do" email.

That bologna aside, I have the rig back. Our Christmas plans are getting COVID grenaded, so now it's time to wear down DW to go camping regardless of the temps outside. I just need to get out in the rig. Getting itchy.

 

[WeLovePluto]

Schmamping schmorld is the worst. I’m internally debating if it’s worth towing an hour and a half for my 20-whatever point inspection. I don’t think I can even take it to the closer one for some reason.

To be fair though, both myself and my coworker have brought campers to a different local dealer that didn’t do the repair work either.

 

[tigger92662]

Schmamping schmorld is the worst.

I haven't taken my coach in for anything anymore. I'm trying my best, learning as I go, to fix everything myself.

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

I haven't taken my coach in for anything anymore. I'm trying my best, learning as I go, to fix everything myself.

If it wasn't under warranty and particularly for two appliances that crapped out (outdoor kitchen fridge just stopped working...skunked an entire fridge worth of homebrew a friend gave me and the microwave light and turntable would randomly turn on. I get it they are shaking all around, but not even 6 months old...anyway), I would've just done it myself. It was dumb stuff like the piece of trim, a door that wouldn't close because the manufacturer didn't rout/drill the hole for the latch to fall into the frame, a door knob that split open on the handle, and some other shoddy stuff. I'm capable to fix all, but stupid me for thinking a professional would take good care of it.

I'm just curious of the QA/QC from the techs saying they're done to me showing up. I guess the customer is responsible to hold the service center accountable to himself and so the manufacturer doesn't get ripped off on a warranty claim. Clearly not a lot of oversight or double check on the paperwork. I should've given them back that crescent wrench a bit differently...thrown it at the building as I drove away.

Now that my warranty is almost out, I'll thankfully be able to take it to the local mom and pop shop I like and get treated like a human next time there is something major required.

 

[tigger92662]

Often times too many service peiple involved and no communication

 

[Teamubr]

We have quite a few RV dealers around St Louis, but they will only work on trailers they sold. Even for warranty work. Interesting business model, but the ones I have talked to say they have plenty of business from their own customers. I don't know of any mom and pop or service places near me. Thankfully I can fix nearly everything. The dealer I bought from was 100 miles away and they went out of business a year ago.

j

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

You'd think there would be many dealers around KC that sold and worked on Keystone, but nope, only 4 or 5 and they are on the other side of the city from me.

The mom and pop shop is solely a repair/renovation shop (mobile service too). They were great for the two things they did on my last rig.

The whole ordeal makes me feel like the RV industry just looks at us like dumb bags of money to stick their dirty arms into.

I aspire to buy a New Horizons when we transition to the "empty nester" trailer in about a decade. Everything about that company seems legit and it's only 2 hours down the road.

 

[jbrostek]

I am not looking forward to taking my rig to our dealer. We bought from General RV and I am not remotely impressed with service at all after they attempted to charge me a 1 hour diagnostic fee on every item in the list of defects they claimed where no issue found or not covered. Get this, one was a light that flickered after being left on....so they wanted to charge me 1 hours labor for flipping on a light switch.

So I walked the manager out and replicated EVERY single issue and the proceeded to call grand design while standing there to discuss the claim denial. Guess what, a claim was never made by General RV. Now we have a recall and seriously just plan to have them do the recall and deal with grand design directly on the other issues I have.

Companies like these are why the RV industry has a bad name. When I bought through Stoltzfus RV I took my unit in for issues and they went over everything. Anything that simply could not replicate they asked me to try to trigger the issue or just did not charge me unless it took actual work. I should have had them quote us on a grand design before we signed with General RV, or see if they will take us in for service.

 

[team bradfield]

if I can't handle it myself, we are fortunate, our local dealer is great to work with

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Good news/bad news. My side of the family has completely waived off Christmas. We're shooting for FEB maybe. My in-laws are getting a little itchy, so our visit with them is rapidly shrinking from 5 days to possibly 2. That's the bad.

The good is DW said, since we have all this time now maybe we should go camping.

Silver linings and feeding my camping habits.

 

[bama_ed]

Silver linings and feeding my camping habits.

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

I was watching a YouTuber in Yellowstone/Tetons. My DS (8 yo) looked up from his game and said, "oh, wow. Is that Yellowstone? We should go there now." And then channeling his father's sarcasm, "Go hook up Maddie (the name for our 5er). I'll start packing my clothes."

I think I've programmed the children well! Now if I had the professional flexibility to just hook up in the middle of the night to go to Wyoming...

 

[jbrostek]

We are facing the same thing. I think for the first time in 40 years Melissa will not see her parents for Christmas. They do not want to travel or put themselves or us at risk. And the kids go to their fathers Christmas evening for the week, so it will be a little hard on her. Though we have each other and the pups I think we can do something nice about it.

On the camping front, I Wish I could find a company that was universally more flexible. I can been 100% work from home since March 2020, we will stay this way through July 2021 at the least. We have some camping planned and I will work some days to conserve my PTO. But I would love to have it stay this way, then I would go west to yellowstone, take a few days off here and there and just see our country with the kids while we can during school break.

 

[team bradfield]

I was watching a YouTuber in Yellowstone/Tetons. My DS (8 yo) looked up from his game and said, "oh, wow. Is that Yellowstone? We should go there now." And then channeling his father's sarcasm, "Go hook up Maddie (the name for our 5er). I'll start packing my clothes."
I think I've programmed the children well! Now if I had the professional flexibility to just hook up in the middle of the night to go to Wyoming...

We've been there 4 times now, Rocky Mountain Campground in Gardiner MT for the north entrance (site 48) looking at Yellowstone

Coulter Bay Resort & Campground in the Tetons, south entrance to Yellowstone



this is from the campground (coulter bay)

 

[Teamubr]

DW and I are talking about making a western circle in 2022. Do Yellowstone, the canyons in UT and circling down to AZ and the Grand Canyon. We have only been that way once when I was racing outside Denver. We too the toy hauler out a week early and stayed in Colorado Springs and did things in Estes Park and through the Rocky Mt NP.

The broader area seems overwhelming with everything to see. I've heard the national park cgs book up way in advance... and many won't fit a 42 ft trailer. Need to start planning now.

j

 

[team bradfield]

DW and I are talking about making a western circle in 2022. Do Yellowstone, the canyons in UT and circling down to AZ and the Grand Canyon. We have only been that way once when I was racing outside Denver. We too the toy hauler out a week early and stayed in Colorado Springs and did things in Estes Park and through the Rocky Mt NP.

The broader area seems overwhelming with everything to see. I've heard the national park cgs book up way in advance... and many won't fit a 42 ft trailer. Need to start planning now.

j

the trick is not to stay in NP campgrounds, very small sites, both sites I posted, my RV was/is 43', plenty of room. You are correct though, you need to book on January 1st or sooner, funny you would mention UT, we cannot, (so far) join the Starved Rock Dis Meet as we will be in Utah, DD2 lives in SLC and DD3 graduates Vet school end of April and we are going to Zion, Bryce and Canyons. We have stayed at Zion River Resort, outstanding resort, 5 mins from the west entrance of Zion

 

[Teamubr]

@team bradfield

I'll have to pick your brain about places to stay and things I have to see. We have always been beach and Disney people. I know those two things very well. The most I know about "out West" is what I've seen on Discovery Channel.

j

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

As I've mentioned in other threads, I have a severe RV Trip Wizard habit. Upgrading from a 30' TT to a 41' 5er has forced me to relook a lot of places I want to go.

I'm planning on Yellowstone and Tetons for Summer 22 as well. Is there the beginnings of a DISMeet in Wyoming in Summer 22?

 

[Teamubr]

I'm planning on Yellowstone and Tetons for Summer 22 as well. Is there the beginnings of a DISMeet in Wyoming in Summer 22?

It's starting to sound like it. I showed DW the pics Team Bradfield posted above and she said; "I want to do that in 22".

j

 

[Teamubr]

I'm curious when "Summer" starts out west... like in Yellowstone. We had nationals in Tooele Valley Utah (west side of Salt Lake City) the week after Labor Day. With in a few weeks of driving back home on I-80, I would see reports of a blizzard and the highway getting closed... and that was the end of September/early October. I really don't like cold weather.

End of July/Early August good. Or is that when EVERYONE else goes? Or is end of August better, after schools go back?

j