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Old 12-01-2015, 10:56 AM   #41
TexasKevin
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RV Warranty Forever

I got this on my RV when I purchased it from the dealer. I took it in and had the annual inspections done, cost me $265 dollars. I have had 2 issues with my RV since and the dealer replaced the items free of charge. The warranty covers all appliances, axles, stabilizer jacks and any superficial items on the RV. It doesn't cover the roof. If I would have had to pay for the issues this would have been over $1000, so it is worth it to have the inspections done and to pay a small price annually to protect your investment. This is just my opinion. Hope this was helpful.
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Old 12-01-2015, 02:35 PM   #42
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Kevin, what were the two covered issues?
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Old 12-02-2015, 06:18 AM   #43
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Morning,

Very interesting topic here and I have an additional question.

We RV owners seem to immensely love customizing/modifying our RV's.

Usually any Mod's have adverse effects on warranties. On my TT I have upgraded the suspension, added a breaker to the electrical panel, added a switch in the fridge for the heat strip between the fridge and freezer, to name a few.

How do RV mod's affect this "Forever Warranty"?
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Old 12-02-2015, 07:07 AM   #44
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Smile

i have to disagree, extended warranties are generally a waste of money. the first year of a new trailer it is covered by the manufacturer and many times they will go beyond that time period.

if you figure in what the warranty expense was and the annual costs it doesn't add up. the cost is 'always' added to the purchase price when buying a trailer.

and this is just my opinion along with consumers report and other organizations.
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Old 12-02-2015, 07:10 AM   #45
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warranties like these are added to the cost of your purchase price, and yes you paid more for your trailer than what you would have without an extended warranty.

it is just my opinion along with others, including consumers report, NEVER buy the extended warranty on anything.
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Old 12-02-2015, 06:24 PM   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee View Post
How do RV mod's affect this "Forever Warranty"?
I'd expect "mods" to be covered under Magnuson Moss Warranty Act which basically states: “The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket part.”

However, if the mod actually contributes to a fault/failure, you'd be out of luck.

There's a lot of potential gray in the middle, so be aware of that.


Here's how I look at it:
* Aftermarket warranties are insurance. Plain and simple. They underwriter is wagering that they collect more over the life of the policy than they pay out. Some people win, some people lose, but you're essentially betting against the house long term.

* Some warranties have some snarky terms like only paying out "average" prices for repairs - which turn out to be very much lower than average for parts and labor. You get to make up the difference. My RV dealer has some signs stating that they won't work with some warranty companies... At all.

* If you're going to buy a warranty - look up inclusionary versus exclusionary. You want an exclusionary warranty, but they're hard to find. Almost every sales guy or finance manager that I've talked to says that they cover "everything" - but that's never been the case.

* What we're discussing here "RV Warranty forever" is a different breed of thing. If I was in the RV business, I'd sell these at $0 cost (unlikely traditional aftermarket warranties). These "forever" warranties are designed to guarantee service income. The ones that I've looked up in my area actually forbid "maintaining the RV yourself" - and I'm actually not sure that's legal in all states... and more than Honda can mandate that they do the oil changes on your car for it to be covered under factory warranty. These warranties come with an annual costs, typical somewhere between $250-$750 (in associated high-margin service) and appear to cover items that are relatively low bar to replace... Nothing structural, no leak damage, no roof coverage, no frame coverage. They'll certainly cover a water pump or a faucet, but on average, what they're making is going to far exceed possible losses.
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Old 03-07-2016, 03:16 PM   #47
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I bought my Passport at Tacoma RV .... they have the lifetime warranty. It came with my RV. All I have to do is take in my TT once a year for a 99 dollar inspection and it will be covered for life. It doesn't cost me anything for the warranty. And, if I don't want it, I simply don't take my TT in for the 99 dollar inspection. It will cancel the lifetime warranty, but then I won't have to pay the 99 dollars. My previous 7 year warranty cost like 1700 dollars, so I don't mind paying 99 bucks a year for some extra protection. If I keep it for 20 years ..... that still less than 2000 bucks for a 20 year warranty. And, once a year the dealership will go through and tell me if there are any problems with my RV and hopefully fix it ..... so sure ...... why not.
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Old 03-07-2016, 03:28 PM   #48
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Mutt, read the details of your "RV Warranty forever" - you'll find that it's inclusionary and only covers a select list of things.. That list of things is..well..limited...

The list of things is here. Most of those things are pretty small time - I'd say with the exception of a leveling system, it doesn't cover stuff that's likely to be very expensive.. And it often covers "components" - meaning the parts, not the whole thing. Roof, frame, structure, fridge heat exchanger - not covered.

In addition to having to take your RV in for inspection, you're required to have the RV serviced (specific things) by the dealer annually. Here's were it's outlined:
http://www.rvwarrantyforever.com/maintenance/

If your dealer will do those services annually for $99, yours is a lot less expensive than mine. My guess is that you're subject to a $99 inspection + the costs of the services required. But I'm guessing.

I'd feel different if they at least allowed you to do your own maintenance and then charged $99/year to check it - that's be a little more reasonable.

You give up the right to do your own maintenance:
http://www.rvwarrantyforever.com/faqs/

Quote:
Can I perform my own maintenance?
No. All services must be performed by a professional repair facility. This is to ensure proper documentation as well as the workmanship of all services performed on your RV.
All in all, I think it's a very limited warranty that costs you the right to do your own maintenance, and costs you at LEAST $99 per year.

If I haven't linked the right warranty, I stand to be corrected... If you're taking the RV for annual service anyway, then I can see it as a benefit... If you're not and you're able to take care of your own RV, I don't think it's a deal at all, outside of a tool to sell RVs and bring RVs in for high-margin service.

I'm on your side, I just want to make sure you understand the limitations of this warranty and the rules around it!
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Old 03-07-2016, 03:46 PM   #49
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My dealer charges $299 and does the maintenance items at the same time as the inspection.
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Old 04-19-2016, 05:26 PM   #50
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Looking at a new rig now and they keep bringing up the “FREE Lifetime warranty” it’s a sales ploy and marketing tool, if I have to pay $299 for this inspection per year it’s better to get an extended warranty because the lift time one covers very little when you read the fine print.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:18 PM   #51
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Originally Posted by esmoglo View Post
Looking at a new rig now and they keep bringing up the “FREE Lifetime warranty” it’s a sales ploy and marketing tool, if I have to pay $299 for this inspection per year it’s better to get an extended warranty because the lift time one covers very little when you read the fine print.
Check the "forever warranty" very closely. The annual inspection is not all that's required to be done "by the dealership".... The "fine print" also mandates that winterizing, de-winterizing, routine maintenance (bearing packing, brake adjustments, etc) and roof resealing all must by accomplished by the dealer if you want to keep the "forever warranty" in force.

Unless they've changed the "fine print" in the past 6 months, you're going to have to pay a lot more than $299 a year.

Then comes the decision of whether to pay for an extended warranty. There's many who will say it's not worth the price, others who swear it's the only way to go. Ultimately, it's your wallet, your trailer and your decision.

Good luck with the new purchase !!!!!
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Old 04-20-2016, 06:12 AM   #52
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In addition to the annual service cost that is mentioned above, be aware of what that warranty covers. It doesn't cover anything structural and tends to cover pieces (components) of the major appliances. About the most expensive things that it will cover are components of the fridge or AC units.. Everything else is "small" - at least in my mind. I can deal with replacing an $80 water pump, although I'm ignoring the labor costs.

IMHO, it's a total selling ploy designed to address consumer concerns about how often things break on an RV. Dealers do not explain how limited it is, how it basically takes away your ability to do a lot of your own maintenance (or at best requiring the dealer to do it too), nor do they explain that it really comes with a cost.

It's going to bring customers back to the RV dealership at least once per year...
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Old 04-20-2016, 08:27 AM   #53
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As I have been reading this post from start to finish I can't help thinking about an elderly aunt and uncle of my wifes, over 80 years old. They drive a new GM product every 4 years or so. They trade their car in with I suspect less than 30,000 kilometres on it. Church on Sunday and the grocery store type of lifestyle. However, they faithfully take that car back to the GM dealership every 3-4 months and get it rammed up their behinds with a full service package. Unfortunately we live an hour and half away from them so there is little I can do to help them out. Uncle Bills attitude is, "I want the car to be in top running condition when I need it." I feel they are being preyed on by someone taking advantage of the situation. I don't believe they are in a position to know otherwise and I have to bite my tongue. I would bet there are RV dealers out there doing the same thing. You get a customer that perhaps is not perhaps up to speed on maintenance needs but they've got this new shiney trailer in their driveway that came with a "free lifetime waranty" so every spring and fall they take it back to the great guy dealer that they bought it from and spend whatever because Bob's RV and Discount Plumbing Mart, well they sure look after us.
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Old 04-20-2016, 11:00 AM   #54
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Originally Posted by zuley View Post
As I have been reading this post from start to finish I can't help thinking about an elderly aunt and uncle of my wifes, over 80 years old. They drive a new GM product every 4 years or so. They trade their car in with I suspect less than 30,000 kilometres on it. Church on Sunday and the grocery store type of lifestyle. However, they faithfully take that car back to the GM dealership every 3-4 months and get it rammed up their behinds with a full service package. Unfortunately we live an hour and half away from them so there is little I can do to help them out. Uncle Bills attitude is, "I want the car to be in top running condition when I need it." I feel they are being preyed on by someone taking advantage of the situation. I don't believe they are in a position to know otherwise and I have to bite my tongue. I would bet there are RV dealers out there doing the same thing. You get a customer that perhaps is not perhaps up to speed on maintenance needs but they've got this new shiney trailer in their driveway that came with a "free lifetime waranty" so every spring and fall they take it back to the great guy dealer that they bought it from and spend whatever because Bob's RV and Discount Plumbing Mart, well they sure look after us.
When it comes to dealer service regarding your car simply put I would much rather trust car dealer than the RV dealer regarding service type stuff. In some instances, getting your car serviced at the dealer is cheaper than going to Jiffy Lube. I have found this to be true with my Ford “The Works Service Package” at the dealer provides a comprehensive service above anything Jiffy Lube offers and the kicker it’s cheaper many times theirs even a rebate I only pay $29.95 for a much better service.
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Old 04-20-2016, 04:15 PM   #55
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We stopped at CW in Wilsonville coming home from camping today. My wife says look at all those RVs. mostly newer motorhomes sitting in the lot waiting to be worked on. Traveling/camping is here now and likely most are getting their vehicles ready. I told her most are having work done that I do and paying a lot for it, 119 per hour. She says yea but, how many are older and really cannot check out the roof or know how to de winterize. etc etc.So, Yea I can see some needing longer service contracts but, for me I have the time, knowledge and health to do most everything so I do and save that 299 per year or 119 per hour fees.
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Old 04-21-2016, 09:49 PM   #56
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The thing is, if you're younger and can do the work yourself, $119/hr is crazy. If you're older and literally can't do the work, $119/hr is a deal.
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Old 04-22-2016, 11:30 AM   #57
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$119/hr is a steal, we're at $139/hr. Last dealership was $145/hr.
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Old 04-22-2016, 11:44 AM   #58
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$119/hr is a steal, we're at $139/hr. Last dealership was $145/hr.
Chuckster, how come you're not in business for yourself? I know a local guy that's done quite well on his own.. (mobile)

Rates are crazy and I know that the shop techs aren't taking that money home.
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Old 04-22-2016, 11:48 AM   #59
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RV Warranty Forever

Because I work 4 days at the dealership. Have had my own auto repair "side" business for 40+ yrs. and I do work on RV's when asked.

If you read my signature it say "retired" LEO, that's the only thing I DON'T do anymore.
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