Repair delays

[BillK]

Our FW has been at the dealer for 2 months now for some warranty repairs. Same old story, waiting for approval for repairs from Keystone or waiting on parts from Keystone. Everything seems to always go back to Keystone.

[markcee]

Just booked a few nights at Alamo State Park here in AZ for the end of January with two other couples. I'm gonna call CW on Monday (will be 3-1/2 weeks since drop-off by then) for a status report. I think it's likely that they haven't even looked at it yet. I plan to call again near the end of December, if it's still not ready or I get the old 'waiting on approval' or 'parts are on order' song & dance I'm hoping they will just let me pick it up and return it to them when the parts come in. Nothing I'm waiting on prevents me from using the trailer, so hopefully that's an option.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by BillK

Our FW has been at the dealer for 2 months now for some warranty repairs. Same old story, waiting for approval for repairs from Keystone or waiting on parts from Keystone. Everything seems to always go back to Keystone.

That’s how it works with any RV manufacturer. If the dealership does the repair before getting authorization and it gets denied, then they are out the parts and labor.

[JDDilly]

The warranty approval from Keystone on our repairs in October was about 2 days.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by markcee

Just booked a few nights at Alamo State Park here in AZ for the end of January with two other couples. I'm gonna call CW on Monday (will be 3-1/2 weeks since drop-off by then) for a status report. I think it's likely that they haven't even looked at it yet. I plan to call again near the end of December, if it's still not ready or I get the old 'waiting on approval' or 'parts are on order' song & dance I'm hoping they will just let me pick it up and return it to them when the parts come in. Nothing I'm waiting on prevents me from using the trailer, so hopefully that's an option.

Mark I wouldn't think there was a reason in the world they wouldn't let you have it. In fact, I can't think of a way in the world they could keep it if you wanted it. Depending on the work you are waiting on they may have torn something down and just left it awaiting parts but other than that I would tell them I wanted it. I do it all the time and tell them to tell me the day before my bay is ready so I can bring it in and they can start work on it.

[InkedMarie]

I read today that Keystone is closed from 12/18/20 to, I think, 1/4/21.

If you’re waiting for parts and repair being done at the plant, add a few more weeks

[LHaven]

I am now in about a month and a half waiting for a replacement entry door from Lippert to replace the one whose outer filon plate is popping out of the edge moldings. Fortunately, I don't really care how long this takes, as long as I registered my claim on time. I can continue to use the trailer with the door as it is, and if it rains, all that will be damaged is the door itself which is leaving anyway.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by markcee

Just booked a few nights at Alamo State Park here in AZ for the end of January with two other couples.

Don't forget to pack a snow shovel. You're going to need it to clear all the donkey poop off your RV spot.

[Laredo Tugger]

Dealing with all the BS he has been getting from the dealership that has his trailer, I would think there is already a shovel on board.....Just sayin
RMc

[markcee]

Originally Posted by LHaven

Don't forget to pack a snow shovel. You're going to need it to clear all the donkey poop off your RV spot.

Nice! Another new camping experience!

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by LHaven

Don't forget to pack a snow shovel. You're going to need it to clear all the donkey poop off your RV spot.

And maybe some air fresheners to!

[FlyingAroundRV]

To make matters worse, anything that comes from overseas manufacturers is going to be slowed down by shipping shortages.
Shipping lines are scrapping their ships in record numbers.
The demand for iron and steel in China is through the roof as the country spends big on infrastructure to pump prime their economy in response to COVID impacts. However, drops in demand for goods and materials around the world has caused reduced demand for shipping. So ship owners are selling ships for scrap to feed the demand for metals in China and to reduce the ship owners unproductive overheads.

[markcee]

Unfortunately I missed a call from CW today and got a voice mail with an update....'diagnostics complete, waiting on warranty approval from Keystone....' I wanted to ask further questions but I got no reply to my return message. Hopefully the advisor will call back Monday. I'm curious to see if he will be able to provide some type of timeline, but realize that is unlikely.

I'll keep my fingers crossed I can have the awning issue resolved and new skirting/corroplast replaced prior to mid January but if not, will request to pick up the trailer and return it later. Still miffed that CW Akron, OH got warranty replacement of axles immediately approved and this ancillary damage (resulting from the axle failure/blowouts) requires further review via a submission from CW in AZ. Hoping this is just a formality as it would seem to me any damage caused directly from a failed, already approved repair, would not need resubmission.

[sourdough]

Mark you're taking the wrong path IMO. At this stage talking to an "advisor" is just wasted time. If you don't know the service manager's name, email and cell by now you need to know it tomorrow. You also need to know the GM's information as well. The "advisor" juggles all day and situates things the best they can...the SM, GM, sales managers ALL take precedence over the advisor. YOU must get in the middle and put your situation at the top of the list...you can but it takes time and involvement - and documentation. Sounds like your AZ dealership needs a "walkthrough" in taking care of their customers.

[notanlines]

Mark, what Danny said is 100% correct. At major dealerships a service adviser has no more authority than a car salesman. Decisions are made farther up the line and those are the people you need to contact.

[markcee]

Yeah, you are both right. Thinking back to my Akron CW experience I tend to think of the positive outcome (they expedited delivery and install of the new axles and got me back on the road only a day behind) but 'forgot' waiting for 4 hours on the side of the interstate, and leaving 3 messages just to get a return call from an advisor so that I could plead to get on the schedule to get looked at the next day. I'll shake some trees on Monday morning and see what happens. Thanks guys.

[markcee]

Well, I never did reach out to management to intervene this week as I decided to give the service guy the benefit of the doubt that he would do his thing. Yesterday I actually received a callback from him and to my delight he indicated that Keystone had approved repairing the remaining damage caused by the two blowouts, as well as replacing the wiring harness and control board on my non-functioning awning. The trailer was dropped off just under a month ago and the approval from Keystone took 4 days from notification. Of course parts will now have to be ordered and who knows how long that will take given the current conditions. I will definitely need to make a semi-pest of myself there, but I'm guessing as long as CW orders the stuff, it's pretty much out of their hands at that point.

Most importantly I was told I can definitely pick up the trailer and they will get me in and out as soon as they get the parts. At least my issues no way impedes us from enjoying the trailer... I feel for people that have an unusable trailer, where the process stretches out like this.

[sourdough]

Great to hear Mark. Just be sure and rattle that tree every few days to keep your name at the top of the list. I've stood in a conversation and watched a sales manager walk in and tell the service advisor, which had just given a customer a commitment, that "his" new owner took precedence...and he did it.