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RE: Skylight Replacement - Alpenlite FW
I bought one that was made of lexan poly carbonate to replace the acrylic OEM skylight. The company I bought it from was out of Canada and it only cost me about $118. It came with a 5 year warranty. If you're interested in it, PM me and I will dig otu their contact info. It was a much higher quality and greater thickness than the OEM too.
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beenie weenie
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10/15/08 10:14pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: 2008 Carriage Domani -- Big Disappointment!
The OP's issues are major, it's not like she's freaking out about some minor cosmetic situation, like a corner of the wallpaper is peeling, the stuff she is complaining about is major. I am going through my own issues right now, my fiver has been at the factory since Sept. 15th, and will probably be there at least two more weeks.They've replaced 3 of four exterior walls, completely replaced the roof and a host of other problems due according to their own service department, improper installation at the factory. I don't know what a new Domani costs, but I would guess the OP spent a lot more for her fiver than I paid for my own, and I really doubt she is a troll, sounds like she is stating her disappointment, the issues and says matter of factly her fiver is at the factory for repairs. If she were a troll she'd probably be making some inflammatory statement running the Manufacturer into the ground, or insulting people who are devoted to a specific brand etc... The more "troll like" comments in this thread were made by a regular poster.
I can sympathize with her situation. In my own case I am waiting to see what the condition of my RV is after they are finished with the repairs and I may be satisfied at that point, or not, time will tell. I am impressed with the young man that I am dealing with in the factory and he seems to be doing a very good and thorough job, which gives me hope, that I may drive away the fifth wheel I thought I had bought in the first place. But it does blow my mind that some here think that it is acceptable to turn out RV's with no quality control and then basically harass or persecute the victim. Some folks think its open season on anyone who has less than 100 posts.
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beenie weenie
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10/08/08 08:35pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: 2008 Carriage Domani -- Big Disappointment!
Of course, I have no way of knowing, but when I hear such a laundry list of problems from any manufacturer, I wonder if the poster is just way too picky, scrutinizing every minute detail to a greater degree than a NASA launch plan.
You have got to be kidding! Yeah I am sure the OP wanted leaking windows and for their brand new RV to spend months in service, before they can take it out on their first trip. Who in their right mind signs on for that when they buy an RV?
I am sure the vast majority of the time Carriage puts out a quality product, but in this case, I would be fit to be tied and would have escalated my way up the executive chain of this company until it was fixed or I had a suitable replacement.
I often wonder why people love to throw out these provocative statements... do they really think that people shell out tens of thousands of their hard earned dollars to be subjected to such shoddy workmanship and that expecting your windows to keep rain out and your slide, to actually slide without leaving a trail on the carpet, and the electrical equipment to operate without blowing fuses is being "PICKY"? Geez louise!
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beenie weenie
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10/08/08 07:54am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: What do I need to plead for different tires?
The Manufacturer was R-Vision, I own a Max Lite fiver, which I absolutely love, BUT it has some major issues right now. It is currently at the factory being worked on. They are replacing the entire roof and 3 of the four sidewalls, linoleum, carpet, I could go on and on, and I hope and pray that it comes back to me in good shape. I am impressed that they discovered problems I was unaware even existed, brought them to my attention and went to work to fix them, in addition to fixing the items I brought to their attention.
While I am underwhelmed by their quality control, I really am happy with the young man I have dealt with there since I bought the fiver, he's been very helpful with documenting all of my issues and ensuring they get cared for. He's also been extremely professional.
I bought it at a dealer in Tennessee (it was the model and price I wanted)and they are nice guys but since I live in Indiana a couple of hours away from the factory, I am glad I can take it there for my warranty work.
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beenie weenie
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10/05/08 07:07pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: How long should Walk thru at dealership take for inspecting?
My advice is to re-schedule delivery for earlier in the day, or plan on spending the night at the dealer, or both. There are things (especially with fifth wheels) that come up and they can sometimes take time to rectify. I personally don't want to be rushed or feel like the people who are caring for my issues are rushed. When I recently purchased my fifth wheel I arrived before the dealership opened (I purchased it about 7 hours from where I live because the had fiver I wanted and I live a couple of hours from the factory for service)and as soon as they opened we started the PDI, I found several issues that needed to be dealt with but could wait until a later time (ripped decals, imperfections, a few cuts in the linoleum etc.. But the one thing that was very time consuming was when we hitched up the truck to do the test drive, I brought their attention to the fact there simply was not enough clearance between the bed and the truck and the fiver was not level. My hitch was set as high as possible so they had to lower the king pin. That took forever, because after the bolts were removed the pin was stuck, so it took quite a while to get it loose then to lower it. Once that was done we took our test drive, well the guy didn't listen to me when I told him the proper way to direct the break away cable so the first time we took the fiver on a corner it pulled that out and locked the brakes (so I guess I knew they worked lol) So once we figured that out we pushed the plug back in and I moved the cable so that wouldn't happen again. Then finally I went in to sign the paperwork. One word to the wise, do not sign anything prior to your PDI. Someone might suggest you go ahead and get the paperwork done to save time later etc.. Once you sign it, you own it, warranty or not, if you find after the fact there is something majorly wrong that is a deal breaker, you are locked in. I had a very tight time schedule when I took delivery of mine. I really wish I had given myself more time, it would have been less stressful. After we camped in the fiver a few times we started to accumulate a list of warranty work that needed to be done and over the past several months it has grown, so now it is at the factory for repairs, there are things that didn't develop until later, or things I didn't notice during the PDI, my advice is to keep a journal of issues (so you don't forget anything, take pictures and email them to the dealer for documentation purposes. Then set a date a few months in the future to get it taken care of (not in the middle of camping season though) Also, don't forget to check out your tires, manufacture date and look for cracking and early signs of dry rot. My brand new fiver had bad tires and I had only owned it a little over a month. Good Luck and don't forget to have fun.
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beenie weenie
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10/05/08 10:28am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: What do I need to plead for different tires?
I bought a new fiver about 4 months ago and in July I had not even towed it 1000 miles, but noticed cracks forming on all of the tires even the spare which was covered. I contacted the manufacturer. I made it clear that based on my research they knew there were issues with these tires, and they had known defects and the tires should have been replaced or recalled before I ever took delivery of the RV. They wanted to send me five new tires from the original manufacturer, which I declined. I was afraid they'd send me more of the junk I already had, so I insisted they allow me to choose my own new tires to replace them and they would reimburse me, to my surprise they agreed. Once I had made a decision on what tires I wanted I called the factory back and informed them what I had chose and how much they would cost and got approval via an email from them. I then submitted the reciept and about a month later got a check back for the entire amount.
Sometimes people can be very accomodating if you can appeal to their sense of right or wrong. It is just the luck of the draw.
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beenie weenie
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10/03/08 09:13pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Carrier 13.5 with Dry Mode..
We have this on our new fiver and we experimented between the dry and cool modes this summer. To be honest I really found that it didn't make that big of a difference unless it was ultra humid and "dry mode" did seem to take a bit more of the humidity out of the air. I would notice it at night when I climbed into bed the sheets didn't feel damp as they sometimes did if it wasn't in dry mode. So far I like my Carrier system and it held up pretty well on hot humid days.
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beenie weenie
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09/30/08 07:13pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Financing on RV's at Present Time
Depends where you intend to obtain financing. We just bought a new fiver in May/June, the subprime issues were impacting lending policies at that time and a lot of companies were ceasing to loan money for RV's at that time and if they did continue to offer RV financing they were requiring pristine credit.
It is always easiest to obtain loans from places that you have a long term relationships with such as the local Mom & Pop bank (there are very few of these left) or your local Credit Union. We filled out our application and it hardly took anytime at all before we had a check in our hands. It was also very helpful that we were only borowing about 50% of the MSRP. So basically we borrowed about $16K on a fiver that retails for $34K that offers the lender a heathy bit of equity to help minimize their exposure.
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beenie weenie
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09/30/08 10:04am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: So if you lost your job................
I guess I missed where the OP even remotely intonated he was still interested in telecom.......??
I think if wanted to get out of the industry, he would have stated that up front, rather than volunteering the info about his experience, doncha think?
Why wouldn't someone who has all that experience, capitalize on it, and use all of his assets to his benefit? Why invest all those years and throw away valuable knowledge and experience is a better question.
The term telecom encompasses a multitude of equipment and services. The man has decades of experience working for Northern Telecom, none of us know in what capacity he was employed. He may have worked on C.O. Switches, Key Systems, or PBX's or all of the above, he may have worked in sales, perhaps on Nortels data equipment, or even in product development. He could have been a trainer.
I know many people who have been employed by telecom companies and have taken the leap to self - employment and it has worked well for them, myself included. He asked for our opinions whether he should become self employed and still be able to RV at his leisure or start from scratch with a new employer limiting himself to only weekends and a couple of weeks vacation. Many of us responding trying to offer constructive helpful suggestions. An FYI to you...becoming self-employed, even in the telecom business, does not always take a load of cash. It's all about planning well.
What exactly is the point of your post?
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beenie weenie
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09/20/08 08:13am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: So if you lost your job................
To the OP: Follow your gut. Only you know what you are capable of. Back in 2001 I was working for one of the telecom giants. I was in my late 30's had a 9 month old son, and really resented the time I was forced to spend on the road away from my family just to earn a living. My Husband was driving an hour to work each way and we never saw each other except on Saturday or Sunday.
A former co-worker asked me if I ever thought about starting my own company and so long story short, we jumped in with both feet and "just did it", well since then it has been a pretty cool adventure. About 4 years ago the company my husband worked for closed it's doors and we decided to bring him in to the business and I would broker his training services out.
Well so far so good. It's kind of nice doing your own thing, but I've become spoiled and know I would probably make a lousy employee if I ever went back to being an "employee".
So it all depends on your comfort and confidence in your ability to do what you need to do. I am not sure what you did for Nortel, but I know there is a large market for trainers, especially for folks who are knowledgeable about their larger switches, and especially VOIP apps. AT&T and a host of carriers sell Nortel switches and will oftenuse independent contractors for installs where they don't have workforce. I do know from years of selling Nortel products, that I always found them to be a good quality product and experienced good support from them.
One thing to note, when companies cut back on their workforces, they often resort to independent contractors to fill the void. So it creates somewhat of a demand. I don't know what the nature of your position was with Nortel or I might be able to offer more specific advice.
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beenie weenie
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09/19/08 03:33pm |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Fifth Wheel Structural Cracks
This not just a FR problem, it is a Lippert problem. My fiver is at the factory right now being repaired, (It is not a FR product). They are getting ready to remove side walls to get a better look and see what is causing the cracks in the fiberglass. The roof is being completely replaced as well because of a large gap discovered during their inspections. By the time they are done with it, it will probably have an entirely new exterior.
You're not alone, but I am learning from those of you who have already fought this battle and I hope that this is a repairable issue (right now while it is under warranty) and isn't going to turn out to be a chronic pain in my butt and wallet.
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beenie weenie
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09/19/08 07:13am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: loose grease caps again
Well this is a very low tech, probably "bubba type" temporary fix but, I have one cap that won't stay on so I took an empty soda can and cut it in half with a pair of tin snips and it slid snugly over it and holds it nicely in place. It ain't pretty or classy, but it works until I get a replacement.
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beenie weenie
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09/19/08 04:24am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: Partial Update - Forest River Stolen 5er
Nobody travels 25,000 miles, buys a 5er and a TV, -there's $75,000.00 right there, and has any right to complain when a company is working on their TV. She complained having to drive to the factory. They spend $75K coming to the U.S.A., then they can't pay for a hotel room?? So what? Boo hoo.... Why didn't they buy a tent instead of bashing the manufacturer here?
Huh? You spend thousands of dollars on a rig??? Dam Straight you have the right to complain! What planet are you on? You think because you have a sum of disposable income, that gives someone the right to take a dump on you and takes away all of your rights? Get out of town!
SKID ROW JOE listen closely... she was not upset until she found out her fiver was STOLEN from Forest River's lot after she had offered them a pin lock to secure her fiver... It was stolen from their custody.
It is also frustrating to have to drive thousands of mile (especially today with gas prices so high) to return an RV for repairs to the manufacturer because of CRAPPY WORKMANSHIP! I only had to drive about 200 miles to get mine cared for and I am somewhat annoyed.
I just dropped off my fifth wheel to have work done in that same area of Indiana. I told my service contact about the Forest River situation I offerred him my pin lock and told him I expected it to be locked and secured when it was not being worked on and I can tell you if that protocol is not followed there will be TROUBLE.
I stick with my previous post, anyone who cannot eek out a little compassion for these folks is a schmuck!
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beenie weenie
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09/17/08 09:07pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Carriage to the rescue
Hey great to hear from you! I am so glad that this worked out!!! I've sent you an email and have been wondering. I am so happy all is well! Take care and I am so thrilled Carriage has taken you under their wing! I have two kids ages 5 and 8. We are going to Europe in 2 months, I tried to put myself in your shoes and imagine what if I was in a foreign country with my family, including two small children, how would I feel? Well I admire your ingenuity, your creative entreprenurial sense (I loved the proposal on your blog). Anyhow I hope you enjoy the remainder of your time in North America. We really do care. Anyone that dares call you a "whiner" or any other derogatory name needs to have their head or heart examined. Hang in there!
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beenie weenie
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09/17/08 07:20pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Partial Update - Forest River Stolen 5er
Skid Row Joe, How would you feel if you took a long holiday in a foreign country with two small children and had your home stolen while it was in someone elses care and you had no where to live and nothing but broken promises to show for it? They did not do anything to deserve this. They drove thousands of miles to entrust their RV in the care of Forest River at their directive.
How would you feel? I bet you'd be sitting there whining too. Does it make you feel like a big man to sit up high in your ivory tower in judgement of all those you deem inferior? What would it cost you to show a little empathy and compassion?
I certainly would not wish this experience on my worst enemy, even you...
Prehaps if listening to other peoples "whining" (justified issues and complaints) is so irritatin to you, you ought to take a break from the boards.
The victims "whining" is just a normal response to extreme stress, how about if you try to put yourself in someone elses shoes for a change.
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beenie weenie
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09/17/08 06:39pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Carriage to the rescue
Bear, I bet you are one proud Uncle! It's nice to hear these heartwarming stories involving corporate America. Great to know things are not "business as usual" at Carriage. As I stated in my earlier post FR really past up a wonderful PR opportunity that really not have cost them that much and would have increased their image exponentially. I am glad to hear that a sincerely nice guy from a great company gets to take credit for saving the day instead!
I just got back Monday from taking my Fifth Wheel back to the factory to have an ever growing volume of warranty work done, and yes, I am unhappy with all of the issues that have come up with a nearly new unit and yes, I am not happy that quality control was not better and things were not done right the first time. BUT, I am encouraged by the fact that the service guys are doing their best right now and that they are trying hard for me and they are looking out for my best interest by throughly inspecting the rig, even finding issues that I am not aware of replacing things that I was not even aware of that needed work. When people try, and show they care, and they make an effort it counts. It sometimes makes a world of difference. Those are the companies I give my business to. Unfortunately I doubt that Mr. Buffet reads these posts so it probably won't make a darn bit of difference how Forest River operates, but it makes a huge difference to me.
Good for Carriage, I know their kindness and generosity will come back to them time and time again, but the funny part about people who commit random acts of kindess...they expect nothing in return but a smile on your face. Those are my kind of people! Can't wait to check them out, when I am in the market for a new RV.
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beenie weenie
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09/17/08 05:32pm |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Partial Update - Forest River Stolen 5er
That is great news. I have been checking the family's blog site but it hasn't been updated in about a week. While this is definitely not the way I would want to spend my holiday, especially with small kids in tow, it sure beats being homeless and good for Carriage for caring enough to get invloved.
Forest River could have come out of this smelling like a rose. This could have been a terrific PR opportunity for them but they blew it. It probably would have cost them less than an advertisement in Trailer Life to have helped out this family and they would have gotten plenty of free positive exposure had they handled this properly, instead of stringing the family along. There was nothing stopping them from paying to rent an RV for the family if they worried about legal liability of loaning them one of their own. The bottom line is that they could not be bothered.
I can say based on this, I would never consider purchasing a FR product. There are so many other companies out there, I would not reward them with my business.
I am not familiar with Carriage products, but will definitely check them out when we are ready to purchase another RV.
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beenie weenie
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09/17/08 09:40am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: Never deal with THOR credit
Of course all of should pay our bills in a timely manner and that is the agreement we have withour creditors. However, if a payment is 10-15 days late and the creditor is reporting them as being 30 days late and expecting the poster to have to deal with straightening out the mess that results from their erroneous posting of payments, that is just as wrong as making late payments.
If this has happened repeatedly with several customers, could be a basis for a class action lawsuit, if it were a proven practice.
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beenie weenie
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09/16/08 06:52am |
General RVing Issues
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RE: help! how to tie down 5th wheel for for Hurricane Ike
Ben, Hope everything works out for you and your fiver is unscathed. I am relieved that you are not going to try to ride the storm out in it. These material things can be replaced. Please come back and post sfter the storm and let us know you are OK. If I were anywhere near Texas I'd be down there in a heartbeat to get you towed out. But if this is the best you can do, it will have to suffice. We'll be sending prayers your way.
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beenie weenie
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09/11/08 05:24am |
Fifth-Wheels
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RE: help! how to tie down 5th wheel for for Hurricane Ike
fifth wheels are not designed to withstand those types of winds and it is in general a bad idea. It isn't even worth taking the chance. I would contact an RV transport company a.s.a.p to get it moved.
Try these guys:
http://www.trailershippers.com/
If it has been sitting a while, you want to get the wheel bearings looked at and make sure the tires are good before you move it. With regard to insurance. You need to call your agent to clarify what sort of coverage you have. Some policies will cover you up to fair market value, which means if your rig's current value is $10,000, that is the most you will get from your insurance. You may or may not be covered for the contents.
There was a post in the past few weeks that showed some pictures of trailers that had been severely damaged by strong winds, you may want to go check those out to get a more realistic idea what could happen if you don't get it moved.
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beenie weenie
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09/10/08 04:06am |
Fifth-Wheels
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