Feedback on Campers Inn support?

I know there were lots of questions etc when it was first announced that Campers Inn would be handling PC sales and on those sales, any warranty work.  I was surprised recently to see just how many Campers Inn locations now handle PC.  I am looking for feedback on how that seems to be working out for repairs.  How has warranty work gone?  Are any of you using these folks for repairs beyond warranty?  I would really like to find a place or places that I could go with issues like electric where someone is supposed to know just how the wiring is in a PC.  When I am again able to move about more, it would be nice to know if getting to these folks would be a good idea.  At the moment family concerns are generally keeping me close to PA so the Fredericksburg might work.  I haven't yet figured out the PA location - the PC map shows it well away from Philly but Campers Inn seems to refer to it as being in Philly (No I wouldn't drive into Philly in my RV dragging my car).  The one in Leesburg FL would be handy when I do get to winter in FL again.  So far I have no plans to make it out west, and I know it may be too soon to get feedback on La Mesa.  Appreciate any feedback folks have to share.  Finding a good repair/troubleshooter when out on the road is still the biggest stress point.  Thanks

I'll offer some totally useless input.  I took our first RV back to the dealer for warranty work.  That was the last time in my entire RV experience we went back to a dealer.  It is easier and the results are better if I do it myself.  Now like everything, it is totally dependent on the specific dealer AND the level or work they are doing.  So a problem with a refrigerator should be something a dealer can handle.  A water leak that got into the floor would be best handled by the factory.  So it really depends on the specific dealer and the specific problem.

It is easier and the results are better if I do it myself.

I agree with you Will.

Since picking up our PC from the factory 14 years ago, I have not had anyone touch our PC except one time when installing stabilizer bars, rear trac bar, better shocks & steering stabilizer, and a wheel alignment.  I dread going in for another wheel alignment, though I will because I have no other choice.  Even that one time came with some disappointing workmanship.  It drives me crazy to pay big money for retail price for parts and substandard workmanship.  Volkemon and I have this thinking.

When we need or want something done to our PC we always go back to the plant. Nothing against Campers Inn, as we have no experience with them, but just figure who knows more about the RV than the people that built it. Campers Inn is new to PC and so I suspect so is their service of it. Just my opinion. Besides Carol the parts goddess and Doug & Danny make an unbeatable team!

Understand that if I knew how to fix everything on my RV and had the correct tools, that would be great.  But not an option.  Especially in systems that lack any schematics.

Still hoping someone can tell me about experience with the few places I asked about - good or bad.  Appreciate help in "grading" some options.  Thanks

I cannot answer for all Campers Inn's, I purchased my PC from CI in Kingston NH in August 2019, the next day after I picked it up I called with a few issues and they took me in the next day and fixed the issues as I waited. I brought it back in October for some warranty work and I didn't see it for 5 months. In 2020 I had to bring it in for some other warranty work and told them I needed back quickly because we had a reservation the for the following weekend and they had it for 3 days and they didn't fix my issue which was left over from the first time I brought it in. In August last year I had a tree fall on my PC and wanted to bring it to the factory to fix but my insurance company would not pay for the transport and it was not driveable, PC said they would work with CI to get it fixed properly but CI did not get PC involved other than parts and I had to call PC to help the ball running. It took 8 months to get repaired and I am still not satisfied with a lot of the work they did and it needs to go back when we come home from the trip we are on now to get some items corrected.  Once this repair it completed it will never go back to CI again.

 faiello, That is a terrible series of problems you have had.  I am sorry knowing how frustrated I get with poor service. Being FT I really do need work to be done in a timely manner. Thank you for sharing your experience with us here.

We have never had a great experience at dealers with our past motorhomes.  They take forever.  From other blogs I read it is going to get worse with all the new sales last year.  Many folks are saying that mobile techs are the way to go.  They say most are RVers and usually retired from the industry.  We used one once and we're pleased with the service.  I know this is not quite what you asked but it is another option to consider.

Patti

donc13. I have tried mobile repair a few times with a wide variety of outcomes.  Since some things about PC are supposedly not like all the others (electical system) and no documentation is available, it can be especially hard to get good results.  But I agree that we are kind of left with hoping for a good encounter where we can find it..  Wonder if we can hunt down Kermit and get him to record his wisdom for us.

Thanks.

Hi catsaplenty,

As I recall, you've needed warranty work done in the past and present.  Are some of the issues reoccurring, or not resolved in the first place?  Could you make a list of issues that you need resolved.  Maybe we could type you through self-help for some or all of them.  One thing that always helps are pictures where applicable.

A point made about partnering with other companies like Campers Inn for example, customer service can revert to the "Same Old Story" stuff that we read about people dealing with name brands.  I don't think there is any true resolution for that.

I wonder if you would experience better service at your area Camping World.  Would Phoenix honor warranty work done there?

Since you are full timing, the urgency for making things right is naturally elevated.

Took my 2021 2552 to my local Campers Inn (fRichmond Hill, GA) for an issue with the HWH levelers.  Had a 10 am appointment and they got right on it.  One jack needed an actuator replaced.  The problem was that HWH put CI on a call back que and I had to wait for HWH approval to do the warranty work.  Waited for over 3 hours.  The tech also went above and beyond to properly fasten the lower dash cover where the HWH controller pad is mounted.  He did a great job.  Basically, they don't like customers waiting on the work to be done and therein lies the problem.  It's easy to drop it off and then the dealer (most dealers) can take their time with the work to be done and there is no assurance that a tech won't be pulled off to handle some other priority. 

I will attempt to do as much as I can myself.  Right now I am reworking my pantry drawer slides.  After two months at least two slide mounting screws have backed out and the middle drawer couldn't be pulled out unless the lower door was opened.  The left slide (middle drawer) was 1/4 inch too low.  My point, though, is that I think it would be close to a nightmare to expect a tech to take the time to tackle such a "non mechanical" job, let alone how long it would take.  Working inside the narrow pantry is difficult at best.

I agree with you JSanford.  I could not expect a technician to spend the right amount of time to address "detail" work properly as you described with your drawers.

I wouldn't take an RV to an auto mechanic to fix drawer slides, but the "dealer network" (Campers Inn) for Phoenix is obligated to fix things like drawer slides and fix them properly.   That's what you paid for when you bought the unit... a new RV warranty.

I would not stand for anything less.   If Campers Inn techs aren't properly prepared and trained, your warranty isn't worth the paper it's written on.

I hear you DonC13, but you have to pick your battles.  Yes, I could have challenged the dealer to rework the pantry door slides.  I don't know, maybe they would have done a steller job.  How long would they have tied up my rig?  But my experience has shown me that, within limits, I can do a better job on many fixes only because I am not on the clock.  No question that I can't do it all, but if I can, I will do it before taking it to the dealer.

I hear you DonC13, but you have to pick your battles.  Yes, I could have challenged the dealer to rework the pantry door slides.  I don't know, maybe they would have done a steller job.  How long would they have tied up my rig?  But my experience has shown me that, within limits, I can do a better job on many fixes only because I am not on the clock.  No question that I can't do it all, but if I can, I will do it before taking it to the dealer.

I have always felt the same as you.