They were “over it.” Yep, simply put they were done. Their brand new camper (a few days old) had a window leak, it had damaged the interior of the camper – apparently the damage was significant enough that the entire camper had to be returned to the manufacturer.
Many RV owners are now shaking their heads knowing where this is leading! Well, they (the owners of a new camper) said “NO MORE” and told the RV dealer what they could do with that camper and demanded their money back! Then they went to court. That was in 2014. The full article can be found HERE as published in RV Travel.com.
They WON their RV Court case!
Now, the victory may appear somewhat hollow for the couple in 2019 for their 2014 camper as they may have been making monthly payments for the past 5 years on a camper they couldn’t use, and winning the court case does not guarantee they will get their funds back from the dealer – at least not yet.
There are, however, larger ramifications to this court case
A court in the State of Illinois has now ruled in favor of consumers and against the manufacturer (and presumably the dealer.) This is significant as the court is signaling consumers don’t simply have to “take it” when (the usual suspects) produce a substandard RV camper. Incidentally, I name some of the “usual suspects” in my 5th wheel RV Buyers Guide.
Quoting the RV Travel article…
Steve Lehto, a Michigan attorney who focuses on Lemon Law issues, sees this as great news for RV buyers, and a decision that will likely send RV manufacturers into a tizzy. His reasoning is that state courts often look at precedent even when decided in a different jurisdiction. If you have a “Lemon” RV issue, this approach could be one that might work for you. He does caution that a note in the UCC indicates that “time is of the essence.” While under the UCC a customer can indeed revoke the acceptance of defective purchases, it must be done “within a reasonable time” of the discovery of the defect.
To me, this puts RV manufacturers on notice and provides a “work-around” for consumers who live in states with NO lemon laws on RV’s (which is most if not all states.) What I hope it does is encourage the “bad actors” in the industry (and there are MANY) to build a better product. Of course, time will tell, but having a court case like this that favors the consumer – it might just prompt them to “do the right thing” and start raising their standards.
As RV Travel points out, this court decision may pave the way for other favorable decisions that will (slowly?) turn the tide of lousy construction quality and poor quality control that is widespread (though NOT universal) in the RV industry.
What say you? I welcome your thoughts and feedback below. If you want to receive notifications when new posts are created on RV Across America(.net), please subscribe below…
Hey, before you go, there are two quick things I want to share –
- Need an RV skirt? I can get you an EXTRA discounted quote (for a limited time) – see HERE for details.
- I’ve updated my RV Accessories Page to make it easier to locate the BEST RV Accessories that I personally use and recommend.
As the season progresses and the weather cools, I’m looking forward towards wearing my ScotteVest – an incredibly durable and versatile garment! I’m finishing up this post today as an autumnal storm is headed my way – and I decided to share this great clothing manufacturer with you and encourage you to click the image below to see what they offer – and perhaps whats on sale! (the quest vest pictured below is the SAME vest I own)
(the quest vest pictured below is the SAME vest I own)
The Q.U.E.S.T. Vest for Men has 42-engineered pockets making it the perfect vest for tech lovers and gadget freaks!
I bought a 2017 keystone Denali from Good Vibes Rv. They told me they did an inspection and they said that nothing was wrong. Then they offered free delivery. So they left it in the street and left before I could do an inspection. The floor sags bad and the biggest slide out leaks bad and it sags on the outside and it bows on the inside. Lots of animal hair too. I’m in Oregon, what can be done?
How long ago did this occur? Have you contacted the dealer to express your concerns? Note: THIS is why I NEVER recommend delivery of a camper to a residence ESPECIALLY if you haven’t been to the dealer and inspected it yourself. At this point, it LARGELY becomes your word against theirs. Social media might actually be your strongest avenue as if you try to sue them, it will take years and cost you FAR more than the cost of the camper. If you take to social media to alert the world – or threaten them with that – you may get them to do something for you. Live and learn from this – and next time – contact me in advance for my Concierge RV Buying Service – https://rvacrossamerica.net/buysell
My husband and I have a 2021 Thor Challenger that was purchased to replace a 2021 Thor Windsport that was damaged when the battery compartment burst into flames. Both coaches had very poor quality control and the Challenger has spent more time at the dealer that at my home. Still have issues. What to sell it but are upside down in value. Unfortunately Camping World is eating up many smaller dealerships thereby, crushing competition. Trying to work with the bank for a settlement so we can sell the Challenger. I am watching for lawsuits that result in favor of the plaintiff. We may file suit in federal court for mispresentation of the quality of the product and any other legal argument that will help rid us of this defective coach.
Lisa,
Sorry to learn of your issues with Thor. I fear that choosing to go the lawsuit route will end up costing you lots of time, energy, and potentially money. Further, if you were to somehow win a lawsuit, it will take quite a while to win and that will gain you nothing as the defendant(s) will appeal. Long story short, it will be 2030 or later before you have any chance at any recovery. My best advice is to write it up to experience and bite the bullet and sell it for whatever you can. Feel free to contact me privately if you wish to discuss just how upside down you are and what I, through my Concierge RV Selling Service can likely get you for your camper if we sell it now.
Alan Sills
307 269 2546 (mountain time)
Do you know who the attorney was in Illinois? I am in Kentucky not that far away. I having trouble finding an attorney that cares
We bought a brand-new J. Cole 2022 class C in January discovered soon as we unwinterized it in April that we had a list of issues took it to the purchasing dealer as agreed-upon May 2. They still have my RV they say it’s done last time I drove down there there was trim, still falling off minuscule stuff, but it was not done. They have had it seven months, it is beyond ridiculous. I don’t even want to see this RV again at this time I’ve been so stressed and lost so much sleep over this canceled three vacations we had planned could not use it when remodeling our house like we had planned they have done nothing but still my time in and gave me tons of anxiety.
Chris,
I’m sorry to hear of the challenges you’re dealing with. Out of curiosity, you wrote “j. cole”, did you mean a Jayco class C? If so, Jayco is now a Thor brand (which is why I no longer recommend Jayco since the 2018’s came out.) As to the attorney, I’m sorry I don’t have their name; but… if you google the incident, there may be posts that reveal their names. BUT… you’re swimming upstream. I’d try to work with your dealer, get it fixed or find out what the delay is (parts shortages??) – then – once its back to a functioning state and is in clean condition, SELL IT (I can assist via my selling service – https://rvacrossamerica.net/buysell – and IF you wish to go rv’ing, we can talk about pathways that are far more likely to result in a good experience. Al
Thank you for the info. I am facing a problem with my 2017 Thor Four Winds Super C. I got a check engine light the same day I brought it home. I found out that the dealer could not make the repair, so I had to take it 60 miles to a Ford Dealer. I bought the RV in March 2018. In December I went to start the RV and it would not start. I called ford and they had it towed back to the Ford dealer 60 miles away. When the tow truck arrived and lifted the front end, water poured from the overhead in the cab area. While sitting at the Ford dealership for two weeks in the rain, it was full of water again. I took it back to the RV dealer and they found 6 busted screws over the cab. They repaired and sealed it, but more leaks. They sealed the overhead running lights that had been cut too large. Now it is still leaking. The rear strip covering the seal between the rear end cap and the roof did not have the seal tape pulled off, so the rear wall is ruined. They contacted Thor and was told it was out of warranty, but this was before they found out that the tape was not removed from the seal strip. They have not been able to get through to Thor to discuss repairing the RV.
Clyde,
I’m sorry to learn of this situation. Its one of the reasons I advise my clients to STEER CLEAR of THOR and FOREST RIVER products. It appears from your description your camper is totaled (trashed.) At a minimum, its a SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD as black mold has certainly taken hold where the water has permeated. So…if it were me, I’d consider the following actions: First, I would speak with the service manager at your RV dealer and ask him if he expects to hear from Thor soon – and get him to set a date by when they action from Thor. When that date hits – start your attack, and I’d go in 3 directions: 1) contact your insurance company and tell them you’ve had damage to your camper and its likely totaled – see if they’ll cover it BUT if they do, you’d better have GAP insurance, ’cause the campers worth less than what you owe on it (likely) UNLESS you have “full cost replacement” insurance on it. 2) Contact your State’s Attorney General – let him know what has happened and see if they’ll step up to go after the DEALER AND THOR (your theory on the dealer is THEY should have picked up on this during their PDI (pre delivery inspection). 3) Call Thor and ask for the CEO. Rattle the walls and threaten to take this public – to the news media, to social media, etc.
Lastly, when you’re ready to replace it, contact me and I’ll assist through my Concierge RV Buying Service – http://rvAcrossAmerica.net/buysell – AND we WILL AVOID ALL THOR AND FOREST RIVER CRAP.
AL, Love my Van Leigh Vilano. SO FAR!!!
Will stay in touch.
excellent! what year is it? which model? al