Thursday, April 7, 2011

RV Repairs Update

I spoke to Collier RV today, apparently we have been driving to different places with our slide topper “unlocked”. Ummm Unlocked?!? The dealership never mentioned anything about locking or unlocking our slide topper. The service tech says we’re lucky it didn’t rip off of the RV, also, the extended warranty company denied the claim because “the slide topper was unlocked”. Oy vey, I can’t confirm or deny it was either except I knew we never had to do anything to put out the slide or retract the slide. So most likely it was sold to us broken and never repaired as the dealer had claimed, why does this not shock me. Disappointed smile

The cost to repair this slide topper since it’s no longer in production is $400.00. This will restore full functionality and also can be used as an awning for the kitchen and living area which will be fantastic. I believe this is the last item the dealer “touched” that we have to re-repair, I have to go through the list to make sure. This also means we need to add the unlock and re-lock to our check list when we make and break down camp.

I’m tempted to call the dealer and ask why they did what they did but having a full fledged embolism isn’t something I look forward too and I’m sure somehow they would just blame it on me or tell me “an RV is a method to get to a destination, it’s not the destination” blah blah blah. Yeah, I’ll forgo that phone call to stay sane.

EDIT: Hold the phone, I just found pictures I took right before we bought the RV and several pictures after that clearly shows the mechanism in what I believe is the unlocked position. I left a message for the service tech explaining this should prove the dealer had it unlocked since day one or it’s been broken since day one. I’ll post an update tomorrow when I speak to them again, cross your fingers! Winking smile

Keep in mind, this picture is prior to us buying it so it’s disgustingly dirty. Look at the claws in the open position, I believe they should be closed when the slide is in. If anybody knows please comment ok? Thanks!

SlideTopper 061910 Before Purchase

10 comments:

Travels with Emma said...

I'll be interest tod Give uknow about locked or unlocked slide toppers. Never heard about that before. I do notice that one of my slide toppers seems to flap in the breezes and the other one doesn't, however. Does that mean I haven't locked it? Give us more reports on this condition, please. :)

Travels with Emma said...

What a mess blogger made of my first sentence! It's supposed to say " I'll be interested to know about locked or unlocked slide toppers." :)

JoJo said...

I bought my rig from a private owner who had all these reciepts for stuff he had fixed and installed. Half the stuff was still not fuctional and the panel for the solar system was not properly installed and burned out the unit. It will cost 139. just for the panel. I guess I won't be boondocking anytime soon. He had all this work done at the dealer whom he bought the rig from.
Dealers are not to be trusted.

Alan and Marilyn McMillan said...

We are not aware of slide topper locks -- there are locks for the slides themselves but not the toppers, but ours doesn't look like yours, so maybe it's because our MH is newer. Hope you get it worked out -- in your favor:)

Erik's RV Blog said...

I've been doing some research and I think they are mistaking an awning with a slide topper. I can find no manuals stating to unlock the slide topper prior to extending the slide or locking it after retracting it.

This is confusing! I hope to find out for sure tomorrow.

Erik

Diana said...

I couldn't say Erik but I can say that you seem to have a great deal of patience! Love Di ♥

Erik's RV Blog said...

Diana,

Ronda would laugh at that. :) In this case, I have no choice but to have a lot of patience.

Erik

Big Matt said...

Erik, I know we've had this discussion and the reasons for why you go to shops, but now you have an even clearer picture why I promote folks learning how to do their own repairs.

I don't trust a dealership to much of anything right, RV or otherwise.

Erik's RV Blog said...

I don't know if I have made this clear enough. I am perfectly capable of doing 80% or more of the repairs on most any vehicle I have owned or more except body work which like wooodwork eludes me.

My issue is TIME, I work two full time jobs in essence and have to rely on shops. Also, I have nowhere to put the rig at or a place to work on it except the campgrounds we go to.

It's looking like I will have no choice but to do this repair however. Where I'll do it or when, God only knows since the house next door is going up for auction, I lose that place as well.

So, some people have both time and location, I lack both so if anybody feels like heading over to work on the rig in their spare time great, until that magically happens I have no choice but to rely on repair shops and I'll have to tell the wife this years camping is on hold until I get the time to complete repairs to the slide topper.

Big Matt said...

I've probably missed it in your past entries, but I'm assuming your storage yard has a word-for-word ban on working on rigs at their lot? If they didn't, I'd be hauling my tool boxes and a portable genny over there to do work on a rig :p.

Only reason I ask, is for a long time, I really didn't have a place to do much work either, so I found parking lots that had been installed, but businesses not built yet and used those for RV repairs, truck oil changes, etc....

I understand the time constraints, as I said, I knew you had spoke of the whys before.

Can't help ya much in the 2 job problem, only you can solve that dilemma.