RE: New Endura issue
That is an interesting question and it probably relates to many of the customer satisfaction issues we read about. In this case, the dealer to manufacturer interface person had 100 dealers to handle and was not above using that as an excuse to blow off annoying problems. At the corporate level, a problem that rises to the surface separate from the others as a result of a willing and able customer taking the initiative will get attention. The phone support tech might have 20 problems similar to mine going all at once making all of them just part of another normal day at the office. A senior exec who hears first hand that a problem with his product is going to blow up a summer for a customer and a whole passel of grand kids will pay attention because for him it is not just another day at the office type of problem. I may have had an unfair advantage-I am a retired executive recruiter and am experienced and comfortable burrowing deep in to corporate structures to push buttons. Be that as it may, taking a little initiative can only help. For that matter how can it hurt if things are stalled. I don't know from experience but I suspect going directly to a manufacturer (at a senior level) might be really helpful if the problem at the dealer level.
Oh well, we spent the day moving in to the Endura and are heading out to a local campground tomorrow for the first of several test runs before a six week odessy the New England.
Thanks to all for the help, advice and comments.
Jim Betts
At the wheel of a very pretty Endura, lovely wife at his side and watched over by two Highland Terriers.
Endura problem and happy resolution
This post might be an exception to the norm. We usually see a lot of complaints, usually justified, about manufacturers and dealers. I was advised to not buy a new motor home because I would spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with defects. We did anyway and ordered a Gulf Stream Conquest Endura with plenty of time to work out the kinks before firm summer travel commitments. It arrived and a disabling but minor problem put it back in the shop immediately. True to form a part was needed that had to be manufactured and several weeks passed. Once fixed a new but similar problem kept it at the dealer. Panic set in as a week passed with the dealer working by phone with first line of support from the manufacturer and no progress or even a solid diagnosis of what exactly the problem was caused by.
A plea to Rv.net for advise got me the name of the VP of operations at Gulf Stream. A message at 9:00 PM to him brought a return call at 8:30 the next morning. He appreciated the need for resolution, my frustration, and promised full attention immediately from engineering and technical staff the that day. There was a flurry of phone calls trying to assist the dealer’s staff but nothing seemed to work. A second call by me to the VP of operations got another immediate return call. To shorten the story, that day at 5:00 pm a senior tech from the factory got in his car, drove 14 hours overnight through thunderstorms and tornado warnings, arrived at the dealer, shook my hand and went to work. Six hours later the problem was fixed and he headed for a motel for a shower and to “brush his teeth.”
During this entire episode, McGeorges Rolling Hills RV in Richmond, VA was attentive, professional and made every reasonable effort to provide a solution. The problem turned out to be readily solvable but almost impossible to diagnose without somebody who knew the actual manufacturing process involved. Gulf Stream, once the problem got above their rather cumbersome warranty procedures, made an extraordinary effort to keep a situation from getting any worse and assured that they would not be responsible for a wrecked summer and a whole bunch of unhappy kids and grandkids.
It would be easy to say that none of this should have happened, but it did and, unfortunately, with complex products made by large corporations, it will keep happening. The heartening thing was that a very big and busy dealer and a large diverse manufacturer were able to come down to the individual human level and make a big effort to keep one customer happy and on the road. Both McGeorge’s Rolling Hills RV and Gulf Stream are, in my mind, trustworthy, class acts and a credit to the RV industry.
Jim Betts
RE: Steps out: How to get them back in.
Dirt, grit and worst of all salt will foul the pivot points and restrict movement. A good hosing off and a lubricant should do it. Our problem was partial retraction. If yours do not even try to move, it could be something else.
RE: New Endura issue
Thanks Ron. This is still in the hands of the dealer so there is not much I can do directly. I will pass your info on to the techs working on it. Hopefully, it will help.
RE: New Endura issue
Just read the other comments related to Gulf Stream. It looks like a mirror image of comments about any manufacturer probably because most "comments" come from people with negative experiences.
My original question asked if anyone had found a design defect problem with slides on the new Enduras. My poor dealer is falling over backwards trying to solve the problem. Gulf Stream, at this point, has been only marginally helful. In all fairness, neither I nor the dealer has escalated the issue beyond the usual tech help channels. In the meantime, and entire summer's trave plans are headed for the dumper.
Jim Betts
New Endura issue
We are trying to take delivery of a new Conquest Endura (International chassis). There appears to be a difficult issue with the rear slide alignment which is baffling the (excellent) dealer. I wonder if others have had similar problems and how they were resolved.
Thanks,
Jim Betts
New Endura issue
We are trying to take delivery of a new Conquest Endura (International chassis). There appears to be a difficult issue with the rear slide alignment which is baffling the (excellent) dealer. I wonder if others have had similar problems and how they were resolved.
Thanks,
Jim Betts
