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.
I glad it worked out. However, it still is sad that you had to come here to get the company become active in resolving the issue. Did they respond because the dealer could not fix the problem? NO!! They responded because they realized that that you found a forum that thousands of RV's read everyday!!! I would be thankful for the technician that drove through the night to assist the dealer. A BIG Kudos to him!!!
Have a great time camping,
Terry
Please say a Prayer for my 9 month old Granddaughter VisitBella.com
Jim, I can echo your comments with regard to our purchase of a Gulf Stream Super Nova. This was our ninth motor home, so we knew it would come with issues, and ours did. Nothing that was deal breaking, but it surely, as you experienced, was frustrating. I too learned the name of your friend at GS, and he too immediately called, emailed, and followed up, and made sure that we were satisfied with the result, which we totally are. FWIW, I found that calmly asking for help turned out to be the key, as opposed to shouting, and that by working as a partner with GS and an excellent dealer (Shipp's RV in Chattanooga,TN., who by the way did not sell me the coach, but did magnificent above and beyond service, give their service writer, Pierce Hudson a call), solved our issues and we are happily on the road. Count me in as a cheerleader for Gulf Stream, their production team, service team, and executive staff.
JimBob
08 Super Nova Gulf Stream
Currently in Cambria NY.
http://jimbobmissbetteandbuster.blogspot.com
I also read about all the "New RV" horror stories here.
We bought a new Phoenix Cruiser, picking it up direct from the factory in Elkhart Indiana, and had no reason to have anyone touch it. It was either luck or something else. Looking at it, I heavily lean toward design & workmanship.
We did have a lot of suspension upgrades done right away, but that had nothing to do with warranty work.
Bought new in June 2007, Phoenix Cruiser-2350
Fits inside our garage.
Dingy towing a red Toyota MR2 Spyder
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