We had exactly the same experience with camping World and Thor in 2016...they had our camper more than we did. We traded in 2019 for a highly ranked Class C with John’s RV near Columbia, SC. THAT is an awesome dealership! Family owned, attentive to their customers, great service! The dealership truly does make the difference! It’s great to know there are still people with integrity and character in the RV community! Jane
Most...or just some?..camping world is a just some....most are American whomdefend the country! You have a side!. ....unless you're most biased.....then your. on their side
I stopped in one of there location after filling out an online form. They never followed up and called me. Ignored my online application after giving all my personal information. Our government needs to audit them to see how many social security numbers on people they never followed up with.
I bought from a family owned RV maker 20 years ago and am still a happy owner. That's part of the dilemma. If you make a good RV, people aren't coming back every 5 or 6 years for a new one.
@@anonymousone2950 poor guy, bought a $60,000 lemon. Don’t know how the big bosses at camping world can look at themselves in the mirror before going to work.
All the other RV dealers are just as bad. I went to a place down the street from camping world. Would have been just as bad going to camping world. Our air conditioner didn’t even work and the walk through guy scammed us. Had to fix it myself..
We made a deal on a trailer. They came in with paperwork and it was almost 4K more than we agreed on. We got and walked out. They tried to tell us all the fees were “normal.”
I actually bought my camper from a smaller dealer and was treated like a king... until that is, I showed up one day asking about some warranty work. The deer in the headlights look turned on immediately.... I'd seen it before and I knew right then there would be no help. I learned to fix the crap myself. Once you sign that paper, you're an adversary, just like at the car dealership.
You have that right Allen. I'm a "Mom and Pop" business and the corporate machine is trying to kill me everyday. I only deal with other small business' with whatever I do. You will be hard pressed to come out on top with ANY dealer like Camping World. Small dealers will never forget your name and will bend over backwards for you. I'm on my 3rd Motorhome and every one of them have come from my local dealers (mom & pop) and I am still thrilled with the products and service. Great show and thanks for everything you and your team do. You help us more than you know.
@@eveorlando3389 Miller's RV and The RV Shop. Both in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Louisiana. The RV Shop is in the process of building a brand new dealership alongside I-12 in Baton Rouge. Completely outgrowing the dealership they constructed 15 years ago. Top Notch Service Departments at both dealers. ATB
My wife and I are retired and thought about possibly buying a RV. We did alot of research on it and decided on not buying one. We found there's alot more cons to pros.
I'd hope people do a little more than "google it". Large companies can pay google to downgrade negative hits on their business. Watching videos like this and reading forum posts are a good way to get more info. If you're going to invest that much money on an RV I would hope people would spend more time researching.
@@paulao7022 Don't trust the Better Business Bureau and their reviews or attempts to help. I was in the Kitchen and Bath Remodeling business. BBB would solicit us for membership ($$$) .... promoting us to consumers. They represented and promoted our interests. Not the Homeowners/Consumers. Just sayin....
Is really that hard to identify a bad dealer? I know for heck sure I walked out of a bad one. Sadly, it was very local, and well staffed. Or at least it was at the time. No idea about today. They wanted to charge too much for the unit I wanted and I knew it. They did absolutely nothing to win my sale. Well, they did offer a "free WDH", but the value they quoted was well over the market value (retail price!). They didn't talk about their service department. They didn't introduce me to a technician. I talked to my sales rep and a single finance person while in the building. Later, about 12 minutes down the road a different sales rep called by "accident" and tried to sale me the unit at exactly the same price. So again, is it really that hard to spot a bad dealer? Or does the typical buyer just have no idea what their expectations should be? We, the RVing community, need to continue to educate the new buyers.
Alan, what I appreciate is that you are so forthright in providing such valuable information on your radio/YT/FB Wednesday evening programs. By presenting the reality of hideous business practices, you are sparing your viewers/listeners from others' travails. Thank you for taking the lead in this, as someone needed to. Please continue to take the high road.
My wife and I are considering buying a 30 ft or so travel trailer and taking our two teenagers ( both have autism) and traveling the country full time. We aren't rich by any means, so when, or if, we buy an RV it's going to be a lot of money for us. Hearing the state of the RV industry as of late is giving us pause and making us seriously take another look at our decision. Thank you for your honesty and look forward to your shows every week. Keep up the good work Wingman
Back in the 80’s my Pops took a management job at CampingWorld, after 2 weeks he separated from them telling them their business model would fail. Pops is always right.
@@williamboyle8918 sadly I agree with you, there's a saying " you can't fight City Hall ". The corporations take no prisoners, Prime example, Camping World. Let them fall on their sword!
Problem is 99% of folks that buy an RV dont do enough research to find out the real truth about Camping World and RVs in general. That is what Camping World banks on...unsuspecting/uneducated buyers. What really needs to happen is the laws regarding the purchase and maintenance of RV's need to change so that there is protection for the buyer.
That is what I did, I boycotted camping world and got a 5th wheel from a consignment shop. And will never get any thing new again do to the fact the corporate don’t give a damm about anyone.
They get new customers no problem. they have Camping World Bowl, they advertise all over. They have the most locations. Now days there are two suckers born every minute. People do not realize how bad customer service can be. Buy from the dealer that is a mile away from the factory. Make sure you are satisfied that there are no issues before heading home.
Camping World got us also! Several issues the first few months and Camping World had an 8 month wait for service. I took it to an independent repair shop and Heartland did cover all of the warranty repairs. The shop had the camper more the first year than we did.
We bought a Tiffin, a family manufacturer and good folks. They take care of the customers and want to make sure we’re happy with the RV. Kudos to Bob Tiffin and Family 👏💓
I've heard Tiffin is supposed to be good but you need to be cautious with them also. They have a lot nice stuff on their frame and if you've got one of the Mercedes chassis you have very little amount that you can add to your gross weight without overloading! I've heard stories of those twisting/breaking and having to take it back to the mfg and not get it back for a few months. If you are a full timer, that would suck living in a hotel room for that long! Be careful with you weight limits, whatever you have!
I bought my first trailer this year. I went into it knowing I would have to do the repairs myself. Luckily I’m pretty mechanical in nature. Love this channel
Camping world is not the only problem, the factory is building nothing but junk. Go to a state, that has a lemon law, for rv's. Then you have a way out, if it is junk.
@@keithgregory8982 I am completely satisfied with my 25' Lance camp trailer. Not ALL RVs are junk. One time I had a 10.5' Lance slide-in camper. The truck was a 1993 Dodge diesel duelie. I hit a washout at 55MPH. It was 18" down, six feet across and 18" up on the other side. It ripped the tie-downs off of the truck, dented in the marker lights of the cab, and the camper ended up sitting on one of the wheel wells. The truck came off the ground 3 times. It did not hurt the camper at all. It really did not hurt the truck toooooo much. If it would survive something like that, I was sold. They are spendy, but you get what you pay for. If you buy the cheapest thing that you can find, that is exactly what you will have!
@@Rat-Builder I am sure, there are good rv builders, out there, but because they don't have customers raising hell about their products, you don't hear much about them. I pull a 1985 Sun Line camper, and because I keep it inside, when not using, it still looks like new. I have run into people that loved sun line campers, and I have talked to people that said they were a terrible camper. About 20 years ago, people from Indiana, showed up at the factory, and offered the owners, so much money for the business, they could not turn it down. These new owners, sent nothing but junk, out the door, for 2 years, then shut the doors. They had to drag down the name, before going out, just to make sure, people did not associate quality, with that name. I have pulled this camper, in all of the lower 48, and most of the Nat. Parks, and plan to continue to pull it. I am sure, this is not the only company, that was bought out, by big corporate, just to get rid of a good competitors. My camper is a 20th anniversary model, so they had been at it a long time. Have a good day.
If RV's were built better you wouldn't need them to be serviced under the warranty. I hate taking vehicles to the dealer even for recalls. Nothing good can come from a dealer visit. Either fix it yourself or accept that it's broke. Avoid the grief.
I have been researching RV's for 26 years. They cost more than they used to and have more electronics/technology that can fail. Most are junk on wheels. I'll probably still be looking in 26 more years. I want an RV
Thank you for this. My friend worked for Camping world for 10 years and told me not to buy a camper from them. I am currently looking for a motorhome. He also told me to stick with Winnebago because they have the best product. Good luck to all who are looking for a future camper.
be very careful with Winnebago. I sold them for 3 years and I won’t buy one. Just garbage to our dealership and not much help in getting repairs for the crap they sent us. We had new motorhomes that were 2 years old b/c they were garbage.
We bought a NEWMAR, Mountain Aire 20 years ago, we have the coach in the maintenance facility 2 time since. buy quality the care of it. Our maintenance facility is Motor Trucks in Everette Wa. great folks.
We bought a used RV from Camping World used it for one trip and received two serious recalls on the Van . Took 1 year to get the parts. Some people are told that their lift was not equipped with a lift to accommodate their Van to replace the parts. Thank goodness our wonderful dodger dealership has the appropriate lift for our Vans and repaired it a year after the recalls received and the pandemic allowed us to get the parts. Thank goodness for the dudge repair in Hurst. Did a wonderful job
We researched Camping World and decided no way. We found a great dealer in Lacombe, Louisiana called Steve's RV. We have bought 4 Jayco rvs from him. Great service after the sale. Honest mom and pop dealer.
The AG can only act within the law. As with most states, RVs are not well covered (sometimes not at all). www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Handbooks/MNCarLaws/CH1.asp
Could you please do a video rating the sales and service departments of the top 10 new RV dealerships in the USA? I think this subject and content would be of great interest to prospective buyers, and window shoppers alike.
Thank you for that all to common commentary/report. I'm afraid a lot of folks-especially those who are new to RVing-go into a dealership like CW thinking buying a new RV is like buying a new car or truck. They won't have any problems with a new vehicle or if they do the dealer will take care of it thru warranty el pronto. Couldn't be further from the truth. Your example here of this fella is way to common. Buying a RV from most dealers is NOTHING like buying a car or truck. I'm sure you started your YT channel to inform people. You do a good job BTW. I started my YT channel to help folks learn how to take care of their RV's themselves. Most people can take care of 80% - 90% of the things on their RV themselves and I show them how. Knowing how to do these things yourself is a MUST while owning any RV new or used. Good customer service from ANY company these days are far & few between. I would NEVER buy an RV from CW.
Alan, I've been following you for a while now and have commented before. I think you got it right on this message. The RV industry will pay the price for the junk being put out and the lack of support after the sale. I believe in 2 years there will be a flood of used junk available based on the sales of the last 9 months and the sellers will take a huge hit like this gentleman and they will leave the industry. Perhaps there is an upside? The mom and pop's who can hang in there will have a solid base of customers who are in for the long haul, the corp dealerships will wither away; the junk manufacturers will hopefully close; and perhaps campgrounds will have availablility again. One can hope! I sold my 07 Four Winds Super C (that actually was reasonably solid) in early August and planned on leaving the RV life after 5 years . I decided to give it one more try and found a used 2017 Forest River Work and Play toy hauler outfitted the way I wanted. It was a trade in to a family run dealership. I talked with two owners of this brand and style and they spoke highly of the durability of these units. Fingers crossed. The dealership gave me the "we are the best dealership" speech for a few minutes as usual. The 2 folks I worked with were straightforward and based on the conversation seemed very knowledgeable in the industry. They did work to make the deal work, throwing in some discounts on accessories I needed and reduced a state required inspection fee by 50% and a lifetime 10% discount on parts going forward. Like you said there are decent non corporate dealers out there. Lets see how the next year or two goes. Keep up to good work! Regards, Keith
The best I understand, if you buy from a state that has lemon laws, for rv's, or if you live in a state, that has lemon laws, on rv's, that you do have some chance of making it right.
@@miriamvivo4279 look on you tube for a site called Lehto's Law, put out by Steve Lehto, who is a lemon law attorney, from Michigan, that warns people about buying rv's. He has said that some states, do have lemon laws on rv's. Look it up.
We bought a 2013 Thor ACE. We had service done on it at the Camping World in Kissimmee, FL. It was a horrible experience. We got the coach back with parts missing from the awning (parts that weren't missing when we dropped it off). They fixed the slide and broke the jacks. We took it back to have the jacks repaired. They fixed the jacks and the slides began leaking again. We traded the Thor in on a Newmar. We bought it from a small family owned business (Independence RV) in Winter Garden, FL. We have been treated very well by Independence RV & Newmar.
I took my 2019 Airstream Nest for winterizing, and some minor repairs, to what I thought was a reputable dealer in the MW. What a fiasco, I won’t go into the details, but basically these larger dealers often have staff who don’t care nor take the time to do a job right. My advice is to be sure to take photos of your RV inside and out before and after you bring your rig in for servicing. Get to know the service manager, and be very specific with reviewing your project and insure it is completed before you leave the lot. Smaller dealers and local mechanics you can get to know and trust are key.
Skip the pre fab RVs and build out a cargo trailer or similar and build out with quality materials. It is the only way to go. Dont make the mistake and buy a pre fab RV. Plus when you build out a rig you have the choice to put in as much insulation as you want. Lots of insulation can really open up your travels... now you have a real "4 season RV". Customization is a plus too.
Thank you for the show. Just saw my first episode. Glad I did. Starting to look for an RV to move around the country in semi-retirement. Glad to know who NOT to go to. Thank you.
It’s time people to start shaming these dealers and companies all over local and social media...! Again, hit them in their pocket as money is all they care about...! Don’t forget to file complaints with the local Better Business Bureau...! Believe it or not but many new customers will check with them prior to purchasing from a company that they are unfamiliar with to see if they have any complaints and black marks against them. Once a company receives a black mark against them, it stays on file for the life of the company...!
You could open yourself up to be sued by the RV companies. I know someone who was sued for $550,000 for creating a social media group that complained about their builder. It went to arbitration and while the buyer won, they still were forced to pay 30+k in fees plus the builder didn’t have to finish the $100k in unfinished work for which the builder collected early from the bank. Builder somehow got the disbursement and said, ya, we’re done now and left. Plus the buyer signed an arbitration clause. Arbitration clauses are becoming more common. Avoid companies that force you into one. They are heavily weighted for the company it’s written for. It will cost you more money and you will never win.
Interesting perspective. I agree with the sentiments about Camping World. I won't buy anything from them. But, blaming Wall Street for what 1 company has done is ridiculous. Manufacturers need to be held responsible for the crap products they churn out, and Dealerships for their poor Customer Service, and finally the consumer for not doing their homework and getting educated before spending buckets of money on an RV.
There are some great RV's out there but you have to do your homework. Alan is right to a point the money people bought up the small manufactures and quality went in the crapper. Rv's got even cheaper than they where before the buying spree. They are still mostly made in northern Indiana and southern Michigan and many of the employees are Amish. But he materials in the majority are not as good as they once where, so if you look befroe you leap you can get a great Rv
This problem starts in the manufacturing plant. Wire and plumbing routed like a Roreshak ink blot. Finishings that pop loose due to over charged staple guns 11/4" screws instead of 2inch Placement of awnings or ladders that impede window or door operations.... And this is what can be seen while in a showroom!
Thanks for caring, maybe your team can put together a list of honest RV dealers in USA. We want a well made RV at a fantastic price with a caring sales and service team that stands behind the products they sell. God Bless, keep healthy and happy RVing 💪🏽🕯🙏
You hit the nail on the head beans counters have ruined to many good businesses by being more concerned about the bottom dollar than a good, decent product and forget about customer service.
I too fell victim to the venomous bite of Crappy World and Crapstone. I bought a 60,000 dollar 5th wheel 17 months ago and it’s been in the shop 7 of those months. When/if I can get all of the stuff fixed I’m selling it and will be done with camping.
Why on gods green earth did you buy from camping world? That doesn’t make any sense. 10 minute google search will tell you no way. You can only blame yourself. There’s lots of good RV out there with lots of good dealers just do your homework, stop acting ignorant and blaming others.
I had a Jayco Melbourne 29D For about eight years and the only problem I had was the hinges fell off a closet door and a piece of the trim fell down from around the slide, but other than that I had no problems. Now if you have a family with kids jumping around that things going to get torn off because they are made really cheap
I've said it once, I'll state it again. If you want a reliable, functional & cost-beneficial RV/Travel Trailer, start from the ground up, design, fabricate & maintain it yourself, or with a few trusted friends/technicians. You'll spend significantly more time in the endeavor, but if you plan to be a regular, long-term camper/traveler, you'll never regret the extra time/effort, as workmanship & patience will reward you in the long-term.
As a big fan of “The Profit” with Marcus Lemonis (sp) I’m so disappointed he doesn’t practice what he preaches when it comes to Camping World. He has really let a lot of people down with his “business model” for Camping World. He lost me as a fan after my personal dealings with Camping World and all the horror stories I’ve heard from others.
I'm a first timer/buyer. Aftermath of this new covid world hit me and I had to buy a travel trailer to live FULL-TIME in. Not even an RV. (really, what's the lifestyle difference). I did not purchase at CW but a local chain in the 2hour radius I call home. As soon as I signed my paperwork I felt like nobody cared. Right off the bat in the dealerships lot, they "tech" rushed thru the process of showing me (I'm super green) how everything worked in my unit and my hitch&/hook up components. Then I'm pulling out super nervous of course, and thank God I stopped to take a pic of it because a man (who worked there but I hadn't met during my dealings) asked "yall good with the breaking system?" ....I say "What?...no". Turns out thru the whole rush of getting me out of there and on to the next one, they never installed the system. I could of killed someone on the road or my family straight off the lot. Turns out my towing vehicle/truck didn't work with the new Bluetooth (bullshit unsafe) brake control ($250) they wanted to rush shove on. I had to leave the new rv I just bought there for 3 weeks to get my truck serviced for that. And It turns out what they were trying to put on is ish. Not my trucks fault so to speak. They didn't have they service time to fit me in a timely manner (for them) to install a normal manual brake system. So I had to schedule thru a brake shop in the town I bought the rv in. The entire time, I live nowhere so there goes about 1,500 to stay in a crappy motel for all this added to time parts labor. Insult to injury when I was finally able to pick my rv up after about three weeks, the dealership didn't even remember who I was. And wouldn't refresh me on anything they "taught"/"told" me on original pickup date. On top of all of it too, the 30day warranty they gave me on the unit was basically used up sitting on their lot because as soon as they got the check. No effs were given. The ONLY thing REAL they did for me was let me keep it on their lot the entire time. Oh and I'm still having brake problems, an electrical awning problem tied with other electrical/fuse issues. Today is August 28, 2022. I bought my travel trailer July 12, 2022. For all who read this, thank you. It feels good to get it off my chest. And I hope NO-ONE else ever has this problem.
friends bought a brand new motorhome from camping world in april and discovered a leak underneath from the toilet tank fittings before their first trip. camping world said their first available repair appointment was in november. so much for that summer.
@@stevenbaker3302 maybe for you and me...but this was a $200.000 purchase and they were basically told that they were out of luck...no priority for a purchase made weeks before, and a planned summer. if someone spent 200 large with me they would have been at the front of the line.....and the fitting was on top of the tank not the side
Friends bought a large fifth wheel toyhauler from CW over a year ago. It was heavily discounted and they didn't look online at the comments. Used it one time. It's been back for multiple warranty repairs since then. Insult to injury, someone at the dealership hit the front cap on it with another rig and of course the dealership only wants to slap a new decal on it without inspecting the cap for holes or cracks. Now they are fighting with the dealership as well as the manufacturers on all the repairs. Buyer beware!!
There is a company that does RV repair and will come to you..I can't think of the name..they do inspections also and are really cheap..I saw them on that man and lady that was in Florida and the lady's son in his twenties got sick and came to live with them for a while..they had an inspection done on their RV before they took off on a long trip..it was unbelievable how great and knowledgeable the inspection guys were..they found all kinds of minor things wrong that could have turned into major things and shut them down on the highway..I have learned so much about rv's and cars during this pandemic.. before you buy either do lots of research and have them inspected by a good mechanic.. especially do your research on new cars and RVs..I bought a new car to do Uber five years ago and I went to four or five mechanic shops for advice and they basically told me all new cars were junk except Honda And Toyota if you want a car that will last many trouble free years..I bought a Honda Civic and it was most fun driving car I ever had and got 28 mpg in city and 44mpg on road trips with the overdrive button I pushed..I love watching these people and their stories and most turn out good..just my thoughts.. thanks 🤔🤔🤗
I have lived a lot of places where RVs are popular. Florida, AZ, NC. I have heard stories like this about Camping world in all of them. I would NEVER buy new or used from one of those dealerships.
2014 we bought a Forrester 30 ft. motor home. The very first time we took it out, the shower leaked; the ice maker leaked; the bathroom door would not stay closed. We bought this beauty, all $78,000 of it, from Alpen Haus, Amsterdam, NY. They took it in and "fixed" the shower, ice maker and bathroom door. The next time we took it out, the shower continued to leak; the ice maker continued to leak; the sound system for the exterior TV didn't work; our GPS didn't work and the bathroom door still would not stay closed. Again we took the RV in to the dealer. The first time we brought it back for repairs, the dealer had it 6 of the 16 weeks of summer. The next time we brought it in for repairs they had it through the fall and winter months. We got it back in the spring. All the while they had it, we called every couple of weeks to see how the repairs were coming along. At one point, I was told that they replaced the radio/GPS/sound system for the exterior TV 5 times and each time it shorted out. I was told they could give me a plain radio, but could not replace the system that came with the unit. Of course, this was unacceptable. To make a long story short, my daughter contacted the CEO of Forrest River. The repairs were finally made, except for the ice maker. We took it upon ourselves to go to a locally owned RV shop and have the ice maker removed. We have actually been able to use the RV and enjoy the great outdoors. It's a shame that consumers have to jump through hoops to have shoddy workmanship made right. NY state lemon laws do not cover the entire RV.
I was a service writer for cw. Within a few months my numbers were far better than any other employee. Customers would only come to me. Management would berate me, employees were hostile to me even sabotaging my work. Was never recognized for the outstanding work I did.
And then what happened? Service writers don't fix anything, so why did the customers want you to take their order? I could write down what needs to be fixed myself. But my Spanish isn't too good. No habla technicians?
oh i dont believe that; i think you were eventually recognized for the good work you did by them FIRING you!! you were making them look bad!! good on you!!
This is good to know. My wife and I r looking into buying an RV and were told to stay away from Camping World. They’re in it for the $$$. But the more I talk to people the more I want to shy away from the purchase. Sad.
Buying an RV is a crap shoot. I took possession of 2011 in that year. I am full time and this is my home. The dealer was more than polite, first warning sign, and had all the numbers figured out on paper within 2 minutes, 2nd warning sign, so we went with the deal, I read what I could with all the hub bub going on in the lobby and screwed up and signed the deal. That distraction cost me 2% interest for the life of the contract, no way to refinance. So far I think it has cost me $8K. I am hoping the people I have warned about these folks heeded what I told them. The bottom line hear, take your new contract to an attorney, if the dealer won't allow that, go somewhere else. As far as I am concerned all the dealers and manufacturers are plain out thieves and should be locked under ground till they exist no more.
Our first two campers were from a Mom and Pop shop, wonderful experience. Our last from Camping World, not the Horror story as others ,but still we got took a little. Only bought there because our regular shop did not sell 5th Wheels.
Just want to give a shout out to my local RV place here in Missoula, Montana! Bretz RV! They treat you right and will make things right if things aren't right! It's one of the cheapest places to get propane, and you can dump your RV and fill up with water for free every time.. even if you didn't buy your RV there!
That phone call you had received is the reason why I will not purchase a camper from any manufacturer !!! Too many bad quality trailers and bad dealers and very high prices !!! I’m going to build my own travel trailer from a new 7x18x7 cargo trailer with a one piece flat aluminum roof. Trailer is made up special for me with 2 5200lbs axles, .040 screw less aluminum sides, The best thing is that I have total control of the quality of the workmanship , materials, insulation, and price !!! Brand new trailer is $7k and even if I have another $7k in it, it’s still a better deal than buying a new travel trailer from Camping World or any other place !!! Thanks For RUclips for showing us how to do that !!!👍
2 big threats to the RV industry 1) The assault on the Internal Combustion Engine. In California we are trying to recall the Governor who wants to ban ICE by 2030. Right now there is an assault on Diesel engines. Good Luck towing a 5th wheel behind a Tesla. 2) After the housing crunch most people learned not to use the equity in their house as an ATM. A lot of people took out equity loans to buy RV. My dad worked for an RV dealer who had a real estate loan agent who worked at the dealership. Banks are also unwilling to do home equity loans.
Our experience was very similar to Richard's. We sold our Thor Citation and will never buy another. It was nothing but a big expensive headache that we enjoyed a little when we were between repairs at Mercedes and Camping World. Before you buy a motorhome on a Mercedes chassis consider where you plan to travel and how far it will be to get your Mercedes diesel serviced.
I haven't bought a RV yet. I don't want to buy new because all the craziness they throw out at the buyer. Don't want to buy use because I probably buying someone headache. Definitely if I do it an inspector is a must before I decide to buy.
For 26 years we only purchased used because my theory was let someone else work out the bugs and we had very minor issues that you could count on one hand in all 26 years. My wife wanted a new RV for a change and my theory was right. After 2 years now of ownership of a brand new Keystone product I believe that I have worked out all of the bugs. I lost count on how many issues I have had to work out but I was able to repair everything myself. All I can say is whoever buys or unit will have a very nice carefree experience.
If you do buy used. Watch out what year it is. if it's 10 years or older there are a lot of parks that won't let you in. I mean no matter what, this is industry really how's it out for their customers.
We had our camper at Camping World in Columbia SC, they were to service the air conditioner, they ran into it two times with their fork lift. We made them buy it.
I purchased a used RV and as I never used it. I tried to do a repair on the RV and it turned into a hell hole. I took it back to the seller, dropped it off, and left it there where I picked it up. I was contacted by the seller a few days later and told him that there were too many major issues with the RV that were not disclosed, and told them to keep the deposit and try to sell to someone else as I was no longer interested in it under any circumstance. the problem was that a rat damaged all of the water system, all of the harnesses, and actually worked just long enough to show there was power available. I never was interested in the RV lifestyle again. I ended up purchasing a 67 ford station wagon and was perfect for camping. everything was in a small trailer towed to the campsite and was the best thing for camping I ever had. used it for several years and sold it for a profit to another camper.
While I agree Camping World sucks, everyone is ignoring the point that they did not build this vehicle, Thor did and there in lies the underlying problem. With quality this pathetic the Attorney General should have made them replace it under the lemon law. Remember folks, research, research, research before you buy ANY rv. The "industry standard" and quality are so low that precious few are worth buying. These RVs are not like cars/trucks and do not come with the same warranties or consumer protections.
Sadly, RVs are not covered under most lemon laws, which are mostly state law. For example, here in Arizona the lemon law only covers vehicles with 10,000 GVWR or less. Few RVs fit that restriction. The US Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act may help, but you will need a lemon law lawyer to have any hope at all.
@@benjaminvivar7855 Benjamin that's a great question. I wish I had an answer. I would suggest finding one you like and then talking with many owners of that brand. Do your homework. If you watcjh videos here on RUclips you'll see buyers with unbelievable problems so as not to end up like them take your time.
Get advice from friends and family who ARE EXPERIENCED ! Don’t wing it - too many ways to get burnt ! NEVER BE RUSHED OR PUSHED ! Run away if pressured ! Most warranties are worthless ( enough small print to make you blind) ! Between Dealer / Manufacturer / Component Supplier all pointing at each other ! Most of us who survived found the good guys eventually and will help you - if they think you really want to know ! 🤗
Part of the problem is that many parts of the RV are made by different manufacturers and each manufacturer has their own warranty. There are warranties for the engine, for the cab, generator, fridge, heater, etc.it can be a real nightmare remembering what’s covered and for how long on each item. It might be worth making a spreadsheet for this.
I feel the need to speak up about Camping World, we bought a new Keystone Cougar 362RKS from CW of Tuscon, Az. We are from California and our local dealer that we bought our last Cougar from didn't even want to try to sell us a unit. So I went hunting on the web, found what I was looking for and Ron Coss picked up my request, let's say a week later and I had my rig. The sales process was painless and we didn't get sold on a bunch of things we did not need. I highly recommend CW of Tuscon, Az!!
I'd like to also add that when I saw the pictures of the dinning table it was the table and chairs but when we saw in person it had the booth dinette, we told them that was a deal breaker, now remember we just drove all the way from SoCal to Tuscon. Anyway they made good on what was advertised and they removed the booth and installed the table and chairs whist we were doing the paperwork. To me that is great service!
I have seen a tremendous decrease in the build quality of rvs being sold in the market today. I would love to hear your pick of top rv manufacturers? It seems now a days rv manufacturers are rv assemblers putting parts from Lippert together and putting their own sticker on it. I'm also worried about wait times to get your rv fixed because the products that are being sold now will need a lot of attention. Love your show, keep up the great work!
Anyone who did their due diligence research knows to never go to Camping World. They also can find the best rated RV's. It took me a lot of research and browsing at our local dealer to know the quality of unit I wanted. We ordered new because of specific features we wanted and we're thrilled to get our new trailer with several upgrades not mentioned in the 2021model. All that for 30% off list. They have taken excellent care of us.
In a situation like this, I would take them to court myself. I would also picket the business every time I had time to and tell the world about my experience. Expecting the governor general to stand up for you is insane, the government gets donations from the corporations that are ripping you off so don't expect to be protected.
I like Oliver Travel Trailers that are made in Tennessee. I wish they offered some customization (larger bathroom, separate bedroom) for those wanting to full time. They are quality built though.
Hello Allen. You and I had a conversation a while back. To this day I am stunned and grateful that someone as busy and as popular as yourself took the time to get back to me. We were more than a little at odds over the view of the RV situation then. But watching your broadcast today we could not be more in agreement. If I could wave a magic wand. You would have access to much more of a media outlet than just RUclips or social media. You would have your own cable channel. My concerns having being going on for at least the last two years. For so many the nightmare of RV ownership (for some, not all). The next two years will be real telling. But If I may add here I'm no fan of Camping World. But to think all of this is on them as I have seen brought up here. At the plants were these are manufactured........
I would like to give a shout out to Jim's RV in Nichols, NY. We bought a Coachman Freedom Express from them 4 years ago and have always been pleased with the service we get. We have gotten repairs under warranty, not under warranty, and paid for by insurance (tree fell on it), and they have always been easy to deal with.
Well, this came about 4 weeks too late to warn me. The Camping World dealer I used had mostly good reviews. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will come through on the few things that need to be fixed. If not, I may be calling in.
I researched RV’s 2017 as my wife and I wanted to see places around the country before we physically were unable.Here it is 2021. Five trips through Canada back and forth for personal family reasons. Live here in Wasilla,Ak now. This last year had hardly any traffic on highways.I have seen so much of the state from the Arctic circle east and west,north and south. RV’rs are not going to get a pleasureable trip through Canada now as far as getting out and away to areas off main thoroughfare..I came from Ca. To Ak fast trip Sept.15,2020. I was glad to get out of Canada.Atmosphere has changed dramatically and so has entrance and passage requirement..They had checkpoints from B.C/Yukon to make sure you were adhering to requirements.People at checkpoint were very nice. They gave us a 24 hr requirement to get from last last mandatory quarantine reservation at White Horse to Ak.. No off road sightseeing or wandering. 1 million fine and a warrant. This is not a downer post. If you have a good reason ,they will let you through.Travel throughout Ak is still good. Rev dreams are over for me. I just got a great opportunity to see some of the most beautiful country though Canada and now detail areas of Ak. I have flown from Ca. To Ak also. Testing at the Anchorage airport mandatory. It’s a whole new atmosphere but good times can and must be had for everybody.Happy camping.
I did my research on the brand and dealers. Six years later I’m still a happy camper. I hooked with a mom pop dealer and Tiffin. Even tho I’m way out of warranty both of them still provide excellent customer service and when I’m ready to write a check for repairs I’ve been told nothing owing this time. They felt it was there responsibility based on the situation. I feel for the guy and his family because that should never happen to anyone. So sad!
We had similar experience with Camping World. We took our rv there for a simple repair. They had it 4 months and returned it with leaks around the slide, broken leveling jacks and a broken awning. Horrible company.
La Mesa RV is a great family owned dealer that has a few locations across the country and a great service department. We got a 30 ft Entegra in June, first RV... can’t say enough good things about La Mesa RV and also Entegra’s 3 year warranty and responsiveness in approving the handful of mostly minor issues that have come up.
After doing a lot of research, I'm going to rent an RV. I don't need to own it, I have no place to store it. I won't be full-timing, just for occasional get-aways. Retired and don't need those headaches.
After listening to some of these stories I think I'd start by asking dealership that I was seriously looking to buy from if I could 1st rent the vehicle for a month?
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I’ve said for years, go look at the RV’s at Camping World cause they have a huge selection, but when you’re ready to buy, go somewhere else. 👍😃
We had exactly the same experience with camping World and Thor in 2016...they had our camper more than we did. We traded in 2019 for a highly ranked Class C with John’s RV near Columbia, SC. THAT is an awesome dealership! Family owned, attentive to their customers, great service! The dealership truly does make the difference! It’s great to know there are still people with integrity and character in the RV community! Jane
i think people should put camping world out of business by avoiding them .
They would just rebrand, and keep on screwing people.
@@may2888 dang. i didn't even think of that.
Camping World is not happy till you’re not happy.
@@paulcanon5533 love it
You can’t keep screwing people over and not think that it will eventually catch up to you.
No they just have an advertising campaign and they get new victims into their showrooms. Plus Camping World has a large presence in the RV world.
@@melaniecotterell9972 Take the Money and Run!
Most businesses are getting to be like that now days, this country is rotting from the inside out.
Most...or just some?..camping world is a just some....most are American whomdefend the country!
You have a side!. ....unless you're most biased.....then your. on their side
The worship of money. He is a merchant, the weights of deceit are in his hands.
seems as if everything is a scam.
We have lost our moral compass in America.
@@marvinlee3450 hence why money is referred to as currency. They control the flow of it and by extension your own power
I’ve never heard anyone say a good word about camping world
As I was watching this I was thinking the same thing.
"Camping worst"
Me either
I got nothing good to say about Camping World
I stopped in one of there location after filling out an online form. They never followed up and called me. Ignored my online application after giving all my personal information.
Our government needs to audit them to see how many social security numbers on people they never followed up with.
I bought from a family owned RV maker 20 years ago and am still a happy owner. That's part of the dilemma. If you make a good RV, people aren't coming back every 5 or 6 years for a new one.
Drop their name o:
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy anything from Camping World or their affiliates.
Absolutely right
Camping Wold's business model is about income generation not building a loyal customer base.
@@anonymousone2950 poor guy, bought a $60,000 lemon. Don’t know how the big bosses at camping world can look at themselves in the mirror before going to work.
@@svongsa I am sure it is easy for them.
All the other RV dealers are just as bad. I went to a place down the street from camping world. Would have been just as bad going to camping world. Our air conditioner didn’t even work and the walk through guy scammed us. Had to fix it myself..
We made a deal on a trailer. They came in with paperwork and it was almost 4K more than we agreed on. We got and walked out. They tried to tell us all the fees were “normal.”
I actually bought my camper from a smaller dealer and was treated like a king... until that is, I showed up one day asking about some warranty work. The deer in the headlights look turned on immediately.... I'd seen it before and I knew right then there would be no help. I learned to fix the crap myself. Once you sign that paper, you're an adversary, just like at the car dealership.
Same thing happened to me to...
Camping World sucks never buy from them
Th ey DO NOT HONOR ANYTHING THEY SELL! Been there done that!
Isn’t it funny the owner of camping world is a big shot that knows Everything about business, but everyone hates his business!
You have that right Allen. I'm a "Mom and Pop" business and the corporate machine is trying to kill me everyday. I only deal with other small business' with whatever I do. You will be hard pressed to come out on top with ANY dealer like Camping World. Small dealers will never forget your name and will bend over backwards for you. I'm on my 3rd Motorhome and every one of them have come from my local dealers (mom & pop) and I am still thrilled with the products and service. Great show and thanks for everything you and your team do. You help us more than you know.
You give the name of your dealer so other know who they are and can support them.
@@eveorlando3389 Miller's RV and The RV Shop. Both in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Louisiana. The RV Shop is in the process of building a brand new dealership alongside I-12 in Baton Rouge. Completely outgrowing the dealership they constructed 15 years ago. Top Notch Service Departments at both dealers. ATB
@@dubcoco1 Everyone please please please come and support our mom and pops. Take back our industry
@@dubcoco1 Thanks! That's great to know!
Even in business you can treat others the way you would like to be treated, then you will get repeat business and referrals
I wouldn’t buy charcoal from Camping World.
I quit camping after it became cheaper to stay in a hotel than pay the price of a campground that charges too much and gives nothing in return.
You go stay in that hotel. I won't sleep in a bed somebody else slept in. I don't want bed bugs.
@@TheBandit7613, I been trucking for 32 years and have stayed in hundreds if not a thousand or more hotels and not once have I encountered bed bugs.
@@TheBandit7613 but you’ll use a bathhouse or pool that others have been in… ?
@@msmo2060 Nope. I have my own pool at home.
@@TheBandit7613 of course, if you stay at the red roof in lol.
My wife and I are retired and thought about possibly buying a RV. We did alot of research on it and decided on not buying one. We found there's alot more cons to pros.
same
The problem is, you don’t know a bad dealer till you are a victim. Google helps, but is not fool proof 😳
I'd hope people do a little more than "google it". Large companies can pay google to downgrade negative hits on their business. Watching videos like this and reading forum posts are a good way to get more info. If you're going to invest that much money on an RV I would hope people would spend more time researching.
Who do you recommend than.
Call your better business bureau and check the RV dealer's out.
@@paulao7022 Don't trust the Better Business Bureau and their reviews or attempts to help. I was in the Kitchen and Bath Remodeling business. BBB would solicit us for membership ($$$) .... promoting us to consumers. They represented and promoted our interests. Not the Homeowners/Consumers. Just sayin....
Is really that hard to identify a bad dealer? I know for heck sure I walked out of a bad one. Sadly, it was very local, and well staffed. Or at least it was at the time. No idea about today.
They wanted to charge too much for the unit I wanted and I knew it. They did absolutely nothing to win my sale. Well, they did offer a "free WDH", but the value they quoted was well over the market value (retail price!). They didn't talk about their service department. They didn't introduce me to a technician. I talked to my sales rep and a single finance person while in the building. Later, about 12 minutes down the road a different sales rep called by "accident" and tried to sale me the unit at exactly the same price.
So again, is it really that hard to spot a bad dealer? Or does the typical buyer just have no idea what their expectations should be? We, the RVing community, need to continue to educate the new buyers.
Alan, what I appreciate is that you are so forthright in providing such valuable information on your radio/YT/FB Wednesday evening programs. By presenting the reality of hideous business practices, you are sparing your viewers/listeners from others' travails. Thank you for taking the lead in this, as someone needed to. Please continue to take the high road.
My wife and I are considering buying a 30 ft or so travel trailer and taking our two teenagers ( both have autism) and traveling the country full time. We aren't rich by any means, so when, or if, we buy an RV it's going to be a lot of money for us. Hearing the state of the RV industry as of late is giving us pause and making us seriously take another look at our decision.
Thank you for your honesty and look forward to your shows every week. Keep up the good work Wingman
Back in the 80’s my Pops took a management job at CampingWorld, after 2 weeks he separated from them telling them their business model would fail. Pops is always right.
Pops was wrong.
and 30 years later they're still in business............Pops is always wrong
@@williamboyle8918 sadly I agree with you, there's a saying " you can't fight City Hall ". The corporations take no prisoners, Prime example, Camping World. Let them fall on their sword!
Sounds like it’s time to start boycotting these places since they only care about money...
Problem is 99% of folks that buy an RV dont do enough research to find out the real truth about Camping World and RVs in general. That is what Camping World banks on...unsuspecting/uneducated buyers. What really needs to happen is the laws regarding the purchase and maintenance of RV's need to change so that there is protection for the buyer.
That is what I did, I boycotted camping world and got a 5th wheel from a consignment shop. And will never get any thing new again do to the fact the corporate don’t give a damm about anyone.
They get new customers no problem. they have Camping World Bowl, they advertise all over. They have the most locations. Now days there are two suckers born every minute. People do not realize how bad customer service can be. Buy from the dealer that is a mile away from the factory. Make sure you are satisfied that there are no issues before heading home.
Shame on Camping World. Why is Thor not stepping up? Now, I'll never buy from Thor or Camping World.
Research carefully. They own several major brands.
Thor is probably the basis of the problem.
SHYSTERS ! CAMPING WORLD...........
You pretty much have Thor or Berkshire Hathaway to choose from.
@@flagmichael " a Thor in your side".
Camping World got us also! Several issues the first few months and Camping World had an 8 month wait for service. I took it to an independent repair shop and Heartland did cover all of the warranty repairs. The shop had the camper more the first year than we did.
We bought a Tiffin, a family manufacturer and good folks. They take care of the customers and want to make sure we’re happy with the RV. Kudos to Bob Tiffin and Family 👏💓
I've heard Tiffin is supposed to be good but you need to be cautious with them also. They have a lot nice stuff on their frame and if you've got one of the Mercedes chassis you have very little amount that you can add to your gross weight without overloading! I've heard stories of those twisting/breaking and having to take it back to the mfg and not get it back for a few months. If you are a full timer, that would suck living in a hotel room for that long! Be careful with you weight limits, whatever you have!
Not everyone has a good experience with Tiffin.
ya for $2 MILLION BUCKS
Some don't have the money to spend on a tiffin
Tiffin is owned by Thor
I bought my first trailer this year. I went into it knowing I would have to do the repairs myself. Luckily I’m pretty mechanical in nature. Love this channel
Camping World is the sole issue here. Avoid them like the plague.
Why?
Camping world is not the only problem, the factory is building nothing but junk. Go to a state, that has a lemon law, for rv's. Then you have a way out, if it is junk.
@@keithgregory8982 I am completely satisfied with my 25' Lance camp trailer. Not ALL RVs are junk.
One time I had a 10.5' Lance slide-in camper. The truck was a 1993 Dodge diesel duelie. I hit a washout at 55MPH. It was 18" down, six feet across and 18" up on the other side. It ripped the tie-downs off of the truck, dented in the marker lights of the cab, and the camper ended up sitting on one of the wheel wells. The truck came off the ground 3 times. It did not hurt the camper at all. It really did not hurt the truck toooooo much. If it would survive something like that, I was sold.
They are spendy, but you get what you pay for. If you buy the cheapest thing that you can find, that is exactly what you will have!
@@Rat-Builder I am sure, there are good rv builders, out there, but because they don't have customers raising hell about their products, you don't hear much about them. I pull a 1985 Sun Line camper, and because I keep it inside, when not using, it still looks like new. I have run into people that loved sun line campers, and I have talked to people that said they were a terrible camper. About 20 years ago, people from Indiana, showed up at the factory, and offered the owners, so much money for the business, they could not turn it down. These new owners, sent nothing but junk, out the door, for 2 years, then shut the doors. They had to drag down the name, before going out, just to make sure, people did not associate quality, with that name. I have pulled this camper, in all of the lower 48, and most of the Nat. Parks, and plan to continue to pull it. I am sure, this is not the only company, that was bought out, by big corporate, just to get rid of a good competitors. My camper is a 20th anniversary model, so they had been at it a long time. Have a good day.
If RV's were built better you wouldn't need them to be serviced under the warranty. I hate taking vehicles to the dealer even for recalls. Nothing good can come from a dealer visit. Either fix it yourself or accept that it's broke. Avoid the grief.
Didn’t know how bad Camping World is...thanks for the heads up!
After researching rv’s for several years, I ended up buying an ambulance and converted it. Very happy.
I have been researching RV's for 26 years. They cost more than they used to and have more electronics/technology that can fail. Most are junk on wheels. I'll probably still be looking in 26 more years. I want an RV
We got took by Camping World on a used 5th Wheel never going back to Camping world.
I think I paid double for my used Alpine, cause I was a total newbie
Thank you for this. My friend worked for Camping world for 10 years and told me not to buy a camper from them. I am currently looking for a motorhome. He also told me to stick with Winnebago because they have the best product. Good luck to all who are looking for a future camper.
be very careful with Winnebago. I sold them for 3 years and I won’t buy one. Just garbage to our dealership and not much help in getting repairs for the crap they sent us. We had new motorhomes that were 2 years old b/c they were garbage.
Why did the Attorney General believe Camping World and not the RV buyer/owner? The AG did not do his job and investigate!
He did his job.. that is to be..paid off... by camping world
Most AG's are way, way, way too lazy to do their job. Easier to ignore crime.
he sued the restaurants for opening.
We bought a NEWMAR, Mountain Aire 20 years ago, we have the coach in the maintenance facility 2 time since. buy quality the care of it. Our maintenance facility is Motor Trucks in Everette Wa. great folks.
We like our Newmar. Good coaches.
We bought a used RV from Camping World used it for one trip and received two serious recalls on the Van . Took 1 year to get the parts. Some people are told that their lift was not equipped with a lift to accommodate their Van to replace the parts. Thank goodness our wonderful dodger dealership has the appropriate lift for our Vans and repaired it a year after the recalls received and the pandemic allowed us to get the parts. Thank goodness for the dudge repair in Hurst. Did a wonderful job
We researched Camping World and decided no way. We found a great dealer in Lacombe, Louisiana called Steve's RV. We have bought 4 Jayco rvs from him. Great service after the sale. Honest mom and pop dealer.
Well, we know who the AG of Minnesota is so no surprise this man received no help.
Exactly....what party is he for? Corrupt? You figure it out.
The AG can only act within the law. As with most states, RVs are not well covered (sometimes not at all).
www.ag.state.mn.us/Consumer/Handbooks/MNCarLaws/CH1.asp
Put that AG out of business too by not electing them next term.
Sure because Republicans are famous for supporting Consumer Protection Agencies. Google it if you are clueless about what the GOP stands for.
EXACTLY
Could you please do a video rating the sales and service departments of the top 10 new RV dealerships in the USA? I think this subject and content would be of great interest to prospective buyers, and window shoppers alike.
Thank you for that all to common commentary/report. I'm afraid a lot of folks-especially those who are new to RVing-go into a dealership like CW thinking buying a new RV is like buying a new car or truck. They won't have any problems with a new vehicle or if they do the dealer will take care of it thru warranty el pronto. Couldn't be further from the truth. Your example here of this fella is way to common. Buying a RV from most dealers is NOTHING like buying a car or truck. I'm sure you started your YT channel to inform people. You do a good job BTW. I started my YT channel to help folks learn how to take care of their RV's themselves. Most people can take care of 80% - 90% of the things on their RV themselves and I show them how. Knowing how to do these things yourself is a MUST while owning any RV new or used. Good customer service from ANY company these days are far & few between. I would NEVER buy an RV from CW.
Alan, I've been following you for a while now and have commented before. I think you got it right on this message. The RV industry will pay the price for the junk being put out and the lack of support after the sale. I believe in 2 years there will be a flood of used junk available based on the sales of the last 9 months and the sellers will take a huge hit like this gentleman and they will leave the industry. Perhaps there is an upside? The mom and pop's who can hang in there will have a solid base of customers who are in for the long haul, the corp dealerships will wither away; the junk manufacturers will hopefully close; and perhaps campgrounds will have availablility again. One can hope! I sold my 07 Four Winds Super C (that actually was reasonably solid) in early August and planned on leaving the RV life after 5 years . I decided to give it one more try and found a used 2017 Forest River Work and Play toy hauler outfitted the way I wanted. It was a trade in to a family run dealership. I talked with two owners of this brand and style and they spoke highly of the durability of these units. Fingers crossed. The dealership gave me the "we are the best dealership" speech for a few minutes as usual. The 2 folks I worked with were straightforward and based on the conversation seemed very knowledgeable in the industry. They did work to make the deal work, throwing in some discounts on accessories I needed and reduced a state required inspection fee by 50% and a lifetime 10% discount on parts going forward. Like you said there are decent non corporate dealers out there. Lets see how the next year or two goes. Keep up to good work! Regards, Keith
Camping World shouldn’t be in business.
The CW in Fairfield, OH did shut down about a year ago. I don't wonder why.
companies are in business to make money- not to make people happy.
Consumers really need lemon laws for RV's and TT just like automobiles.
The best I understand, if you buy from a state that has lemon laws, for rv's, or if you live in a state, that has lemon laws, on rv's, that you do have some chance of making it right.
Not so
@@miriamvivo4279 look on you tube for a site called Lehto's Law, put out by Steve Lehto, who is a lemon law attorney, from Michigan, that warns people about buying rv's. He has said that some states, do have lemon laws on rv's. Look it up.
Consumers need to avoid buying RV's. Hopefully then the RV prices will tank so that I can get a decent deal. No deals now.
I thought they did?
We bought a 2013 Thor ACE. We had service done on it at the Camping World in Kissimmee, FL. It was a horrible experience. We got the coach back with parts missing from the awning (parts that weren't missing when we dropped it off). They fixed the slide and broke the jacks. We took it back to have the jacks repaired. They fixed the jacks and the slides began leaking again. We traded the Thor in on a Newmar. We bought it from a small family owned business (Independence RV) in Winter Garden, FL. We have been treated very well by Independence RV & Newmar.
I took my 2019 Airstream Nest for winterizing, and some minor repairs, to what I thought was a reputable dealer in the MW. What a fiasco, I won’t go into the details, but basically these larger dealers often have staff who don’t care nor take the time to do a job right. My advice is to be sure to take photos of your RV inside and out before and after you bring your rig in for servicing. Get to know the service manager, and be very specific with reviewing your project and insure it is completed before you leave the lot. Smaller dealers and local mechanics you can get to know and trust are key.
This is why people choose used RVs, or buy Cargo Trailers and outfit them.
Skip the pre fab RVs and build out a cargo trailer or similar and build out with quality materials. It is the only way to go. Dont make the mistake and buy a pre fab RV. Plus when you build out a rig you have the choice to put in as much insulation as you want. Lots of insulation can really open up your travels... now you have a real "4 season RV". Customization is a plus too.
Build your own! Then you know exactly what you're dealing with and appreciate it even more. Thank you for the warning Alan.
Thank you for your channel !!
Because of you I WILL NEVER OWN AN RV OF ANY SIZE !!!!
Thank you for the show. Just saw my first episode. Glad I did. Starting to look for an RV to move around the country in semi-retirement. Glad to know who NOT to go to. Thank you.
It’s time people to start shaming these dealers and companies all over local and social media...!
Again, hit them in their pocket as money is all they care about...!
Don’t forget to file complaints with the local Better Business Bureau...!
Believe it or not but many new customers will check with them prior to purchasing from a company
that they are unfamiliar with to see if they have any complaints and black marks against them.
Once a company receives a black mark against them, it stays on file for the life of the company...!
You could open yourself up to be sued by the RV companies. I know someone who was sued for $550,000 for creating a social media group that complained about their builder. It went to arbitration and while the buyer won, they still were forced to pay 30+k in fees plus the builder didn’t have to finish the $100k in unfinished work for which the builder collected early from the bank. Builder somehow got the disbursement and said, ya, we’re done now and left. Plus the buyer signed an arbitration clause. Arbitration clauses are becoming more common. Avoid companies that force you into one. They are heavily weighted for the company it’s written for. It will cost you more money and you will never win.
Interesting perspective. I agree with the sentiments about Camping World. I won't buy anything from them. But, blaming Wall Street for what 1 company has done is ridiculous. Manufacturers need to be held responsible for the crap products they churn out, and Dealerships for their poor Customer Service, and finally the consumer for not doing their homework and getting educated before spending buckets of money on an RV.
There are some great RV's out there but you have to do your homework. Alan is right to a point the money people bought up the small manufactures and quality went in the crapper. Rv's got even cheaper than they where before the buying spree. They are still mostly made in northern Indiana and southern Michigan and many of the employees
are Amish. But he materials in the majority are not as good as they once where, so if you look befroe you leap you can get a great Rv
This problem starts in the manufacturing plant.
Wire and plumbing routed like a Roreshak ink blot.
Finishings that pop loose due to over charged staple guns
11/4" screws instead of 2inch
Placement of awnings or ladders that impede window or door operations....
And this is what can be seen while in a showroom!
Thanks for caring, maybe your team can put together a list of honest RV dealers in USA. We want a well made RV at a fantastic price with a caring sales and service team that stands behind the products they sell. God Bless, keep healthy and happy RVing 💪🏽🕯🙏
You hit the nail on the head beans counters have ruined to many good businesses by being more concerned about the bottom dollar than a good, decent product and forget about customer service.
I too fell victim to the venomous bite of Crappy World and Crapstone. I bought a 60,000 dollar 5th wheel 17 months ago and it’s been in the shop 7 of those months. When/if I can get all of the stuff fixed I’m selling it and will be done with camping.
Why on gods green earth did you buy from camping world? That doesn’t make any sense. 10 minute google search will tell you no way. You can only blame yourself. There’s lots of good RV out there with lots of good dealers just do your homework, stop acting ignorant and blaming others.
I had a Jayco Melbourne 29D For about eight years and the only problem I had was the hinges fell off a closet door and a piece of the trim fell down from around the slide, but other than that I had no problems. Now if you have a family with kids jumping around that things going to get torn off because they are made really cheap
Camping world has had a bad reputation for years so this doesn't surprise me
Camping World had a bad reputation years ago and then they did everything possible to make it worse.
I've said it once, I'll state it again. If you want a reliable, functional & cost-beneficial RV/Travel Trailer, start from the ground up, design, fabricate & maintain it yourself, or with a few trusted friends/technicians. You'll spend significantly more time in the endeavor, but if you plan to be a regular, long-term camper/traveler, you'll never regret the extra time/effort, as workmanship & patience will reward you in the long-term.
As a big fan of “The Profit” with Marcus Lemonis (sp) I’m so disappointed he doesn’t practice what he preaches when it comes to Camping World. He has really let a lot of people down with his “business model” for Camping World. He lost me as a fan after my personal dealings with Camping World and all the horror stories I’ve heard from others.
Exactly.
Exactly the same feeling. Camping World has been a horrible experience
I'm a first timer/buyer. Aftermath of this new covid world hit me and I had to buy a travel trailer to live FULL-TIME in. Not even an RV. (really, what's the lifestyle difference). I did not purchase at CW but a local chain in the 2hour radius I call home. As soon as I signed my paperwork I felt like nobody cared. Right off the bat in the dealerships lot, they "tech" rushed thru the process of showing me (I'm super green) how everything worked in my unit and my hitch&/hook up components. Then I'm pulling out super nervous of course, and thank God I stopped to take a pic of it because a man (who worked there but I hadn't met during my dealings) asked "yall good with the breaking system?" ....I say "What?...no". Turns out thru the whole rush of getting me out of there and on to the next one, they never installed the system. I could of killed someone on the road or my family straight off the lot. Turns out my towing vehicle/truck didn't work with the new Bluetooth (bullshit unsafe) brake control ($250) they wanted to rush shove on. I had to leave the new rv I just bought there for 3 weeks to get my truck serviced for that. And It turns out what they were trying to put on is ish. Not my trucks fault so to speak. They didn't have they service time to fit me in a timely manner (for them) to install a normal manual brake system. So I had to schedule thru a brake shop in the town I bought the rv in. The entire time, I live nowhere so there goes about 1,500 to stay in a crappy motel for all this added to time parts labor. Insult to injury when I was finally able to pick my rv up after about three weeks, the dealership didn't even remember who I was. And wouldn't refresh me on anything they "taught"/"told" me on original pickup date. On top of all of it too, the 30day warranty they gave me on the unit was basically used up sitting on their lot because as soon as they got the check. No effs were given. The ONLY thing REAL they did for me was let me keep it on their lot the entire time.
Oh and I'm still having brake problems, an electrical awning problem tied with other electrical/fuse issues. Today is August 28, 2022. I bought my travel trailer July 12, 2022.
For all who read this, thank you. It feels good to get it off my chest. And I hope NO-ONE else ever has this problem.
friends bought a brand new motorhome from camping world in april and discovered a leak underneath from the toilet tank fittings before their first trip. camping world said their first available repair appointment was in november. so much for that summer.
If they are THAT backed up with repairs, that tells you all you need to know.
easy diy repair
@@stevenbaker3302 maybe for you and me...but this was a $200.000 purchase and they were basically told that they were out of luck...no priority for a purchase made weeks before, and a planned summer. if someone spent 200 large with me they would have been at the front of the line.....and the fitting was on top of the tank not the side
Friends bought a large fifth wheel toyhauler from CW over a year ago. It was heavily discounted and they didn't look online at the comments. Used it one time. It's been back for multiple warranty repairs since then. Insult to injury, someone at the dealership hit the front cap on it with another rig and of course the dealership only wants to slap a new decal on it without inspecting the cap for holes or cracks. Now they are fighting with the dealership as well as the manufacturers on all the repairs. Buyer beware!!
There is a company that does RV repair and will come to you..I can't think of the name..they do inspections also and are really cheap..I saw them on that man and lady that was in Florida and the lady's son in his twenties got sick and came to live with them for a while..they had an inspection done on their RV before they took off on a long trip..it was unbelievable how great and knowledgeable the inspection guys were..they found all kinds of minor things wrong that could have turned into major things and shut them down on the highway..I have learned so much about rv's and cars during this pandemic.. before you buy either do lots of research and have them inspected by a good mechanic.. especially do your research on new cars and RVs..I bought a new car to do Uber five years ago and I went to four or five mechanic shops for advice and they basically told me all new cars were junk except Honda And Toyota if you want a car that will last many trouble free years..I bought a Honda Civic and it was most fun driving car I ever had and got 28 mpg in city and 44mpg on road trips with the overdrive button I pushed..I love watching these people and their stories and most turn out good..just my thoughts.. thanks 🤔🤔🤗
I have lived a lot of places where RVs are popular. Florida, AZ, NC. I have heard stories like this about Camping world in all of them. I would NEVER buy new or used from one of those dealerships.
I have a neighbor bought a 2020 RV, The poor guy has had to repair at least 10 things on it so far. Good thing he's handy like that.
2014 we bought a Forrester 30 ft. motor home. The very first time we took it out, the shower leaked; the ice maker leaked; the bathroom door would not stay closed. We bought this beauty, all $78,000 of it, from Alpen Haus, Amsterdam, NY. They took it in and "fixed" the shower, ice maker and bathroom door. The next time we took it out, the shower continued to leak; the ice maker continued to leak; the sound system for the exterior TV didn't work; our GPS didn't work and the bathroom door still would not stay closed. Again we took the RV in to the dealer. The first time we brought it back for repairs, the dealer had it 6 of the 16 weeks of summer. The next time we brought it in for repairs they had it through the fall and winter months. We got it back in the spring. All the while they had it, we called every couple of weeks to see how the repairs were coming along. At one point, I was told that they replaced the radio/GPS/sound system for the exterior TV 5 times and each time it shorted out. I was told they could give me a plain radio, but could not replace the system that came with the unit. Of course, this was unacceptable. To make a long story short, my daughter contacted the CEO of Forrest River. The repairs were finally made, except for the ice maker. We took it upon ourselves to go to a locally owned RV shop and have the ice maker removed. We have actually been able to use the RV and enjoy the great outdoors. It's a shame that consumers have to jump through hoops to have shoddy workmanship made right. NY state lemon laws do not cover the entire RV.
I was a service writer for cw. Within a few months my numbers were far better than any other employee. Customers would only come to me. Management would berate me, employees were hostile to me even sabotaging my work. Was never recognized for the outstanding work I did.
And then what happened? Service writers don't fix anything, so why did the customers want you to take their order? I could write down what needs to be fixed myself. But my Spanish isn't too good. No habla technicians?
oh i dont believe that; i think you were eventually recognized for the good work you did by them FIRING you!! you were making them look bad!! good on you!!
That's twisted
This is good to know. My wife and I r looking into buying an RV and were told to stay away from Camping World. They’re in it for the $$$. But the more I talk to people the more I want to shy away from the purchase. Sad.
Buying an RV is a crap shoot. I took possession of 2011 in that year. I am full time and this is my home. The dealer was more than polite, first warning sign, and had all the numbers figured out on paper within 2 minutes, 2nd warning sign, so we went with the deal, I read what I could with all the hub bub going on in the lobby and screwed up and signed the deal. That distraction cost me 2% interest for the life of the contract, no way to refinance. So far I think it has cost me $8K. I am hoping the people I have warned about these folks heeded what I told them. The bottom line hear, take your new contract to an attorney, if the dealer won't allow that, go somewhere else. As far as I am concerned all the dealers and manufacturers are plain out thieves and should be locked under ground till they exist no more.
Our first two campers were from a Mom and Pop shop, wonderful experience. Our last from Camping World, not the Horror story as others ,but still we got took a little. Only bought there because our regular shop did not sell 5th Wheels.
Just want to give a shout out to my local RV place here in Missoula, Montana! Bretz RV! They treat you right and will make things right if things aren't right! It's one of the cheapest places to get propane, and you can dump your RV and fill up with water for free every time.. even if you didn't buy your RV there!
That phone call you had received is the reason why I will not purchase a camper from any manufacturer !!! Too many bad quality trailers and bad dealers and very high prices !!!
I’m going to build my own travel trailer from a new 7x18x7 cargo trailer with a one piece flat aluminum roof. Trailer is made up special for me with 2 5200lbs axles, .040 screw less aluminum sides,
The best thing is that I have total control of the quality of the workmanship , materials, insulation, and price !!!
Brand new trailer is $7k and even if I have another $7k in it, it’s still a better deal than buying a new travel trailer from Camping World or any other place !!!
Thanks For RUclips for showing us how to do that !!!👍
From Indiana, same going on here with campingworld
2 big threats to the RV industry 1) The assault on the Internal Combustion Engine. In California we are trying to recall the Governor who wants to ban ICE by 2030. Right now there is an assault on Diesel engines. Good Luck towing a 5th wheel behind a Tesla. 2) After the housing crunch most people learned not to use the equity in their house as an ATM. A lot of people took out equity loans to buy RV. My dad worked for an RV dealer who had a real estate loan agent who worked at the dealership. Banks are also unwilling to do home equity loans.
Get a lawyer to sue Camping World and manufacturer on a contingent fee basis.
Our experience was very similar to Richard's. We sold our Thor Citation and will never buy another. It was nothing but a big expensive headache that we enjoyed a little when we were between repairs at Mercedes and Camping World. Before you buy a motorhome on a Mercedes chassis consider where you plan to travel and how far it will be to get your Mercedes diesel serviced.
I haven't bought a RV yet. I don't want to buy new because all the craziness they throw out at the buyer. Don't want to buy use because I probably buying someone headache. Definitely if I do it an inspector is a must before I decide to buy.
For 26 years we only purchased used because my theory was let someone else work out the bugs and we had very minor issues that you could count on one hand in all 26 years. My wife wanted a new RV for a change and my theory was right. After 2 years now of ownership of a brand new Keystone product I believe that I have worked out all of the bugs. I lost count on how many issues I have had to work out but I was able to repair everything myself. All I can say is whoever buys or unit will have a very nice carefree experience.
If you do buy used. Watch out what year it is. if it's 10 years or older there are a lot of parks that won't let you in. I mean no matter what, this is industry really how's it out for their customers.
Wanted to tell you I love my Rockwood couples camper 3 yrs old and not a single problem. I am so blessed.
We had our camper at Camping World in Columbia SC, they were to service the air conditioner, they ran into it two times with their fork lift. We made them buy it.
Came across this and am in the market to purchase my first (and new) trailer. Thanks to this information I know to avoid them.
I purchased a used RV and as I never used it. I tried to do a repair on the RV and it turned into a hell hole. I took it back to the seller, dropped it off, and left it there where I picked it up. I was contacted by the seller a few days later and told him that there were too many major issues with the RV that were not disclosed, and told them to keep the deposit and try to sell to someone else as I was no longer interested in it under any circumstance. the problem was that a rat damaged all of the water system, all of the harnesses, and actually worked just long enough to show there was power available. I never was interested in the RV lifestyle again. I ended up purchasing a 67 ford station wagon and was perfect for camping. everything was in a small trailer towed to the campsite and was the best thing for camping I ever had. used it for several years and sold it for a profit to another camper.
While I agree Camping World sucks, everyone is ignoring the point that they did not build this vehicle, Thor did and there in lies the underlying problem. With quality this pathetic the Attorney General should have made them replace it under the lemon law. Remember folks, research, research, research before you buy ANY rv. The "industry standard" and quality are so low that precious few are worth buying. These RVs are not like cars/trucks and do not come with the same warranties or consumer protections.
Sadly, RVs are not covered under most lemon laws, which are mostly state law. For example, here in Arizona the lemon law only covers vehicles with 10,000 GVWR or less. Few RVs fit that restriction. The US Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act may help, but you will need a lemon law lawyer to have any hope at all.
You are right Thor builds crap and they don’t care. Thor is to RV, Comcast is to cable tv.They are the RV industry.
exactly
Well which brands are worthy of buying ?
@@benjaminvivar7855 Benjamin that's a great question. I wish I had an answer. I would suggest finding one you like and then talking with many owners of that brand. Do your homework. If you watcjh videos here on RUclips you'll see buyers with unbelievable problems so as not to end up like them take your time.
Get advice from friends and family who ARE EXPERIENCED ! Don’t wing it - too many ways to get burnt ! NEVER BE RUSHED OR PUSHED ! Run away if pressured ! Most warranties are worthless ( enough small print to make you blind) ! Between Dealer / Manufacturer / Component Supplier all pointing at each other ! Most of us who survived found the good guys eventually and will help you - if they think you really want to know ! 🤗
This is heartbreaking.
Part of the problem is that many parts of the RV are made by different manufacturers and each manufacturer has their own warranty. There are warranties for the engine, for the cab, generator, fridge, heater, etc.it can be a real nightmare remembering what’s covered and for how long on each item. It might be worth making a spreadsheet for this.
I feel the need to speak up about Camping World, we bought a new Keystone Cougar 362RKS from CW of Tuscon, Az. We are from California and our local dealer that we bought our last Cougar from didn't even want to try to sell us a unit. So I went hunting on the web, found what I was looking for and Ron Coss picked up my request, let's say a week later and I had my rig. The sales process was painless and we didn't get sold on a bunch of things we did not need. I highly recommend CW of Tuscon, Az!!
You had a good salesman. That is the difference.
Glad you had a good salesman. I hope you don't need any repairs.
I'd like to also add that when I saw the pictures of the dinning table it was the table and chairs but when we saw in person it had the booth dinette, we told them that was a deal breaker, now remember we just drove all the way from SoCal to Tuscon. Anyway they made good on what was advertised and they removed the booth and installed the table and chairs whist we were doing the paperwork. To me that is great service!
Great show Alan! My local radio station for some reason dropped your show it was the highlight of my weekend. Thomyt
I have seen a tremendous decrease in the build quality of rvs being sold in the market today. I would love to hear your pick of top rv manufacturers? It seems now a days rv manufacturers are rv assemblers putting parts from Lippert together and putting their own sticker on it. I'm also worried about wait times to get your rv fixed because the products that are being sold now will need a lot of attention. Love your show, keep up the great work!
Profit is the motive so cheap is the build quality. Camping World is nuts!
Anyone who did their due diligence research knows to never go to Camping World. They also can find the best rated RV's. It took me a lot of research and browsing at our local dealer to know the quality of unit I wanted. We ordered new because of specific features we wanted and we're thrilled to get our new trailer with several upgrades not mentioned in the 2021model. All that for 30% off list. They have taken excellent care of us.
@Ken S Pontiac RV in Pontiac, IL. A great mom and pop company. This is our 3rd RV from them. We're very happy. Great service.
In a situation like this, I would take them to court myself.
I would also picket the business every time I had time to and tell the world about my experience.
Expecting the governor general to stand up for you is insane, the government gets donations from the corporations that are ripping you off so don't expect to be protected.
We have a camping world here in orange county calif...and....they are the same scammers here.they(sales staff) are outright liars.
I'm in the market now for next summer and I'll be striking Camping World from my list right now. Thanks for the straight info.
I like Oliver Travel Trailers that are made in Tennessee. I wish they offered some customization (larger bathroom, separate bedroom) for those wanting to full time. They are quality built though.
Hello Allen. You and I had a conversation a while back. To this day I am stunned and grateful that someone as busy and as popular as yourself took the time to get back to me. We were more than a little at odds over the view of the RV situation then. But watching your broadcast today we could not be more in agreement. If I could wave a magic wand. You would have access to much more of a media outlet than just RUclips or social media. You would have your own cable channel. My concerns having being going on for at least the last two years. For so many the nightmare of RV ownership (for some, not all). The next two years will be real telling. But If I may add here I'm no fan of Camping World. But to think all of this is on them as I have seen brought up here. At the plants were these are manufactured........
Camping world SUCKS!!! He should have gone to court.
They sell new RV's at the courthouse? Sweet. Pay the clerk.
It's easy to say. Lawyers cost a ton of money.
I would like to give a shout out to Jim's RV in Nichols, NY. We bought a Coachman Freedom Express from them 4 years ago and have always been pleased with the service we get. We have gotten repairs under warranty, not under warranty, and paid for by insurance (tree fell on it), and they have always been easy to deal with.
Well, this came about 4 weeks too late to warn me. The Camping World dealer I used had mostly good reviews. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will come through on the few things that need to be fixed. If not, I may be calling in.
I researched RV’s 2017 as my wife and I wanted to see places around the country before we physically were unable.Here it is 2021. Five trips through Canada back and forth for personal family reasons. Live here in Wasilla,Ak now. This last year had hardly any traffic on highways.I have seen so much of the state from the Arctic circle east and west,north and south. RV’rs are not going to get a pleasureable trip through Canada now as far as getting out and away to areas off main thoroughfare..I came from Ca. To Ak fast trip Sept.15,2020. I was glad to get out of Canada.Atmosphere has changed dramatically and so has entrance and passage requirement..They had checkpoints from B.C/Yukon to make sure you were adhering to requirements.People at checkpoint were very nice. They gave us a 24 hr requirement to get from last last mandatory quarantine reservation at White Horse to Ak.. No off road sightseeing or wandering. 1 million fine and a warrant. This is not a downer post. If you have a good reason ,they will let you through.Travel throughout Ak is still good. Rev dreams are over for me. I just got a great opportunity to see some of the most beautiful country though Canada and now detail areas of Ak. I have flown from Ca. To Ak also. Testing at the Anchorage airport mandatory. It’s a whole new atmosphere but good times can and must be had for everybody.Happy camping.
I did my research on the brand and dealers. Six years later I’m still a happy camper. I hooked with a mom pop dealer and Tiffin. Even tho I’m way out of warranty both of them still provide excellent customer service and when I’m ready to write a check for repairs I’ve been told nothing owing this time. They felt it was there responsibility based on the situation. I feel for the guy and his family because that should never happen to anyone. So sad!
I’m glad I watched this since my husband and I have just started looking. We will avoid Camping world!!
We had similar experience with Camping World. We took our rv there for a simple repair. They had it 4 months and returned it with leaks around the slide, broken leveling jacks and a broken awning. Horrible company.
La Mesa RV is a great family owned dealer that has a few locations across the country and a great service department. We got a 30 ft Entegra in June, first RV... can’t say enough good things about La Mesa RV and also Entegra’s 3 year warranty and responsiveness in approving the handful of mostly minor issues that have come up.
Dont deal with camping world in sioux falls!! They are horrible.
IT DONT MATTER WHERE YOUR AT ,STAY AWAY FROM CAMPING WORLD.THEY ARE CROOKS
after my first rv ,i got rid of it and stopped camping altogether! thats how much it cost me, this was early 90s, good luck on finding a good rv!
After doing a lot of research, I'm going to rent an RV. I don't need to own it, I have no place to store it. I won't be full-timing, just for occasional get-aways. Retired and don't need those headaches.
After listening to some of these stories I think I'd start by asking dealership that I was seriously looking to buy from if I could 1st rent the vehicle for a month?