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Old 07-22-2014, 01:41 AM   #1
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Location: horseheads
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New York
Unhappy new camper, new headaches, please help

I am new to the ownership of travel trailers, my wife and I chose a 2014 19' coleman unltra lite for our first home. At first we loved it, the great out doors, the relaxing, the enjoyment of travel, but our enjoyment would soon fall. We have had our camper two months, at present we have turned in 8 warranty claims against faulty construction and failing parts. I am not bashing Dutchmen, please know this. I am just frustrated and looking for advice. Since ownership we have found a broken 1)hand rail, 2)cracked frige maintenance door frame, 3)two of the stabilizer jacks broke, 4)the lock fell out of the outdoor kitchen door, 5)there was a massive rain leak at the front storage door, 6)the weather seal under the slide out is missing(we were surprised the first time we got caught driving in the rain), 7)the screen door catch on the main entrance door pulled out, 8) the water pump will not prime 9) the air conditioner shook the camper. So far getting these things fixed has been a major fight, currently we are struggling to get the slide out seal fixed. It appears that it is going to take a while, in the mean time we have trips already planned and it all depends on having the camper. My first impression of Dutchmen is not a good one. We bought the TT at Camper World, they have been ok, but are slow when it comes to completing warranty claims. Dutchmen is very slow at getting the parts to Camper World, we are still waiting on the new storage door, the fridge door frame, and getting the slide out fixed. I have contacted our regional coleman rep and the customer relations department, but there is still a lack of expedience on their part. Ready to give up! any sound advice is appretiated!
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Old 07-22-2014, 02:33 AM   #2
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Sorry to hear about these problems, especially on your first camper. None are perfect, and as you know, some are FAR from perfect! Here's what I do: I try to stop-gap items with a local fix without damaging the original. Get the dealer to document your problems, but to work them in bunches, as the parts come in. If you wait one-on-one for each part to come in and get installed, you'll run the whole summer without a camper! Because of the distance between us and the dealer, I'll admit I did some fixes myself (using parts from Amazon) rather than drive to the dealer and wait on the warranty work. Air Conditioner? Sure, that's warranty. Leaky $12 faucet? I did that myself. Fix some yourself, patch some for deferred warranty work, and take the big stuff to the dealer. Good luck, see you on the road!
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Old 07-22-2014, 03:11 AM   #3
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I am sorry about all of your issues. It is frustrating.

We have had only one problem with our Dutchmen Kodiak and that is we continued pop circuits no matter where we plugged in. Camping World employees in the service department treated us very badly and acted like we were idiots. I called Dutchmen and they recommended Affordable RV in Auburn CA.

We took the trailer there and they found the problem. The fridge was wired to the same GFI as the rest of the trailer. So, because the trailer is under warranty (extended) it is being worked on as I type this. They are going to wire the fridge to it's own GFI in the convertor.

We have had no leaks, cracks or any other problems. Electrical problems are a possible fire hazard and I explained that to Dutchmen. Our little Kodiak should be back on the road in a week.

Perhaps you should look or another repair service. I would never go near another Camping World store.
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Old 07-22-2014, 04:34 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mictin2 View Post
I am new to the ownership of travel trailers, my wife and I chose a 2014 19' coleman unltra lite for our first home. At first we loved it, the great out doors, the relaxing, the enjoyment of travel, but our enjoyment would soon fall. We have had our camper two months, at present we have turned in 8 warranty claims against faulty construction and failing parts. I am not bashing Dutchmen, please know this. I am just frustrated and looking for advice. Since ownership we have found a broken 1)hand rail, 2)cracked frige maintenance door frame, 3)two of the stabilizer jacks broke, 4)the lock fell out of the outdoor kitchen door, 5)there was a massive rain leak at the front storage door, 6)the weather seal under the slide out is missing(we were surprised the first time we got caught driving in the rain), 7)the screen door catch on the main entrance door pulled out, 8) the water pump will not prime 9) the air conditioner shook the camper. So far getting these things fixed has been a major fight, currently we are struggling to get the slide out seal fixed. It appears that it is going to take a while, in the mean time we have trips already planned and it all depends on having the camper. My first impression of Dutchmen is not a good one. We bought the TT at Camper World, they have been ok, but are slow when it comes to completing warranty claims. Dutchmen is very slow at getting the parts to Camper World, we are still waiting on the new storage door, the fridge door frame, and getting the slide out fixed. I have contacted our regional coleman rep and the customer relations department, but there is still a lack of expedience on their part. Ready to give up! any sound advice is appretiated!
I agree with MartyG. I too have quite a list but it won't be in the shop for another month. Was thinking of taking it in right away but knew that my summer would then be shot in spending any time in the new rig. So I had to make a list of all the issues the broke them down to what I could probably do. But on my list there wasn't much that would keep me from camping other then the leak in the roof (in which I found and the dealer gave me some sealant to do the quick repair) and the leaking water pump. (I pulled the pump and the dealer gave me another pump the ShurFlo which was an upgrade from what was original. Takled the poor AC flow issue and fixed some trim. Leaving the rest for the dealer to handle. So I would try to do some temporary fixes on the things that are keeping you from camping if you can. Then let CW deal with the perminant fixes and all the other ones as well. If you are willing to do some of the work, they might just give you the parts to do it, it's a lot cheaper to do it that way (for dutchman) but at least you can get it done and know its done right.
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Old 07-22-2014, 01:07 PM   #5
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We bought a Coleman from Camping World of Bath, NY and we just love it! When we got it home we noticed that the kitchen slide had leaked and warp the trim, called the service department,got it right in, they fixed the leak, and ordered the new trim. We had a few camping trips planned so we said the trim could wait until after camping season. We have a few little things that need to be fixed but nothing major.
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Old 07-22-2014, 01:29 PM   #6
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I can't really be of much help other than to recommend that you generate a complete list and prioritize. Things that aren't causing leaks or malfunctioning equipment that affects camping can wait.

Unfortunately warranties are a double edged sword. They are only as good as the company and the dealer(s) that stand behind them. Also unfortunately both can be hard to find.

My bride insisted on the extended warranty (not my choice). I can build an RV from scratch if necessary (been there done that). I take care of the bulk of any issues and document them.

Fortunately I have been lucky so far and the only major issue with the A/C draining has been corrected. The slide seat on the dinette is about 3/4" out of square and doesn't slide like it is supposed to. I am in the process of taking that completely apart, rebuilding it and reinstalling it. I am also adding some additional wood to strengthen it. To me not worth taking in for "warranty" work, because they would probably screw it up worse.


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Old 07-22-2014, 08:02 PM   #7
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As others have said on here, to own one of these it helps to have a bit of mechanical knowledge and the ability to dive in and fix the little things yourself. We had our 2014 Kodiak for about 2 months when the black tank developed a crack near the "Full" sensor. I discovered this while at the dump station filling up the tank with water to flush it. Imagine my surprise when water started pouring out of the underbelly!!!
Anyway, I peeled back the underbelly cover, found the crack, took a picture and called the dealer. They said great we'll get it on the way but we can not fit you in for 2 MONTHS! I had them order the part and in the mean time put a bead of silicon over the crack and never went past 3/4 full. It was a bit inconvenient but at least it didn't ruin our summer of fun.
IMO, if your backed up for 2 months you need to hire more mechanics........
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Old 07-22-2014, 11:14 PM   #8
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to all of you who replied, thank you, you are truly quality people. From what I am reading in your replies, and I agree, the important thing is getting the camping accomplished. I am currently getting ready for a trip this weekend, hopefully it doesn't rain too much when we are traveling, Camper World in Bath NY is where I have been getting help. My parts are on order, and I have planned some down time in august to at least get the slide out seal repair completed. I do agree as well that it is to my benefit to do some repairs myself. I have found campers to be some of the best people I could ever meet. Maybe I'll see some of you on the road! Thanks again!
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Old 07-22-2014, 11:44 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by mictin2 View Post
to all of you who replied, thank you, you are truly quality people. From what I am reading in your replies, and I agree, the important thing is getting the camping accomplished. I am currently getting ready for a trip this weekend, hopefully it doesn't rain too much when we are traveling, Camper World in Bath NY is where I have been getting help. My parts are on order, and I have planned some down time in august to at least get the slide out seal repair completed. I do agree as well that it is to my benefit to do some repairs myself. I have found campers to be some of the best people I could ever meet. Maybe I'll see some of you on the road! Thanks again!
If you are in Horseheads there is a pretty good chance you might see me and not know it.

My corporate office is in Elmira (Evans Roofing Company) I work for the NC/VA divisions but get up that way several times a year. We are sort of planning a trip up that way next year with the trailer to do some sightseeing. I usually drive in and stay down at Apalachin or Owego.

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Old 07-22-2014, 11:55 PM   #10
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Aaron,
Yup, Horseheads is my home base! I am originally from the Ithaca area, some of my family is Owegoins! If you do make it up this way my wife and I know all the good sight seeing spots. Funny the people you meet in this sport!
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