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Old 07-23-2014, 03:04 PM   #1
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Fiberglass scratch on Brand new Kodiak

Hello, wondering if anyone here has had scratches on their fiberglass? When they do patch up & repaint does it look like new again? Especially on the border of the slide out, the metal part. We just purchased a brand new 2014 Kodiak 300bhsl, it is the show model & they scratched the kitchen slide out on a tree branch putting a gauge mark on the fiber glass & metal border. We were told that it will fix like new, but would hate to bring it home especially the paint guy is 3 weeks out. They said for us to enjoy the trailer then drop it off when the paint guy can work on ours. I would rather they fix it to my satisfaction before we take it home. I would hate to "drive it off the lot" then deal with it not being fixed later. Any thoughts?
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Old 07-23-2014, 04:55 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by HappyCampers View Post
Hello, wondering if anyone here has had scratches on their fiberglass? When they do patch up & repaint does it look like new again? Especially on the border of the slide out, the metal part. We just purchased a brand new 2014 Kodiak 300bhsl, it is the show model & they scratched the kitchen slide out on a tree branch putting a gauge mark on the fiber glass & metal border. We were told that it will fix like new, but would hate to bring it home especially the paint guy is 3 weeks out. They said for us to enjoy the trailer then drop it off when the paint guy can work on ours. I would rather they fix it to my satisfaction before we take it home. I would hate to "drive it off the lot" then deal with it not being fixed later. Any thoughts?
You will find a common theme on RV forums, where people take delivery of a TT, with known defects, that "will be fixed" at a future date. The purchaser then has to deal with the delays for what ever reason, no parts, waiting on warranty approval, can't fit you in for 3 months, etc, etc.

I would do one of two things, tell the dealer to give you a call when the camper is repaired to you satisfaction. This will motive the dealer to expedite the repairs so they can make room on their lot. Or get it in writing, the defects spelled out and firm dates by which the repairs will be completed.

Yes fiberglass can be repaired as good as new and the paint can be matched so only you will know it was damaged.
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Old 07-23-2014, 07:34 PM   #3
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Thank you hddecker. I'm glad to hear that it can be fixed & look like it was never there in the first place. I have everything in writing from the dealer. Its also in the due bill. Hopefully thats good enough, if not they will be dealing with a very nice, not very happy customer ��
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Old 07-24-2014, 01:22 PM   #4
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DO NOT TAKE IT OFF THE LOT - until all repairs have been made......and DO NOT PAY FOR IT until you take it off the lot.

I've gone thru 2 years of hell getting our TH fixed under warranty....yes I said 2 years!

Whenever we brought it back it would just sit for weeks and never get worked on!
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Old 07-24-2014, 01:46 PM   #5
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Sad things work out this way. A lot of customer satisfaction comes from the dealer. I was very happy with the dealership here in Nashville. We had a clear understanding before I signed on the dotted line in front of witnesses. My PDI lasted 2 days! Aferwards it remained in their shop for 2 weeks same tech worked on it everyday 8 plus hours a day until all issues were addressed.

I even had the luxury of coming in every day to inspect corrected areas. I was happy with the results and they went over and beyond my expectations. Yes, I've have a few minor things since then... but fixed myself. As long as you own any type of RV there's going to be issues, that I promise. But have a dealer you can rely on after the sale is rare.

Stay after them.... as for me, I highly recommend Cullum and Maxey here in Nashville. Good thing too... their a 30 minute ride if I need to go there.
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Old 07-24-2014, 05:24 PM   #6
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I would also say "don't take it, or pay for it until it is fixed". That is what motivated my dealer to get mine fixed after the PDI from 3-4 days, to 5 hours. With that said, I would now be willing to make the deal with my dealer, as they have earned my trust as a good business to work with. I would still stay vigilant about keeping in contact with them.
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Old 07-24-2014, 07:32 PM   #7
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Thank you everyone for all the great advices. It's too bad to hear about some nightmare dealings with RV dealers. That's just too bad. Hopefully LA Mesa RV in Davis. CA will be a good one. They are about 2 hours from us so hopefully we wouldn't have to go there too often. They would not be happy with a very nice disgruntled customer, ive been told in the past that its unnerving to speak with a very calm person knowing they're really ticked off. Here's to hoping for the best as always! Again thank your for the sound advices.
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Old 07-25-2014, 11:03 PM   #8
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Happy Campers:

When we picked up our Kodiak from the RV repair shop, I told the owner that I was really interested in purchasing the Dutchmen Infinity. She said, you do know that Dutchmen was sold to Keystone and while they don't build as good an RV as Dutchmen did, their warranty department is very good.

Is your rig a Dutchmen or a Keystone? Ours is a 2011 Kodiak so we know ours is a Dutchmen. Were you informed about who manufactured your rig?
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Old 07-26-2014, 12:06 AM   #9
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Ours is a Dutchmen. There was a Dutchmen rep there also during the RV show when we bought the TT. I didn't know they got bought out by Keystone. We called our dealer and told them we will not do the walk through until all items in the due bill is done or drive the TT out of their lot. Better safe than sorry. Also, our payments will not be due until 45 days out of the day we take possession of the Trailer which means they cannot take the TT off their inventory & they don't get paid. It seems that's putting a fire under the dealer. When I spoke to them this morning, they changed their tune from "painter being 3 weeks out" to" I'll see what I can do to expedite this"... Huh I guess patience is a virtue in this case. Although we're very antsy to get the trailer!
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Old 07-26-2014, 12:38 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by HappyCampers View Post
Ours is a Dutchmen. There was a Dutchmen rep there also during the RV show when we bought the TT. I didn't know they got bought out by Keystone. We called our dealer and told them we will not do the walk through until all items in the due bill is done or drive the TT out of their lot. Better safe than sorry. Also, our payments will not be due until 45 days out of the day we take possession of the Trailer which means they cannot take the TT off their inventory & they don't get paid. It seems that's putting a fire under the dealer. When I spoke to them this morning, they changed their tune from "painter being 3 weeks out" to" I'll see what I can do to expedite this"... Huh I guess patience is a virtue in this case. Although we're very antsy to get the trailer!
Amazing how the story changes when you hold their feet to the fire.

Score another one for the good guys.
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Old 07-26-2014, 12:55 AM   #11
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It appears that you have the same decals that we have on our Kodiak. When we purchased ours, the salesman said to keep those decals waxed otherwise they will crack and peel. So, I use Mothers Wax on them and they look as good now as they did when the Kodiak was new (2011).

Of course when we aren't using the rig we cover her up. It stays really clean. Just because we live in California doesn't mean we don't get weather. It is nice having the TT right next to our house. The people who owned the house before us had put in a concrete pad and fully fenced around the RV area. We cannot see the TT from our backyard. There is a fence there too and a gate. I am so happy we can load and unload at our leisure rather than pulling it home, loading and then unloading and taking it back to storage. That is a hassle.
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Old 07-26-2014, 01:41 AM   #12
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Right? I don't know if it's under staffing or they're trying to get way with cutting corners, it's sad when one has to use tactics like these just to get things done. We'll the balls in their corner now. We'll see how bad they want the $$$. ;-) thanks hddecker.
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Old 07-26-2014, 01:46 AM   #13
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Thank you bird lady for that info. We're still planning on getting a gelcoat, a bit expensive but may be worth the price to keep the fiberglass looking shiny n new. I take care of the cars & trucks here at home, it's my stress realease...cleaning.... hehe. So I'll probably wash n wax the trailer too when not in use for a while. We're planning on buying a cover too. There's so many out there I don't know which to pick. Any suggestions on tt covers? Thanks again for the information regarding Mothers milk.
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Old 07-26-2014, 01:47 AM   #14
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***correction*** Mother's Wax. BTW where can I buy this product?
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Old 07-26-2014, 02:35 AM   #15
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Mothers Wax

We purchase Mothers Wax products at O'Reillys/Napa Automotive. I think Wal Mart carries it as well.

We purchased our cover from Adeco. My husband found it on the internet. It fits our TT like a glove. They ask for you length and number of doors. We gave them the name and number on the TT.

I was reading reviews concerning the Montana Keystone fifth wheel and the majority of them had real problems with their decals cracking and peeling off. Supposedly they are made by Burlington Graphics in Wisconsin. I don't know who manufactured ours but so far they are still looking new.

One more thing that I found that works so fantastic in our TT. The Air Conditioning unit inside has a foam filter. I wash it every time we use the air conditioner. I spray it with Mr. Clean (purple one with febreeze) and let it air dry. The TT smells so clean and fresh. If you check the filter each time you use it, you might notice how dirty it gets.
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Old 07-26-2014, 02:47 AM   #16
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Thank you bird lady for that info. We're still planning on getting a gelcoat, a bit expensive but may be worth the price to keep the fiberglass looking shiny n new. I take care of the cars & trucks here at home, it's my stress realease...cleaning.... hehe. So I'll probably wash n wax the trailer too when not in use for a while. We're planning on buying a cover too. There's so many out there I don't know which to pick. Any suggestions on tt covers? Thanks again for the information regarding Mothers milk.
If you have fireglass, you already have a gel coat, thats what gives you the nice smooth finish.

All you need to do to keep gel coat looking glossy, is keep putting "sunscreen" on it after you wash it. It's when the UV gets to it and the gel coat isn't protected that you get that dull look to it.

If you wanted to put something over the fiberglass to protect it, that would be paint, which could be in the form of a "clear coat".
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Old 07-26-2014, 07:25 AM   #17
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Thanks hddecker, you mean like sunscreen I use on my own skin? Huh I guess that would make sense because of the UV protectant, I would never have thought to use on fiberglass. Can I skip waxing altogether then if I do this? Also the dealership has an option about a protective coat on the fiberglass, it's expensive though around $1500-$1600 is it worth it?
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Old 07-26-2014, 07:29 AM   #18
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We purchase Mothers Wax products at O'Reillys/Napa Automotive. I think Wal Mart carries it as well.

We purchased our cover from Adeco. My husband found it on the internet. It fits our TT like a glove. They ask for you length and number of doors. We gave them the name and number on the TT.

I was reading reviews concerning the Montana Keystone fifth wheel and the majority of them had real problems with their decals cracking and peeling off. Supposedly they are made by Burlington Graphics in Wisconsin. I don't know who manufactured ours but so far they are still looking new.

One more thing that I found that works so fantastic in our TT. The Air Conditioning unit inside has a foam filter. I wash it every time we use the air conditioner. I spray it with Mr. Clean (purple one with febreeze) and let it air dry. The TT smells so clean and fresh. If you check the filter each time you use it, you might notice how dirty it gets.
Thank u birdlady, I'll check it out. Thanks for the filter/ Mr clean stuff too. I didn't even think about that.
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Old 07-26-2014, 05:53 PM   #19
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Thanks hddecker, you mean like sunscreen I use on my own skin? Huh I guess that would make sense because of the UV protectant, I would never have thought to use on fiberglass. Can I skip waxing altogether then if I do this? Also the dealership has an option about a protective coat on the fiberglass, it's expensive though around $1500-$1600 is it worth it?
Sorry, I had my tongue firmly planted in my cheek when I said "sunscreen", not the people kind of stuff, but an Automotive Product that is suited for Fiberglass and has UV blocking properties.

Is the dealerships $15-1600 treatment worth it, in my opinion no. Just like the auto industry, the dealer farms this kind of thing out to a detailing company, then doubles the price that they charge you.

Example a dealer wanted $1000+ To do a Propac one my Thunderbird back in the late 80s.
Undercoating, $75, paint protectant (read fancy name for one of the high quality synthetic waxes) needs to be redone on a regular basis, just not as often as a regular wax - $100.

So the stealership makes a nice tidy profit for work that they don't even do.

If you don't want to take on the job of applying a protectant then shop around the detailing shops and save some of your hard earned money.

Speaking of which, I have to get out and wash the roof and check the seams.
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Old 07-26-2014, 07:05 PM   #20
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Sorry, I had my tongue firmly planted in my cheek when I said "sunscreen", not the people kind of stuff, but an Automotive Product that is suited for Fiberglass and has UV blocking properties.

Is the dealerships $15-1600 treatment worth it, in my opinion no. Just like the auto industry, the dealer farms this kind of thing out to a detailing company, then doubles the price that they charge you.

Example a dealer wanted $1000+ To do a Propac one my Thunderbird back in the late 80s.
Undercoating, $75, paint protectant (read fancy name for one of the high quality synthetic waxes) needs to be redone on a regular basis, just not as often as a regular wax - $100.

So the stealership makes a nice tidy profit for work that they don't even do.

If you don't want to take on the job of applying a protectant then shop around the detailing shops and save some of your hard earned money.

Speaking of which, I have to get out and wash the roof and check the seams.


Lol whew! Can u imagine me slathering sunblock on my RV? I actually started looking up the highest UV lotions! Lol if that doesn't give me away that I don't know jack about RV stuff I don't know what will, hey I'm learning right?. Thanks for clearing that up, I bet I gave u a good chuckle huh? Hehehe. Yes, "stealership" is a good description, it's pretty much highway robbery. I'm glad there's folks like u guys in here to steer us newbies the right direction. Thanks again! Enjoy washing & maybe putting "sunscreen" ;-) on your RV!
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