"New 2016" Coachmen Galleria Purchased...Problems!

[Ducks]

We purchased our 1st RV...a "new 2016" Coachmen Galleria the 3rd wk of July and took delivery Aug.5. We had done several walk throughs before the purchase and on the 5th our dealer's serv. dept. did a final walk through showing us how systems operated and answered questions. Several items were still missing (TV, bed baffles, table leg, etc.) for the Galleria, but we were assured they were on order and then finally were told so many items were missing because they had been taken off to replace things stolen on the same model in for service to get the people back on the road. On our 1st visit the sales department said items were removed because the unit had been on display at the country fair...we know it was at the fair, but still a discrepancy in the story. Since this is a "new 2016" we did not have a survery done...that should not have been necessary. When we arrived home (2hr dr from dealer) my excitement quickly turned to tears. I was putting dishes in the galley cabinets and in the process I stuck my head inside the cabinet. There was obvious water damage at the top...discolored and delaminated wood with a couple of areas that the wood appeared rotted away. Inspecting other cabinets I discovered water stains and some damage inside each upper galley cabinet and also the upper cabinets in the berth area. Feeling the ceiling I discovered that near the sliding door it was firm and closer to the galley cabinets it was squishy. The dealership states over and over that no one (in sales) was aware of the damages...geez, it was the vehicle they took to the county fair to advertise their dealership. Gen'l Manager of dealerships (2) and also head of parts and service have been very nice and assure us this is all fixable and of course, at their cost. Now we see that on the roof someone in service applied huge amounts of caulking during their 30 point delivery check...possibly even before...someone knew about the leaks. The serv. manager did say that (unknown to him) new wood cabinet interiors had been ordered during the inspection before we picked the unit up...still no one told us about the leak. As nice as everyone is being I am still upset and sick about this...we paid in cash. They say no one knew about the water damages so there was nothing to disclose before we signed to purchase. In the state of WA there isn't much written about consumer rights with RV/Motorhome purchases. Would we have purchased a new, but leaking RV...absolutely not!! Cabinets and ceiling liner will be removed, interior damages will be exposed and we'll drive to see the extent. We're concerned about possible mold/mildew and rust. The dealership assures us everything will be taken care of. Again, the people we have dealt with all seem concerned and sorry this happened to us. I am tring to remain somewhat calm and be nice dealing with this, but I am near my limit. When we mentioned the globs of caulking on the roof we were told that just about every RV on the road has a roof with caulking globs around every penetration that looks just like ours...I'm not so sure! When are we going to start enjoying our RV?? Thanks for your input, ideas,and suggestions!

 

[BBQ-ClassB]

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Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

:-(

Every buyer should take a lesson from WingedRyno.
http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f46/new-to-rvs-and-hopeful-warp-core-roadtrekkers-6511-15.html
He stood firm and refused to sign on the dotted line until the deficiencies were rectified. He rented a hotel room and waited while the dealer fix the problems. The dealer ended up paying for the hotel and car rental.
We all know what happens when they got your money... you are just another customer in the service queue.

Coachman and the dealer need to step forward and do the right thing!

 

[booster]

How do you know RV dealers are lying? Their lips are moving. Not funny, especially in this case, but unfortunately too often true.

I would bail on the deal if at all possible. Tell them that if they don't take it back for full refund of ALL costs you have incurred, you will sell it and sue them for the difference, plus they will still have to fix it for the new owner as you will tell them all the issues.

There is truly no reason for stuff like this to happen, ever. They should have told you of the damage and offered to fix it and give a very large discount, but chose to lie about, which says just about all you need to know in deciding whether to trust them from here on.

 

[Phoebe3]

You need an attorney. Don't wait or your window of opportunity may be lost. I agree that the dealership should take it back. You can tell them you will buy it once the repairs are done, but not before.

You can probably do an internet search of the court records in the county the dealership resides in to find out if they have been sued before. If the plaintiff was successful, you can contact their lawyer.

I don't know what the WA laws are, but a good attorney will know what plea to make (misrepresentation, perhaps). Under common law (which may not apply in WA), a merchant is held to a higher standard of honesty than an individual. They knew (or should have known) there was a leak.

Unfortunately, RVs are often sold as-is and subject to the buyer's inspection. A good attorney can tell you whether you have a case. It won't be free, but RVs are expensive and the consultation money will be well spent. Sometimes a merchant will make good once they get a legal letter and you won't have to do anything more.

Good luck - I hope it all works out to your satisfaction.

 

[Ducks]

If this was a used RV we would have little recourse. Of course used, we would have had a survery done and would not be in this situation. Since it's "new" we seem to be in a limbo category of rights. I did check reviews/complaints on the dealership before we went and signed on the dotted line. They have a good reputation in both sales and service. We are waiting for a call to go in next week to view any damages that weren't visible when we found the water damage. I know that rust neveer sleeps.

In our favor is that we made our purchase at a 2nd "new" location. We've been in communication with the gen'l manager and the head of parts and service. They are both over the 2 dealership locations. They are also in the midst of opening an RV supply store there. I don't "think" they will want to do anything to bring on the wrath that I am capable of to their newest location. The RV community in this area is a pretty tight knit group and word spreads quickly!!

My husband did state to the parts and service manager that he is angry about the situation that we are now in and would be happiest getting our money back and walking away. The service manager asked that we wait to see the extent of damages before taking that next step. I have seriously considered lawyering up, but I am hopeful it won't be necessary. Maybe we're just too nice!!

Does this happen to others with new RVs??!!

 

[BBQ-ClassB]

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I would take the money and run.

I never like cars that have been sitting on the lot for too long.
Especially RVs. eg. the battery gets drained, they would charge it up before inspection and pretend that everything is ok. But once the battery is drained, it will not hold charges anymore.

 

[Phoebe3]

Do you have anything in writing from the dealer that acknowledges that there was hidden damage when you took possession of the Galleria? If you purchased the third week in July, you are coming up on a 30-day window. If you are forced into a legal situation, telling a judge what the dealer said will not hold up if the dealer denies it. Asking you to "wait until the full extent is known" benefits the dealer more than you.

That said, there are certainly good dealers out there and things may yet work out even if you don't take formal steps.

 

[booster]

I have found that using the lawsuit card or having an attorney waiting can actually be counter productive if done early on, and make it less likely to be resolved than showing all good cooperation and an open mind until they actually refuse to give you want you reasonably want. That way if it does go to court you will have everything in line to show how reasonable you were and how unreasonable they were, and the dealer will know that when you ask, in writing, for their refusal in writing, that you are getting ready to go to the lawyer, without you ever actually threatening it. If they don't change attitude at that point, you are in a very good legal position, and just tell them calmly that you are off to a lawyer and will get what you want plus all your other expenses. They can take that van back and still make money on it, so they should certainly cooperate before it gets to that point.

 

[E. Swenson]

The dealer who sold you this RV has violated the terms of the contract. See a lawyer, do it today. Get your money back and move on.

 

[Phoebe3]

I know it seems like contacting an attorney is going high-order, but really it's just about helping you to know your rights as well as the dealership knows your rights. You don't actually have to even tell the dealership that you have spoken with an attorney at all.

It's quite possible that the people you spoke with didn't know about the damage. Could be that whoever drove it to the show hit an overhanging tree and knocked something loose just enough to create an opening at a caulk joint and didn't realize the issues until they washed the van in preparation for your pickup. The work is likely to be done under warranty and if it gets dried out, the paint on the interior of the Sprinter is likely to have prevented any rust from forming in the short time it's been wet.

However, I have also read posts from people who were put off by the dealer until the warranty expired and then told the owner that they wouldn't perform the work even though they knew the issue occurred within the warranty period.

So it behooves you to have certain information in your back pocket. For example, it's possible that you must inform the dealer in writing within 30 days that you wish the option of a refund (you don't actually have to insist on a refund, but that would leave your options open). Or, suppose there are ten things wrong and the dealer offers to fix five of them. If you know the dealer is on the hook for all ten, you can insist on repairs. If it turns out that the contract you signed means they don't actually have to do anything at all, then feel grateful you can get five items fixed.

The $200 you will pay for a consultation is a small amount compared to the cost of the RV and once you know your options you can feel confident that you are making informed choices.