There are a lot of things that need to be done to the RV before we hit the road next month. I’d like to have new slideout toppers installed, the tension on the awning adjusted,the underbelly cover tightened up, and a valve on the fresh water holding tank fixed. We also need to give the RV a good wash/wax, and someone needs to get up on the roof and check all the seals, make sure there is no damage. Plus, the crank for our TV antenna has to be replaced. All that stuff I’m going to have someone else do or at least have others help with.
But there are some things we can take care of on our own. I’ve been ordering replacements for parts that have worn out over the past year. I had to get a new lens cover for the porch light, bulbs for the vanity fixture in the bathroom, a new vent shade in the bedroom, and all sorts of things for the screen door — push bars, a kick plate, spring closer, and a special gizmo that will allow me to latch and unlatch the door without actually opening the slide (keeps the bugs out). I ordered most of these parts online last week, and I came home to find that the USPS had delivered 8 packages! I do love getting packages 
What can I say? I geek out a little on RV gadgets!
In other news, we recently got a call from the local RV dealer who damaged our RV and ripped us off by pawning off our own used parts on us when replacing our awning last year. Apparently, their conscience got the better of them and they decided to try to make it good, claiming they wanted to set up an appointment to come out and fix the holes in the RV. That’s a start, I reckon. Nevermind that even if they manage to get that done, we still will be stuck with only half a new awning and out the money it took to diagnose and repair the electrical short that was caused by them drilling unnecessary holes in the side of my camper.
For a couple of weeks, I’ve been playing phone tag with one of the owners of the dealership. In this last voicemail the woman from the dealership claimed she’d tried to call us four times (wrong–we’ve only had two calls, and I’ve returned both of them). She also sounded irritated, going on about how the company has thirty years’ experience. What that has to do with anything, I don’t know. You’d think a company with such longevity would know that it’s best to do a job right the first time rather than to have to come back and fix it over and over, alienating customers in the process.
Whenever I return the woman’s calls, she’s conveniently gone for the day. This weekend, I called less than an hour after she left a voicemail, and, yep, again, gone for the day. Instead of her, I talked to one of the employees, and he said he’ll be coming on the 22nd to fix the holes. Whether he will or not remains to be seen. The company has not demonstrated much follow-through to date. Not holding my breath that they’ll start now. They’ve lost both our trust and our business, and if anyone asks me what I think of them, I’ll be happy to recount the tale of the Great Awning Caper.
Tags: dealerships, repairs, rv
