Posted 2006-03-14 1:17 PM (#38806) Subject: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Ohio
I was reading the post regarding the trails west warranty and started wondering which trailer manufacturer has the most outstanding warranty service in everyones eyes.
A few years back I would have said 4Star, but these days I'd have to go with Sundowner. Any opinions?
Posted 2006-03-14 1:38 PM (#38809 - in reply to #38806) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
That's a tough one. From what I've seen, the warranty is no better that the dealer of vender you purchased it from. Talk to people in your area to see if they have had warranty issues. Were they taken care of in a timely manor? Or, left hanging with no help, getting that run around type deal til you threaten to blast them.
Posted 2006-03-14 2:48 PM (#38811 - in reply to #38806) Subject: It is interesting how little warranty info is on the web . . .
Veteran
Posts: 190 Location: Texas
Your question is a thought provoking one.
I got online and started looking . . there is little available from many of the manufacturer websites regarding warranties.
I sort of expected that there would be a specific link on most sites to warranty information but I only found a couple that made it that easy . . .
EDIT: I just re-read your question. It was about the warranty SERVICE not the warranty. My apologies. I have no knowledge of warranty service because I have not needed any. Maybe that is the best kind! Good luck in your quest for info.
Posted 2006-03-14 3:27 PM (#38813 - in reply to #38806) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
I would say that all of the manufacturers want you to be happy with your purchase, I sell equipment for a large manufacturer and I know they want the customer to be happy, BUT they also don't want to give the farm away with the local dealer milking them for alot of guess work. We are held to a very high standard as far as what the manufacturer will reimburse us, time they pay based on book hours, and parts we have to keep for 6 months just in case they want to see them. So I say if your local dealer is reputable and will go to bat for you, then all of them probley have a good warranty, if you have a sorry dealer you'll have sorry warranty problems.
Posted 2006-03-14 5:18 PM (#38820 - in reply to #38811) Subject: RE: It is interesting how little warranty info is on the web . . .
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Denton, TX
I agree with Retento, the warranty is only as good as the dealer that sells you the product. Sometimes the excitement of buying something very cheap from a dealership, turns to misery when you need service.
Posted 2006-03-14 5:30 PM (#38821 - in reply to #38806) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
I would hope you are not saying that because I get a good price on a trailer that means I won't get good warranty from that dealer, That's not the way my company works anyhow, I sometimes eat a warranty job to give great service so the customer comes back to me on the paying jobs. That's customer service, a long lost way of being a great company.
Posted 2006-03-14 6:58 PM (#38828 - in reply to #38821) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Denton, TX
There is a difference between getting a good price and buying the cheapest you can find. I agree, customer service is the only way a dealership survives in the long run. I too, absorb the cost of a lot of repairs even if it is the customers fault if the trailer was purchased from me. We do take very good care of our customers but if a dealership sells at a very, very small profit margin, there is no money to provide the service that a customer deserves. Most of these dealers only want to sell a customer one trailer, we want to sell them all of their trailers.
Posted 2006-03-15 8:25 AM (#38862 - in reply to #38806) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Member
Posts: 19
Location: Louisiana
road dog has it right. the warranty is only as good as your dealer. your dealer can get a lot done for you on warranty from the manufacturer. the dealer has to make a profit in order to stay in business & give you the service you deserve. these dealers that will sell you one too cheap are either long distant or don't have the knowledge, ability or desire to give you good service. the dealer is the key to good service, every time.
Posted 2006-03-16 4:38 PM (#38919 - in reply to #38806) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Veteran
Posts: 122 Location: Grant Twp., MI
I would still have to say 4-Star - last September we called them after we purchased a used 1998 LQ trailer - off this site, actually! and told them about an area on the nose we weren't happy with - they said bring it on down and we will be happy to take care of it for you! Of course, we had to haul from Michigan to Oklahoma City and stay a few days - while we were there we had the W.E.R.M floor poured into the entire rear and mid-tack areas of the trailer! We got to see a lot of beautiful country! They took off the skin on nose and sides - re-inforced it to provide more strength and re-covered it with stainless (our choice to upgrade) They were WONDERFUL and said they would fix a 4-Star trailer - no matter which owner you were and no matter how old it was!!!!! This is our second 4-Star and I honestly think we will continue to buy them as needed!
Posted 2006-03-16 5:55 PM (#38926 - in reply to #38919) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Denton, TX
How do you know that Elite, C&C,Cimmarron, Platinum Coach or Bloomer would have not done that also? There are a lot of good trailer manufacturers out there and I would have to agree that 4Star is among them.
Posted 2006-03-17 3:57 AM (#38940 - in reply to #38806) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
I think Judy K was just stating what I have said, All the manufacturers will take care of the end user. Think about how many 4 Star dealers she drove past to go from Mi. to OK. She drove within rock throwing distance of the dealer I bought my 4 Star from. I don't think she said anything about the brands Road Dog is plugging.
Posted 2006-03-17 10:36 AM (#38965 - in reply to #38926) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Veteran
Posts: 122 Location: Grant Twp., MI
I guess I have to clarify my point....we bought the trailer USED and it needed structural repairs....we did contact a dealer in Michigan - who said it needed to go to the factory for that type of repair that we thought it needed.....of course they are built in Oklahoma City - that is why we went there - nothing to do with a particular dealer. When we first contacted 4-Star they were extremely helpful and even offered to help us with places to stay and site-seeing...we even stayed the first night parked in their lot as we arrived late at night-they left the gate unlocked for us and when we pulled in we locked it behind ourselves! That's Service with a capital S!!! The next morning they greeted us with coffee and donuts and smiles!
Posted 2006-03-20 7:03 AM (#39092 - in reply to #38965) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Member
Posts: 25 Location: Ohio
Originally written by Judy K on 2006-03-17 10:36 AM
I guess I have to clarify my point....we bought the trailer USED and it needed structural repairs....we did contact a dealer in Michigan - who said it needed to go to the factory for that type of repair that we thought it needed.....of course they are built in Oklahoma City - that is why we went there - nothing to do with a particular dealer. When we first contacted 4-Star they were extremely helpful and even offered to help us with places to stay and site-seeing...we even stayed the first night parked in their lot as we arrived late at night-they left the gate unlocked for us and when we pulled in we locked it behind ourselves! That's Service with a capital S!!! The next morning they greeted us with coffee and donuts and smiles!
Now that's what I'm talking about.
Someone mentioned Jamco and a 20 year warranty. Really? I've always heard Sundowners 5 year bumper to bumper was top. How could they warranty something for 20 years?
Posted 2006-03-20 11:19 AM (#39117 - in reply to #39092) Subject: RE: Who has the best trailer warranty?
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
Now that's what I'm talking about.
Someone mentioned Jamco and a 20 year warranty. Really? I've always heard Sundowners 5 year bumper to bumper was top. How could they warranty something for 20 years?
Because Jamco truely builds one of the premier trailers in the industry. I would suspect they don't get enough claims to stop the 20 yr. warranty.
5 yrs. from Sundowner is not all that great, Kiefer has an 8 yr. structural and 3 years on the roof.
As has been said above none of this means anything if the local dealer will not preform the warranty services.
Who has the best trailer warranty?
