Mobile Suites 3 month experiences - April update

[TVA]

Just an update on our last 2 months of using our MS.
We have had very little problems.
Hopefully the bugs are out.
We stopped at the factory on our way home.
Our couch was replaced, the sagging lights in the entertainment center
were fixed, the trim seam on the nose cap was caulked and new epoxy on counter top to hold it to the island. Our trip to the factory this time was much more pleasant.


1000 miles to get new '09 MS
Dealer knew ahead of time what kind of pickup we were driving,
but didn't have the right equipment to put on the
5th wheel to make the brakes work.
Drove home with no camper brakes.
Door slide breaks on way home
Went to non DRV dealer to be fixed
Next break was off door slide which ripped the linoleum
300 m. to DRV dealer to have fixed
DRV dealer said we'd have to install new linoleum
Going home same slide broke again
Mice/shrews got in somewhere.
Drove 800 m. to Howe
Issues with paint peel on outer door
water leak in fridge
hydraulic leak on level up system
Told linoleum was incompatible with the glue
Better linoleum installed with dif. glue
Gear packs put in each time slide broke
Howe put heavier roller on off door slide
Got home to no electricity in island
Linoleum bubbling up under slide
Howe to contact us on what Lipperts found out
No one called
We called them
Told Lipperts would contact us
No reply from Lipperts
We received disconcerting 5:20 a.m. fax call from DRV
Researched before deciding MS was best choice
Disappointed in performance, service and customer service.
Used our MS only 7 weekends
Questioning our decision.
Update:
Talked to Lippert. They claim that 1 gear pak per unit is all they ever replace. They've never heard of 3 going out. So hopefully things will look up from now
Update: Left home for our trip south for the winter.
On the way down, the demand pump went out.
Callled DRV and they turned it over to Shur-flo.
After 5 days had to call DRV back, hadn't heard anything.
Shur-flo called and sent pump to our desitnation.
2 weeks without demand pump. Had freezing temps. all the way down.
Filled up jugs of water for use at night.
After coming home from Howe, had wiring issues in the island.
DRV had wired wrong after replacing island.
Husband fixed that issue.
Power Management System was also wired wrong.
We were told some units got out of the factory wrong, ours was one of them.
My husband rewired that.
Washing machine hose leaked into basement.
DRV sent new hose to our destination. They had problems with the original hose and sent a different one. My husband installed that.
12 inch ventilation fan in bathroom quit working. Waiting for Shur-flo to get back to us on that.
With all that being said, we went to the Orlando RV super show.
We only looked at a few other brands. I still like my Mobile Suites over most everything we saw.

[BobW]

Welcome to the club.

[Jack in Alaska]

I am sorry to hear of your troubles with your new MS. We do not belong to the "bad experience club" in dealing with DRV. They have been just great in handling any and all problems we have had with our 2004 MS. A trip to the factory in 2004 was unbelievable. They treated us with a very positive attitude and made warranty repairs and repairs of things I did wrong all for no charge. They have sent parts and pieces to me even after the warranty period was over at no charge. Shipping them to Alaska at no charge. In the several things I paid for the prices were extremely reasonable.

I am a believer in dealing with positive attitudes and a firm hand. I am sure that it will return to you in a positive fashion. Unless DRV has changed their basic business methods I would look inward to see if you are being fair and reasonable with them. Nothing is perfect out the door.

Enjoy your new MS. We surely do enjoy ours and it is getting old.

[Gillesm]

Like all other makes problems is link to lipert the frame are becoming lighter every years,why can they all do like Cariage and make their own ,so they can have a good products.I think that Lippert are becoming the Rvers problems for all the make they are furnishing the frames.

[dalehandsome]

We are about to order our first MS. After reading this, and other posts, we are becoming quite concerned. I have spent the past two weeks extensively reading posts, on this and others sites, and there appear to be a lot of people having lots of different problems with DRV units. What bothers me most are the occasional comments that you should expect to have some problems with new units. Even during our factory tour in September, our representative said that ‘there is no such thing as a perfect unit’. My question is, WHY NOT!! I expect any top of the line item that I purchase to perform perfectly. That is why I am willing to pay more for the best. Of course there are occasional problems; however, these should be the rare exception and not the norm or the expected. DRV should be getting the problems worked out of their units before delivery and not relying on the owners to find them.
We are also going to order from a dealer far away from where we live saving us several thousand dollars. We are doing so under the assumptions that any dealer would work on our unit if there were problems. I have read posts where DRV owners took their units to a dealer, to have warranty or other work done, only to be told that they, the dealer, only work on units that they sell. DRV should have a serious talk with these dealers!!!!

[wingnut60]

Perhaps the reason some dealers are several thousand higher than others is that they expect to spend some of the profit on PDI and after-sale warranty work?
Joe

[Gemstone]

Dale...you ask "‘there is no such thing as a perfect unit’. My question is, WHY NOT!!"

My understanding is that on top of an hourly wage, RV workers are compensated with a bonus plan of so many "units" of production. That is, they get paid a bonus if they keep up the production to a fixed number of units per day or per week. Quality will always take a back seat under this plan. Until production workers are compensated on a zero defect basis, rather than a certain number of units, we can expect to see quality issues....regardless of sticker price.

IMO, warranty reserve (dollars set aside by the manufacturer to cover anticipated, average repair issues) is built into the cost to the dealer, and is not borne by the dealer...therefore one should expect warranty work be performed at any qualified dealership. Additionally, one should also expect to be treated with somewhat of a lesser value to the warranty provider, if the original purchase and profit was taken by another dealer. From my experience (outside of the RV industry), warranty payments by the manufacturer to the dealer are historically slow, which may add to the reluctance of a dealer to perform warranty work on a unit he/she did not sell.

Most of us have had some sort of quality issue handled via warranty...some more than others. But I think most of us can say that regardless of how frustrating these quality issues are to the purchaser, this manufacturer stands behind their product.

Good Luck with your decision.

Gemstone

[2blackdogs]

Gemstone is right on with the production bonus.
Factory is fantastic taking care of problems but
should there be so many with the top of the line ?
It should be near perfect when it rolls out the door.
Bob

[hitchup]

DH is in construction. And we have yet to see a perfect house or building perfect in the 30+ years he's been doing this. Why would an RV be any different.

Some problems are simpler to fix than others. Our 2009 MS is better built than our 2006 ES was. But it's also the design changes that fixed some of the earlier issues.

As for the comment on Carriage. We took the Carriage factory tour first and then the DRV tour. No comparison on quality inside the walls, etc. That's why we chose an MS vs the overpriced Royal's model.

[terry and jo]

Jo and I have also looked at the Carriage units. Unfortunately, even though Carriage may build their own frame, that doesn't necessarily translate into a better frame. DRV's frame is 15" of triple-box construction while Carriage's is 12" of double-box construction. Also, the wall construction and materials used that I have been able to see in the Carriage units don't match up to DRV.

I have to agree that one cannot expect perfection. When I used to sell cars, one comment that was frequently made was that even Rolls Royce and Jaquar also had service departments. Meaning that they ALL have problems.

[GlennWest]

Quality? I wouldn't go that far. Kitchen slide seal is a very poor, cheap design. Like to camp in fishing areas, better sleep with "off". Can't kill all the mosquitoes getting in.

[Motor31]

Construction quality is one thing. DRV has other issues that are design issues like the notches in the single wiper seals and the use of single wiper seals period when more seals would do the job properly on the slides.

Quite a few of our problems had nothing to do with the frame construction but far more with the construction of what was placed on top of the frame. The numerous issues with stripped / broken screws on the roof and wall trim is a great example of that. Some of those problems I am STILL dealing with over 4 years down the road. Some were issues with items put in place by the factory like the fridge now, that are not their fault other than using the least quality appliances available. IMO dometic is not the top of the line.

This isn't expecting a "perfect unit" but more like expecting value for the $ spent. These things really do not cost the factory that much to put together yet they charge what you can buy a larger stick house for in many areas of the country.

[JAB]

We traded in our 2005 mobile suite in April 2009 for our new 38 ft rv
We are full timers and really loved our 2005 and thought an upgrade would be great. Well we have had it for 9 monthes and have had nothing but problems. We had our coach for 3 weeks when one of the clamps from the water line came lose and flooded our under belly.We had to cut the uder belly to get let the water escape and we had to remove all the insulation. The water line had been leaking for a while because the isultation was rusty. DRV sent people down to fix this problem .
Also with in the 1st 2 monthes we had to replace 2 fans in the bathroom and the lp tray. We replaced numerous screws in the slides, and the seal in the bay door. In October - We had to take our rv to a dealer to get the heat duct hose fixed because it had a hole in it from the black tank valve. Also had to have the refrigerator replaced along with a second thermostat installed in the bedroom so the second furnance would run independently,

Now in December DRV picked up our coach and gave us one to live in for a week while they repaired the list of 36 items that was wrong.
We got our coach back and the kitchen slide out still didn't seal - we have
rags stuffed in the end of the slide outs to stop the daylight from coming in
but we can't stop the draft. Our furnance still wasn't working correctly.
These 2 things were suppose to be fixed while they had our coach for a week.
DRV came down to install a new furnance, senor, and thermostat and it still doesn't run correctly. The guys that installed it also saw the daylight coming in from the slide outs.

Drv sent my husband an analog thermostat and told him how to hook it up to see if the would solve our problem of the furnace running, turnin off and the starting right back up. We now have to get in touch with a Dometic dealer so they can come and fix our furnance.

Also we have froze up 5 times - the water line and the grey tank valve
We have the Canadian package with the heat pads on the tanks and the heat tap on the valves. We live in Ohio the weather hasn't been that bad yet. We set our alarms every hour to run the pump so the water wouldn't freeze up. Drv doesn't understand why this is happeniing.

We feel for what we spent on this coach we received a lemon. I consider this a lot of problems for a high dollar coach. We expected a few small problems but nothing like this.

We have sent them other customers and we know of 1 that has purchased a coach. Hopefully they won't have the problems we have had.

Drv is working with us but - no one should have to experience this amount of stress. Our new home is nothing but a hassle - we come home every night and wonder what else is going to go wrong.

Has anyone experienced this many problems - and do we have any recourse?? How many times does a unit have to be worked on before it is concerned a lemon.
What happed to customer satisfation and quality. These 2 things will make or break a company. I think DRV has lost they quaity. We didn't have any problems with our 2005.

[waldmeer]

WOW! Our experience with MS has been just the opposite of what I see from most of the other responses.

We picked up our new 40DB3 MS in Sept. 2009. The worst problem I had was in getting wiring for satellite connections corrected. DRV referred us to a repair facility a few miles from the factory. The repair facility was great. Took a Technician about 30 minutes to correct some connections in the "water/electronics box" Probkem solved. Other than that, only major concern I have had is that the awning seems to have loose fabric and the door will rub on it when awning is extended. Temp solution is to have it retract about 1/2 revolution on the awning.

Only other problem we have had is with light bulbs burning out. So I replaced two bulbs so far.

We purchased our from International RV World in Elkhart. They have been excellent, making a couple of minor repairs before we picked up our MS. VERY GOOD SERVICE - VERY GOOD DEALER!!

We are very happy with our MS. My wife reminds me daily, "Do you know how much I love my new house?"

[Motor31]

Waldmeer,

You have no idea how envious I (and the wife too) are about your experiance. I would dearly love to have had that experiance rather than the one we still are having even now.

[retiredchuck]

Wow I can't believe that the slide on the off door rip the flooring.That happen to me when I bought my bran new ck3 back in 2004.They replaced the legs on the slide with rollers.2009 and they are still having this problem.UNBALIVABLE....

[edt]

I bougth a used 2004 36ck3 and can't believe how great factory has been to deal with

[waldmeer]

Bought our new 2009 Mobile Suites 40 DB3 in September at International RV World in Elkhart taking posession Sept 3, 2009. Before we left the north we spent a few days in it at the dealer. This gave us an opportunity move all our "STUFF" from our old motorhome to the MS AND to find probems that we found. Problems were dealt with rapidly and completely by the dealer and the manufacturer.

Last week the 32" TV in the living room above the fireplace stopped working. I contacted Samsung directly. They had me do some routines and said, "It needs to be serviced." Well OK then. The closest service center was 600+ miles away in Texas. We are now in Gulf Shores, AL. They also said, after I gave them the model and serial numbers that the TV was out of warranty. At that point I thought I was Sc$#@^&. Called DRV Factory. Told them about the TV. They said I should contact their TV supplier in Elkhart and they would take care of it. The warranty was for 2 years from the date of sale.

Called the TV source and told them about the TV probems. They took the last 4 digits of the MS VIN number, the model of the TV and said, "We will send you a new one." They took our current address info and said they would get back to me with a shipping tracking number. 2 days later they called and gave me the tracking number and said, "It was shipped yesterday".

So far we have only had minor problems and excellent service by DRV and our dealer. My wife continues to tell me daily, "Have I told you today how much I love our new home?"

[TVA]

Wondering if anyone knows of a good campground half way between Destin, Florida and Howe, Indiana? We will be heading north for a stop over at DRV for some items on our check list, before we head home.

[Huck]

I can never remember names of campgrounds but, There are very few open till about mid April that far north. At least with running water. We have stayed at a couple in southern Ohio and I remember one in west virginia that is open all year that we have stayed at a few times I'm pretty sure the name is Camp Creek State Park.
Good luck.

[TVA]

DRV will let us plug in when we get there.
We are kind of looking for something halfway, like around Nashville.
Wish it was a warmer time of year for this, but this is the way it goes.
Thanks.

[Motor31]

Raccoon Valley (a SKP park) is open year round but they are near Knoxville IIRC. I think TN has several parks open year round. Your best bet would be to check the Trailer Life or Woodall's campground guide. I have been very happy with those 2 resources.

[TVA]

Thanks. We have Woodall's and Trailer Life.
Just thought I'd see what other's had to say.
Thanks again.

[Gillesm]

In Nashville you can try the Jellystone park easy acces from and to.

[TVA]

Thanks! We've stayed at a few Jellystones. They're pretty nice.
Once we leave there it will be gung ho for Howe.
We are hoping to make it home to N.D. from Howe in one day.
We've done it before. Its a long day.

[traveler]

I bought a 2005 TK3 and have had a few problems. I bet my case is typical--not the horror stories I read here.

Two blowouts--not good--insurance and Goodyear took care of this.

Sure--several light bulbs and a couple of new batteries.

One hydraulic jack leak--fixed under warrenty at a local RV place

A few water leaks that I tracked down and fixed. After all, I am pulling a house down the road. The recurring leak--two times--has been the shower connection that you can access via the pantry.

Refrigerator not getting cold enough--fixed with a second fan and now routinely under 40 degrees.

Track light in living area over heating--replaced under warranty.

I am going to have to replace my pressure relief valve soon.

That is about it. So, I consider my ecperience good. No worse than my previous Airstream or other RVs that I have owned.

I really helps if you can diagnose problems yourself and repair things. I think it would be hard to own one of these things if you could not to that.

We are not fulltimers but use our RV about 4 months a year. This lower usage may help too.

[vmc4820]

TVA-- try TEXAS T just south of Nashville. Right off of I-65, easy off, easy on and they are open with water.

[sr]

TVA, we stop at Texas T in Tenn. near nashville for the last 5 years. Easy on and off and great people.

[TVA]

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.
We ended up at Jellystone. They were exceptionally nice there.
It was amazing.

I'm sure someone has posted this and got an answer already.
We are having a lot of problems with sand or sand like grit left behind on the floor when the door slide goes back out after we have been traveling.
I have to clean the camper in the kitchen/living room area before we can "live" in it. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

[Motor31]

That's a continuing "gift" of the "feature" that DRV built in by cutting notches in the bottom slide seals. The tires are close to most of the notches and any dirt, dust or just plain crud they kick up is available for migration. You might want to make sure all windows, vents and the flapper on the microwave vent are locked down tight to stop air flow as much as possible. Then keep the broom handy in the kitchen.

Also be prepared for dirt transfer to the living room from dust and water that get caught on the bottom of the slide fabric. It gets transferred to the carpet when you pull the slide in. If you are in a wet area it will be especially noticeable when you open the slides the next time.

[RodeWorthy]

Not aware of any notches cut in the door side slide. But dirt and wear on the carpet from slide track is very common.

Lippert Slide Slickers (http://store.lci1.com/Product78) have solved that problem for us.

There may be multiple sources for this product. I have seen them on E-Bay.

[RGordon]

To remedy the notched slide seals, DRV furnished a new rubber seal without notches, just for asking. They would not provide labor. I just applied the new seal right on top of the notched seal and this provided a double seal, taking care of any possible elements from entering. The screws are plenty long just to add and a simple job. Just remove the screws and metal strip and install new strip and replace screws along with the metal strip.

[cindyguice]

Hi We are from Louisiana and we bought a 2010 Select suites traded in a hitchhiker 5th wheel. We have had the water manifold leak and had to have the under belly replaced .. We just got back from Branson 3 days there and guess what had the water manifold leak again so back to the shop again.. We bought our unit Jan 2010 and it was in shop most of the the 1st year. the air ducts in ceiling were not connected so our air was running but not coolong unit off..Water leaks, Hydraulic leaks, had blow out on 5th wheel this weekend lucky no damage to camper .. we have the side bath and the wall is curved so we have lots of problems with gap on steps and moldong on the curve. We are overall happy with the unit .. but the new water manifold is not doing the job.. the factory has fixed the problems with newer units but won't replace ours that seems to leak everytime we go somewhere.. was wondering if you have had any water issues.. thanks good Luck with ya'lls

[RickandJanice]

the new water manifold is not doing the job.. the factory has fixed the problems with newer units but won't replace ours that seems to leak every time we go somewhere.. was wondering if you have had any water issues..

We have owned our 2006 since 2007 and never have had any issue with the water manifold. Ours is the plastic type, not the newer copper manifold.

[Gemstone]

Plumbing Leaks:

I've found issues with the hose clamps that DRV used on the ends of some of the plumbing hose ...loose clamps. I replaced all those clamps that I could reach with 1/2" crimp clamps (tool and clamps available at Lowes) designed for the plastic pipe and manifold (PEX) they used in our rig.

Regards
Gemstone

[BlueSkyRanch]

Early in this thread someone wrote, "one cannot expect perfection" and I ask, why not?

If you look back at all the postings in this thread, you could say that the 2005 to 2008 models were well constructed with fewer warranty repairs. The 2009 and 2010 models required more and some times, significantly more repairs. I fall into the "significantly more" repair category. While I am extremely upset with the things that needed to be fixed, I am still very happy with my unit, the quality service provided by Dave Titus at International RV, Paul Cross at Indiana Interstate Enterprise, Tom Peck and Ryan (?can't remember his last name) at DRV.

As for expecting perfection, I also purchased a 2010 F350 King Ranch and a year later and 25,000 miles I have had zero problems - zero. Now that is perfection.

I hope we continue this dialog and continue to hold DRV accountable. I for one, would like to see DRV continue to make Suites and stand behind their product.