RV vacation issue; what would you do?

[Obliviax]

an acquaintance planned an RV vacation after retiring. The planning has taken months if not a year. They pick up the RV, spend a half day packing it with food and clothing and take off to pick up another couple several hours drive away. In the hollows is WV, the thing breaks down at 10am Friday. Long story short, after 10 hours, a mechanic says he can't fix it along the road. They tow it, tow truck gets there at midnight...and the hotels are booked due to a scout jamboree and they end up getting into a hotel at 2:00am Saturday morning. The RV company says they'll pick up all of the expenses. They are also told that the engine needs to be replaced and this will take several days. So now, they will be into their five week vacation a week with no RV. The second couple is waiting at home for them. They cannot extend the vacation an additional week due to other personal commitments. All of their downstream appointments and reservations are toast.

I always think it is better to ask for what you want instead of waiting for an offer. My question is, if you were in the same position, what would you ask the RV company for?

 

[LionDeNittany]

Is it a rental RV, like Cruise America?

How big of a network do they have?

There aren't enough specifics but I'd suggest flights to the house and an RV delivered to them there.

LdN

 

[ILLINOISLION]

A new RV delivered to them immediately, all expenses to-date picked-up and a voucher for a free week's rental in the future.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

A new RV...a complementary future reservation...to start. I understand things break down, but if your business is renting large vehicles, you damn well better keep your fleet well maintained.

 

[PSUFBFAN]

an acquaintance planned an RV vacation after retiring. The planning has taken months if not a year. They pick up the RV, spend a half day packing it with food and clothing and take off to pick up another couple several hours drive away. In the hollows is WV, the thing breaks down at 10am Friday. Long story short, after 10 hours, a mechanic says he can't fix it along the road. They tow it, tow truck gets there at midnight...and the hotels are booked due to a scout jamboree and they end up getting into a hotel at 2:00am Saturday morning. The RV company says they'll pick up all of the expenses. They are also told that the engine needs to be replaced and this will take several days. So now, they will be into their five week vacation a week with no RV. The second couple is waiting at home for them. They cannot extend the vacation an additional week due to other personal commitments. All of their downstream appointments and reservations are toast.

I always think it is better to ask for what you want instead of waiting for an offer. My question is, if you were in the same position, what would you ask the RV company for?

I don't understand why "all of their downstream appointments are toast". This is a 5 week vacation which has been disrupted for only 72 hours thus far.

I would ask the RV company to arrange for a replacement RV to be delivered to them today/tomorrow and continue on with the vacation. If the RV company has been as accommodating as you say (picking up hotel expenses), I would think they would work with them to provide a replacement RV. Load it up and head on to the day 5/6/7 locations and enjoy the rest of the trip.

 

[Ct. Lion]

At the very least, a rebate of the equivalent day rate of the vehicle plus hotel, etc. expenses while you wait for the RV to be fixed. I would have wanted some kind of plan for a replacement vehicle in the case that something major like an engine replacement happens.
But the time to ask for this was up front, during the pricing negotiation, before you even start on a trip. I have friends who had these huge RVs and they always seem to have problems on the road. They are a travelling house with lots of things that can go wrong and you only hope it is nothing major like what has happened to your acquaintance. So anticipate problems and have the fix and the financials negotiated up front because all of it is going to happen over a five week road trip.

 

[Obliviax]

A new RV...a complementary future reservation...to start. I understand things break down, but if your business is renting large vehicles, you damn well better keep your fleet well maintained.

my friend is a retired diesel mechanic. He called earlier when he noticed it wasn't performing well and was told that it had gone through a complete review and not to worry about it. Probably wouldn't have helped much but he, at least, wouldn't have been in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Player2BNamedL8r]

my friend is a retired diesel mechanic. He called earlier when he noticed it wasn't performing well and was told that it had gone through a complete review and not to worry about it. Probably wouldn't have helped much but he, at least, wouldn't have been in the middle of nowhere.

Customer is always right.

 

[Obliviax]

I don't understand why "all of their downstream appointments are toast". This is a 5 week vacation which has been disrupted for only 72 hours thus far.

I would ask the RV company to arrange for a replacement RV to be delivered to them today/tomorrow and continue on with the vacation. If the RV company has been as accommodating as you say (picking up hotel expenses), I would think they would work with them to provide a replacement RV. Load it up and head on to the day 5/6/7 locations and enjoy the rest of the trip.

They've got to drive there. That takes time. So they may be able to skip some of the ones that they missed, but will end up missing several days of appointments or spend the next couple of days driving 12 hours a day. Their plans were to visit closer relatives and be in the rocky mountains later this week. Add to that these things have lower speed limits, if I understand it correctly. You're not going to be doing 80 mph, more like 60 to 65.

 

[sluggo72]

an acquaintance planned an RV vacation after retiring. The planning has taken months if not a year. They pick up the RV, spend a half day packing it with food and clothing and take off to pick up another couple several hours drive away. In the hollows is WV, the thing breaks down at 10am Friday. Long story short, after 10 hours, a mechanic says he can't fix it along the road. They tow it, tow truck gets there at midnight...and the hotels are booked due to a scout jamboree and they end up getting into a hotel at 2:00am Saturday morning. The RV company says they'll pick up all of the expenses. They are also told that the engine needs to be replaced and this will take several days. So now, they will be into their five week vacation a week with no RV. The second couple is waiting at home for them. They cannot extend the vacation an additional week due to other personal commitments. All of their downstream appointments and reservations are toast.

I always think it is better to ask for what you want instead of waiting for an offer. My question is, if you were in the same position, what would you ask the RV company for?

if they are still stuck in WV, they can come to my tailgate on Saturday!!! They are most welcome!!

 

[Obliviax]

if they are still stuck in WV, they can come to my tailgate on Saturday!!! They are most welcome!!

ha! Thanks....I think they hope to be out of their mid week. If they decide to wait or if they pack it in and go home.

 

[rohrmd9]

Customer is always right.

Yea, unfortunately, in this day and age there are plenty of companies/service providers who don't agree with that. I always feel like I'm saying to myself, "Why am I the one who has to make all the phone calls and get nasty with them to get what I feel is fair?!?!"

 

[massimoManca II]

an acquaintance planned an RV vacation after retiring. The planning has taken months if not a year. They pick up the RV, spend a half day packing it with food and clothing and take off to pick up another couple several hours drive away. In the hollows is WV, the thing breaks down at 10am Friday. Long story short, after 10 hours, a mechanic says he can't fix it along the road. They tow it, tow truck gets there at midnight...and the hotels are booked due to a scout jamboree and they end up getting into a hotel at 2:00am Saturday morning. The RV company says they'll pick up all of the expenses. They are also told that the engine needs to be replaced and this will take several days. So now, they will be into their five week vacation a week with no RV. The second couple is waiting at home for them. They cannot extend the vacation an additional week due to other personal commitments. All of their downstream appointments and reservations are toast.

I always think it is better to ask for what you want instead of waiting for an offer. My question is, if you were in the same position, what would you ask the RV company for?

Being stranded in WV can be fun...

Back in the nineties I rented a couple RV's for PSU games that were hardly road-worthy. Alas I was merely grateful they'd hand the keys over to a suspicious 27yr old guy like me with nine friends and boxes of booze and lousy beer waiting around the corner...

With age comes wisdom and I'd now think twice (and then-some) about hopping in an RV for 5-weeks (and probably thousands of miles) when I've zero information on its history... Hell, I still get the bends from thinking about what can (will) go awry whenever we pull out of the driveway with my rig... too many stories to share (and no one is asking)... Now I know why some choose to buy brand new coaches...

Good luck to your friend and, more importantly, his wife.
I know my life will become more-relaxed when my motorhome is sold and out of my driveway!!

 

[psuro]

The CEOs head on a silver platter.

 

[Obliviax]

The CEOs head on a silver platter.

unlike me, my friend is the nicest guy in the world, very religious. he feels bad for the RV owner and is suggesting its not the RV owner's fault that it broke down when, where it did or that all the hotels were booked. My thinking is that it DID break down and all the problems downstream are the RV owner's problems, and not his. In addition, the ruining vacation.

I don't want to be litigious but feel fair is fair. There are lots of costs that are direct and indirect. I just don't have a good feel for what is common to be refunded.

crazy worst-case scenario. Thankfully, nobody has been injured (yet)!

 

[LionDeNittany]

unlike me, my friend is the nicest guy in the world, very religious. he feels bad for the RV owner and is suggesting its not the RV owner's fault that it broke down when, where it did or that all the hotels were booked. My thinking is that it DID break down and all the problems downstream are the RV owner's problems, and not his. In addition, the ruining vacation.

I don't want to be litigious but feel fair is fair. There are lots of costs that are direct and indirect. I just don't have a good feel for what is common to be refunded.

crazy worst-case scenario. Thankfully, nobody has been injured (yet)!

I doubt the RV owner can be responsible for all downstream costs. You would waste money on litigation as it is unreasonable. A breakdown by the RV wasn't planned and there was no malicious intent.

They can ask for a full refund but then won't get a replacement RV.

I've rented cars before. One broke down. I couldn't call Avis and charge them for my missed meetings.

LdN

 

[Peetz Pool Boy]

unlike me, my friend is the nicest guy in the world, very religious. he feels bad for the RV owner and is suggesting its not the RV owner's fault that it broke down when, where it did or that all the hotels were booked. My thinking is that it DID break down and all the problems downstream are the RV owner's problems, and not his. In addition, the ruining vacation.

I don't want to be litigious but feel fair is fair. There are lots of costs that are direct and indirect. I just don't have a good feel for what is common to be refunded.

crazy worst-case scenario. Thankfully, nobody has been injured (yet)!

Your friend could have purchased travel insurance.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

Ask for full refund and rent another RV asap

 

[Obliviax]

Your friend could have purchased travel insurance.

why? the engine is their engine...

 

[pandaczar12]

You say this happened late one night in WV? Did they contact Dana Holgorsen the next morning? I believe that is his jurisdiction.

 

[Obliviax]

so...I called the RV place pretending to be a new customer. They have a gulf stream Super Nova with a deisel engine. It is about $150 more per night.

My friend just called them, told them what I did. So here is the plan:

• my friend is renting a car, packing up their stuff and driving back to the city of origin (about four hours). RV shop is picking up the rental car cost.
• The RV shop is giving them the new Glufstream Super Nova for the same price as the original.
• They are knocking off the price of the unit from the time they picked up up until the time they pick up the super nova.
• They are getting the SuperNova (A class) at the same price as the C class that broke down.

I'd have gone for a lot more but this seems to make everyone happy.

 

[ClarkstonMark]

so...I called the RV place pretending to be a new customer. They have a gulf stream Super Nova with a deisel engine. It is about $150 more per night.

My friend just called them, told them what I did. So here is the plan:

• my friend is renting a car, packing up their stuff and driving back to the city of origin (about four hours). RV shop is picking up the rental car cost.
• The RV shop is giving them the new Glufstream Super Nova for the same price as the original.
• They are knocking off the price of the unit from the time they picked up up until the time they pick up the super nova.
• They are getting the SuperNova (A class) at the same price as the C class that broke down.

I'd have gone for a lot more but this seems to make everyone happy.

Ya that sounds good, though I'd have asked for them to deliver the new RV, since they need to pick up the old one anyway.

 

[Obliviax]

Ya that sounds good, though I'd have asked for them to deliver the new RV, since they need to pick up the old one anyway.

its a good point...they no longer trust the RV dealer and wanted to own that responsibility.

 

[LafayetteBear]

Someone call Tom Selleck and tell him about this...

 

[Obliviax]

Someone call Tom Selleck and tell him about this...

ha! I didn't know what you were talking about so googled it...and found the Selleck commercial. I also found this parody...pretty funny.

 

[sluggo72]

its a good point...they no longer trust the RV dealer and wanted to own that responsibility.

that's probably what I would have done, now you have some control as opposed to sitting and waiting while some gubber decides to take a long cut and get OT pay.

 

[massimoManca II]

so...I called the RV place pretending to be a new customer. They have a gulf stream Super Nova with a deisel engine. It is about $150 more per night.

My friend just called them, told them what I did. So here is the plan:

• my friend is renting a car, packing up their stuff and driving back to the city of origin (about four hours). RV shop is picking up the rental car cost.
• The RV shop is giving them the new Glufstream Super Nova for the same price as the original.
• They are knocking off the price of the unit from the time they picked up up until the time they pick up the super nova.
• They are getting the SuperNova (A class) at the same price as the C class that broke down.

I'd have gone for a lot more but this seems to make everyone happy.

The image you provided is not a Class-A.... that's a Super-C .... regardless, that's one hell of a rig