Problems In Nacogdoches?

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Problems In Nacogdoches?

May 30, 2014, 12:57:15 pm

I know this post is long but please read! It's something you need to know. In spite of my "newbie" status I've been a Foretravel owner and full time rv'er for over 2 years.

After a recent visit to Foretravel of Texas for some much needed repairs to our 97 U320 I find myself greatly concerned about the quality of work being done at this facility.

I want to point out that we were passing through Nacogdoches at the time and had no appointment.We had several issues that needed to be addressed so we were prepared to wait as long as necessary. We ended up being at the facility for 7 weeks, so the following happened over a 7 week period between March 4th and April 23rd of 2014.

The first cause for concern was when they worked on my entry door. It needed a new seal and to be re-aligned so as not to rub on the frame when opened. The screen door also needed new screen installed. The shop completely removed both doors, replaced the seal and the screen and straightened the posilock arm, which they claimed was the cause of the scraping. By the next morning the door was scraping again, this time at the bottom, and the screen they installed was falling out. They of course corrected both of the issues, this time replacing the posilock arm with a new one. Both issues solved so on to the next thing.
(UPDATE 5/30: The posilock is apparently not adjusted properly because now my door will get stuck in the open position and I have to pull the handle several times to get it to release.)

Next Problem. My inverter, a Mastervolt unit I installed myself, was acting up and needed to be removed and sent back to Mastervolt to be replaced under warranty. I had the Foretravel guys remove the inverter, ship it, and re-install the new one.

After returning to my parking spot I decided to check out the new inverter to make sure the dip switch settings were set correctly. They were correct BUT the 110vac wiring was hooked up wrong. The black "hot" wires were hooked to the neutral position on the inverter and the white "neutral" wires hooked to the hot position. This was a dangerous situation, possibly energizing the motorhome framework! I went into the shop to complain and they sent a guy out to correct the situation. He apologized for "letting the new guy hook it up."

Now the big problem. Probably the main reason we stopped at FOT was because our motorhome was constantly "hissing" air from the area where the air dryer is located (left rear corner). Our air pressure would hold going down the road but would drop to 20-30psi shortly after turning the engine off. Our service writer, Joshua, summarized the problem on the work order correctly but after the tech diagnosed (supposedly) the problem the "correction" stated on my bill / work order was "serviced in July. Nothing at this time." (The "serviced in July" refers to the regular maintenance they had performed on the air dryer last July, the "nothing at this time" apparently meant that the unit was OK) I asked Joshua to have them check it again, stating that I knew there was a leak "in the area of the air dryer" because I could hear it...and I was losing air pressure very quickly. This time I stood in the work bay as they check out the area of the leak. A tech laid on the floor and looked at the air dryer as the motor was running. He came out from under the MH and said to another tech "the Halodex is hissing air but it doesn't seem to be enough
to cause a problem." So that was that. The work order / bill remained the same (Serviced in July. Nothing at this time.) I was charged nothing for the diagnosis / repair because no repair was made. (and arguably, no diagnosis) Keep in mind that we have been there for 7 weeks now and been told twice that our air system is OK, so we paid our $3100 bill and headed down the road. I drove all the way to the Alabama state line before stopping for a few hour nap. When I started the coach back up again there was no air pressure, it had all leaked down in that few hours, and it took quite a few minutes to build up air pressure again. I decided we would have to stop in Atlanta, Ga. at Apalachee RV, a trusted RV repair shop we had been to before, to get the air issue fixed. We didn't make it there! We lost all air pressure on I-85 in downtown Atlanta...in the middle of the road...with 60mph traffic trying to avoid us as we sat there, brakes locked! 3 nerve racking hours and $400 later we had been towed to Apalachee RV where they replaced our drive shaft, which had to be removed to tow us, and replaced the air dryer unit.Our MH now
holds air just fine. In fact, we have been parked in Virginia for 5 weeks now without starting the motor and the air gauges are reading 80psi as I'm looking at them right now!

You would think Foretravel of Texas would have some responsibility in all of this...at least the towing cost if not the drive shaft replacement, but no, not according to them. Mark Harvey, the service director, says that since they charged us nothing for the diagnosis/repair, they are not responsible. My opinion is that they sent me down the road in an unsafe coach and should compensate us in some way. To tell you the truth, the money is not the issue. The issue is that I can no longer depend on FOT to service my coach to any decent standard of competency, and that hurts!

My story doesn't end here however, I have more to relate to you. One morning I noticed my neighbor in the Foretravel parking lot had water on the ground surrounding his coach and had all of his basement doors open. I asked him what happened and he told me the shop had replaced his water filter for him and now his whole coach and basement were flooded! (I don't know the outcome of this but I hope they did something for him other than to tighten the fitting)

Not done yet...next neighbor. This one had the shop remove the motorcade numbers from the top front of his coach. He showed me where the solvent they used had run down his windshield and been left to dry on the windshield. Worse, it had run past the windshield and into his decals which were now curling up at the edges because of the solvent! He did complain of course but was told that for $6000 they would remove the decals and paint them back on! (Honestly, if they told me that I would have ended up
arrested before it was over)

OK, I'm done now. I know this comes as a shock to some of you die hard Foretravel Fans. I'm a die hard Foretravel guy too but the shop in Nacogdoches has become a big dissapointment. I swear that all the above is true and urge you to consider whether Foretravel of Texas is the sort of place you should be taking your coach. (on a side note, I do recommend Apalachee RV near Atlanta, Ga. Great folks!)

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #1 – May 30, 2014, 01:08:09 pm

I hope you have taken this up with the top management at Foretravel. As a builder of low production, high end units reputation is everything. I would imagine that they would compensate you just to keep you happy.

Keith

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #2 – May 30, 2014, 01:29:26 pm

Chazb11, What year and model do you have, would be helpful to all of us to know.
Your story is very unusual, have had FT's for 15 years and this is the only time I have heard of so many complaints from anyone person.
Call FT and speak with Greg Ameys, he is the head Honcho and if he knows of this he can guide you, if he does not know abut it he needs to.
Please let us know the outcome.
BTW, I am familiar with Aplachee and I would not take a dog cart to them for repairs of any kind, you hit a good day.
Gary B

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #3 – May 30, 2014, 01:32:23 pm

Thank you Kieth. I have been unable to find contact info for any top management people at Foretravel so far. Mark Harvey, the service director, and my service writer, Joshua, seem to be ignoring my emails at this point. It feels like insult to injury.

Gary, My unit is a 1997 U320. I'm sorry to here you had a bad experience with Apalachee RV, they always treat us right and we have had no trouble with their work.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #4 – May 30, 2014, 01:41:53 pm

Sad to say that I have had similar experiences at FOT, albeit not any that left me stranded. I have found that this group seems to have FAR more collective expertise to solve coach problems than do the folks there. They couldn't fix my slide, nor even figure out why my porch light was on all the time.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #5 – May 30, 2014, 01:49:23 pm

Why I try hard to fix my own problems. I can't do all of them, though, but the ones I can't do I watch while someone else does them. If they don't let me watch, I either pull the work and go somewhere else or (if I'm stuck there) I make absolutely sure the work is done to my satisfaction before they get paid....

And I pay with a credit card!

Craig

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #6 – May 30, 2014, 01:52:51 pm

Golly, Having had repairs at FOT, I find this to be amazing to the point of wondering what the rest of the story could be.
Most folks here know I had an issue about the campground fee's after an appointment that turned out to not have been made,(surprise to me), other wise all my dealings at FOT have been very satisfactory and reasonable by techs that seemed to know what is up.
Don't for get down the road is MOT, also have had great work done there.
Maybe I am just lucky

Dave M

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #7 – May 30, 2014, 01:59:55 pm

To be fair I would like to add that we also had our aquahot fixed on this same visit, with no issues...it's still working great! Also, Dave and the remodel crew installed a "new to us" passenger chair and did an outstanding job! Never had a problem with Dave and his crew.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #8 – May 30, 2014, 02:15:24 pm

Corey Rucker, Greg Amys

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #9 – May 30, 2014, 02:17:43 pm

MOT for service, Xtreme for paint and body, Flanigan at FOT for mods, Ernie Eckberg for flooring

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #10 – May 30, 2014, 03:40:02 pm

I do my own repairs as much as possible as have hit a few places that do not know what they are doing. I also had a bad feeling this year with my air dryer that FOT serviced 2 yrs ago. They put the check valve in reverse and I lost air, but not to your extent.
I feel that as most people who own RV's are not mechanically inclined or cannot physically do the work they are taken to the cleaners as "they do not know any better" and have generally a nice nest egg to be able to pay. Every time I go into any RV service place for a part etc I listen in to what some older couple is being told about their problem and how it will be fixed that I cringe and feel like jumping in to say "let me have a look as it seems very simple"
Yes, definitly Greg needs to know about this and any other issue of this kind. Word gets around fast. Maybe they have too much repair work and are getting very sloppy?
johnH

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #11 – May 30, 2014, 04:22:45 pm

What would be a acceptable amount of dryer leak down in 7 days?
What should a do-it-yourself be checking on a regular basis?
Stopped in the middle of a highway; send shivers up my back. I had MOH service it last year's visit, however, after setting for couple months my air pressure is down. But not zero.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #12 – May 30, 2014, 04:56:01 pm

well over 7 days the average would be sitting at zero or there abouts( it is not Dryer leak it is tank leak). It says 2lb /hour or whatever.
This is a normal situation as it is very hard to get zero leaks. Mine over a week usually is at 50lbs but I have gone thru just about every valve and fitting checking.
regular maintenance to me means check battery status and all levels along with tyre pressures and leaks in the bodies/ mouldings. If you have one with millions of screws holding it together then 2 times a year check every one of them and tighten if possible. Check ext light fixtures for leaks around them and other than running it to excercise it that is it (I think)
JohnH

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #13 – May 30, 2014, 05:27:53 pm

Chazzb11. I, too, am literally astounded. Your story and documentation are in such contrast to what I have experienced that it takes me a bit to comprehend. I agree, this needs to be brought to the attention of Cory Rucker, he is now the head man of operations there. I do not think your lack of an appointment has anything to do with the problems you have encountered. It's frightening and I would like to be aware of subsequent events.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #14 – May 30, 2014, 05:43:30 pm

I would be there to see and observe all the repairs. Building a relationship with the techs is always a good idea. This includes shaking hands with the top management.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #15 – May 30, 2014, 06:14:30 pm

I have been using FOT ever since MOT overcharged me on a service bill. I always try to watch what the techs are doing to my coach and always have the service manager close by with questions. So far I have had good experiences but to loose air and have to tow would be a deal breaker for me in going back to any shop for service. I know when I go there I always watch to see what techs are assigned to my coach. There are a couple I have to watch to ensure the job is done correctly. DAN

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #16 – May 30, 2014, 06:51:09 pm

I know I had a bad experience with FOT and took my service work to MOT. I also have had a good experience recently at FOT and they did a great job this January for me.
I did send a letter to Lyle reed a few years ago, but he took it poorly. I will say a couple years ago they apologized and they did stand behind the work. So the answer to this is to send a letter to Cory Rucker. He has always been very fair and will make it right. I do know that FOT has lost some of their top techs over the last year but you need to talk with either Cory or Mark Harvey.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #17 – May 30, 2014, 07:20:12 pm

Thanks everyone for your comments and concern. I'll post again as soon as there is a resolution or at least something new to report. It seems that my bad experience is not that uncommon.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #18 – May 30, 2014, 07:31:38 pm

Quote from: chazb11 – May 30, 2014, 07:20:12 pm

Thanks everyone for your comments and concern. I'll post again as soon as there is a resolution or at least something new to report. It seems that my bad experience is not that uncommon.

I think it isn't so much a reflection on just Foretravel, but our workers in general. The level of pride isn't the same as it used to be, from my 65 year old perspective.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #19 – May 30, 2014, 08:09:45 pm

Quote from: Brad & Christine Slaughter – May 30, 2014, 07:31:38 pm

I think it isn't so much a reflection on just Foretravel, but our workers in general. The level of pride isn't the same as it used to be, from my 65 year old perspective.

I have to agree. On the other hand it's up to management to set the tone and train the techs to ensure a quality experience. If poor workmanship is allowed without repercussion to the techs, FOT will soon lose its luster.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #20 – May 30, 2014, 08:11:38 pm

I can relate to the bad air drier problem, although when mine went out I was within a 1/4 mile of a rest area near Bozeman, MT. And these things always seem to go bad on a Sunday. I was able to contact a service truck out of Belgrade, (about six miles to the west on I-90) He disconnected the air lines and bypassed the air drier so that I could drive it back to their shop in Belgrade. They let me stay in their lot overnight and got me into the shop first thing Monday morning. They installed a new drier and the young guy noted that I had a leak at the flange inlet to the turbo, so he pulled that and welded on a new flange, steam cleaned the engine and I was on my way with no further problems, this was June of 2013.

This shop was very busy with over the road trucks and Class A's.
If you need help in this area their name is: Motorcoach Maintenance & Truck Repair of Montana Inc. (800)224-7689

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #21 – May 30, 2014, 08:14:36 pm

Holy Mackerel!

The whole reason we're looking at Foretravel products is to avoid situations like this....similar to ones we've had with our new SOB, but ours being with new construction. Is this a fluke? Should one purchase a "pre-owned" Foretravel figuring it is assembled properly, and then hope for the best with servicing? Go somewhere else for service?

Raleigh

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #22 – May 30, 2014, 08:17:55 pm

Foretravels can be serviced by any competent truck shop. In Cincinnati I use Cummins Bridgeway for all my chassis work. They have also done a lot of coach work for me.

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #23 – May 30, 2014, 08:35:30 pm

We have had excellent service, going above and beyond what was expected at BOTH FOT and MOT. We have also had less than stellar experiences at both locations. I have never had a problem having a fair and speedy resolution of any issue at either location. We have just had some service to our coach at a location here in Tucson ... locating an air leak that we could not locate ourselves. This shop has good reviews and let us know that they are familiar with and have performed work on Foretravels in their shop. Great! We added a few routine maintenance items to the list and made arrangements to leave it at their shop for them to work on. We also made specific note that they were NOT to touch the brakes! NO NO NO. Not in any way. Well, they found the air leak, and greased the brake fittings. What!! What part of DO NOT TOUCH did they not understand?? They have corrected the problem after calling Foretravel and getting specific instructions AND a complete Meritor Manual sent to them. Serviced Foretravels, indeed!! They garaged our coach over the holiday weekend, and Mr Wonderful went over on Tuesday to take them an extra tube of the correct brake lubricant. Upon entering the coach, which was now outside in their lot, he just knew something wasn't right. Our solar panels were not operating, the inverter was giving a funny signal, things were not as they should be. The generator started but then went to a default. He managed to get the engine started and gradually got things back online. But what gives??? Yeah ... they had it garaged all 3 day weekend ... with the inverter ON ... and not plugged in!! Ran our batteries down to near nothing. GRRRR. Supercalifragilisticexpialistupid. These guys are professionals??? There are guys working in EVERY shop who graduated last in their class, just as there are real mechanics and then there are parts changers. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances, I guess!

Re: Problems In Nacogdoches?

Reply #24 – May 30, 2014, 10:26:04 pm

No apprenticeship programs, no technical school master's certificate with equal standing to a bachelor's degree may mean having the job done twice or more before it's done correctly. Tough to go from hanging in a Safeway parking lot to master mechanic.

Pierce

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