Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

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Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

June 14, 2015, 01:13:01 pm

It's 5 hours away in Knoxville compared to 15 hours to NAC. I want to have a few things done closer to home, one being installing a Garnet SeeLevel ll 714 monitor system. I also got my first and hopefully last ding

on one of my basement doors. I may look closer to home for fiberglass repair.

I plan on visiting NAC once a year for service and the big things. My wife wants to replace the carpet with a wood floor.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #1 – June 14, 2015, 01:41:42 pm

I purchased Forrest from the current management when located in Kodak it was called Foretravel of Tennessee back in 2003. I believe they still have some of the original techs working there. Roger Sellers may still be the GM there. Donno about the quality...last time I was there was in June 2011 for a broken hydraulic belt breakdown...limped to their site for the repair. They treated me okay, but just did not get a good feeling And, they were affiliated with Camping World. Not good.

Personally, I would rather drive the extra miles to have the work done in Nac at either MOT, Xtreme, Infinity Upholstery, Bernd, etc. Chassis work I get done at Cummins Bridgeway right home in Cincinnati.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #2 – June 14, 2015, 02:01:51 pm

Peter, Will let you know Tuesday, headed there to meet up with James to have a new element installed in the Aqua Hot 600, warranty job. Trip is 380 miles vs 1208 to Nac, thought would give it a try. Business is busy, so only short trips this spring. Moe later.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #3 – June 14, 2015, 02:21:08 pm

I can't vouch for body work, but I have had a bunch of mechanical work done there over the past year including engine, transmission, and generator service; AquaHot troubleshooting and repair; fuel line replacement; airbag replacement; dash air conditioning work; and generator compartment insulation replacement.

Nearly all our work was done by David Young a top notch mechanic with many years of Foretravel experience. They do have other Foretravel experienced mechanics too. They aren't cheap - $115/hr. They do offer the Motorcade Club discount, but be prepared for the Tennessee state and local tax (9.25%) applied to both parts and labor! I have no trouble recommending them. Roger Sellers and James Holder (Service Manager), both Foretravel owners, and everyone else there treated us well.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #4 – June 14, 2015, 05:29:44 pm

I have used them too. In fact I would say if you get the right tech it might be better then FOT as they have more experience. I used them when they were Kodak Ft all the time. I also used them a coupke times in there new iteration as well.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #5 – June 14, 2015, 05:39:26 pm

I have had regular service, urgent repairs and body work all done there within the last year. Roger Sellers now owns the whole shebang, now. Camping World is gone, Big new store part of the TN RV. James Holder is the head man in the main shop now and he will go to any length to get things right The body shop run by Allen Stanifer is up across I 40 from the old Foretravel of Tennessee sight and they do beautiful work there as well (don't ask me how I know). I highly recommend these folks for Foretravel service and repairs. Old problems in the shop seem to have been all cleared up with new supervision.
They do still honor the Motorcade discount.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #6 – June 14, 2015, 05:44:47 pm

That's really good to hear Horace. It sure is a lot shorter run from Cincinnati than Nac. I always thought Roger ran a tight ship. I just did not feel comfortable the last time I was there and there seemed to be a bit of conflict between Camping world and Tenn RV shop work.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #7 – June 14, 2015, 08:04:52 pm

Need to have Tenn RV look at the dash air, it has always worked, not today. Not sure if leaked down or clutch no operate..

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #8 – June 14, 2015, 08:08:29 pm

Quote from: Dave M – June 14, 2015, 08:04:52 pm

Need to have Tenn RV look at the dash air, it has always worked, not today. Not sure if leaked down or clutch no operate..

Have you a good radiator A/C shop nearer to you? I found a good repair shop in Cincinnati through a recommendation/referral from Cummins Bridgeway.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #9 – June 14, 2015, 09:09:29 pm

Jeff:

Last summer, I had TN RV replace the fuel lines to the generator and engine. I had to leave the coach there three nights and had to get them to promise to plug it in while it was in the shop. Not sure that they would have done that had I not requested it. Cost was pricy, but included new fuel filters. Their post repair test drive alerted them and me to a vibration (transmission yoke problem) they felt at 65 mph+.
I may return there for an HWH problem since the nearest authorized HWH service center, Buddy Greg has a poor reputation in my neighborhood.
Bob
2000 U270

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #10 – June 14, 2015, 10:00:20 pm

Thanks all. I'll give them a call tomorrow.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #11 – June 14, 2015, 10:17:35 pm

I bought mine there. Brad Armstrong gave us the basic once over, we could tell the pride he takes on working on Foretravels and pride in his skills. Tenn RV did a fantastic job on.preping our new 2002. Foretravel lists them as an authorized Foretravel service center. I would not hesitate using them

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #12 – June 15, 2015, 07:27:11 am

TN RV has a body shop near the Sevierville exit on I-40. They do excellent work. My coach is there now for a new windshield and some repairs to a basement door I damaged.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #13 – June 15, 2015, 08:48:14 am

Quote from: Duane Budd – June 15, 2015, 07:27:11 am

TN RV has a body shop near the Sevierville exit on I-40. They do excellent work. My coach is there now for a new windshield and some repairs to a basement door I damaged.

Mine is there now getting the windshields reset with new rubber also.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #14 – June 15, 2015, 12:29:47 pm

Jeff and Sandy,
When I use the search function of the Foreforum, I get at least four (index) pages of mixed reviews about TN RV Service experiences. Some customers feel good. Some clearly not so good. The complexity of the good and bad work performed varies from minor, routine to major, seldom performed work. For us personally, we have had badly botched, complex body work in the $4K range (in the referenced "new" Body Shop to the north of I-40) to simple, routine transmission fluid/filter change problems.
As an Example: I am not a happy camper at Camping World! It Gets worse...
From their many entries, Duane and Horace seem to have been blessed with mostly good experiences. That is the type of experience that we had for many years when we purchased our first Foretravel in 1998. At that time the store was one of the six nationwide Foretravel Sales and Service centers. Acceptable service continued after the TN RV/CW Store was first started in Knoxville, but only a few of the good FT Technicians stayed with the move to the Knoxville facility. Today, there are only a very few of the the good FT techs left - maybe one to three.
Over our last three service experiences, we have had several very costly and unacceptable errors made by TN RV, that they refused to take responsibility for. We will never use them again short of a dire emergency.
The two individuals, touted as being good (by others) are the biggest problems, from our perspective. Roger Sellers, GM for the FT Kodak store, later the co-owner of the Knoxville Camping World Franchise/FT Service Center, now owner of the TN RV facility and Alan Stanifer, tech writer, then service manager, now paint and body work facility manager, are sugar sweet until there is a $$ problem. My ability to convince them to correct multiple problems, at their expense, from our last three service visits, has a track record of ZERO, ZIP, NADA success. It eventually cost us thousands of dollars in rework, all on our own nickle.
So maybe TN RV has turned over a new leaf, but proceed with caution:

Document carefully what work you want done, before you call to schedule your appt.

Schedule your work ONLY for one of the KNOWN GOOD Foretravel technicians still left,

Review carefully what the tech writer writes up before you authorize the work,

(For TN RV) realize that while the coach is in the shop, they will not let you remain in the coach or interface with the technicians doing the work. You can cheat but will be reminded of the management policy PDQ.

Insist that TN RV show you the problem, whenever work scope needs to be expanded,

At the end of the service, insist on Service Manager walk-through of the physical work accomplished

At the end of the service, insist on a line-by-line understanding of the invoice ,

Do Not pay the bill or leave before you are satisfied.

These are my standard expectations (for any shop) and they may save you some bad TN RV experience(s), although in our case, only the shoddy body repair (about $4K, IIRC) was visible before departure. The rest of the problems showed up going down the road.
FWIW,
Neal

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #15 – June 15, 2015, 01:55:55 pm

I STRONGLY recommend that you stay with your coach if you are going to have it serviced at Tenn Rv - I think that applies everywhere (he says as he sits in IL while his coach is being worked on in NAC). James Holder is a great guy, a stand up guy and owns a FT - he is also a FOFum member. That being the owner has put in policies or compensation plans that caused challenges during my visit. James stepped in and absolutely fixed the challenges, but had I not been on top of the issue, I would have been significantly taken advantage of.

Mind you , this was almost three years ago now, some have had very good experiences since my visit.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #16 – June 15, 2015, 06:31:09 pm

While I am not too bright, I try to have clear English conversation about the purpose for the visit, so far it works fine, I stay close to the coach, so no surprises. Today at Tenn RV, so far James, David & Jim have done fine, waiting for a a/c pressure switch and also double check for leaks in the AM, did find the issue with he Aqua Hot 600, selector switch wired wrong. Thanks for the tutoring from Rudy.
Moe tomorrow after the invoice.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #17 – June 15, 2015, 09:29:15 pm

Dave,

Are you allowed to be on the shop floor and talk to the tech when you want? Can you stay in the coach overnight or do they return it back to you just for the night? Glad you are out and about after your surgery.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #18 – June 15, 2015, 10:36:14 pm

Barry & Cindy, always, always stay with the coach, stay out of the way but visually and verbally check on progress, certainly follow Neal's advisories, they are basic. I cannot speak to problems with charges except that with my recent body work the adjustment of the engine hatch which had been repaired needed a little fine tuning and when I returned this was addressed without further charge.
There have been periods of difficulty in the service department off and on since the move from Kodak, I have been there during some of these, my recent experience and my conversations with James Holder however, convince me that things are definitely much better now and unless something untoward happen they will remain so under the present supervision.
I guess that all of this just goes to further prove the necessity of continuing the production of both chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #19 – June 15, 2015, 10:56:05 pm

Yes to being in the shop watching the goings on, no problem, in fact I thought there might be an issue when refilling the Aqua Hot with Boiler antifreeze mixed with Distilled water, Jim was gong to use regular tap water, I put a halt to that, had them go to store & purchase Distilled water,
Staying with the coach was cleared up prior to the service, again part of the English ahead of time.
Was scheduled for the Aqua Hot warranty repair last week n Richmond Va BUT they would not allow me in the shop, so I departed and called James at Tenn RV, not an issue.
If this works out, I will save 1,660 miles & about $800.00 round trip instead of Nac for some more minor things.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #20 – June 15, 2015, 10:57:18 pm

Yes you can stay with your coach at TN RV, now and yes you can interface with the techs, with the service manager and with the service writer. Now finding Roger sometimes can be a problem.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #21 – June 16, 2015, 06:26:28 pm

Work completed today, Aqua Hot, air leak @ LR bag, a/c died, parts $185.00, labor $345.00, HazMat& & shop supplies $44.00, then Tn tax $63.00.
No tears, reasonable, enjoyed interacting with David, Jim & James. Was on guard for bad vibes but none showed up, certainly will use them again as needed. The Foretravel trained guys are a pleasure and clearly know Foretravel. The Aqua Hot 600 controls were a learning handful.
Talking with James, seems there had been issues, they are getting straightened up quickly.
Was not able to learn anything about the paint & body repair side of the operation.
I still us plain English, that way both sides know what is up, assume nothing, stay with coach.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #22 – June 16, 2015, 07:42:35 pm

Sounds great Dave-English can be helpful.

Glad to see you are feeling better and are out and about.

Cya down the road

Ted

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #23 – June 17, 2015, 10:34:52 am

Indeed, this service trip to Tn RV also was a check on my ability to travel, did find the Colon is still confused. Did get good vibes from James & the 2 techs, David & Jim. David got the dash A/C at 48f at idle rpm,

Am back home in my garage, all connected & normal.

Re: Does anyone have experience using Tennessee RV for service?

Reply #24 – June 17, 2015, 04:22:27 pm

Dave, not sure I wanna know what a "confused colon" is all about....

On the subject of Tennessee RV, should I need anything done while up that way (coach is in NC til sometime in Oct. or Nov.) I'll be sure to drop your name....being a solo female, I need to have a little extra 'clout" (or be good at acting like I know what I'm doing!) & I'm sure that'll give me the extra "boost" I need!

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