The Joys of Life, HA!

The Joys of Life, HA!

    So thought I'd catch everyone up on the continuing saga of trying to get the RV fixed. This all started back in August. We bought the RV beginning of June and all seemed well except the radio unit in the cab didn't work. Scott RV was to get us a replacement, of course, that particular radio was on backorder, seems we weren't the only unit that had a bad radio. Sometime end in July beginning of August, odd things started happening. The dome light in the cab would come on for no apparent reason, there would be a clicking noise in the cab and one of the messages would appear in the dash: passenger door open, the mileage reading would light up, and the electric locks would reset. These things happened randomly without any reason or rhyme. I keep saying I do believe we have a poltergeist living with us. We tried different things trying to puzzle it out to no avail. We made an appointment with Scott's, (and we all know what it is like getting a service appointment anywhere.) Just so happened the radio finally came in so, oh good, we can have both things taken care at the same time. Yeah No. This is now end of August, beginning of September. So we explain all the weirdnesses and everyone just kind of shakes their head with same puzzled expression. They figure let's install the new radio but for the odd electrical problem the unit will have to be taken to a Certified Chevy Service Center. Oh goody! You see the RV is actually two parts, the coach (Living Space) is under Forest River, Coachmen and the cab/chassis is GM/Chevy. Depending on were the problem is determines where you take it for service. Good Grief!

     Anyway, Scotts starts to replace radio and while this is taking place they notice a burning rubber smell and yes, smoke in the passenger door. YIKES! They open up the door panel to discover one of the wiring harnesses is melting. That doesn't sound right at all! They disconnect it tape it up and now we have to find somewhere to take it. Should be easy right, lots of GM/Chevy Service Centers in the Central Jersey. Well, that's true but very few are able to handle a 30' RV, and remember this is still under warranty so have to go to a Certified Dealership not just any where, After numerous calls to many dealerships, and including calls to Chevy customer service, we finally find Circle Chevy in Shrewsbury to be willing to check it out. Ah yes, let's see when they can fit us in. This brings us to Mid September, now mind you we are scheduled to head out beginning of October, yep we're cutting it close but hey still plenty of time to get it taken care of and we are willing to push back our travels.      Oh let me back up a minute and go back to my losing it at Scotts. You see after they took care of taping up the wiring harness, they proceed to install the new radio. All's well they tell us, all done. We get in the cab and start it up, turn on the radio to check things out and what do we discover No Sound? WHAT?? Just at that moment the service tech comes by and asks Every thing okay? I flashed him a look (yes, to anyone who knows me, That Look) and say. UMM No, the radio isn't working. Oh, yeah, he says, you won't have any sound do to the wiring issue. WHAT? And you didn't think to tell us this?? Rather an important piece of information isn't it? I was not a happy camper. Not because we had no sound but that no one told us and were just going to let us drive off, I guess figuring we wouldn't noticed. Mind you this is after the aggravation of the whole nonsense. Moving on.

     So off to Circle Chevy we go. They open things up and yep, bad wiring harness and it looks like it was installed incorrectly so the wiring was rubbing on the metal door aperture. Meaning each time the door handle was engaged it rubbed a bit more of the plastic off the wires until they shorted out. Oh goody that's just wonderful. No problem, they will replace the harness and rerun the wiring correctly. Sounds easy enough, right. Well, wiring harnesses aren't a part service centers usually have on hand so one will have to be ordered, they can get it the next day, Oh good we can bring it back in the morning and all will be well. Not so fast, Who remembers what happened in the world of GM on September 15? Any guesses? The Great GM Strike, with that all ordering has to be put on hold until???? REALLY??? Our only choices: Leave the RV at the dealership until the end of the strike; Have them disconnect those wires and bring it back when the part comes in. Well obviously, we can't leave it We live in it. So it has to be the second choice. When will they get the part? That is a good question because at this point there is no indication that the strike will be over any time soon. So here is what is decided: They go ahead and order the part, we head out as planned, with the knowledge based on what Circle Chevy tells us that when the part comes in they will ship it to whichever Service Center we can find in whatever area we are in. Ok this sounds like a good plan, the only things affected by the missing part is the speakers, which means no radio(no big deal there), no sound from signals, passenger door lock has to be set manually, and being it has power windows, we can't put down the passenger window. No Problem, we can live with this. So off we go a merrily.

    It is now November, we get the notice the part is in. Great, we will be spending time with family so perfect time to get it fixed. We put in a call to Circle Chevy to see how this can be arranged and also start trying to find a dealership in the area that can take care of it. We wait, and wait, and wait for a call back from either end. ELEVEN DAYS go by after repeated calls to the service tech at Circle Chevy and the Service Manager there. Finally, we get a call back, umm well, umm, we were wrong, that part can't be shipped without some blah blah blah blah. WHAT man it is a good thing we weren't standing in front of him and Paul was the one talking to the guy cause I am ready to flip out. And we never did hear from any of the service center in NC that we called. Not Good. Yeah well you have to go take it in to the service center, they have to write up a blah blah blah blah. Okay, so we decide to move on and take care of this in Florida where we will be for the month of January through February.

    Fast Forward, We are in Florida, we find a dealership, we take it in, no problem, we will order the part, and let you know when it comes in. An hour later, umm, we can't get the part because, blah, blah,blah but Roger Dean Chevy in West Palm Beach has the part in stock. Okay, so we make an appointment there, which means having to leaving the campground we are in and find one near the dealership because you have to be there 7:30 in the morning. Found a nice place, John Prince Park and Campground in Lantana, Fl. (more on that in later post.) Take it in and um, oh, no, we don't, have that part here, WHAT??? We'll order it. HA! Like we haven't heard that before. Again, oh we can't get that part because, Some asinine reason that makes no sense each and every time we hear it. Paul calls GM/Chevy Customer Service and even they can't figure out what is going on but Finally someone is willing to help us out. Manny, at customer service somehow cuts through all the bullshit and gets the wiring harness to Roger Dean's. Let me say, while all this has been and continues to be a total fiasco, we couldn't have found a better dealership/service center to have the work done. Kelly, the Service Manager is great, patience, understanding and has gone out of her way to help us. The tech guy, Phil, knows his stuff and is putting in the time.

     Okay so, Wiring Harness arrives, Phil puts it in, and UH OH, umm there seems to be another issue. The harness starts heating up as soon as connected. So now they have to trance the wiring back and around to find the cause. As they do this they find singed wiring under the mat of the passenger seat. And they continue to rip things out. Yep, looks like we will be here for a while! After many hours, they trance it back to the source (We hope). And now, before all you start saying yep, shouldn't have gotten a Chevy, and believe me, we were both on that bandwagon for a while. NOPE Not Chevy's fault. What was found? Some blooming idiot in the installation of the RV to the Chassis, while it appears having installed the wiring for the backup camera, when replacing the kickpanel on the driver's side just in front of the door, Finding he couldn't get it to fit right. Instead of replacing a damaged clipped, drove a screw through the panel right into that wiring harness!!! and, and painted the screw black so it wouldn't be notice! OMG! You can't make it up!

    So now, another wiring harness has to be ordered, and we are still here. Mind you, we find a comfortable hotel a mile away in which to spend the time. But let's face it, we are in West Palm Beach, they don't come cheap.

      Oh and now, it's not a Chevy warranty issue, so Kelly, wonderful person that she is, has to contact Forest River for approval to pay for this. I am so glad to have her on our side. Okay, so brace yourself, here comes Plot Twist number, umm I've lost count. Because we didn't take it to a Certified Forest River Dealership, they won't directly pay Roger Dean. This means we have to shell out the money and then fight for reimbursement. Goody, And funny note, they ask us at the Chevy dealer how do we want to proceed. HA Like we have any bloody choice, they have our home, with the cab seats, mat and wiring torn apart. What like we can say oh no thank you we'll take it home now?? I know, I know, they have to ask and get our approval to proceed, but Really?!?!

     So here we are yet another day, waiting “patiently?!?” while the new harness is install and all the wiring etc is put back together and here's the biggie, Fingers Crossed, that all is then well. YE GADS

Hopefully, by tomorrow, we will be back on the road. Totally crazy!!