Yahoo Message Number: 72618 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72618)
I bought Protectives (Xtra-Ride) 4 year 48 month extended warranty when I bought my coach about 20 months ago and haven't tried to use it till now. My Turbo was seperated from the Exhaust manifold and you could see between the mating surfaces with your naked eye. Took it to Caterpillar for a estimate and while moving it into the bay they left the door open enough that the steps didn't go in and they ripped them off on the pole outside the bay, busting the fiberglass to the front wheel. They took the engine apart when I had told them to follow the instructions on the warranty which states no work is to be preformed until approval is obtained. The exhaust manifold was supposed to be a covered item but because it was the studs that broke off in the manifold they are denighing the claim. When they were told My exhaust pipe was hitting the frame and probably caused the studs to break he said it definitly wouldn't be covered then as they have a exclusion for that also. Now Caterpillar is wanting over $5625 to put it back together, $1214 for the Manifold.
On the surface of these extended warranties it looks like they provide protection for everything but when you look closely enough at the "Not Covered" clauses they can exclude everything if they don't want to pay for it. Just about Everything from oxygen to nuclear war is listed as causes for a failure that they won't pay for and that is just in paragraph 12.
Kevin Burns
00 Affinity 5865
Yahoo Message Number: 72623 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72623)
Kevin, hate to hear of your trouble, just add the name of your warranty group to US Extended Warranty. They operate in the same way. Yes I fell they all are pulling a SCAM.
DHobby1 2005 Inspire 51265
Yahoo Message Number: 72624 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72624)
Which CAT shop did you use?
Rich 2002 Magna
Yahoo Message Number: 72625 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72625)
That's not really the cause of the broken studs. The pipe has come loose in the banjo clamp near the manifold. As it may appear the pipe has broken from the exhaust manifold it only has rested against the frame because of the engine shake. Are you sure the pipe was hitting the frame ? As I recall the muffler on my Affinity just slid back and rested against a frame piece as that was how far it could travel. I have personally seen this on 2 --C12 Cats. Mine and another friends.
When the installation was done a cheap clamp would lead to this failure.
If they would have taken pictures prior to tearing this apart, this might of changed things....maybe AL
Yahoo Message Number: 72627 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72627)
I once watched a diesel "mechanic" install an aluminum charge air cooler. Before I could stop him (I was inside the truck he was working on) he stripped out two mounting holes by using an air wrench, ruining the thing. Be careful where you go. I have passed on a paint shop because they would not let me stay in the area while they maneuvered my coach "home".
Jack Nichols, 2003 Intrigue 11527
Yahoo Message Number: 72628 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72628)
Kevin,
I'm very sorry to hear of your dilemma. Although not pleasant reading, it's good you took the time to document your experience. The gross lack of professionalism and poor design your story brings to light is something we all need to pay attention to. And how many levels does it fail on?? The whole notion of buying something for $1, selling it for $0.99 and letting the volume make up for it is wrong. As for warranties, their very existence is yet another scheme to install a suction hose in your wallet. Extended warranties are usually sold as a "feel good" item and there's usually no way to test drive the product first. It's a recipe for a scam waiting for the chef. Like so many things in life, we'll know who's been swimming naked when the tide goes out. And that tide is beginning to ebb as America begins its de-leveraging process. Something you'll see for the next 2 years and beyond.
As for your service shop, I think they seem to have an attention deficit disorder. As for important details it seems no one has any time to address them. Sure we've all gotten the paper floor mat but there's much more to good service. It seems a bit odd to me when moving around a large heavy expensive vehicle that someone would be so careless. Especially in a confined space. Sometimes it's a cavalier attitude or perhaps arrogance. More commonly it's a lack of skill combined with people just not giving a damn. I guess one begets the other. As for the customer you move to the end of a long line with the rest of the victims. I can assure you if the driver of your bus had the cost of that staircase attached to his wallet he'd of been more careful. "Sir - Please wait in our customer seating area as insurance doesn't allow customers in the shop." This is just tincture of BS.
Businesses are most vulnerable at the cash register. What needs to be done is find ways of making disgruntled customers much more expensive than satisfied ones. I think this news group is an important step toward that end. If you're at liberty to reveal the shop's name I think that's a start. I guess the old adage "Buyer beware" applies here. Your sad experience needs to become an education for us all. The send button on your PC reaches some 3000 of us. We need to broadcast diligently and responsibly. I'd assume there's some follow up action forth coming. Thanks for posting and please keep us informed as to what happens. Certainly the shop needs to fix what they broke. Best of luck to you. It's just so sad to see the nice RV folks here get beaten up.
At 01:58 AM 7/11/2011, you wrote:
Yahoo Message Number: 72630 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72630)
Warren Cat in West Tulsa.
Kevin
2000 affinity 5865
Yahoo Message Number: 72631 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72631)
? It was tight in the banjo clamp. CC changed the upper exhaust pipe dwg and shortened it by a inch to the first 90 deg bend after my pipe was made. My exhaust pipe looks like they tried to modify it by hand because the 20 deg. flare looks like it was formed by hand( it had 4 slits cut in it every 90 degrees, the poorly bent. You could tell it's probably been leaking since it was new ). It was hitting the frame gusset hard. Three of the four studs broke that held the turbo to the exhaust manifold but the pipe was clamped hard to the turbo as they had to break the clamp to get it off. I just got done building a fixture to make a new pipe that won't hit the frame.
Kevin
Yahoo Message Number: 72632 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72632)
Well said!
Kevin
Yahoo Message Number: 72641 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72641)
I understand the extreme you have with the exhaust set up. Also when I repaired mine, my welder buddy put a 6-8 inch piece of 5 inch flex pipe. A amazing piece of welding he did. Still holding today.
The slits were cut for bending and then welded tight ? I wonder who did that.
Based on your situation sounding much worse then Affinity #5851.
AL
00 affimity
Yahoo Message Number: 72643 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72643)
?
Al,
I think what happened is the pipe had interference at the factory So they modified it to make it fit to keep from eating the costs of a $500 exhaust pipe (they did a little black-smith operation). But they never welded the slits up they just put the banjo clamp over them. They just used some of that good old "Get er done" mentality.
KB
2K affinity 5865
Yahoo Message Number: 72644 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72644)
I would like to thank you for the info. on your Cat. smoke pipe problems. I'll take a look at mine. As for extended warrantys I don't think they are worth the price of the paper they are written on.. I got ripped off at Holland Motor Home , They said there was no warranty on the '02 Magna with20,000mi. I f I wanted warranty I had to spend $7,000.00 on an extened Warranty it paid for 2 ride valves, 1 tank & repair of the Headhunter toilet , 1 fuel tank unit . But the big problems weren't covered. GET ME ONCE , BUT NOT TWICE. Bob '02 Magna 6028
From: "burnsmfg@..."
To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 12:51 PM Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners]Xtra ride extended warranty scam
Well said!
Kevin
Yahoo Message Number: 72647 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72647)
Very well put Scott. I liked your comments and have printed your response to Kevin. Filed in a little place where I keep letter ideas when that is the method to respond.
Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.
After a accident at a St. Louis repair shop 8-9 years ago when I volunteered to spot while moving the coach..."oh, thats OK we do it all the time...never had an accident". The ding produced on the right rear corner was the lack of driver attention to the swing. Sorry, just get a estimate and we'll take care of it--- Why do I have to get the estimate, you caused the problem. jJust imagine how that conversation went. I had it fixed sent the bill....yet to get a penny.
AL
00 affinity
Yahoo Message Number: 72649 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/72649)
Al,
I'm a BIG fan of community and believe it to be the sustainable solution to many of today's problems. Times have indeed changed as we all know. That said, we're lucky to have resources like the internet to act as our podium. We can easily switch hats from being after dinner speakers to audience members. Please keep a sense of humor close at hand. I guess you reach a point in life where putting something back is more important than "what's in it for me". Conducting business plays by a different set of rules. I'm glad you found some value added in my thoughts. Three cheers to the graduates from the school of hard knocks. After graduation an immediate life long internship begins. Anyone claiming to be an expert is a liar.
At 09:18 AM 7/12/2011, you wrote: