Buyers Beware. Please read this story!
Buyers Beware
Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated will not guarantee their manufactured “Lemon.”
How many times does a product need to be in repair before it is classified as a bad product or the most commonly used term; “a lemon?” A company who is manufacturing goods for sale to the public should “stand” by their product and act responsibly when their product is a bad one. I find that this is a very tricky subject when it comes to the law and companies who manufacture products for sale. The laws are slim when it comes to holding these companies responsible for their products. The companies will write warranties and use them as a selling tool, but be very careful and read what you are signing. The warranty rules are written to be beneficial to the company, and not the customer.
The sales associate will say just about anything to make the sale. He spoke to me about the quality and the features that the travel trailer had to offer. He said that the selling price was a great deal, and what a great manufacturer Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated is. He explained the companies’ history and how they “stand by their reputation of exceptional product quality.” What he did not fill me in on was the mere fact that what he was actually selling me was a badly manufactured fifth wheel.
The Endura Max 2007 Toy Hauler’s exterior and the interior looked great. The furnishings were beautiful and the layout was perfect. What I did not see was all of the inadequate, and careless manufacturing that held all of this beauty which brought us nothing but terrible late nights, stress, worry, anger, missing time from work, and pure un-enjoyment.
At first the problem started with water leaks. Not just any water leaks but great amounts of water streaming down walls and windows. I remember the late nights my wife and I spent with towels hoping that a electrical fire would not start from all of the water running behind the microwave and into the electrical wall jacks. The problems kept coming and soon escalated into constant “continuous” water leaks throughout the entire unit. We kept taking the unit in for the leaks, and soon we found out that we had even bigger problems. The unit was taken into the shop fifteen separate times for the following problems: defective seals, slide outs, flushing systems and valves. Defective awing, and slide out motor. Rotting of walls, floors, and delaminating of outside exterior unit walls and rusted screws. Defective electrical wiring, mold growth, and ventilation system, roof, and leveling jacks.
On the final visit to the repair shop, we found that water is in the roof due to the manufacturing company at time of manufacture drilled holes through the roof as they installed the lights in the toy hauler. When the repair facility took the light cover off, the apparent water and mold reflected trapped water in the roof.
As you could imagine, we were speechless at the fact that we were encountering another problem. Now the roof has water in it. How much more does Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated need in order for them to take back this horrible unit?
Gulf Stream advertises on their website that you have “Access to Top Level Management, and that they listen to customer concerns.”
We tried to communicate with the top level management, numerous times via e-mail, faxes, correspondence signed and received by the company via US Postal Service with no success. Daniel Shea, and Phil Savari, did not reply or communicate with us regarding these issues.
We finally communicated with service manager John Smith of Gulf Stream coach and asked him to replace this unit with another. The companies’ resolution to this problem was to ask us for an additional $30,000.00 in order to replace the unit. After all of the water leaks, poor manufacturing and safety concerns, the company was asking “us” for another $30,000.00? How could they ask us for this money after all of the manufacturing problems? We purchased this defective and un-repairable unit for $53,000.00
The company wanted to make an additional $30,000.00 from our distress. This action conveyed a clear understanding about the company’s intention and business practices. Did the company not have any morals?
The company had sent two inspectors to look at the unit. Gulf Stream was made aware as to the findings and the seriousness of the issues with this trailer. On both occasions, a service manager and myself met with the inspectors and personally pointed out all of the issues. The unit was taken to an authorized facility. This facility had repaired the unit several times since the purchase. During the final inspection, the inspector was provided with a “packet” of service documents that exhibited past and current problems with this unit. The Service manager explained the history of repair work and pointed out the new problems. That was the last that we heard from Gulf Stream, until we got word from their attorney.
Gulf Stream’s attorney has presented us with an offer to take the fifth-wheel trailer once again to the repair shop for the seventeenth time for more repairs. We have taken the unit in for previous repairs and have received poor “patched” repair work as authorized by Gulf Stream. The company authorized shoddy patch work on a $53,000.00 unit that has had so many issues already? How can they feel that this is acceptable? Immediately we sent correspondence to the company expressing the outrage at the lack of resolution and care on their part and finally we decided that as consumers that we have had enough.
As advertised by Gulf Stream Incorporated’s website:
When you head out in a Gulf Stream fifth wheel or travel trailer, you go with confidence. After all, you know it’s been built for the forests, beaches and mountains of America by people who love the outdoors almost as much as you. We’re Gulf Stream. And we’ve been growing our reputation one family at a time. Since 1983, we haven’t been afraid to do things differently. To lead the industry and revolutionize the way you live out on the road. In fact, we’ll do just about anything to make our trailers more livable. And it shows. We’ve received the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturer’s Quality and Productivity award three years in a row. But it’s about more than just being revolutionary and earning distinctions. It’s also about snagging the hearts of generations of adventurers by continuing to look for ways to make things better, more durable. Galvanized steel straps. Revolutionary slide-room technology. Essential ergonomics. And top-of-the-line appliances. At Gulf Stream, we're always looking ahead, continuing to research better ways to design and manufacture the strongest, most dependable fifth wheels and travel trailers on the road today. It's our mission. And we take it very seriously. Just ask our growing Gulf Stream family.
We have exhausted all of our efforts to resolve this issue with Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated, and are litigating this case in a court of law.
I cannot tell you how much this experience has taught us that Gulf Stream Coach advertises a lot of “hype” and needs to re-evaluate their “core values and practices” and start practicing what they preach or advertises.
If anyone has any comments please call me at 407-407-8707 or 407-489-7146.
Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated will not guarantee their manufactured “Lemon.”
How many times does a product need to be in repair before it is classified as a bad product or the most commonly used term; “a lemon?” A company who is manufacturing goods for sale to the public should “stand” by their product and act responsibly when their product is a bad one. I find that this is a very tricky subject when it comes to the law and companies who manufacture products for sale. The laws are slim when it comes to holding these companies responsible for their products. The companies will write warranties and use them as a selling tool, but be very careful and read what you are signing. The warranty rules are written to be beneficial to the company, and not the customer.
The sales associate will say just about anything to make the sale. He spoke to me about the quality and the features that the travel trailer had to offer. He said that the selling price was a great deal, and what a great manufacturer Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated is. He explained the companies’ history and how they “stand by their reputation of exceptional product quality.” What he did not fill me in on was the mere fact that what he was actually selling me was a badly manufactured fifth wheel.
The Endura Max 2007 Toy Hauler’s exterior and the interior looked great. The furnishings were beautiful and the layout was perfect. What I did not see was all of the inadequate, and careless manufacturing that held all of this beauty which brought us nothing but terrible late nights, stress, worry, anger, missing time from work, and pure un-enjoyment.
At first the problem started with water leaks. Not just any water leaks but great amounts of water streaming down walls and windows. I remember the late nights my wife and I spent with towels hoping that a electrical fire would not start from all of the water running behind the microwave and into the electrical wall jacks. The problems kept coming and soon escalated into constant “continuous” water leaks throughout the entire unit. We kept taking the unit in for the leaks, and soon we found out that we had even bigger problems. The unit was taken into the shop fifteen separate times for the following problems: defective seals, slide outs, flushing systems and valves. Defective awing, and slide out motor. Rotting of walls, floors, and delaminating of outside exterior unit walls and rusted screws. Defective electrical wiring, mold growth, and ventilation system, roof, and leveling jacks.
On the final visit to the repair shop, we found that water is in the roof due to the manufacturing company at time of manufacture drilled holes through the roof as they installed the lights in the toy hauler. When the repair facility took the light cover off, the apparent water and mold reflected trapped water in the roof.
As you could imagine, we were speechless at the fact that we were encountering another problem. Now the roof has water in it. How much more does Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated need in order for them to take back this horrible unit?
Gulf Stream advertises on their website that you have “Access to Top Level Management, and that they listen to customer concerns.”
We tried to communicate with the top level management, numerous times via e-mail, faxes, correspondence signed and received by the company via US Postal Service with no success. Daniel Shea, and Phil Savari, did not reply or communicate with us regarding these issues.
We finally communicated with service manager John Smith of Gulf Stream coach and asked him to replace this unit with another. The companies’ resolution to this problem was to ask us for an additional $30,000.00 in order to replace the unit. After all of the water leaks, poor manufacturing and safety concerns, the company was asking “us” for another $30,000.00? How could they ask us for this money after all of the manufacturing problems? We purchased this defective and un-repairable unit for $53,000.00
The company wanted to make an additional $30,000.00 from our distress. This action conveyed a clear understanding about the company’s intention and business practices. Did the company not have any morals?
The company had sent two inspectors to look at the unit. Gulf Stream was made aware as to the findings and the seriousness of the issues with this trailer. On both occasions, a service manager and myself met with the inspectors and personally pointed out all of the issues. The unit was taken to an authorized facility. This facility had repaired the unit several times since the purchase. During the final inspection, the inspector was provided with a “packet” of service documents that exhibited past and current problems with this unit. The Service manager explained the history of repair work and pointed out the new problems. That was the last that we heard from Gulf Stream, until we got word from their attorney.
Gulf Stream’s attorney has presented us with an offer to take the fifth-wheel trailer once again to the repair shop for the seventeenth time for more repairs. We have taken the unit in for previous repairs and have received poor “patched” repair work as authorized by Gulf Stream. The company authorized shoddy patch work on a $53,000.00 unit that has had so many issues already? How can they feel that this is acceptable? Immediately we sent correspondence to the company expressing the outrage at the lack of resolution and care on their part and finally we decided that as consumers that we have had enough.
As advertised by Gulf Stream Incorporated’s website:
When you head out in a Gulf Stream fifth wheel or travel trailer, you go with confidence. After all, you know it’s been built for the forests, beaches and mountains of America by people who love the outdoors almost as much as you. We’re Gulf Stream. And we’ve been growing our reputation one family at a time. Since 1983, we haven’t been afraid to do things differently. To lead the industry and revolutionize the way you live out on the road. In fact, we’ll do just about anything to make our trailers more livable. And it shows. We’ve received the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturer’s Quality and Productivity award three years in a row. But it’s about more than just being revolutionary and earning distinctions. It’s also about snagging the hearts of generations of adventurers by continuing to look for ways to make things better, more durable. Galvanized steel straps. Revolutionary slide-room technology. Essential ergonomics. And top-of-the-line appliances. At Gulf Stream, we're always looking ahead, continuing to research better ways to design and manufacture the strongest, most dependable fifth wheels and travel trailers on the road today. It's our mission. And we take it very seriously. Just ask our growing Gulf Stream family.
We have exhausted all of our efforts to resolve this issue with Gulf Stream Coach Incorporated, and are litigating this case in a court of law.
I cannot tell you how much this experience has taught us that Gulf Stream Coach advertises a lot of “hype” and needs to re-evaluate their “core values and practices” and start practicing what they preach or advertises.
If anyone has any comments please call me at 407-407-8707 or 407-489-7146.
Tags: before, beware, buy, buyers, nightmares, please, read, rv, warning, you
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Pat Daly on -
Michelle, we're so sorry to learn of your very clear "lemon" problem with your Gulf Stream product. Unfortunately, you're not the only person we have heard about purchasing a true lemon, and not just from Gulf Stream. Sure, all new and vintage rvs can be expected to have some level of problems and will all require ongoing maintenance, but a buyer who pays very large dollars for a new rig right from the dealer/factory really should not have to expect to go through this volume of repairs.
Many retired rvers who have the time actually insist on taking delivery of their rv at the factory. They then go rving near the factory for a week or so and then come back with their list of "fixes"... all rvs have some. They also make sure that they get to know the service manager and their dealer who sold them the rig on a first name basis. You can be sure that you will be talking to them... my converations when I use to "buy new" were usually late friday night abut 200 miles from the back end of nowhere with now dealer support nearby.
In your case, I'd say it's high time to "take the gloves off".
A. Has you dealer gone to bat for you? They should be experting heavy pressure on the manufacturer; particularly if they are a large dealer for this manufacturer. They don't want their reputation tarnished and lose other sales and customers due to manufacturers problems.
B. If they have seriously not taken any action go meet with them and indicate that you really don't want to talk to the local tv stations "problem solver", Good Sam Club and Trailer Life's "advocates" and the state attorney general, but you want the unit replaced.
If that doesn't get you any satisfactoin I regret that it's time to get an rv savvy lawyer. And do it guickly. It is very common for rv manufacturers to string things out until both the Manufacturers warranty and Lemon Law expiration perior are over. Hopefully, you're still within warranty and state laws come into effect. Don't delay!
Thanks for alerting us to this big problem and please keep us informed in you blog.
Pat goodoldrvs.com
-
Permalink Reply by Becky Blanton on
-
If you REALLY want to get their attention, get a video camera. Video tape the water pouring through the roof and down the walls. Talk about the problems with the unit and videotape the logo and Gulf Stream name. Post it on YouTube. Then get a twitter account and twitter about it. Trust me. Gulf Stream WILL respond!!!
-
-
Have you contacted THESE numbers?
Your satisfaction is Gulf Stream’s number one goal, before and after the sale. If you have questions, concerns or suggestions about Gulf Stream’s line of fifth wheels and travel trailers, please call (800) 289-8787.
To contact a Sales Representative or Service Advisor at your local selling/servicing dealer, call our Retail Service Help Line at (800) 482-6456.
For Coach Net Emergency Roadside Assistance, please call (877) 801-0333.
GULF STREAM
503 South Oakland Ave
Nappanee, Indiana 46550
(800) 289-8787
GULF STREAM
P.O. Box 1005
Nappanee, Indiana 46550
LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN IMPROVE >
Email our Towable Sales Department
Email The Gulf Streamers Travel Club
Email our Service Department
-
-
You might also want to file a complaint with RIPOFF Report. Here's another complaint about Gulf Stream: http://www.ripoffreport.com/RV-Dealers/Gulfstream-Coach-Mor/gulfstr...
Since you're in Florida, contact the governor's office as well, via their website: http://www.stateofflorida.com/Portal/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=57
As a former journalist I know that state's consumer complaint websites, often called the "Buyer beware list," get GOOD results since the company isn't taken off the official "Buyer Beware" list until they DO respond to consumer complaints. The Better Business Bureau is usually impotent, politically driven and more corporate protective, but file a complaint with them too.
In the future, before buying any large ticket item, check with your state's buyer beware list to see what businesses in your state have complaints against them.
-
Permalink Reply by Michelle Gagne on -
Thank you so much Becky for all of your help. We appreciate you so much. Our story is supported by documented proof. We will be posting pictures shortly.
Kind regards,
Michelle Gagne
-
-
I like your website too! Can't wait to see the photos and proof you're posting there. While Gulf Stream could have simply looked at the facts, admitted their error and made a loyal customer by simply doing the right thing, they obviously chose NOT to. That's sad. Now it will cost them millions in lost revenue through court and legal battles and the customers they could have had but who will look elsewhere as a result of reading about this. In this age of internet, twitter and YouTube, organizations can't afford to ignore unhappy customers. It will destroy them. A story about a bad product used to take months to circulate around the country - if it ever did...with the internet that same story circulates in a matter of seconds or minutes. Your story reaches a thousand more consumers than it would have even just ten years ago. Companies who don't recognize that and adapt, will go out of business. I dare say this lawsuit could put Gulf Stream out of business.....And your's isn't the only one they have...
Have you gone to the courthouse or to Pacer.org and looked up all the other lawsuits that have been filed? Pacer is a national/federal database that has ALL THE LAWSUITS in the country against any company or individual. You can find out their entire legal history there...
Having your attorney subpeopna all electronic and digital correspondence for the past three years could yield interesting information as well, like emails between corporate and the manager. Even if they delete the emails, they still remain on servers and there is evidence of tampering with the emails (federal offense with jail time) once the experts go in. They're just digging their grave deeper and deeper. Hand them another shovel!!
-
Permalink Reply by Michelle Gagne on
-
I will be posting everything this afternoon.!
Michelle
-
-
I noticed that Gulf Stream started their own twitter account today!! @gulfstreamcoach. You can go to http://search.twitter.com and search on RV or on Gulf Stream and find all the tweets about RV products and the RV industry. There are over 50 RV companies and magazines and folks on Twitter that look at twitter news. I think if you post there (I have) you'll get some interest. Twitter is great for RV'ers for all kinds of reasons! You can find campgrounds, get answers and all sorts of stuff. I had a twitter account, it got hi-jacked and I lost my followers (NEVER enter your password in any application that claims to be from Twitter...it's a scam) so I started a new account. I'm @beckyblanton_ be sure and put the _ at the end of my name!
-
-
Hmmm... Gulf Stream Coach has a lot of pending lawsuits...and was sued recently in the FEMA trailer cases:
http://www.rvbusiness.com/2009/09/jury-clears-gulf-stream-coach-in-...
YOU may have the smoking gun a lot of cases need to prove Gulf Stream makes shoddy trailers! No wonder they're scared!!
Classic RV Sites We Like
Vintage Travel Trailer Art
RV ArtGallery
Silver Trailer
Music By Trevor Marty
Sites We Like
VK's Restorations
Canned Ham Restoration Videos
Repairing Yesterdays Trailers
Airstream Makeover Video
Build Your Own Truck Camper
Jana's Camper Restoration
Class C Frame Up Restor
Sierra Trailer Restoration
Boondocking Good Life
Adventure of George & Ms Tioga
Life On the Open Road
Come Join Us at Good Old RVs
If you love classic and vintage RVs then come Join us. Come on in and have some fun. Join here
Vintage RV community. Get help or share information on Vintage Trailer restorations, Restoring Classic RVs and RV Camping.
Videos
-
Camping @ Lake Guajome
Added by Jim
-
-
I Shall Be Released
Added by Trevor
-
© 2010 Created by Pat Daly.
Powered by 
.
