Central Florida Warranty/Repair Experience?

[ShinyPete]

Fellow Airstreamers-

Our Pete needs one more Warranty visit to a dealer for a few repair and/or replacement items before his two year warranty runs out in early November. And so, I would like to ask a favor from some of you. (unfortunately, we can't work in a visit to the factory before Warranty expiration)

Without disparaging any dealer, I would like to ask for anyone who has had any Airstream work (warranty specifically would be great) done in 2015 at a Central Florida area dealer to comment on their experience. We bought Pete in Tampa just before the dealer sold out in late 2013, and have not been to the new owners' shop. We have had 3 Warranty trips to the North of Gainesville - Alachua - dealer, and were treated excellent, then fair, then kinda poorly in order of trips. And they switched Service Managers last fall.

So, let me know where you've had work done and how would you rate the experience, please. Tampa or Alachua? Staff treated you how? Work was done to what level of satisfaction?

Thanks!

[xrvr]

Go back to Alachua, JD Sanders.

[jayseejay]

We ordered new through JD Sanders (after the change in service managers) and have received excellent warranty service on a few minor items since then. We plan to continue to use Sanders for both warranty work and further purchases. Best, Joe

[Remax gal]

We had to have warranty work done on our 2014 Eddie Bauer at Sanders. It was actually work done by North Trail RV in Ft. Myers, but it still wasn't working and we were leaving to head north on vacation, so we stopped by there. The work was done just fine, but we were not treated real politely by service manager (maybe he had to work us in and wasn't happy about that - and I understand). We then purchased a 2015 Classic in Orlando but Tampa is more convenient to us. We took Classic to Tampa and the gal on the phone that asks the problems and sets the appointment was a NIGHTMARE! Very rude and it was obvious she did not have time for us. It look almost 2 months before they could fit us in. The trailer had to be left for a couple of days. Literally as my husband pulled in to pick it up, the NIGHTMARE called me to tell me that another trailer had hit our trailer. So, we had to leave on that vacation with a patch on the side of our brand new Airstream. That was in July. It is October 1st before they could "fit" us back in to make that repair. So, if I had to choose, it would be Sanders


Laura & Tom

[bunni]

Call Sanders for an appointment. We called a few weeks ago for an appointment in early November also. They were pretty open for that time when we called.

[xrvr]

Sanders has only a few service people and are usually swamped. Yes it can get hectic. They have tried to hire more techs but won't just hire anyone off the street. AS techs are rare, good rv techs are rare. They've worked on all my AS and Avions, been totally satisfied.

[369goose]

Agree w Remax Gal/post #4. Unless you delight in NIGHTMARE don't go to Tampa.

[FlaBucki]

Sounds like we are in the same boat. I bought from Bates a few months before they sold to RVOne and before I needed warranty work. When I needed warranty work, the RVOne Tampa service center was closed for rebuilding. I live in North Orlando, so I thought RVOne could help me in Winter Park, where RVOne was then selling Airstreams. No such luck, they said they could not "work me in". I appealed to the factory and they referred me to the Alachua dealer, which did take care of me satisfactorily. But that store is about a three hour drive for me.

I had another encounter with the RVOne Winter Park store in 2014 over my house batteries. In short, they treated me as badly in that encounter as I have ever been treated by a "service" organization. I will never go back there for anything.

Last spring I tried the Tampa store once more, but when they determined I had not purchased from them but that I was a legacy Bates customer, their ability to get me in lengthened to at least four weeks out. And that was for what I considered a high priority repair - my black tank valve would not operate and I had a full tank. I ended up figuring out the manual release, and then replacing the valve myself by purchasing the valve directly from the OEM and doing the work on my driveway. (Not difficult actually once the research was done.)

I had my last warranty work performed in Jackson Center last spring before my warranty ran out. They did a great job there.

For future work, I will either save it for the JC location as I pass through there at least once a year or try Camping World in west Orlando.

[mike28]

Don't even think about going to the Dealer in Tampa. They are the worst RV dealer that I have ever dealt with...poor quality techs, poor management and no clue as to what customer service is all about. I live within 50 miles from Tampa and always take my unit to J D Sanders which is around 150 miles from home. They can be busy at times, so call for an appointment.

[bwpaint]

Another vote for JD Sanders. Been great to work with for parts and service.

[ShinyPete]

Thanks Ya'll ! Alachua Bound Oct 12.

[mike28]

One would think that someone at Airstream monitors our forums, but complaints about the Tampa Dealer always falls on deaf ears at the management team at Airstream. They just shrug it off when confronted with the issue. It seems as if they care more about the Dealer than the Customer that keeps them in business.