Full-Time RV Living equals voided warrantee? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

CK2018 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Full-Time RV Living equals voided warrantee?

ticat900 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hard question to answer.There are hundreds of trailer manufacturers and models if not thousands. some travel and fifth wheel trailers were never designed
and built to withstand the rigours of full time living. some are high end some mid term and some entry level
A new TT that's sells for 18K for example certainly wont be built to withstand the rigours of 24/7/365 living and most likely fall under the no warrenty for full time. Now take a 100K plus fiver iam sure is just the opposite
So many models and so many varyables its not cut and dried the way I see things

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

One literally has to look into each manufacturer. Some manufacturers may make a good number of brands/models, but maybe only two or three are warranted by that manufacturer for full time. We have a Mobile Suites, which is built by DRV Suites, a company started by the "then-owners" of Sunnybrook, specifically to build fifth wheels for full time RV'ers. In addition to the better quality frame, suspension, axles, tires and wheels, they built the Mobile Suites and Elite Suites with 3 1/4" walls and extra insulation.

When doing our research, I even asked one factory rep whether their RV was warranted for full time use. His reply was to say, "Just don't tell us you are full-timers." I walked out of there because who would know that a service manager somewhere for a repair sensed that we lived in it full-time and deny coverage.

Terry

CK2018 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Funny you should mention you own a DRV...we are seriously looking at their Fullhouse model for our permanent rig when we retire.

Getting back to my rant, I am struggling with the hypocrisy of sales people telling you that their brand is the best built, and designed to last, and yet not designed for full time living. If they merely stated, "not designed for full time living", that would be more appropriate. Clearly, many of today's rigs don't have the amenities or storage necessary to live in...but that should be the buyers decision.

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

Exactly what is full time living? In it's strictest terms you would have to be confined to the rig 24-7, have somebody else bring you food, and anything else needed to live in and maintain the rig etc. The second you drive off to do anything, you are technically not living there at least temporarily thus negating the full time definition. Moving you rig from one place to another is not living in it, literally speaking. For manufacturers to assert full time living as cause for voiding a warranty, they would have to prove all of the above conditions were met. Now, declaring your rig to be your primary residence is a different matter and could call into question the full time definition in a more complex way.

JMHO, Brian

-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 16th of November 2015 10:51:57 AM

ticat900 · RV-Dreams Family Member

biggaRView wrote:
Exactly what is full time living? In it's strictest terms you would have to be confined to the rig 24-7, have somebody else bring you food, and anything else needed to live in and maintain the rig etc. The second you drive off to do anything, you are technically not living there at least temporarily thus negating the full time definition. Moving you rig from one place to another is not living in it, literally speaking. For manufacturers to assert full time living as cause for voiding a warranty, they would have to prove all of the above conditions were met. Now, declaring your rig to be your primary residence is a different matter and could call into question the full time definition in a more complex way.
JMHO, Brian

-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 16th of November 2015 10:51:57 AM

Declaring your rig your residence is full timing and when u full time your rig is your residence. It seems to me manufacturers are like the IRS its up to the customer to prove their right in their claim

and not the other way around. However a dealer doing warrenty work would most liklely have to really dig deep to assert your full timing in the unit and for what reason?

It would seem to me they would do that Only if your abusing the warrenty of which many people tend to do

ticat900 · RV-Dreams Family Member

checked with my GM today and he says just about all brands void(don't offer) warrenty if used for full time residence
what he does when warrenty repairs comes in is simply does not tell the manufacturer or the ext warrenty
companies.They have no way of telling so he says its no big deal

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

We too own a Grand Design product and have attended rallies at Elkhart IN, home of the factory. We have met the owners and their service VP. Actually the service VP has been in our 5th Wheel helping us on a TV issue. They know full well we are full timers and have never indicated in any way that our warranty might be in jeopardy. Matter of fact they were replacing parts on any rig that came to the rally regardless of age, free of charge. Many of rally attendees were getting the upgraded design features even 2 years out of warranty.

With that said, I too wonder why they certify their RV's for extended stay instead of full time use.

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

Heartland is a manufacturer that specifically warrants the Landmark, Big Horn and Big Country fifth wheels for full time use. Although you are interested in a toy hauler, there is no mention of the Cyclone or Road Warrior lines being full time rigs, but I have never heard of them denying coverage to any trailer because of it.

BoAndRach · RV-Dreams Family Member

For what it's worth, when we were considering the Heartland Cyclone earlier this summer, I reached out to Heartland directly and they said that the Cyclone is warranted for full-time use. To Jay's point above, it's not documented anywhere that any of their toy haulers are warranted for full-time use, but they will say in emails that it is. If interested, I can track down who I spoke with and provide the updated warranty info (that I believe includes Cyclone).

Chuck, we ultimately decided on the DRV Full House and put in our order just a couple weeks ago. It's supposed to be ready in January. I'll be glad to keep you posted on how it goes, if you're interested.

CK2018 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Bo, we are absolutely interested, even excited to hear about your DRV when you receive it. We have been ooodling that rig for several months. We have walked through several brands, but nothing seems to fit the bill, and definitely doesn't seem to compare to the Fullhouse. We would love to see one, but they haven't been around too long, only 50 have been made (per Kyle at the factory) so there are none around here to see. Comparing the Heartland product to the DRV, I can clearly see why you made that choice, providing you are OK with the $. Which model did you get? What will you be hauling in the garage? What will you be towing it with? (Sorry I sound like a giddy little kid!) If you are anywhere near Southern Az, please reach out, we would definitely love to see it.
Regarding the Email for full time use, I would keep a copy of that Email. Sales reps have been known to say anything, but will they have the juice to stand behind their statements when the time comes?

Chuck

BoAndRach · RV-Dreams Family Member

Chuck, we’ll be glad to keep you posted. And, it just so happens we’re headed straight to Arizona as soon as the house sells, so we’ll be glad to give you a tour! However, if you find yourself with reason to visit Texas, all of the ExploreUSA dealers seem to have at least one Full House on their lot. Last time I checked, I think there were six in Texas. (However, we ultimately decided to go with Rolling Retreats in OK, due to the recommendations on this forum.)

We went back in forth on the fact that they are so new to the market, but Kyle really put our minds at ease when he explained DRV’s first foray into haulers a few years ago and the subsequent decision to go back to the drawing board before continuing down the hauler path. And, seeing them in person puts the mind at ease even more. I’m no expert, but they seem every bit as nice/well-made as the other DRVs.

Originally, we thought we’d go with the LX450, but that L-shaped sofa is incredibly small and incredibly close to the TV. We just didn’t feel that the living area was all that “livable” for full-timing. Ultimately, we opted for the JX450. I think it’s going to work out perfectly. I’ll let you know in January.

We’ll be hauling a stable of mountain and road bikes. And, I’ll still be working, so the garage may serve as my office. However, Bo has been hinting at dirt bikes, too, so I may be losing my claim to the garage!

We haven’t purchased our truck yet, but leaning toward the Ram 3500.

Anyhow, we’re really excited and happy to share any info we have. Glad to keep in touch.

Take care!

Rachael

(Sorry, I didn’t sign earlier! It’s usually me posting, though.)

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Chuck and Kara, you've stumbled on one of the more secretive areas of the RV industry. There are all sorts of reasons why a factory might not want people to full-time in a particular coach line. Putting the best construction on it, they are gently guiding you to those coaches that are sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of full-time living. Generally, full-timers choose sturdier coaches because we have more stuff with us (in many cases, we don't have any other place for any of our stuff). We also are on the road more, and we are using the stuff (refrigerator, toilet, etc.) all the time. Our coaches have larger tanks because of that.

We have some friends who bought a popular motor home brand new for their full-time adventures. Less than a year later they traded it even-up for a 10-year-old Foretravel because they could see that their original choice wouldn't stand up to full-time use.

If you aren't already members of the Escapees forum, you need to join. You will find a wealth of information there. While you are reading the various threads, pay attention to what coaches full-timers are using. It won't take you long to figure out which brands and models are most common. There are reasons why those brands and models predominate.

Keep in mind that warranty coverage only applies to the original owner (and sometimes to a second owner) for the first year or two. If you buy an out-of-warranty coach the company doesn't care what you do with it because they are off the hook. Our "learner" trailer was a little Heartland mpg 181. Google that and you will see that there is no way any sane person would consider it a full-time coach. Heartland didn't, either. However, the warranty was only for one year, so if we had kept it and full-timed in it Heartland wouldn't have cared.

CK2018 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Wow, so excited to hear from you, and now that I have shared our common interest with my wife, the questions are just flying out! Unfortunately, we don't see ourselves making it to Texas in the near future, but given their inventory we may need to make it a priority. What part of Az will you be heading to? It's funny that you chose the JX450...that was our choice as well! But to be honest, that choice is merely based on staring at floor plans, and needs to be backed up by that real feeling of using all 5 senses when we actually walk thru one.

Did you make any changes to the base floor plan? What, if any customizations did you make? Did you get the full body paint, partial?

We have looked at several models like the LX450 which have the second bathroom, and considered converting that area to a laundry/utility room. The plumbing is already there, and with just the two of us don't need the second bathroom. With the JX450, we are considering whether to put washer and dryer into the garage, or just keep them where they are located. We had thought it would be nice to have a larger shower, and a bit more storage space in the bathroom. We will have a Harley Trike in the garage. Did you opt to keep the dishwasher, or just more storage in that area? We were happy to see that the 2016 has pocket doors instead of standard swinging.

I hope we are not being intrusive with all of our questions, but we are very excited to finally talk to someone about the Fullhouse. Clearly, this post has nothing to do with my original rant, and I hope we can continue to correspond about the DRV. Below is my Email address if you would prefer to take this off-line.

Shafferff@gmail.com

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

You guys made me go looking at the Full House floor plans. Just as a side thought, we found that DRV's original furniture in the 2010's were really uncomfortable. It only took one trip in the coach to get us to sell the original furniture (both recliners and the couch) and replace the two recliners with a La-Z-Boy Reclinaway love seat. The rear of ours, where the couch was, is now Jo's sewing center. By not having the L-shaped couch, should you decide you don't like the original furniture in yours, I think it would be easier to change to something else.

Also, check to see what the new units have for a warranty. When we got our 2010, we found that most of the unit was covered for just one year, parts of the unit were warranted for two years, and (if I remember right) the structural was warranted for 3 years.

Terry

CK2018 · RV-Dreams Community Member

That's funny about the furniture, we did the same thing with our Grand Design! We took out both swivel recliners, and replaced them with our own, which we love. We are thinking that they will transfer into the DRV, when we get there.

BoAndRach · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the advice, Terry! I think I had read somewhere else that the furniture wasn't super comfortable. Luckily in the toy hauler, there's only the small recliner loveseat to replace.

I'm drawing a complete blank on the warranty, but I thought it was more comprehensive than others I have seen (maybe 1/3/5, but I honestly don't recall - I need to look).

Chuck and Kara, not intrusive at all! We are so excited about the adventure and love talking about it! I'll be glad to shoot you an email.

Talk to you soon!
Rachael (and Bo)

Hafnutz · RV-Dreams Community Member

In reality how would they know? Most warranties are only good for one year anyway. Even the low priced entry level models should last that long. Then on the other hand what constitutes full-time? If I live in mine for ten months then stay with my kids for two months is that full time?

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hafnutz wrote:
In reality how would they know? Most warranties are only good for one year anyway. Even the low priced entry level models should last that long. Then on the other hand what constitutes full-time? If I live in mine for ten months then stay with my kids for two months is that full time?

Full-time can be defined with varying periods of time. For instance, a manufacturer might say it is 9 months a year as an example. An insurance company might even say it is just 6 months as an example. I have no idea what each entity might consider full-time, so it certainly pays to ask around. The insurance company we had prior to going full time would not insure us if we lived in ours full time, so it boils down to more than just the manufacturer, which does warrant the trailer for full-timers. In fact, the DRV Suites brand (formerly Doubletree RV's) was built specifically for full-timers by the owners of Sunnybrook at the time the company started.

I don't know about anyone else, but just about any service tech seeing the inside of our coach would probably easily determine that we were full timers, just by the amount of clothes and so many other things that could easily be seen.

Also with full-time as a consideration, will one's finance company even consider a loan if one doesn't have a "permanent" home address? I've heard that at least some won't.

Terry

CK2018 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Terry, great point about the finance companies. I was so busy being annoyed about the builders, I never even considered the Insurance or Financing. While we will have the ability to pay cash for our rig, we like having an option to finance, depending on interest rates.

ticat900 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hafnutz wrote:
In reality how would they know? Most warranties are only good for one year anyway. Even the low priced entry level models should last that long. Then on the other hand what constitutes full-time? If I live in mine for ten months then stay with my kids for two months is that full time?

That was the point I made in a previous post.They wont know. The repairs most of the time are made by a RV dealer that has an agreement to do warrenty repairs for that brand

RV techs could care less what you do.(full time or not)its absolutely none of their concern.I cant speak for other shops But I know our two shops do lots of warrenty repair on trailers

and If A RV tech were to ever bring up the matter(no one has ever to my knowledge) we would simply tell him to mind his own business.If its a legit warrant claim of which we know 100% we will be paid to repair it gets done no matter the trailer useage

-- Edited by ticat900 on Thursday 19th of November 2015 10:29:38 AM

-- Edited by ticat900 on Thursday 19th of November 2015 10:33:06 AM

Jo And Craig · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just to be clear... there ARE insurance companies who offer full timer coverage.

TRAILERKING · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think the big thing most would be concerned about is the ones that get used in winter. Getting skirted in and heated, trying to fight the elements in -30 and -40 winter. There are some up here from out of province, in a campground that have been stationed here for over a year doing construction work.
The units just were never designed for that type of use.

ticat900 · RV-Dreams Family Member

TRAILERKING wrote:
I think the big thing most would be concerned about is the ones that get used in winter. Getting skirted in and heated, trying to fight the elements in -30 and -40 winter. There are some up here from out of province, in a campground that have been stationed here for over a year doing construction work.
The units just were never designed for that type of use.

Totally agreed in that situation if u have freezing or humidity warrenty claims aint going to happen

JonRV · RV-Dreams Family Member

Seems like more of a legal issue rather on one that they enforce for minor repairs.

rodeojoe · RV-Dreams Family Member

I had no idea this was even something to be concerned about until I read here. I will have to look into it. Appreciate all of the information about talking to the finance company and insurance company too. These are all areas where I will need to be well informed before we get this all in motion. I still have a few years until my daughter graduates but it is never too early to start planning.