Is Camping World Being Re-Branded?

[Bob Denman]

I like your analogy...
But I prefer the "Can I borrow two twos, 'til Tuesday?" one...

[10scDust]

Originally Posted by Cason61

An ta think years ago I thought if I bought a new RV that I wouldn't have to do all the work I did on my vehicle and my home when they were new. 'New' means no repairs or work for awhile right? And how difficult could it be to use an RV? Oh well. New set of rules.

'NEW' rule means: as being first owner, any problem, or failure that arises a first time, makes it 'NEW' for you to fix!

[The Gritz Carlton]

Just came back from several days at the NASCAR race in Atlanta...thousands of every type camper made out there mostly boondocking. I spoke with many and the general consensus..."Yep, we've had our share of issues but without it...we wouldn't be here and this is what we love!".

[Bob Denman]

"Misery loves company"...

And so do Campers!

I heard that it was a bit chilly at the track...

[Cason61]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

You wouldn't marry a prostitute with just a promise that she would quit pulling tricks once you got through the honeymoon. Why do people continue to accept and actually take delivery of RV's...knowing it has issues...but with a promise by the dealer to fix things...LATER?? You're ASKING for trouble and you usually get what you ask for where negatives are involved. If you don't get everything resolved BEFORE you turn over the money...you never will get the "happy ending"!! Why do you think McDonald's gets their money up front??? How many people would actually go back to the counter and pay after they unwrapped that crap??

Well put. Maybe make this one of the 10(?) golden rules for buying an RV for the new folks. Take a lot of work to put together, but it's doable.

[Bob Denman]

Is that a little bit like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As6y5eI01XE

[Cason61]

Originally Posted by 10scDust

'NEW' rule means: as being first owner, any problem, or failure that arises a first time, makes it 'NEW' for you to fix!

And to take it back to the dealer, where it sits for a long time. Or if able to, you can fix it. Bought a new car one time overseas that would die every time I went around a corner. The dealer replaced the whole carbuerator, which was overkill but in the US I would be going back four, maybe five times (which in another car did happen for another problem). Read about a dealership that did that to a woman all those times so she put up a billboard about the service she got, bad. They threatened to sue her and she gave them her Lawyer card and took it to the newspaper too. She got her car fixed. Don't know why you have to be a mechanic, electrician, electronics tech, carpenter, paint and body man ... etc. in addition to knowing how to cook, camp and live in the outdoors but there it is. Oh yeah, being at least first aid qualified would be a plus.

[blw2]

back on topic for just a moment...
I popped into my local CW store yesterday. Looks like they are doinga major reorganization of the layout.

Seems like just a few months ago (probably more like a year or two), I went in surprised to see a nice looking layout in the front quarter of the store...with lots of nice looking display aisles with all sorts of housewares and such. Maybe a touch upscale looking (almost anyway), nice kitchen gadgets, housewares, and even pet stuff. Reminded me of the Lazy Days store down in Tampa as I saw it a couple years prior.

well yesterday...all of that was gone. A major garage sale clearance thing going on with what was left of it in that area. In the remainder of the store the layout had drastically changed. They seemed to be downsizing.

I didn't ask about it....

[Bob Denman]

When we were in the middle of buying our Outlaw: they were bring in personnel from a local Gander Mountain Store ,that was shutting down...

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by Bomber Rydr

Your empathy is overwhelming

We had issues with one new CW in our area, so we went to the other. The text I got from the former CW when we bought our unit was unreal! So I saved it and sent to the corporate office along with a copy to the state Atty General.

I liked Gander when they were an outdoor store. I bought several firearms from them. Ours now has low price towables in the parking lot, but no service bays or service area. I hope they do well mainly because they have a great selection of firearms and equipment.

I always root for the guys who provide me w/quality firearms! That, in my way of thinking, is more important than how long I havta sit hurry up & waiting to get warranty issues taken care of at cw![emoji6]

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by The Gritz Carlton

Just came back from several days at the NASCAR race in Atlanta...thousands of every type camper made out there mostly boondocking. I spoke with many and the general consensus..."Yep, we've had our share of issues but without it...we wouldn't be here and this is what we love!".

I've onlg been at it for less than two months & I already agree with that sentiment![emoji39] [emoji190]

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by Cason61

And to take it back to the dealer, where it sits for a long time. Or if able to, you can fix it. Bought a new car one time overseas that would die every time I went around a corner. The dealer replaced the whole carbuerator, which was overkill but in the US I would be going back four, maybe five times (which in another car did happen for another problem). Read about a dealership that did that to a woman all those times so she put up a billboard about the service she got, bad. They threatened to sue her and she gave them her Lawyer card and took it to the newspaper too. She got her car fixed. Don't know why you have to be a mechanic, electrician, electronics tech, carpenter, paint and body man ... etc. in addition to knowing how to cook, camp and live in the outdoors but there it is. Oh yeah, being at least first aid qualified would be a plus.

I got the medic part down pat, but I need volunteers to teach me all that other stuff (notice I said teach me, not do it for me?). I'm a girl that wants to learn - I don't like it when girls pretend they can't learn, and convince someone else to do all the work for them, that's just plain rude...

& on that note I must again thank all you guys who've taught me so many things already about my rv! Frankly, more things than I thought I'd need to know - & it's really just a drop in the bucket of all the learnin that's still in store for me! Thanks guys!!!

[Cason61]

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

I got the medic part down pat, but I need volunteers to teach me all that other stuff (notice I said teach me, not do it for me?). I'm a girl that wants to learn - I don't like it when girls pretend they can't learn, and convince someone else to do all the work for them, that's just plain rude...

& on that note I must again thank all you guys who've taught me so many things already about my rv! Frankly, more things than I thought I'd need to know - & it's really just a drop in the bucket of all the learnin that's still in store for me! Thanks guys!!!

Thank god for not having to replace plugs, points and condensers every 25k miles. Ahem, Ok if someone has showed you how to raise the hood in the compartment, you can visually look at your engine battery, your radiator for water, your brake fluid, windshield washer water and if the motor is not running, you can check the engine oil dip stick. Then read up about checking the transmission fluid. Make sure after you do these checks you put everything back and tight, shut the hood and lock it in place. This is all visual. You can go on U-tube to get some more understanding for checking the oil in your generator, how to get to it, checking the slide motor for fluid extend and retract the auto-lift, extend and raise/ lower the antenna and when to change all the filters. Sure do wish they would put out a DVD on all the other things (fresh water, gray, black water, sewer, electricity, operate slide out, operate electrical- propane for hot water, awning retract and extend ... but again U-tube might help. Might want to keep a log book record of what to look for, when to do it and where it is.

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by Cason61

Thank god for not having to replace plugs, points and condensers every 25k miles. Ahem, Ok if someone has showed you how to raise the hood in the compartment, you can visually look at your engine battery, your radiator for water, your brake fluid, windshield washer water and if the motor is not running, you can check the engine oil dip stick. Then read up about checking the transmission fluid. Make sure after you do these checks you put everything back and tight, shut the hood and lock it in place. This is all visual. You can go on U-tube to get some more understanding for checking the oil in your generator, how to get to it, checking the slide motor for fluid extend and retract the auto-lift, extend and raise/ lower the antenna and when to change all the filters. Sure do wish they would put out a DVD on all the other things (fresh water, gray, black water, sewer, electricity, operate slide out, operate electrical- propane for hot water, awning retract and extend ... but again U-tube might help. Might want to keep a log book record of what to look for, when to do it and where it is.

Thank you. I've started using some of your ideas already. I read a lot & watch youtube videos, etc. I have at least some small semblance of mechanical ability. I work on my own firearms & I took classes in motorcycle mechanics in the late seventies as a teen. I used to love old motorcycles that my eldest brother & I would buy in the proverbial basket & then rebuild (pre-computerized types, both 2 & 4 stroke). But when I tried to transfer that knowledge to cars later in life, I froze, I couldn't seem to get by the size difference, it really intimidated me. But I Love my new, yet already pain in the a$s, rv!!! I havta learn. I feel like I did when I first learned how to maintain a finicky carbeurator, just joyful - regardless of how many snafus encountered or trips back to cw! So, I hope that passion will help me with the steep learning curve & keep me motivated to seek new skills & knowledge throughout the coming years. Thanks to you & so many others here who encourage, motivate, & help me learn!!![emoji4]

[Cason61]

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

Thank you. I've started using some of your ideas already. I read a lot & watch youtube videos, etc. I have at least some small semblance of mechanical ability. I work on my own firearms & I took classes in motorcycle mechanics in the late seventies as a teen. I used to love old motorcycles that my eldest brother & I would buy in the proverbial basket & then rebuild (pre-computerized types, both 2 & 4 stroke). But when I tried to transfer that knowledge to cars later in life, I froze, I couldn't seem to get by the size difference, it really intimidated me. But I Love my new, yet already pain in the a$s, rv!!! I havta learn. I feel like I did when I first learned how to maintain a finicky carbeurator, just joyful - regardless of how many snafus encountered or trips back to cw! So, I hope that passion will help me with the steep learning curve & keep me motivated to seek new skills & knowledge throughout the coming years. Thanks to you & so many others here who encourage, motivate, & help me learn!!![emoji4]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. The slide motor which uses hydraulic fluid. Call Thor and ask them to send you the location diagrams, electrical schematics and operating manuals. When you find where the slide motor is on yours, it will have a resorvoir with a cap on top and a stick which is hard to read. Just lay it flat on a paper towel to see how high the fluid is on the stick.

[sm49]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

You know it fits that CW owns and controls GM. Both companies stink.

Is this true? never heard it before.

[Soldier Girl]

Originally Posted by Cason61

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. The slide motor which uses hydraulic fluid. Call Thor and ask them to send you the location diagrams, electrical schematics and operating manuals. When you find where the slide motor is on yours, it will have a resorvoir with a cap on top and a stick which is hard to read. Just lay it flat on a paper towel to see how high the fluid is on the stick.

Thanks. I'll work on getting some schematics too, I really appreciate the mention of the slide motor reservoir, I hadn't even thought of that.

[Cason61]

Originally Posted by Soldier Girl

Thanks. I'll work on getting some schematics too, I really appreciate the mention of the slide motor reservoir, I hadn't even thought of that.

Yeah, somehow I got the manual and diagram for it from I forgot who. It went into my big hardback notebook (each notebook or page is numbered, labeled and within lamination ) with a table of contents to find where I put it. Find out what kind of auto trans fluid goes in it and keep an extra quart, just in case.

[The Gritz Carlton]

Originally Posted by sm49

Is this true? never heard it before.

Gander Mountain went bankrupt. CW bought the rights to market under the "Gander" name and now are transitioning into a new, yet to be determined by us, retail outlet. Maybe they just want to sell RV's off the shelf, like cook stoves and toilet paper, but not have anything to do with service....sorta like they've been doing all along.

[The Gritz Carlton]

Originally Posted by Cason61

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. The slide motor which uses hydraulic fluid. Call Thor and ask them to send you the location diagrams, electrical schematics and operating manuals. When you find where the slide motor is on yours, it will have a resorvoir with a cap on top and a stick which is hard to read. Just lay it flat on a paper towel to see how high the fluid is on the stick.

Are you sure you're not talking about the leveling jacks? I need to go back to the factory as my reservoirs on the slide motors are missing.