Saturday, June 6, 2009
Supreme RV Service, Elkhart, IN: May 6-9
In 2003 we were having problems with our slide-outs, along with some other issues, and after unhappy attempts to get the problems fixed through the dealer in Colorado, we decided to try taking it to the factory (Travel Supreme) near Elkhart. The results were even better than we had hoped for.
Recently we had been having similar slide-out problems, with a few other issues, and thought we would head back to the factory as part of our eastern tour. Unfortunately, Travel Supreme was a casualty of the economic slowdown and went out of business in 2008. Then we discovered on the internet that a few ex-employees had started a repair facility specializing in Travel Supreme, so we set up an appointment. Our first inkling of pending trouble was when we walked in & no one was expecting us, since the guy we had made all the arrangements with had been sacked. This was not a big issue, however, since we were the only customers. Not a big issue that is as far as their having time to do the work. Things sounded pretty iffy about why the former TS employees were no longer there, and we didn't have a lot of confidence that these guys knew a whole lot that would help us.
Fortunately the weather was cool, so we didn't have to worry about the cats as we bundled all 3 into the truck the next morning, and work progressed on our trailer promptly at 8am. When we dealt with the factory, they had plenty of parts on hand, so replacing almost anything was not an issue. Not so with 3 mechanics struggling to stay afloat (were they actual employees or friends of the owner?), whose entire inventory was a well-stocked tool chest and an empty oversize garage. Every time a part was needed they would phone some cut-rate RV supply store who had probably acquired their inventory by buying up manufacturers' inventories on the cheap as they went belly-up. Our guys did successfully adjust our slide-outs (we think!), but most of the other issues were either fixed poorly or not at all. The bill was considerably less than what we were expecting, on the other hand, so we were not totally unhappy. Some unnecessary labor was expended in trying to fit a new set of steps on that turned out to be the wrong size. Because we are "good guys" (or suckers!) we agreed to split the labor. In retrospect, if they were at all professional, they should have known that the steps were the wrong size and not have tried it at all. Live & learn...
The Elkhart area is obviously in the midst of some hard economic times, so it was good to bring a little money to their economy. However, it would have been better to have spent it on work that we had more confidence in being done correctly.
We were planning to leave on Saturday, but there was heavy rain in the forecast, and after much flip-flopping decided to stay an extra day, at which point the rain pretty much stopped for the rest of the day. So we got to do some sightseeing around Elkhart, which is fairly limited unless you're into Amish, and we had had our fill of that at Shelbyville. Elkhart sits at the convergence of the Elkhart & St. Joseph Rivers, where there is an island that supposedly is shaped like the heart of an elk, which is how the town derived its name. The island is now a city park, and quite a nice place to stroll around and enjoy a pleasant afternoon. There are interesting sculptures throughout the city parks.
Recently we had been having similar slide-out problems, with a few other issues, and thought we would head back to the factory as part of our eastern tour. Unfortunately, Travel Supreme was a casualty of the economic slowdown and went out of business in 2008. Then we discovered on the internet that a few ex-employees had started a repair facility specializing in Travel Supreme, so we set up an appointment. Our first inkling of pending trouble was when we walked in & no one was expecting us, since the guy we had made all the arrangements with had been sacked. This was not a big issue, however, since we were the only customers. Not a big issue that is as far as their having time to do the work. Things sounded pretty iffy about why the former TS employees were no longer there, and we didn't have a lot of confidence that these guys knew a whole lot that would help us.
Fortunately the weather was cool, so we didn't have to worry about the cats as we bundled all 3 into the truck the next morning, and work progressed on our trailer promptly at 8am. When we dealt with the factory, they had plenty of parts on hand, so replacing almost anything was not an issue. Not so with 3 mechanics struggling to stay afloat (were they actual employees or friends of the owner?), whose entire inventory was a well-stocked tool chest and an empty oversize garage. Every time a part was needed they would phone some cut-rate RV supply store who had probably acquired their inventory by buying up manufacturers' inventories on the cheap as they went belly-up. Our guys did successfully adjust our slide-outs (we think!), but most of the other issues were either fixed poorly or not at all. The bill was considerably less than what we were expecting, on the other hand, so we were not totally unhappy. Some unnecessary labor was expended in trying to fit a new set of steps on that turned out to be the wrong size. Because we are "good guys" (or suckers!) we agreed to split the labor. In retrospect, if they were at all professional, they should have known that the steps were the wrong size and not have tried it at all. Live & learn...
The Elkhart area is obviously in the midst of some hard economic times, so it was good to bring a little money to their economy. However, it would have been better to have spent it on work that we had more confidence in being done correctly.
We were planning to leave on Saturday, but there was heavy rain in the forecast, and after much flip-flopping decided to stay an extra day, at which point the rain pretty much stopped for the rest of the day. So we got to do some sightseeing around Elkhart, which is fairly limited unless you're into Amish, and we had had our fill of that at Shelbyville. Elkhart sits at the convergence of the Elkhart & St. Joseph Rivers, where there is an island that supposedly is shaped like the heart of an elk, which is how the town derived its name. The island is now a city park, and quite a nice place to stroll around and enjoy a pleasant afternoon. There are interesting sculptures throughout the city parks.
# posted by Doug and Willie @ 6:06 AM 
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