CW

Billin · 06-11-2015, 07:46 PM

Hello,

I purchased a 2004 Sunline T-2499 from Camping W*rld, in Midway, Florida three weeks ago Saturday (May 23rd, 2015). The inside of the travel trailer had just been "detailed" and smelled fresh inside, like carpet shampoo.
I drove 385 miles to see and purchase the travel trailer. We had a lovely ride home, I parked the travel trailer in my driveway, and I have not moved it since. It has not rained all week either.
My wife and I had coffee in the trailer on Sunday morning, and soon after she had an asthma attack, I did not think much of it until The next Friday, I went in the trailer after work, and the "fresh" smell was gone, all I could smell was a mildewy mold smell. I searched high and low to find the source. I found that the entire rear wall is completely rotted, and full of mold and the front wall is rotted and moldy as well. The ceiling in the front of the travel trailer had been painted to conceal the water penetration. There is also fresh black paint (including overspray) all over the outside of the trailer to hide rust. I contacted my salesman Friday May 29th, 2015 night via email about the rotted trailer. He emailed me back thie next morining and told me that he was going to forward the message to his manager. I never heard from a manager today or even my salesman again. We were at a loss as what to do with a camper that we can never use because of the mold and rot. The dealer would only acknowledge us if WE would trade this camper we just purchased on a new camper. We just wanted to have this camper properly repaired at a facility of our choice. All in all it has been a horrible experience after the sale. They hide behind the AS-IS.
I checked the trailer up and down at the dealer. All of the floors are solid. I called a local coach repair man, and he came out the same day. He couldn't believe what a great job was done on hiding the mold and rot. He now has our trailer, and he is going to be working on it soon. This is our second Sunline, our first was a '98 t-1950 several years ago. My advice to all of you on the Sunline Club, is to STEER CLEAR of CW. If one person is swayed from this company, than that's one less person that has to go through the hell we are going through with our trailer. I own it now, I financed it, I have not made the first payment on it yet...

pugman · 06-11-2015, 08:33 PM

I'm so sorry to hear about your camper. If that happened to me I wouldn't let CW off the hook so easy. I never liked them and never will it's the Wal-Mart of camping.

Billin · 06-11-2015, 08:39 PM

There is nothing I can do. I could sue, but that would cost more than the trailer. We are just going to try to have it repaired (or at least an estimate, as I may have to repair it myself) if We can afford it. Thank you for your kind words, Bill

mainah · 06-12-2015, 04:08 PM

Yes CW is the Wal Mart of the camping world There is one 12 miles from me I pass it when I go the the family owned dealer 6 miles further to buy parts. I knew the woman that owned the camper place camping world bought. She told me they can sell camper for what she paid for them she actually worked for them for awhile and quit because she could not stand the way they treated he old customers.

mainah · 06-12-2015, 04:27 PM

I too would go after CW it obviously is a cover up they knew damn well it had issues. Lipstick on a pig. Stop by the TV station sounds like a good story.

Jim-Bev-2363 · 06-12-2015, 08:17 PM

It seems large companies, all of them, value money more than reputation. I want a new car but will not buy because of how customers are treated. Shame I can't help the economy because I feel I'd be robbed by worthless products and abused by lies. Shame.

Hope you can come out of this with as little loss as possible.

Billin · 09-04-2015, 06:43 PM

Hello again, I thought I would give you an update.
Almost 3 months since this began, I got fed up with dealing with CW, at one point we were offered $5000.00 for the Sunline that we paid $6000.00 for on a Coleman TT that was advertised on their website for $12995.00, the "Buyers Order" had the Coleman at 18185.00, putting my trade at 5K and then putting $5k in the "amounts Owed" column. That was it. I posted my experience on Facebook with pictures of the rot ( I have started making the repairs on the Sunline. Your Posts about the topic are excellent). Well, one of my very good friends, copy and pasted my story to CW's, NASCAR (sponsored by the on and only CW, Marcus' private email, and who knows where he pasted it. I got a call from CW that same day!! I don't use FB to rant and vent. But I thought if one other person would think twice before buying from Campong World, then it would be worth it. So to cut to it, they offered me $1000.00 check provided that I sign a release.?!

Jim-Bev-2363 · 09-05-2015, 05:36 AM

If it is worth $1000 to shut you up it should be worth giving you a full money back guarantee. Keep the pressure up and if they don't respect you as a customer they can loose enuff sales to cover your repairs. No real value to you other than a sense of accomplishment.

mainah · 09-07-2015, 08:02 AM

I asked our family owned camper place if CW had hurt their business and they said in many respects it actually had helped them for two reasons. It has brought more customers to the area and their shop is busy fixing campers because the people are not pleased with CW's service. You have every right to pressure them to resolve there obvious cover up I wouldn't settle for any thing less than the complete repair bill.

Jim-Bev-2363 · 09-07-2015, 05:22 PM

It would be nice if consumers could get a "cooling off" law for vehicles, cars to campers. A timely period to get a money back solution to sellers dumping junk on the market. Maybe then the seller would make sure all problems were openly exposed before closing. Since these are major purchases that the buyers are abused buy shady and deceptive means. It would need to be a Federal Law since so many times the purchases are across state lines.

Hope your repair goes smooth and you can be happy with the unit.