Riverside to the Rescue!

Finally, after weeks of trying to calm down and make sense of what transpired at the dealership with my RV purchase, I am ready to reach out to the Riverside Travel Trailer VP for help with my lingering issues.  Finally I’ve constructed an email that doesn’t contain four letter words.

To my surprise, Mark, the VP, responded within hours.  The additional surprise was that he asked if he could stop by, as he would be in the area soon.

SERIOUSLY?  Come to the park?  What a prince! You BET! 

Chatter in the campground was crazy in the days that followed.  My email to Mark listed all of the concerns I could think of, but my park friends all reiterated how important it was to make sure knew how unsafe my situation was in pulling the RV those 120 some miles to the park, and that the retailer allowed me to leave that way.

Finally, Mark arrived to Secret Spot Park. Just like the day I purchased my Toy Hauler, of course, it had to be another one of the 6 days in a calendar year that it rained in Florida.  If there is one thing I can say with confidence about the manufacturer of my Toy Hauler, it’s that they are committed to ensure their customers are taken care of.  When he actually looked at some of the “non-towing issues I had listed in my email, he quietly shook his head in embarrassment.  A manufacturer has to rely on dealerships across the country to represent their product well, right down to service, and when one doesn’t, well you end up with someone like me.  But he remained professional and courteous.  He offered to have me stop into their facility on the way home to have everything that needed to be fixed done right there on site.  Awesome!

Then Ted, Buddy and Lois stopped in, to check on how things were going.  Lois immediately brought up how awful it was to see me come around the corner with the Toy Hauler that day–

“How could they let her leave with it set up like that?  She could have died!” 

So outside we go, to look at the hook up issues in the rain.

After much discussion and examination, he agreed with us, there is no way to level the truck and trailer, it wasn’t set up correctly, and came to the conclusion the hitch needs to be adjusted by at least two notches.  The sway bars should not be that difficult to move either.  Perhaps with the hitch adjusted that will resolve itself.  The cargo rack has been installed standard, but he sees the problem. There are things they can do to adjust that too.  Buddy and Ted took off with my truck while Mark, Lois and I went back inside and continued looking at issues.

Not only did Mark address my concerns, he stepped up and showed me many other things about my Toy Hauler I would have never known.  Plus he showed me how to turn on the heater, and how to set the air conditioner on automatic to regulate the temperature.  I did get a quick tutorial at the dealer on turning on the stove, but I’d never done it, and sure couldn’t remember how to, or where to find any instructions.  I confided in him that I was using electric to cook and had not used my LP gas for anything at this point.   He chuckled “you’ve got to use your LP, that’s what it’s there for!”  Well, I’m doing just fine without having to use it. The 2 burner hot plate I bought is perfect for my needs.  I have the rice cooker, the George Forman, the crockpot, and everything else I’ve been cooking has not required being in an oven.  And now I have a microwave!  Heck its 75 degrees here, who wants to bake in a trailer?

The guys return with my truck and back it up to the Toy Hauler hitch.  We go outside and take a look.  They had taken it up to the ranger’s maintenance building and moved the hitch.  We went through the steps of hooking up.  WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  The sway bar chains were MUCH easier to hook on.  Although not perfect, the unit looked much more level.  It seems Mark identified the problem and it has been resolved.

My hero! Mark, and Riverside Travel Trailers ROCKS!  Actually a whole bunch of folks are heroes.  Buddy, Lois and Ted, my many new friends and the whole ranger crew at Secret Spot Park. Everyone has been so incredibly supportive and helpful! What would I have done without them all? With much gratitude I raise a toast and shout kudos to all.

Mark tells me I have to try pulling the Toy Hauler again.  I agreed to buck up and give it a shot, but not until after the Chili Cook-Off was over.  Ted and Buddy said they’d help me.  We can drive around in the boat launch parking lot and get me some practice.  For the first time in weeks things are looking up with this whole purchase experience, and in one visit, Mark restored my faith in believing I’d made a good decision.  Thank you, sir!