Rig dropped on truck!!

[4Mia]

Hi all, we were so happy we were going to finally take delivery of our 3931FB Montana fifth wheel this morning but was informed that the dealership delivery team had an issue with their trailer hitch which caused our RV to fall onto the side of their delivery vehicle. Basically the Cap was damaged on the drivers side due to a stress fracture on their hitch causing the locking pin to come undone.

They have it in the body shop to get holes, dents and dings fixed but I question if we should even accept delivery of a, now damaged, unit. What should I be looking for as other damage from dropping the Cap on a fifth wheel? They said they didn’t see any structural damage; however, the unit is closed up so not sure if they really checked anything inside. Should I even take delivery of a damaged unit now or make them get me a new, undamaged unit?

Perplexed and disappointed….

Thanks for any replies.

Mia

[BB_TX]

As you say, it is all enclosed and no way to fully inspect the frame without opening it up.
I would be inclined to ask for a new undamaged unit. But that would require a wait of an unknown length of time. Alternately I would ask for a significant discount, a repair to meet your expectations, and a written statement they would cover any frame damage that showed up within the next “x” years.

[mlh]

I would check the front frame for any damage AFTER the fiberglass was removed from the bottom of the front of the unit. And what Bill said about a discount and warranty.
Lynwood

[skippydoo]

We would not accept this unit. Nope, never.

They can find you a new one, even if they need to haul it from states away, all on their dime.
Don't let them tell you that YOU have to pay for your dealer to ship from state to state.

This was an accident. Not one that requires you to take the rig, get it fixed. Let that be on them. They will fix it sell it to someone else.
GET a new one that is not already damaged out of the gate.
JMO of course.

[DutchmenSport]

More than likely the frame is OK. After all, the frame takes some pretty hard bumps when hitched. All that happened was the front cap came down and slammed into the truck. The frame is probably fine. What did get damaged was the fiberglass skin.

You can easily do the same damage yourself if your truck twists in one direction and the trailer twists the other, causing contact with the bed rails. What you see is a very similar (crack and break),.... um .... that I did myself.

I fixed the fiberglass myself and that 4 years ago and had no issues.

What you DO have is some STRONG re-negotiation power for the cost and the warranty of the unit. And yes, use it to your full advantage. Absolutely insist they warranty against roof leaks if the end up replacing the entire cap. If they repair the original, they will not remove it.

Just remember, your fifth wheel hitch will takes bumps, probably much more harsh than what happened. The only difference is, the king pin box is attached and nothing is hitting the fiberglass .... especially when you pass over those horrible bridge transitions on our most magnificant USA interstate roadways!

[LeftOverParts]

Double check your docs to ensure you can back out and get any down payments back. Getting a replacement is probably the best position to start with.

Re the damage and the picture with the yellow tape, where is the hitch/kingpin - was it removed - because it was damaged and the impact/crack in the first and second picture is secondary? If yes, a bent hitch would imply a big hit. As mentioned above, that would be of concern and a vote to walk away from this rig. (It looks like there are other scrapes - did it fall on it's side? (you mentioned, side of the delivery vehicle.) If yes, another reason to walk away from this one.

Other things to check that may be of concern and that you could raise to support your decision and/or strengthen your negotiating position.

- Inspect the perimeter of the cap where it connects underneath, sides, and top, any pulling away or compression could mean damage.
-The front slide is located farther back but it should be operated to make sure the opening and slide were not affected.
-Check closets, ceilings, and wall in the front section for warped panels. Open the sliders, doors.
- Besides the written, extra frame warranty suggested above, you may want guarantees on the paint and fiberglass repair - something like, paint peeling or cracks reappearing, leaking, will be repaired as long as you own it. (These extra warrantees will mean little to nothing if the dealer goes out of business.)
- You'll want to make sure the repair is not visible.
- Check the landing gear operation and straightness.
- If it really landed on it's side, a host of other things to check.

[DadsHemi]

You purchased a new undamage unit, not a damage new unit. I would not accept it as it now has demishished value right out of the gate.

[AZ Traveler]

Mia,

It looks superficial to me. If you feel good with your deal, the particular unit and dealer I would consider buying it. You could always ask for compensation.

[seasure1]

Sorry to hear about your RV. My first thought was you purchased a brand new unit, you are paying for a brand new unit. If you are able to secure a 20-30 percent discount maybe.

If you go to sell it you will have to disclose it was in an accident and the value of the unit will less.

Good luck

[Rotnjonny]

First things first - take a deep breath and do not rush forward. Second - I am not an attorney. But I have worked 50 plus years in the automotive industry and have encountered similar situations.

There are a few other critical points that need to be determined that can potentially impact your legal rights and options. Specifically, At the time of the accident, who was the legal owner? If all paper work was complete and you are now the legal owner you may have different options than if the dealership is still the legal owner.

I personally would only deal with the owner or authorized representative of the dealership. I would ask them how they want to proceed and work from there. They may say “We will get you another unit” without you pressing the issue. If they are suggesting you take delivery, document everything, get an extended warranty that they pay for and work them hard.

Don’t be afraid to walk away and come back! From the pictures, it doesn’t appear structural. But you are the one that needs yo live with this if you take delivery.

Some people can’t get passed this and it will ruin your RV experience as long as you have it. Others see it simply as an accident. Get it fixed and move on.

Good luck!

[Montana Man]

I ordered a new Montana long ago. After several years it became apparent that it had been damaged in the rear fiberglass cap. The repaired area didn’t hold up as well as the rest of the cap but by then it was too late to do anything about it.

[1retired06]

Pass on the unit.

[MandK]

Were you there when it happened? The damage doesn’t look that bad to me from the pictures which makes me think that it may have landed on the landing gear, hard, with the minor damage seen occurring on the way down. Do you think that may have happened?
The front overhang is designed to be stressed upwards. If it dropped on the landing gear, the stress of the weight of the overhang coming down and instantly stopping may be a problem. This could tear loose the skin that is glued to the wall studs, break aluminum welds on the walls and possibly other things. Of course I don’t know if this happened but this is the main thing I would be concerned about. Good luck with which ever way you decide.

[Foldbak]

That wouldn't scare me at all. Not a structural issue. But it looks like a 5K deduction. If you refuse it it will sit on the lot for a while assuming they do the right thing and disclose what happened.

[sourdough]

I would pass and have them get a new undamaged unit - that's what you paid for. If you let them repair it you are then the owner of a damaged trailer repaired with just how much expertise? You have no idea. Remember no one on the forum has any idea of any structural damage under that exterior, they are only guesses. You will be the one that owns and pays for it so you want to KNOW. If you choose to keep it then make sure you get some very significant concessions from the dealer in writing...very clear, very concrete. Remember, if you take it YOU will be holding the bag from now on so that document has to be very direct and enforceable.

[phillyg]

You really can't know the extent of the damage unless you have an independent assessment done. I'd be very hesitant to take delivery.

[Todd & Mary]

I personally would require them to replace it with an undamaged unit. There is no way to completely inspect for damage, that being said, it most likely is only superficial fiberglass damage. But ultimately you bought it undamaged. If you feel comfortable press for concessions in price and warranty, because you can't completely inspect it. Good luck with your decision!

[steiny93]

We had a similar situation occur; morning of delivery, issue occurred, but in our case the issue was 100% cosmetic.

We didn't accept the unit, dealer and factory worked together and we took delivery a few weeks later of a different unit exactly as spec'd without any cosmetic issues.

I wasn't comfortable accepting a new rig that wasn't inline with the expectations set. Looking back on the situation I wouldn't have done anything different.

My vote, skip the struggle and get the next one.

[Foldbak]

I guess it depends on the wait time. Could kill a season waiting for a replacement for cosmetic damage and a discount? If it's structural it's a different story.

[4Mia]

UPDATE -

Thank you everyone for your replies, we really appreciate all the feedback and experiences shared.

The dealer sales rep called yesterday evening and I informed him that we wanted a new undamaged unit. I also had already found the model just an hour and a half away. He called back this morning and said they had secured the other unit, no fuss and not even a haggle.

With that said, I haven’t seen the new unit yet in person, but have told him that I want a walkthrough of it with it plugged in and ensure it is exactly like the one we were buying before we accept delivery. We also decided we are going to pull it off the lot ourselves…no to the “free home delivery”!!

A lot of items noted here weighed on our decision: without us doing this damage ourselves, we don’t know what other damages could have been done to the aluminum frame, the hitch and the structure. It would always be on our minds and the first thing we would think of when anything goes wrong, making the experience of owning our Montana not as enjoyable.

Hopefully the new unit is perfect and they keep everything as is on the paperwork. We already had a 6 year extended warranty that they should transfer to this unit.

Hope to have it all settled by the weekend.. Thanks again for all the replies, appreciate this group and all the helpful advice!

Mia