Transwest

We were so excited to learned about Winnebago Ekko 4 seasons RV, and planning to purchase /order one. Transwest Trailer RV of Frederick was the closest dealer to us.

We went there this morning (12/4/202) planning to check it out and maybe ordering one. We were shock by all employees not wearing masks ( I mean no one) and no social distance. Even though there is a state mandated " mask require" sign hanging on the front door with empty hand sanitizer dispenser.

By the way our local news paper this morning said all local hospitals are almost reaching capacity.

My husband asked why no one was wearing mask. Someone said Weld County is not require ( it's a state mandate!).

It's not about what the county thinks!

It's about the health of their customers and their family!

We left with disappointment and trepidation afraid we might get covid from them.

We can't support the business that doesn't respect and care about their customers health and safety.

So we decided not do any business with them. However, we think you need to aknowledge this. If you check yelp reviews. There was a 77 yr old physician encounter same situation in Nov.

2020. Unfortunately, he can't walk away like us. He was bring his coach to fix. We want to prevent any future contact with this dealer.

We really like your product!

My sister owns an Aspect. We like it.

Transwest Trailer RV should be ashamed.

Your representative.

Sad,

Sincerely,

Tracy

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Transwest RV- Caution!

Its a shame when a good company gets so big that you just become a number instead of a person. I guess thats the way of the world, corporations grow so large that they have to compartmentalize and the customer just becomes a piece of paper to shuffle around.

Im a small RV owner.

My RV unit had a sticker price of around $75,000 when I bought it new in 2003. The Ford F450 chassis has been an excellent vehicle. The coach? A lot of problems.

And, the manufacturer went out of business so I couldnt get any help with issues. Poor heat, collapsed heat ducts, cabinets falling apart because they werent glued, fresh water leaks, roof leaks, generator wiring problems, an electric heater wiring screw-up that caused the unit to catch fire and many other problems that I had to repair myself. A lot of work that has turned the unit into an excellent year round office for me. But thats another story.

The propane heat has been modified to keep the unit from freezing in our Colorado winters, and the addition of elect heaters extends the propane life when the unit is plugged in.

Back to this issue. I was returning to Denver from a 3,000 mile research trip back east and the RV generator quit working just before I got home. It just quit running, like it ran out of fuel. I did some minor checking, but to get at the generator fuel pump requires dropping the unit out from under the RV and I dont have a lift big enough to put the motorhome on.

Besides, my shoulder was severely damaged and I was scheduled for a shoulder joint replacement in November. Its tough working on vehicles when you only have the use of one arm, so I needed someone else to do the work for me.

I had the generator fuel pump replaced once before by Transwest, in Frederick, Colorado, and was satisfied with the work, so thats where I decided to take the unit again. They are over 30 miles away, but there arent many places that work on Onan Generators in the area.

MISTAKE!

I called to schedule a time and took my RV to them four days later on the morning of September 18, 2018. At that time, I was told they dont schedule service work, first come, first serve.

I wish they had told me that before I brought it in, because I had to wait in their office all day for a ride home.

Transwest called to say my generator fuel line was plugged and needed to be replaced. The paperwork said the generator fuel line was crushed between the motorhome fuel tank and frame. A simple fix at that point. I dont understand how the generator ran for years like that if this was really the problem?

Fuel lines dont get squeezed between a solidly mounted fuel tank and frame under normal operation. Cost, $2,039.74. That seemed a bit high, but I was unable to do the work myself, so I agreed. Its possible the fuel line was deteriorating and they already had the vehicle in the shop, so a new fuel line might not be a bad idea.

Although, my 1984 Ford truck has 36 years on its rubber fuel lines and seems fine.

They called for me to come pick up the RV on September 25, 2018. A 60 mile round trip for my transportation. I checked the generator. It tried to start, but failed to run.

I had to leave it for more service and returned home.

Transwest called again on September 26, 2018, to say the RV was ready. They said their new fuel line was kinked. They rerouted it and the generator works now. Back to Transwest.

Another 60 mile round trip for my transportation. The generator ran, so I headed home on the Interstate. When I slowed down in town, I began to smell gas. I got home and found gasoline flowing down the side of the gas tank and dripping off on the ground.

The tank was only half full. I was able to feel the gas filler tube they re-installed (which was kinked) and it didnt seem to be the leak. I drove to a gas station and tried filling the tank. Gas ran out and on to the station driveway.

I took the motorhome back to Transwest on September 27, 2018, and waited while they looked at the unit.

Another 60 mile round trip. The mechanic said a hose clamp broke which they fixed. I took the RV home and parked it.

I had several home tasks and doctors visits during the next three weeks so I didnt have time to drive the motorhome. It wasnt until October 22, 2018 that I was able to get back to work and took a trip in the unit.

I kept smelling gas and on my way home, at Fort Collins. I had to pull over because the gas smell was so great. I had to open all the windows to dispel the odor enough to drive the moptorhome. Again, fuel was flowing down the side of the fuel tank and dripping off on to the ground.

I was only a few miles from Transwest on a Saturday, and even though it was extremely dangerous, I drove it there on October 27, 2018, and called for a ride. Another 60 mile round trip for my transportation.

I dont winterize my motorhome. I use it year round and have it set up not to freeze. But, a leaking fuel tank?

Best to shut off all appliances that might cause an explosion, including the furnace. We are now into freezing weather. Without the furnace, the unit can freeze up. Transwest would take no responsibility for freeze and required me to sign a paper saying such.

They caused a dangerous fuel leak, but said they wouldnt even plug in the unit to keep it from freezing. I couldnt drive it home in the dangerous condition it was in so I had to leave it and take the chance of freeze up. I went back on October 30, 2018 to re-start the furnace so the unit wouldnt freeze up. The gas fumes had evaporated by then.

Another 60 mile round trip.

Transwest called to say a bad return fuel line to the RV fuel pump assembly wouldnt seal and was leaking. It sealed fine before they touched it. Ford doesnt have that part anymore, so they will need to have a new rubber fuel line with a new connector made. I okayed that cost.

Then they called back to say the new fuel line wouldnt seal and they would need to replace the fuel pump. They said it would be another $1,222 plus cost.

I paid another $1,506.03 and picked up the motorhome on November-12-2018 and drove it home.

We are now into winter and it was in January before I drove the unit again, and smelled gas fumes all the way home. Again, I found gasoline flowing down the side of the gas tank and dripping off on the ground. Im now $3,545.77 and two months into this repair, 510 repair miles at an average 11 miles to the gallon, and have a problem that wasnt even the same as what I took it in for in the first place.

Hip surgery is coming up and I cant deal with Transwest anymore.

A local transmission shop I use here in Denver enlarged their overhead garage door so I can now get the motorhome in their shop. I had hip surgery, recovered and took it there on 5-30-2019. The fuel pump assembly metal return line was broken on the new fuel pump assembly. Transwest mechanics managed to break both the original metal fuel pump line and also the new metal fuel pump line Transwest installed back in November.

The transmission shop dropped the gas tank, installed another new fuel pump assembly and reinstalled the gas tank for $596.27. No more gas smell.

Continuing hip dis-locations and problems prevented me from using the motorhome for a few months, but I now have a few hundred miles on it and no more problems with the fuel leaking.

I fail to understand why Transwest mechanics cant deal with something as simple as removing and replacing a fuel tank. There was nothing wrong with the system before I took it to Transwest. The new kinked fuel line to the generator indicates incompetent or sloppy workmanship.

The kinked fuel filler hose indicates incompetent or sloppy workmanship. The broken hose clamp sounds like an excuse for not properly connecting the fuel filler vent line.

At this point, I need to point out something. Ive been a mechanic for over 50 years. I owned a mechanical contracting business for 20 years and have worked on many types of machinery, vehicles included.

I have a two-post vehicle lift in my home shop and all the tools necessary to work on many types of equipment. I have a small machine shop and a woodworking shop in there also. I have a good idea how machinery works and how to repair it.

About seven years ago, this motorhome caught fire. I discovered the manufacturer apparently had an idiot installing the water compartment electric heater and he hooked up the power wire to the battery side of a circuit breaker bar.

The builder also installed a piece of angle iron over the fuel tank.

The heater wiring was in a bundle running over the fuel tank and was squeezed between the angle iron and the fuel tank.

Vibration on the eight year old unit wore through the wiring bundle and shorted the heater wire. Because the power wire was connected direct to the battery, it turned red hot and started the plastic on all the wiring bundle to burn and drop flames off on the ground. I was on a working trip at that time too, and discovered the flames before it caught the whole motorhome on fire.

I was able to use a motorcycle jack to lower the gas tank and do repairs.

I just had recent surgery when I had to do the wiring repair and can tell you, its tough doing this kind of work while youre recovering.

I built ramps to raise up the motorhome. I was then able to crawl under the unit and work over the rear axel.

I had to replace and repair wiring from the battery compartment back to the rear of the coach. The hot wire melted insulation in many spots on the twenty or so wires in the bundle. I had to drop the fuel tank, pry open the wiring bundle and replace and repair wiring for over twenty feet. I re-routed the bundle away from the fuel tank so this wouldnt happen again and re-installed the fuel tank.

There were no fuel related problems in the seven years since the repair.

I hope this experience helps you if Transwest is in your future. $4,142.04 seems a lot for a simple problem to start with. And, Transwest created new damage they werent even able to fix, but maybe Im just cheap. And maybe my bad experience was not the normal for Transwest service.

Incompetent mechanics? Indifferent managers? You be the judge.

Maybe there is a different issue. Follow the money.

Im a small RV owner, a $75,000 unit.

Transwest works on RVs and units over $200,000. Who knows, they might treat the high rollers a little better.