Avoiding Voiding Your Warranty!
There are a multitude of ways to void your warranty, and here at McGovern’s we want to make sure you don’t fall into any of these traps! While McGovern’s RV stands behind our product, anything can happen and we want to make sure you don’t end up paying for any repair that could’ve been under warranty. We’ll take you through the five major categories with a few examples of how your warranty can be voided but don’t hesitate to reach out to our team if you’re ever unsure.
1. Neglect/Poor Maintenance
The number one cause of (expensive) damage that we come across is due to poor sealant. Most manufacturers cover sealant touch ups within the first 90 days of ownership before it becomes owner maintenance. This is why it’s vital you don’t miss your 90 day inspection which can be booked when you first pick up your RV from us. Regular owner maintenance is not covered by warranty, and that can make it tempting to skip this step – but it’s crucial to maintaining your investment.
RV’s are made to take you outdoors, but this exposes them to various elements – especially in the tumultuous and change-on-a-dime climate here in Alberta. A quick and easy way to prolong your RV’s life both in appearance and components is washing it. Pieces like the jacks, locks and slide out mechanisms can fail prematurely with dirt and mud build up. This can cause bigger issues with your RV down the road!
Third the sewer systems are a delicate eco system. Nowadays many of us are accustomed to flushing toilets in our house, and as soon as it clears the property line we leave the headache to someone else. However, in your RV the sole responsibility is, unfortunately, all yours. This job is only half done when you flush the system. Things can make it to the holding tank but the tank needs to be drained! It is VERY important to use RV quick-dissolving toilet paper as well as chemical aid to catalyze waste breakdown in the tank, as only a fraction of water in the RV flushing process is used. This ensures a nice and easy draining process.
2. Misuse
The RV purchase isn’t done when you sign the papers and we give you the keys! Educating customers on the safe use of your new RV is essential. Many customers at other dealerships may be left to hook-up and drive away themselves. Failure to do this properly can result in non-level towing, and if the trailer is high or low at the hitch this will cause an uneven spread over the axles. This can wear on your suspension system and cause potentially dangerous issues. At McGovern’s RV we take all of our customers through a walk-through at their time of pick up. One of our RV technicians will take you through the RV, show you how to use it safely, and help give you tips and tricks plus demonstrate hidden features. Tons of our customers record the walk through to watch it back later or take notes. The time for this process can vary greatly depending on your RV, and your previous experience, but our team will stay with you as long as you need to feel confident in your new home-on-wheels!
A lot of RV plumbing systems sustain damage due to a lack of knowledge regarding the system installation. Many of the newer trailers have a system installed that gives end users the chance to flush their sewer tanks after draining which helps clean them out completely. This is a great way to maintain your tanks – but there’s a catch! This hookup is often mistaken for the city fill water hookup on the trailer and doing this can result in massive damage to the entire system! Furthermore, this system in intended to be a non-pressure process, and the drain valves must be open when Sani flush is used.
Another general form of misuse comes from improper cleaning chemicals. Plumbing systems use rubber seals and gaskets which can sustain damage with harsh chemicals like bleach and draino. While these may seem like an appealing way to get rid of any potential pathogens, they can wreck your plumbing system and lead to damage. Many people dismiss RV friendly chemicals as a sales pitch (not dissimilar to RV toilet paper) and sometimes the lesson is learned the hard way.
Misuse issues generally trend back to a failure to educate and here at McGovern’s RV we strive to do everything in our power to avoid that. Your walk-through will help you get on the road safely, but our team is available by text or phone call to help you with any issues you encounter along the way. We’d much rather you consult our tea so we can stand behind our advice than an “internet expert” who won’t be footing your bill if they give you warranty-voiding advice.
3. Abuse
Your RV will often give you stop signals when something isn’t right, but human nature tells us to try a little harder. These accidents are made all the time, especially with something as big and seemingly durable as your RV. However, our service team unfortunately encounters many bent sewer valve handles, or valves that can no longer close because of the previously applied excessive force.
Another way we see this type of issue comes from piled up stabilizer jacks on trailers. When we’re in a hurry it’s tempting to use an impact driver to run the jack up and down. This hammering motion is extraordinarily hard on the jacks, and can break them or cause them to pile up. We understand your rush entirely! But our team recommends using a normal drill without the hammer-like motion of an impact driver.
Countertop damage is also common. Another benefit to our houses (besides the interconnectivity of our sewage systems) is that many of our countertops are stone. This has led to many people cutting directly on them, or putting items fresh off the stove directly on the. This can lead to stone countertop damage too, but this damage is a lot more likely to occur in pre-finished countertops that trailers use to limit the weight that a stone countertop would carry. Potholders and cutting boards are a super cheap and easy way to prevent damage which will retain value if you decide to trade your RV in, and prevent other potential issues.
4. DIY Repairs
DIY is so tempting, and seems like the ultimate way to save money, especially with the accessibility of youtube tutorials, and about a billion internet guides. However, even things like a basic winterization can be a lot more involved, and while you may do it perfectly and have no issues, DIY winterization can void your warranty, and you could be looking at a hefty repair bill come spring. RV water systems are increasingly elaborate as we become accustomed to all the latest in RV technology that brings the comfort on the road with us. While our team will answer winterization questions to the best of their ability, in order to maintain the protection of your warranty it’s best to bring it in and have it winterized (with a guarantee) by an RV technician prior to the hard freeze.
Another DIY project is after-market power accessories. We all love to upgrade and customize, and these appear deceptively simple. The prevalent situation our service team encounters is when these accessories are hooked up into existing wiring without consideration of the power drawn from the overall circuit. The wiring will be rated for a specific draw (the amperage), with protection in the circuit to limit draw and prevent scarier complications. When a fuse blows the assumption is to repair it by putting a bigger fuse in, but the wiring may not be able to handle the change in amperage/power-draw. When the wiring is overheated it can melt the rubber around it. In addition to the fire hazard, it can also cause melting in other wires since they are harnessed together, creating a huge risk for you and your loved ones.
Last but far from least, is the DIY installation of either a second battery or a larger battery. Especially for any of our car-friendly customers it can tempting to compare. But wiring on RV’s is a lot less standardized than the way that cars have been for years. On a car the black wire is the ground wire, and you know where to go from there. On RV’s a black wire can be positive or negative, and the wrong hook up can cause both expensive and extensive damage. At least one thirds DIY battery hookups go wrong. This might not result in physical RV damage but can reduce battery capacity and cause issues down the road.
5. Failure to Follow Manufacturer Guidelines
Lets be honest, most of us don’t read the manual. We don’t sit and read the car manual when we pick it up from the dealership, we skim the pictures when we get our ikea furniture, we trial and error the operation of our new appliances or read the legend for the buttons and hope for the best. But one of the best ways to save yourself missed camping time with an RV in the shop, and to save yourself the frightening bill is to read the manual that is included with your RV or can be found on the manufacturer's website. The manual is full of all their favorite loopholes to hide behind, and this is one way to protect yourself. Things as simple as checking sealants every 90 days (beyond just the first 90 days) can change your coverage.
Especially in today’s world we are all looking for money-savers. And online shopping for your parts can be appealing when you see a price disparity. However, it’s important to recall that parts that look the same may not be the same. Just like DIY repairs the world of RV’s behind the scenes is more convoluted than you might think. A wrong part that is installed anyways, or a part that is installed incorrectly always creates more damage and if it voided your warranty it’ll cost you more than the initial stop here at McGoverns. There is tons of misinformation out there, as well as a lack of comprehension that RV’s are not as generalizable as they may seem. Your brand and model and year of RV can result in huge changes and the internet experts do not answer for it if they are wrong. Knowing how to fish through the incredible information on the internet and finding the appropriate answers isn’t as easy as googling and taking a leap of faith.
Honorable Mentions:
- Throwing a tarp over your RV in the winter sounds like a great idea. Theoretically, it keeps the water out but this isn’t the full story. Tarps are designed to seal things in, but proper RV covers are engineered to allow air circulation with the cover on. Often campers that have been tarped for one season come out in spring filled with mold or rot. You’re better off maintaining your sealant than tarping your RV and thinking it will be enough. If you want to go the extra mile to protect the exterior of your RV an RV storage cover is a great investment to keep the decals looking new, as well as paint protection and wax coating – but seal maintenance is non-optional!
- Opting out of winterization for heated storage. This seems like it would be the right answer, but it’s a trick! We’re all familiar with the power outages that can occur, as well as unfortunately-timed furnace mechanical failures. The problem is that if your RV is damaged because it was exposed to the colder climate when it was supposed to be in heated storage, your claim may be denied because winterization is considered owner maintenance and they state “…obligated to take every possible precaution to prevent damage…”. The cost to winterize is worth the peace of mind!
What if I need warranty work on the road?
Many dealerships only repair RVs that they’ve sold. From an outside perspective this can seem ridiculous but there are a couple of reasons for this. Primarily, there is an associated cost to the dealership for warranty work. Manufacturers sometimes only cover a reduced shop labor rate, and pre-determine how much time the repair will take. This rarely includes the time the technicians put in to diagnose the issue. Furthermore, if the technician runs into complications this can result in a loss to the dealership when the warranty company won’t cover it. Another key issue to this is in-stock parts for RV’s. Given the diversity and specificity to different RV parts and different dealerships connections with suppliers, some dealerships are limited in their ability to repair the RV due to part supply issues.
One way around this is for a “non-selling dealership” to charge the customer upfront and submit a warranty claim on their behalf as well. However much the warranty company covers is paid back to the dealership and the customer is reimbursed in the amount that was covered. This can cause a disparity in covered amount and how much the customer was charged, but may save you money if hauling the RV back to your selling dealership is expensive or if it isn’t safe to be transported. However, some dealerships also charge an administration fee for this service, so it’s important to ask this question ahead of time if you’re working with other dealers. This is intended to offset the price associated with paying an employee to submit the claim but isn’t a fee that is applied at McGovern’s RV. We absorb that cost.
Furthermore, our team looks at service from “non-selling dealerships” as an opportunity to earn your business. We pride ourselves on our customer service and staff knowledge and should we be able to earn your future maintenance business in our service department or your support in our sales side when you decide to trade in your RV it’s well worth it to provide a little extra support!
Warranty claims at different dealerships (if you bought from us and service elsewhere or vice versa).
Loyalty Networks:
McGovern’s RV belongs to a few loyalty networks and this can make a difference when you’re looking at getting service away from home. If you purchased an RV from us and encounter issues, we are in cahoots with other dealerships to keep you out exploring longer! First there are 19 dealerships across Canada that we are associated with that we can call o to help us out so you can get back out there. Reach out to our team with any concerns directly and we’ll promptly guide you to one of these dealerships depending on your location. But there’s more! We’re also a proud RV Care dealership, meaning that we pay to become a part of this association and by extension you become a member of the Family Benefits Plan with RV care when you buy your trailer from us. We welcome you to the McGovern’s RV Family when you purchase with us, and you get access to the plan consisting of a network of over 70 (yes SEVENTY) independent RV dealers across Canada that will all work together to get you back to camping. Lastly, the Route 66 Network that McGovern’s RV is associated with covers your American travel – especially important for any of our snowbird! This network has over 125 dealership members with a priority repair service center.
Here at McGovern’s RV we are really proud to be able to offer this additional value to those who trust us with their business at NO additional cost. While some dealers sell these plans to the customers, we cover all the costs associated with these loyalty networks and stand behind our product to make you the happiest campers!
Disclaimer: Membership to loyalty networks was last updated in 2024 and is subject to change as well as policies regarding warranty claim submission for RV’s not sold here. Please reach out to our team for any further information or questions regarding these policies.