Seat Cushions Unravelling - Anyone Else Had This Happen?

[anoldman]

The fabric dinette seat cushions on our 2011 Gulf Breeze Sport are unravelling badly. We have not abused them at all, but through normal use the covers are coming apart at the edges and pretty much anywhere we've sat on them. We bought this camper new about 6 months ago and now the dinette looks terrible. I'm concerned that when we go to the dealer they'll accuse us of abusing them and snake out of the warranty. I'd like to know if anyone else has been having this problem and what the dealer's response was. Thanks!

[Dontexas]

Go to the dealer and let them have a shot...... That is better than worrying about it..

[anoldman]

Yeah, I worry too much about stuff... Seems like a lot of times companies use "abuse" as a way to avoid warranty repairs and that has me wondering what my experience will be. These cushions are fraying in areas that we have barely used, and not just at the sewn seams either. I've never seen fabric unravel and come apart like this before and cannot imagine what is wrong with it. We're on an extended vacation now and by the time we get back to our dealer they're really going to be a sight! Hopefully our dealer will see the problem is with defective fabric and do us right.

[Timothy]

Make sure to take some photos and report the problem now, even if you can't make it to your dealer it would be a good idea to let them know whats happening. I don't think you will have a problem getting your cushions replaced.

[anoldman]

Well, I finally made it by my RV dealer to check on getting the seat cushions replaced. I was directed to the service area where I was met by a service manager with a really bad attitude. He was disgusted that I needed warranty work while he had PAYING customers waiting on their stuff (his words). My repeated explanation that I lived over 70 miles away and all I wanted him to do was see the problem was wasted. After a few minutes of listening to him chew me out for walking in and disturbing him instead of making an appointment I realized they weren't the people I wanted to work on my camper anyway and left. I'll do my repairs myself from now on or go to a dealer that appreciates my business and honors their warranty as well.

I cannot understand why a business is indifferent to losing customers over trivial items. They know about the guy too but have not taken action to stop it. I've bought two new campers from these folks, but never again. They have good prices on them but apparently there's no service after the sale. Lesson learned...

This post definitely belongs on the "Wall of Shame" for this Gulf Stream dealer.

[Timothy]

I agree, let us know who the dealer is so we can spread the word to avoid them.

[anoldman]

You know, on one hand I believe in second chances and forgiving people, but that service mamager's hostility toward me was beyond the "having a bad day" excuse. I hope the owners will deal with this individual and either his attitude or his employment status will soon change. Their admitted knowledge of his behavior makes me inclined to believe nothing will happen though.
In the hope that no one here will have the experience I had I will list the dealer's name.

Newby's R.V. Sales in McMinnville, Tennessee
.

[Timothy]

Thanks for letting us know, there is now excuse to treat a customer that way and he should personnaly apologize to you for his behavior.
If I ever have problems in that area of the country at least I know to avoid this dealer. You can also report your experience on http://www.rvservicereviews.com

Tim

[anoldman]

Thanks for the link. I have submitted my review there and hopefully others will take note. I have no desire for revenge on this dealership and actually I wish them well. However, my experience with that service manager was not one I would want others to endure. If I do hear from this dealership again regarding this altercation I will be sure to post that as well.

[anoldman]

Well, I got a call a few days ago from my dealer saying my replacement seat cushions had come in. I loaded up my old frayed ones and took them in to exchange for the new ones. I spoke with the parts manager who was very friendly and helpful and my cushions were replaced without any problems. As I was about to leave I asked if the service manager who had been so hostile toward me was still there and was told he was. I wasn't surprised by that answer, but I was greatly disappointed in the realization that the focus of this dealer was apparently on the sale and not on customer satisfaction afterward. Their prior knowledge of that service manager's belligerent attitude toward customers and unwillingness to deal with it speaks to that.

I remain a satisfied Gulf Stream owner and am thankful for their fine warranty coverage, but in the future I'll do a better job of checking out my dealer before the sale. This experience has driven home the fact that good service after the sale is just as important as a good selling price.

[mwatters]

Fabric also unravelled in our 2012 Enduramax...Gulfstream replaced it once with the same fabric which also ravelled...they then replaced all the furniture with a faux leather material...this has solved the problem

[anoldman]

I won't be surprised if that happens with my camper as well. The new cushions don't look any more durable than the old ones and I'm already seeing slightly frayed areas. The material looks like the fabric found on super-cheap furniture. The warranty has just expired on my camper so next time it'll be up to me to get it fixed. I'll be visiting my local upholstery shop then for some quality fabric. Having owned this camper for a year now I'll have to say I'm not very impressed with its quality. Live and learn...

[anoldman]

Well, by being extremely careful and using seat cushion covers we managed to make it another two years before the factory covers frayed out again. Apparently the durability of their materials was not up to the task of actually being used. I used to believe that all brands of RVs were about the same but not any more. I just bought a 2000 model Winnebago motorhome and the interior looks much better than my 3 year old GS camper. No wonder I almost never see others with a GS camper. Guess they already knew what I'm just now learning. And yes, there were other issues regarding quality besides the inferior cushions that I won't go into now.