FREIGHTLINER is always a standard by which others are gauged.

As mentioned in past posts as to our experiences and comments from other RV'ers, whereas Fleetwood was once a standard of quality products and dependable service from REV, such is no longer the case. The previous post on AQUA HOT detailed all the problems we have had with our AQUA HOT air and water heating system on our all-electric coach, and the fact that even though it was FLEETWOOD (previously a quality and dependable product) which opted to use that system to be the sole source of heating (for air and water), they have washed their hands of supporting that system and don't even think twice about not supporting their clients, when that company leaves their clients freezing because the heating system does not work. AQUA HOT, like the government, is given anonymity as to how they deal with the support of their product, and choose to NOT support it, leaving the RV clients to their own devices, even when they have NO HEATING in winter. SHAMEFUL!! of both REV and AQUA HOT.

We bought this brand new 2023 Fleetwood Discovery LXE 44B diesel pusher (MSRP over $600,000) from Motor Home Specialist in Alvarado TX on December 28, 2023. Since Day 2 we have had nothing but trouble with the RV itself. Motor Home Specialist was all promises on Day 1. Then their willingness to repair the issues changed and all they wanted was for us to leave, telling us that we can take it to REV so that it can be fixed correctly, since they were the ones that built it. We took it to REV and they fixed some things, others not correctly (breaking again within a month) and some not even addressed at all. Now we have to make another trip to address the rest of it.  Later, after 2 months, the Aqua Hot system started failing, until it no longer worked at all, to heat the RV. REV said it was up to Aqua Hot, and Aqua Hot says that only an Aqua Hot 'certified' tech can work on it, even though there are none within 90+ miles. So we had to take it to Idaho Falls (95 miles, each way) TWICE and the tech still never fixed it. So we had to wait till we got to FL, and the tech here has come out THREE times. Each time they need another part, which takes Aqua Hot 2-4 weeks to send to him. The RV is now 10 months old, and we are still without heating or hot water, which in 35 degree nighttime weather (in FL) makes it very hard to keep us warm, as there is no fireplace and there is  only 1 Heat Pump A/C (which by the way only works down to about 40 degrees F. We CANNOT refer anyone to REV or to any RV that is heated by AQUA HOT (instead of PROPANT).

For all the other non-Aqua Hot issues we took it directly to the REV (factory) Main Service warranty facility in Decatur, Indiana. We were at the REV Factory Service facility for over a week and they addressed most of our issues, but left some unaddressed and some were not fully repaired. So we figured we would have to return AGAIN to finish the repairs, and add some more that have come up since we left. We tried to make an appointment for October 2023, but were told that that was too far into the future and that we should seek an appointment for October in late August. When we did so, we were informed that the earliest they could fit us in was for November 27... way too late to be in Indiana (due to cold and possible snow), so they agreed to let us bring the RV back to them in May 2024, on our return from Florida, and they would still honor the new vehicle warranty up to everything reported to them by December 28, 2023. That's great but we still have to live with a lot of things that don't work until May 2024, because of their failure to give honest instructions as to future appointments.

FREIGHTLINER, by contrast, is a totally different service provider, and their reputation is  obviously reflected in their service and treatment of their client base.

We have always had the BEST service from most Freightliner dealers, which is WHY we keep buying RV which have a Freightliner chassis, versus Spartan or International. For one thing, Freightliner dealers can be found just about anywhere, and are always close to an interstate or major roadway. Not all of them service RVs, being selective to commercial trucks, but the RV-supported dealers are identified as 'Freightliner Custom Chassis' dealers. One would think that REV and other RV manufacturer groups would learn from the Freightliner business plan, but they don't. Frankly it would appear that RV manufacturers (as a whole) don't give a damn about their client base. At least such is the obvious case with Fleetwood/REV products and Tiffin Motorhomes and Montana (Keystone trailers) business plans, as we have had products of all three, and found the same issues with each. That is why we have always made sure that we buy an RV that was built on a FREIGHTLINER chassis, has a an Allison 6-speed transmission and a Cummins 380-450hp engine. When something works 95% of the time, and when something fails, it is taken care of by the manufacturer right away with the smallest amount of disruption to the owners (at least during the full first year of a brand new product, i.e. new vehicle warranty, it breeds consumer confidence, which translates to more sales and repeat sales.

We're not saying that Freightliner does not screw up with their manufacturer process. They do.  The difference is that Freightliner dealers/service centers take care of their customers' issues, with the least inconvenience to the customers. Case in point, since we picked up the RV in Texas, and left Texas in January 2, 2023, we went on to Florida for the winter and eventually headed to the REV Service Center in Decatur Indiana to have warranty work done, before heading back to Star Valley Ranch. By the time we got back to Star Valley Ranch, the body was slamming on the chassis and the front air bags were no  longer airing up at all. 

So we called Freightliner and explained our issue. Since the RV was not SAFELY drivable, they (Freightliner) sent a semi with a Low-Boy Trailer to tow us to their dealership, 95 miles away, which was the closest dealership. Compare this to Aqua Hot, which would neither send their Aqua Hot 'certified' technician, unless we paid him over $150 per trip for each and every visit he has to come to us, and would not pay his travel charge (as that is their requirement); and further, even though we had to take the RV to him (95 miles away, twice), he required us to pay for the warranty service ($100), which Aqua Hot was unwilling to reimburse us for. 

At Freightliner it turned out to be the main air hose that feeds air-pressure to the front air bags, which was poorly installed (too close to the turbo) which burned a hole in the line. They replaced the entire air line and made sure that it was secured away from the turbo. That was all taken care of in one day, and while we were there we were hooked up to 50Amp power with enough space to open our slides, for our comfort. That took care of that issue.

Another example... after leaving Wyoming, we noticed a growing instability of the body on the frame and by the time we got to Conroe, it was really bad with the body making 'thud' noises every time we touched the brakes. So, we took it to the closest Freightliner Service dealer. which was in Houston about 6 miles away. We called them and explained we were on the road, heading to Florida, but felt something was wrong. The said "bring it in right away and we'll take a look at it to see if it is a safety issue or if it will wait until you get to where you are going". We took it in to them, arriving at 9:30am. They looked it over and said "It is a safety issue and we need to address it right away. If we should have to order parts you can stay in it right here. There are two (2) big bolts/nuts (about 9" long) that hold the V-Ride suspension between the chassis and the body". They said that they have seen those bolts 'loose' before, but never totally missing, as in our case. They jumped right on it and fixed it right away, getting us out and back on the road within 4.5 hours (even staying about 30 minutes after they were supposed to close... to get us back on the road without disrupting our schedule. While there though they also noted that there was a transmission fluid leak and a further air leak, that they said was not critical and could wait until  we got to FL, but told us to take it to a Freightliner dealer in FL and made notes on our record so that the dealer we took it to would know what to look for. That's meritorious service.   Thank you David and Matt (Custom Chassis).  

So when we got to FL we made an appointment with the Orlando Freightliner. Thanks to the notes on our record (by VIN) they knew exactly what to fix and again were able to fix it same day. There too we were offered to stay overnight because it was raining, and hooked us up to 50A electric for the night.

How wonderful it could be IF REV and Aqua Hot could would copy and adopt the same business model for their Customer Service that Freightliner has apparently already developed. But, contrary to Freightliner, they don't give a damn.