TM Service

We have a 2008 3124KS. We bought it last fall after doing a lot of research and soul searching. We used to have a class C Rockwood. I think we were RV'ing before RVs were popular (argggg). Anyway, the TM is very complex and well engineered for something that gets pulled at 65-70 mph down the road. As many have mentioned, there are issues- some common ones, others unique to the specific model or options. Nevertheless, you will not find another TT that is as light, fully functional and spacious as the TM.

We all have a tendency to focus on the negative aspects of the design partly because it's human nature and partly because we're looking for solutions to specific problems. As an engineer myself, I can tell you that the TM is a well engineered product from a price performance perspective. Could things be improved- probably but they do continue to listen to their user base and make changes based on what we tell them. I wouldn't be surprised if other manufacturers of TTs don't start adopting some of the unique designs that TM uses to lighten their trailers.

Good luck on your search.

Phil

You think design and service are bad, wait until you ry to get parts.

[kempert]

If you look at my signature line below, you can see that I've had my TM for 8 years, put a lot of mileage on it, & lived in it for a total of over 40 months. I've ordered parts from the factory several times with no problems. As a matter of fact, I recently found a broken hold down latch (result of being in a 60 vehicle pile up in April) and ordered a new one last week. I called Friday afternoon to make sure everything was alright and Ed told me it was going out today. They do have a new guy in the parts department (forgot his name) who's learning about all the different parts that go into all the different models (incl different years) of TMs. I have no complaints about the service from the parts department.

[cochise]

Originally Posted by harveyrv

This is my 1st post on this forum. My wife and I have been seriously thinking of buying a TM 2720. I have read nearly every post on this forum.

If TM service is as bad as it sounds on here, it concerns us somewhat.

By everything that I have been able to learn about this product is that it has changed very little over the last 20 years. The engineering of this thing has slowly evolved just behind prevailing technology but the design is basically the same.

It occurs to me that this factory may be getting bored with what it is producing (at quite some cost, I might add) and taking their customers for granted.

This is a scary business plan for the consumer and it seems that someone needs to wake-up and smell the roses at TM.

I know that there are a lot of loyal TM owners on this forum and I am not out to offend any of you but your praises seem to come with a few complaints about the manufacturer. We are now starting to wonder if we want one of these trailers. It seems to me that after 20 years of building the same darn thing they should be pretty good at it. It's not like they are building a complicated automobile that constantly changes in both engineering and design.

I agree with a previous poster....after 20 years, these people should be getting pretty darn close to perfection and apparently they're not. Some of the design flaws that I am reading about (air leaks, door design problems, faulty furnishings etc) have not been dealt with since the inception of this product.

Esteemed "harveyrv" wrote this on 07-20-2008. And he was/is right as nothing much has changed at TM in the two years since.

I purchased my Elkmont 24 in September 2009, and it has been in the shop 3 times now (third time now) for weeks on end. Initially TM denied that there was anything wrong with the furnace installation, and it wasn't until I contacted the manufacturer, Suburban, and RVIA that things began to flow. And even now it is more like pulling teeth. In addition to the furnace problem (wrong unit "put" in the trailer, it wasn't even secured so one cannot say it was installed) there has also been a slew of other problems, missing caulking allowing water to enter the unit, water pipes that were not tight, non code electric installations, kinked gas lines, gas regulater not screwed to its support plus the usual long list of poor workmanship, incorect gas-strut installation and the last one is de-lamination of the outer skin. But hey that is only 10 months that I have not been able to fully use my 20K+ investment.

Had I known of and read this forum before I purchased, I would NOT have bought a TM product. And this case is far from over yet.

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.

Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise".

Just my opinion. But yes I have learned a lot from this forum, thank you, and I will probably continue to hang around since it IS very interesting to hear other peoples experiences, both in dealing with TM, the dealers, but most the trips people take in their TT's.

[kempert]

I don't get it. This quote seems sorta off the wall to me. Who's making it and who's believing it?

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.

Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise".

BTW - The hold down latch that I ordered from the factory last Friday was deleivered to me yesterday by UPS. I'm in CO near the UT border at a National Monument that doesn't have a # in my mailing address. This causes major problems for computerized mailing and shipping programs but TM had no problem getting it to me.

[cochise]

Originally Posted by kempert

I don't get it. This quote seems sorta off the wall to me. Who's making it and who's believing it?

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.

Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise".

BTW - The hold down latch that I ordered from the factory last Friday was deleivered to me yesterday by UPS. I'm in CO near the UT border at a National Monument that doesn't have a # in my mailing address. This causes major problems for computerized mailing and shipping programs but TM had no problem getting it to me.

First of all I was referring to HARVEYRV's initial concerns about TM. Service is more than parts delivery, and the fact that UPS found you only gives them credit (UPS).

We purchased our ELKMONT 24 based on TM's propaganda brochure. I'm not going into details here but there are so many lies it is not even funny. Weight, quality, towing etc. And after they delivered a trailer with the wrong furnace, NOT even installed correctly according to the manufacturer, and the dealer failed to catch that on their delivery inspection, TM denied that there was a problem. "You don't understand how this is done" they told me. Well since the furnace presented a serious safety problem, I contacted the manufacturer of the furnace and was told: "YES YOU HAVE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM, DO NOT USE UNTIL IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED". It is now finally being repaired, after contacting RVIA and SUBURBAN manufacturing. Meanwhile the rhetoric goes on. It has now been 10 months since we purchased the Elkmont, and it is still not useable. The outer skin is de-laminating from the rest, and no one will tell me how it is going to be fixed. Meanwhile TM goes on and tells everybody how good they are, how safe their product is and how service minded they are. I have written certified letters to Mr. Michael Hulsey at TM. Did he ever bother to answer? NO! I only know he got my mail because it was signed for.

And from other members here I have read there are quite a few with problems. Perhaps the majority with problems have decided to fix these themselves, I know of one member with one of the exact same problems that I had, and also not caught by the exact same dealer. He choose to fix it all himself. More power to him, but I paid my money for a product that was NOT as advertised, hence the lie and the propaganda, take a good look at their Elkmont 24 brochure, and you will know what I have in mind.

So, service is also how you deal with your customer’s and handle their problems. When you tell a customer that everything was installed by “the book” and that quality and craftsmanship is the key but you don’t do it than that is a lie. And if you repeat it often enough it will most likely be believed. –And don’t forget that the Elkmont is a “different animal” that the fold downs. It should be much easier to build an “upright trailer” than a fold down, and yet there are all these problems.

[kempert]

Cochise – Thanks for the explanation. I didn’t realize that we were talking about two different things and two different types of trailers. My first post on this subject was about the comment on getting parts from TM. I just wanted to let others know of my experience with ordering and receiving parts. BTW – When trying to order things from other businesses, we often have problems with them even taking our order because of the lack of a number for a street address. The local branch of the USPS cannot figure out how to give us a street address. TM gets some credit in believing me and not some computer software.

I am very sorry to hear of your experiences with your trailer. I can’t imagine what it has been like for you over the last 10 months. I have to admit that since I have had no interest in a full height trailer, I haven’t paid too much attention to the Elkmont. After reading your explanation, your quote makes perfectly good sense to me.

Good luck to you in the future.

I just bought my first TM, a 2004 3023 and am very impressed. I have called the factory 3 times and have been treated with respect and terrific customer service. I got technical guidance that was spot on and have ordered parts that are on their way to me. My only wish is that they accept credit cards or at least Pay Pal, but sending a check only adds a couple of days.

I think a TM is a great product and the company seems to be very responsive.

Dave