Order Tracking?

[halbright]

I have a new W on order. Is there any way to track progress through build and delivery process? All I got so far is a month. A more precise delivery time would be helpful for planning my summer.

[Ford Idaho]

Just me being me but I would not plan on anything till after the PDI because you never know what will be wrong or non working and the first trip out should be a short one for a good shake down.

[Oaklevel]

When we ordered our Puma the only way to track was our dealer checking with the dealer sales rep. & he could not tell since each model of trailer ran at different times & different rates of time depending on size and number of units. A month plus or minus was as close as they could tell........ So it each time that it was checked on was only a guess. Then a wait on the transport company to deliver was another issue..... The driver told our dealer he by passed another dealers units for ours since our dealer got him turned around fast when other dealers made him wait for hours it un-hitch......... Our dealer had a trailer get lost between Indiana & Bassett for over a week The driver had a mechanical issue............Ours sat on the factory lot waiting 2 weeks as it was waiting on the transport company........ Then there's the PDI we were lucky no major issues that the dealer had not already taken care of.........

I think you can see a break in the chain of things can hold up your delivery date..............

[rrock]

I ordered a S the first week of January and still waiting. Called the dealer today but they never returned my call.

[HomeOnWheels]

Congratulations on your order of W. My W just arrived 12 days ago, 10 weeks after order placed. According to bclemens (Class C rep), it's taking longer these days. Based on my experience, dealer is almost useless in terms of tracking your order and many other things. You should try to get in touch directly with a FR rep. For me, Jeremie Domiano at FR was helpful. I got the serial number from him. His email is jdomiano@forestriverinc.com, and phone#714-448-4692. Use the serial number every time you contact them. I occasionally sent bclemens private message, and he wasvery prompt in terms of getting back to me and giving me the information I asked for. So he was a great help.
Good luck!

[Ecopco]

I recommend a PM to Mr. Clemens. He can probably check and let you know when the build will be done. Getting to the dealer is another story!


2015 Solera 24R

[bclemens]

Originally Posted by halbright

I have a new W on order. Is there any way to track progress through build and delivery process? All I got so far is a month. A more precise delivery time would be helpful for planning my summer.

If you're looking for a precise date, unfortunately we can't give you one.

We're not nearly as precise as automotive and not as bad as new construction, but somewhere in between.

We try and quote the month that it will come off, but ratio of painted units to non-painted will affect lead time. Suppliers delays, longshoreman strikes, etc, etc.

I just had a unit recently that the driver/passenger seat had to be recovered. it could not go to paint (no seats) until we got them back. Supplier covered in the wrong leather, had to go back. Finally got the seats (VIN Specific) and off to paint it went. The day it was ready to ship, we got a recall notice from Mercedes on some door wedge part??? Can't ship until the dealer comes in to correct.

So what normally takes 10-12 weeks, is going to add 4 weeks.

Add to that a record order backlog, it's not pretty.

My recommendation is that if you have trips planned and are deciding between an order and stock. Buy the stock unit if at all possible.

[bclemens]

I do see an order in the system for Albright. No offline date yet.

New orders we're quoting 12-14 weeks with 3-4 weeks added for paint.

[halbright]

I and a friend (Jama) both ordered the same units at the same time, early in March. Buying from stock was not an option as we wanted the W floor plan and there were none to be had. We were told it would be 10-12 weeks. While it seems logical, there was no mention of additional time for painting. We both ordered full body paint. What you are telling me is not encouraging as it now seems possible that the summer may be nearly over before we see our motor-homes. Regardless, I would much prefer to know as much as can be known as early as possible. It helps manage my expectations and facilitates planning. What is the best way for us to monitor the progress of our orders?

[bclemens]

Once it gets an offline date, we can get a little better guesstimate, but as you can see from the Mercedes re-call there are no guaranties even then. I would check back with the dealer in two weeks to see if the unit has a serial number and offline date.

In the dealers defense, they give their best estimate based on past experience. Part of the issue is between quoting an offline date and actually placing the order, we could have taken 250 orders. At 18 units offline a day, that instantly adds almost 3 weeks.

We do everything we can to expedite retail orders.

[halbright]

I appreciate your follow-up and response and will do as you suggest. Thank you.

A full production calendar is a good problem for Forest River to have.

[bclemens]

Yes, I agree. We'd love to build more, but we have to ensure that our quality standards are met.

[halbright]

I would much rather have it right than have it sooner. It's much better to build the quality in with the initial construction than to try to achieve it with after production fixes. Let's get it right the first time. By all means, please ensure that quality standards are met.

[ericlakin]

It's a little disappointing that there is no real visibility into the process. We placed our order 4 weeks ago this coming Wednesday and apparently there is still no VIN number, so we can't even complete our financing. We were told 8-12 weeks our our full-body-paint SunSeeker 2400R.

[bclemens]

Who was your dealer and what was the name on the order?

The visibility should come from your dealer.

[ericlakin]

The dealer is Hamilton's RV in Saginaw, Michigan. The name on the order is Eric Lakin.

Thank you!

[bclemens]

Should have a VIN this week. Just got onto the schedule.

[ericlakin]

I appreciate the update. Should we anticipate 8 more weeks for a total of 12 from the date of order as originally stated by the dealer?

[bclemens]

That would be best. It is slated to come off in May, but then has to get paint. I didn't see it originally because it was in under "Larkin".

Best case, end of May. More than likely first part of June.

[halbright]

Well, we have an offline date (May 8) and a scheduled factory tour (May 7). It's getting more real.