Bumps in the road with our new RV

We’ve had a few bumps in the road since buying our new vehicle.

We bought the 2017 Thor Gemini 23TB in mid-September at Camping World in Liberty Lake .  For starters, there were issues we discovered during our final walk-through. The bedroom slideout was broken and screws popped off a cabinet as we opened it. Pretty dramatic.

In fact, we considered walking away from the deal, but the team we were working with at Camping World addressed the problems quickly, installing a new slide mechanism and fixing the cabinet. They also offered us a two-year warranty on what was considered a used rig. It was a much appreciated gesture.

OK, so we head down the road on our mission to hit as many national parks and monuments in the West before the end of the year, and, guess what? More problems.

A freezing-cold shower led to a disappointing discovery: The tankless water heater didn’t work. Plus, the coach batteries wouldn’t hold a charge. We spent a lot of time talking with techs on Camping World’s helpline, and pored over the owners manual. We headed into the service department at Camping World in Meridian, Idaho, and, whew, they were able to fix the hot water tank.

The batteries, we were told, were a different issue. They’re considered part of the Ford Transit’s chassis, so they’re not covered by the extended warranty. Ugh.

After a few more phone calls and Leslie’s call to action to the owner of Camping World, Marcus Lemonis , aka The Profit , it was decided that we’d be reimbursed for two new batteries.

Fortunately, we were staying at our friends’ lovely home in Ketchum, Idaho, while this was going on, and we found help at the local Carquest . Thanks, Kevin!

Since the new batteries were installed, and the other issues handled, we’ve been rolling smoothly down the road, heading to Aspen, Colo., this weekend for the annual John Denver Celebration .

All this has served as a good reminder that when things go wrong, and you get the urge to pull the plug, it’s best to be patient and persistent when trying to get problems resolved.

You know, kinda like everything in life.