# Extended Warranty



## dhudson (Dec 21, 2006)

I have a 2006' Outback 30 rls and was wondering if I should go for the extended warranty on this unit.I purchased it last March 06' and need to decide in the next few days before my manufacturers 1 year warranty runs out.We love the trailer and plan on keeping it for a long time, at least 5 or 6 more years if not longer.I have experienced quite a few problems with the unit this 1st. year which makes me a little nervous about not buying one. The extended warranty I am looking at is for 7 years and will run about $1300.00 with a $100.00 dollar deductable. It does cover most appliances, ac,axles etc. but is not bumper to bumper.Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Dave Hudson


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

The long and short answer is *NO* you do not need it. You can set the money aside that you would spend on a extended warranty and then use it to repair something but even then you will most likely not need it.

What were the problems you had? If they were a loose screw or some minor item then you will find they are not covered or you will pay your deductible to cover them. Did you have to replace a control board?? If so you spent $100 which again is your deductible. Did you have to replace the furnace or water heater?? Well those are 4 or 5 hundred dollars so after your deductible (assuming they don't dis allow the coverage for some made up maintenance that you did not do) you subtract a few hundred dollars. You could replace 3 or 4 of these big ticket items at that rate.

So save the money in an Outback maintenance account. Use it if you need it or have it for some other real emergency just don't waste it on a extended warranty.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I would also vote a big NO on this. Seems like these are always in the $1000's of dollars and I would think you would have a hard time getting a good ROI on this money.

You have the normal warranty....your problems will come out during that time.

Bank the money...and just keep a well maintained Outback.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Extended Warranty, Do you recommend buying one?

Nope.


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

X3 here on the extended warranty. Look closely at the maintenance requirement language of the policy ... it will surprise you how little is actually covered. If you have to finance the warranty your net cost is going to be more than the $1300....

These are a super money maker for the seller low risk -high income low utilization by the buyer due to contract terms in policy.

My 2 cents

Map Guy


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## Adirondack Outbackers (Feb 11, 2007)

If it were a class A motor I would say yes, but not on a tt keep your money like others said.

JIm


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

Adirondack Outbackers said:


> If it were a class A motor I would say yes, but not on a tt keep your money like others said.
> 
> JIm


I agree - a motorhome of any kind would be a little different story!

Map Guy


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

*in a little whispering voice*







hi, we bought one


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

skippershe said:


> *in a little whispering voice*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're not alone, friend. We did too!


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## dhudson (Dec 21, 2006)

I very much appreciate the replies and advice.The problems we have had on this brand new unit in this first year have been:Tv antenna winder broke, kitchen dinette table came loose and detached from floor at slideout area, shower drain cracked, kitchen window would not open needed replaced, staples came through rubber roof, had to replace entire roof, A/C unit blew needed replaced, and " fiberglass delamination" issues on the outside of trailer at the hot water heater area. The last 4 issues have kept our TT at the dealer since Halloween 06'







and now it's March and still waiting. Keystone is standing behind all repairs but our dealer Leo's Rv Center here in Maryland sure isn't in any hurry







These issues are why I was considering the extended warranty. Thanks again for everyones replies and help. Question to those who did purchase the extended warranty.... Have you had to use it? Dave Hudson


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## beachbum (Nov 27, 2006)

We too, bought the extended warranty. Even though I can turn a wrench, and I do the maintenance things, 7 years of coverage for the big items, (A/C, refrig, W/H, etc) for $1300 did not seem unreasonable. We did not "invest" the money. thus do not expect any return on investment. The OB is not an investment just as cars are not an investment. Autos are a necessity. The OB is a luxury item. The extended warranty gives some peace of mind that it can stay in service. The "peace of mind" factor is the important issue to me/us.
david


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

CamperAndy said:


> The long and short answer is *NO* you do not need it. You can set the money aside that you would spend on a extended warranty and then use it to repair something but even then you will most likely not need it.
> 
> What were the problems you had? If they were a loose screw or some minor item then you will find they are not covered or you will pay your deductible to cover them. Did you have to replace a control board?? If so you spent $100 which again is your deductible. Did you have to replace the furnace or water heater?? Well those are 4 or 5 hundred dollars so after your deductible (assuming they don't dis allow the coverage for some made up maintenance that you did not do) you subtract a few hundred dollars. You could replace 3 or 4 of these big ticket items at that rate.
> 
> So save the money in an Outback maintenance account. Use it if you need it or have it for some other real emergency just don't waste it on a extended warranty.


Have to agree with Andy

Don


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

wolfwood said:


> *in a little whispering voice*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're not alone, friend. We did too!
[/quote]

Make that 3.


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## FraTra (Aug 21, 2006)

NO!

Only benefit the people selling them.


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## justinsnow0 (Feb 5, 2007)

personally, i would not buy a manufactures extended warrenty. I DID however buy an extended bumper to bumper for my trailer. It's good for 6 years and cost me under 2000. It doese carry a deductible of 100.


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Short answer : NO

Long answer : NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Also Dhudson -- forget about the extended warranty -- here is what you do -- (here comes the free marginal legal advice) first let me say -- look under the Lemon Law requirements for your state -- and after you do you will se that you can easily get a new trailer !!!

If my trailer had been in the shop as much as yours I would be jumping up and down on Keystone -- (most states only require 30 days in shop time for 12 months to get a refund under most lemon Laws --)

OK -- armed with that info -- and saying that you want to still keep the trailer -- I would tell Keystone that they are going to either extend your trailer warranty -- FOR FREE -- for another year -- PLUS cover all the warranty work that has already been done for TWO YEARS -- or you will take them to court under the Lemon Law...

Once again -- this is free marginal legal advice so take it with a grain of salt -- but dude -- there is NO way I would be even considering purchasing a waranty -- make them GIVE YOU ONE!!!!

But anyway -- Extended Warranties for the most part never pay for themselves....so just say NO


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

beachbum said:


> We too, bought the extended warranty. Even though I can turn a wrench, and I do the maintenance things, 7 years of coverage for the big items, (A/C, refrig, W/H, etc) for $1300 did not seem unreasonable. We did not "invest" the money. thus do not expect any return on investment. The OB is not an investment just as cars are not an investment. Autos are a necessity. The OB is a luxury item. The extended warranty gives some peace of mind that it can stay in service. The "peace of mind" factor is the important issue to me/us.
> david


Ditto! X2









Our dealer set us up with a 12 year payment plan...we did it only because we knew we were going to pay it off within a year anyway.

12 payments x 12 months = 144
$1300.00 divided by 144 payments = $9.02 dollars per month

I spend more than that in a day on Lattes at Starbucks


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

dhudson said:


> I very much appreciate the replies and advice.The problems we have had on this brand new unit in this first year have been:Tv antenna winder broke, kitchen dinette table came loose and detached from floor at slideout area, shower drain cracked, kitchen window would not open needed replaced, staples came through rubber roof, had to replace entire roof, A/C unit blew needed replaced, and " fiberglass delamination" issues on the outside of trailer at the hot water heater area. The last 4 issues have kept our TT at the dealer since Halloween 06'
> 
> 
> 
> ...










We're just out of our initial warranty. But, I can tell you, there are a few (VERY few) _minor_ issues that showed up at the end of last season (read - AFTER the threat of ice had arrived and I wasn't towing her anywhere). Because we have the E/W, we didn't need to stress out about being sure it all got addressed last Fall. We'll have it taken care of this Spring - and all will be right with the world. We almost always invest in an E/W on big ticket items (and always on our vehicles!) and we've never been sorry. Gives us "Peace of Mind" ....a little extra insurance....and, as it happens, we've always gotten our money's worth (hoping it will be different with the Outback...but ya' just don't know until it's too late







)

Just read Ghosty's response - - - gotta agree. With all that you've had done ALREADY - and all the waiting that you've had to do - - - I'd sure pursue that option!


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Dude -- ONCE AGAIN -- LEMON LAW THAT THING -- get a new one -- Holy Cow -- 5 Months at the dealer -- forget the warranty -- just start from scratch... !!!

Maryland Lemon Law

Check with an attorney that specializes in Maryland Lemon Law -- I worked a Lemon law case out of Maryland once -- easy state for Lemon Law stuff -- ...

also -- make sure whatever attorney you go with does NOT charge anything in case you loose -- but dude - a 1st year law student could get your money back on this one...


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

wolfwood said:


> I very much appreciate the replies and advice.The problems we have had on this brand new unit in this first year have been:Tv antenna winder broke, kitchen dinette table came loose and detached from floor at slideout area, shower drain cracked, kitchen window would not open needed replaced, staples came through rubber roof, had to replace entire roof, A/C unit blew needed replaced, and " fiberglass delamination" issues on the outside of trailer at the hot water heater area. The last 4 issues have kept our TT at the dealer since Halloween 06'
> 
> 
> 
> ...










We're just out of our initial warranty. But, I can tell you, there are a few (VERY few) _minor_ issues that showed up at the end of last season (read - AFTER the threat of ice had arrived and I wasn't towing her anywhere). Because we have the E/W, we didn't need to stress out about being sure it all got addressed last Fall. We'll have it taken care of this Spring - and all will be right with the world. We almost always invest in an E/W on big ticket items (and always on our vehicles!) and we've never been sorry. Gives us "Peace of Mind" ....a little extra insurance....and, as it happens, we've always gotten our money's worth (hoping it will be different with the Outback...but ya' just don't know until it's too late







)
[/quote]

Exactly! Insurance/warranty = Peace of Mind! In our stressful world we always go for the Peace of Mind, it just decreases our stress!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

I got to say you may not be happy with this trailer with or without an extended warranty. You think the dealer is slow now just wait until you tell them you want it repaired under the extended warranty plan.

I would consider that when it is returned by this dealer that you take it somewhere else and trade it in for a new one. Not that you are trying to pawn off a lemon but you will always being worrying about this trailer and that is not why we have them. Get a fresh start after a fair trade for a repaired trailer and then lets see where you go.

BTW - there is NO excuse for your trailer being there for 5 months unless that is where you wanted to store the trailer. None of the repairs you listed should take more then a week to resolve and only the side delam is a real bad issue. The roof issue, I hope they stored it indoors if they have not already fixed it.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

OMG...5 months at the dealer? They would have owned that sucker after 4=6 weeks if that was my Outback.


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## Friendly (Mar 7, 2007)

After 5 months they would own part of my boot.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Friendly said:


> After 5 months they would own part of my boot.


LOL....


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## Lady Di (Oct 28, 2005)

After 5 months, and as others have said, use the Lemon law. Get away from that trailer. Ask for and get a new one. If you like the layout, get another.

At the rate the repairs are going, you may never see your camper again. If you want one you can use have them replace the lemon.


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

dhudson said:


> I very much appreciate the replies and advice.The problems we have had on this brand new unit in this first year have been:Tv antenna winder broke, kitchen dinette table came loose and detached from floor at slideout area, shower drain cracked, kitchen window would not open needed replaced, staples came through rubber roof, had to replace entire roof, A/C unit blew needed replaced, and " fiberglass delamination" issues on the outside of trailer at the hot water heater area. The last 4 issues have kept our TT at the dealer since Halloween 06'
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No Dave we haven't had to use it. 
So sorry you are having so much trouble.







I agree with the others Lemon Law Absolutely!! 5 months WOW & after all of those problems........ that's just Wrong.


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## pjb2cool (Apr 8, 2004)

wolfwood said:


> *in a little whispering voice*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're not alone, friend. We did too!
[/quote]








_us too !!!_


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## Travelers (Apr 6, 2006)

As with a few other Outbackers, we always get extended warranties for all big ticket items. They have paid for themselves in every case so far by either using them for covered repairs, getting refunds for not using them or by the ability to transfer the warranty to a new owner which helps sell the item faster (and no one comes back at you if something breaks).

I just returned from the Chev dealer today and they replaced the passenger side mirror for a quick $800 on the Suburban - all covered by the extended warranty. I know there are no mirrors on the Outback, but there are a few other items that could cost big bucks to repair/replace.

Bottom line is I don't worry about it, the extended warranty should cover most things and the rest I can handle. That peace of mind thing really works.


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## watervalleykampers (Jan 16, 2007)

pjb2cool said:


> *in a little whispering voice*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You're not alone, friend. We did too!
[/quote]








_us too !!!_








[/quote]

We did too.







DH isn't the handiest person in the world (and he'll be the first to admit it), so he wanted the extra coverage 'just in case'.


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## LastFrontier1! (Feb 13, 2007)

Hi all,









I seem to recall reading some literature several years ago regarding extended warranties and how certain automobile companies accounted for them on their financial statements. Although I am "getting along in years" (I'm 53), if my memory serves me correctly, for every dollar the automobile companies received for selling an extended warranty, the manufacturer only reserved about 18 cents on their balance sheet for future warranty claims. That means the remaining 82 cents went to the manufacturers, dealers, salesmen, and/or dealership finance personnel. Now that's a pretty profitable operation!!! Additionally, I know of several instances with family members where the "fine print" served to reduce the actual level of coverage and protection when something went wrong.

That being said, if you obtain significant additional "peace of mind" from having an extended warranty or are buying a unit that may have a questionable reliability history, you might find that it is worth buying one. As for me, I will continue to pass them up and keep the money I saved ready to pay for any unexpected repairs.

Note: Although the information contained in Internet link below is four years old, it does provide some excellent insights into the unnecessary mark-ups and other potential pitfalls that can accompany extended warranties.

http://www.consumersunion.org/finance/auto-dealer-rpt303.htm

For those folks who decide that they might want to buy an extended warranty on a vehicle, the Internet link below might prove informative and potentially enable them to save them some money. (Please note that this link is for information only and I have no first-hand experience with this non-profit organization).

http://www.checkbook.org/auto/ExtendedService.cfm

Regards,
Mike


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## FraTra (Aug 21, 2006)

Mine was at the dealer for repairs a total of 4 months. I checked Georgia Lemon Law and found out it basically only covers motor driven vehicles with more than 2 wheels. It was winter and I just thought of it as free storage.

I have contacted my state representatives about having some provisions for RVs added to the law but they were not very receptive of the idea. I think it would take some time and petitions to get their attention.


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## BoBerry (Mar 15, 2007)

Okay I am new to all this and i normally never buy the extended warranty but we did this time. Let me tell you why we went ahead and bought it the service tech recommended it to us. He said keep a running list of everything that you even have a question about and then each year put on your list diffrent things like your not sure it is breaking right or you feel a little pull here he said if it makes the list they check it. So do this to get your rotine maintaince done as well. My husband is also a mechanic but why not buy it if they will do the routine maintaince if they will check it for your under the agreement and then when you do have a problem you are covered as well? I don't know me my father in law had a refrigerator go out after 6 years and it cost him 1,300.00 to replace. Our coverage was 1,500 for seven years. So to me it covers anything major and then also I can get routine maintaince done as well. This is our first time with a TT so for us we thought it was a neccesity.

Just my 2 cents worth... but I know everyone has their own ideas this just worked for us.

Blessings
Micki


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

AlaskaOutbacker said:


> Hi all,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the links!
Some interesting reading at the first link . Will visit the second link just for fun later...

Map Guy


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## Txcamper (Apr 3, 2006)

I agree with the NO crowd. It is not necessary. Remember, they wouldn't be selling it if they lost money.


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## shaela21 (Aug 16, 2005)

I am also in the "we also bought the extended warranty" crowd, and the main reason is peace of mind. It was also 1300.00 and is for 10 years, and if it not used during this time, then it is 100% refundable. But a lot can happen over 10 years, and RV appliances (fridge, A/C, water heater) are not cheap, and what if something really expensive breaks down? Then we are covered and I know this will happen while we are camping. This policy covers hotel rooms while the OB is being repaired if we are camping and something goes wrong. Anything can happen, and this just gives me and DW the peace of mind that it will be covered.


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