Recreational Vehicle LemonLaws
Although the price of gasoline
continues to climb upwards, Americans still love driving recreational
vehicles. They are big and bulky, and get poor gas mileage, but the
convenience of driving a vehicle that also contains some of the
comforts of home is appealing, particularly since an RV will allow you
to stay in national parks and other campgrounds. Why stay in a hotel
when you can stay by a lake? A recreational vehicle does offer
vacation opportunities that other types of transportation, such as
sport utility vehicles, do not. But like any other vehicle, an RV can
break down, and when it does, the repairs can be expensive. They can
be even more expensive if you are unprepared for something that many
RV buyers don't know - the lemon laws of most states do not
cover recreational vehicles. |
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Tip!
If you think that you have purchased a lemon car it is important
that you keep good documentation of all interactions and
transactions in regards to your lemon car. Write a letter to the
manufacturer and send it certified.
Recreational vehicles are not cheap;
the price tags of some of them can exceed one million dollars. But
while they are legally motor vehicles, most states exempt them from
coverage under the lemon laws. Given the fact that RVs tend to
be rather expensive, one would think that they would be covered under
these laws, but in most states, that's not the case. Why not?
Tip!
Lemon law provisions, like those of the California lemon law,
often allow for a specific arbitration process that saves you time
and money over expensive court hearings. Under the California lemon
law, there is an arbitration process that the Better Business Bureau
uses that helps consumers with lemon cars.
Unlike most cars, which are
mass-produced by the millions, RVs are mostly assembled by hand. Not
only that, but the parts tend to be made by a number of different
companies. The drive train might be made by an auto manufacturer, and
the body and living quarters might be made by several other companies.
There is really no single manufacturer to hold responsible for vehicle
defects. A handful of states have some coverage for RVs, but those
that do tend to cover only the drive train, and not the living
quarters of the vehicle. If you have a transmission problem, you may
have recourse under the lemon law. If the stove quits working, the
problem is your responsibility.
If you are planning to buy an RV, you
should take precautions to minimize the likelihood of problems:
Check your state's
lemon laws
to see if the type of vehicle you plan to buy is covered.
Look at vehicles from a number of
different manufacturers and examine the warranties offered with the
vehicles carefully. You may wish to consider purchasing an extended
warranty, if one is offered at the time of sale.
Do some research on past reliability
of the type of vehicle you are thinking about buying. If that
manufacturer has a history of problems, you may wish to consider
buying from a different company.
See if the vehicle carries the seal
of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association. This seal means that
the manufacturer belongs to an industry group that requires its
members to meet a set of safety standards that includes more than five
hundred items.
Owning a recreational vehicle is a lot of fun and can make vacations
enjoyable. The last thing you want, however, is to spend your vacation
at home while the RV is in the shop. Remember, your state's
lemon law will probably not protect
you.
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