B&L RV Parts & Service

Review: My wife and I purchased a 2004 Nu-Wa Hitchhiker II LS 5th wheel trailer from B&L RV, 11 Quinta Ct., Sacramento, CA. One of the conditions of the sale (there was more but they were not done ie., cleaning the carpets and a new matress) was the brakes be checked and replaced if needed. When we picked up the trailer I looked and it had new brake backing plates installed. On seeing this I assumed the brakes had been redone and it seemed to stop in the beginning. We have used the trailer 4 times since purchased (2 trips to Bodega Bay, 1 trip to Lake Berryessa and 1 thip to the delta between I-5 and Rio Vista). I noticed the brakes were not working very well and while the trailer was at McColloch's R.V. Repair for some other work, I asked them to check the brakes, thinking they were out of adjustment. They removed the drums (of which none were thightened correctly) and found on the left rear when the drum was removed the grease seal and bearing remained on the spindle and the brake shoes and drum were covered in grease. The left front also had grease on the brake shoes. None of the drums had been turned and there were deep grooves in the magnet and shoe surfaces. There were deep gouges in the middle of the brake shoes and chips missing on the edges of the brake shoes.I took an estimate for the cost of a brake job from McColloch's R.V. Repair to Mr. [redacted] who owns B&L RV. All he wanted was for me to bring the trailer back to him to repair because it would be cheaper for him to do it. He didn't do it right the first time so why would I give him another chance to put our lives in danger to save him some money. I have filed a complaint with the the Bureau of Automotive Repair hoping this kind of shoddy repair work will not be tolerated. This is a grievous saftey issue not only for us but the other motoring public.Desired Settlement: To have B&L RV reinburse me for the cost of the repairs that have already been done.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] purchased this unit from us on March 18 of this year. At the time of delivery everything was in working order. As this was a used coach it is sold "AS IS", please see attached document. The customer was provided with a 90 day service contract through Xtra Ride and no additional charge to him for piece on mind for the customer. Once the unit leaves we have no control over what happens with the coach. If his break control was set to high it can over heat the hubs and ruin the breaks. It was 8 months after purchase when Mr. [redacted] complained about a problem. The unit was sold "AS-IS" and therefore has no warranty from B&L RV, it was outside of the 90 day service contract that was provided to the customer, still Mr. [redacted] asked for the coach to be brought to us so he could see what he could do for the customer. As per Mr. [redacted]'s statement he refused this extended offer that was beyond our obligation. I have been contacted by the B.A.R. on behalf of Mr. [redacted] and they concluded that there is no warranty and this lie outside of their jurisdiction. It is our position that we are not legally obligated, since there was no warranty, nor morally obligated, as Mr. [redacted]'s extended offer was declined, to pay for repairs for this coach.