Custom Diesel Service, Inc.

On July 27,2015, [redacted]'s 2001 American Eagle motor home was towed to CDS Inc., after a recommendation by the largest RV dealer in Lehigh Valley.CDS diagnosed the problem and found the coach developed a heavy coolant leak. Customer asked for a temporary repair to get him back home Va....

We tried filling the cooling system with water to do a temp repair but the water immediately leaked out. The customer was anxious to get the unit repaired, and said he would leave it. The technician diagnosed the problem and advised the customer. There was no estimate as the owner did not request one and only said to fix it asap.The coach had an [redacted] Diesel Engine also known as a “Diesel Pusher” (found on large units) because the engine is located in the rear end of the coach, making it difficult to work on and more time consuming. There are two ways to approach the repair, 1) Work inside the coach, however, we would need to disassemble part of the bed or 2) Work underneath the engine, raising the unit up with the coach jack stands, but leaving very little room to move around to repair. Given only two options, it was best to work from underneath.
This particular diesel engine has an air compressor which gets cooling from the engine with two steel tubes, one tube called inlet, and the other called outlet, both from air compressor head going back to engine block for circulation purposes. Both tubes were rotted. (This unit was recently purchased, and customer was making his first trip with it.) This should have been the RV dealers' responsibility to replace both tubes when dealer, and customer did final inspection at purchase time of engine.CDS Inc. ordered the parts, and it took some time to get them. The first delivery of parts were sent to us in error, and the second time they had only one tube available, delaying the other tube for a few days. After replacing both tubes we proceeded with repairs. Because of the lack of room, technicians had a very difficult time removing and installing tubes. Please see work order [redacted]. The work was just about done when the customer called for an approximate estimate and pick up date. We gave [redacted] the price, see work order, along with a 2.3 labor discount for any inconveniences that had occurred. When we explained all we did, that it was not just his radiator hose, he understood and was satisfied. At that time, since we never did work for him before, our policy is cash or a bank check, especially since he is out of state.
A few days later, [redacted] came in to pay the bill. He apparently called the dealer where he purchased the motor home and the dealer would not honor the repair. That's when [redacted] got upset with me. He threatened me with a lot of nasty words, and refused to listen to reason as I kept trying to explain to him that we were not just replacing some rubber hoses but dealing with steel tubes.
It should be the dealers' responsibility to cover repairs if there is a warranty issued. Usually on a pre owned, older model, there is at least 30 days coverage. [redacted] may have bought the coach as is with no warranty.[redacted] picked up his unit, and ran it for awhile in our parking lot to make sure the work was done properly. All ran well, and he left.CDS, INC has been in business for 37 years. We are proud of our reputation. [redacted] is correct, we do specialize in motor home repair and because of the service we give our customers, many come back to us from out of state when passing through, to ask for advice, or for a repair.
Motor home repairs are stressful for owners. They buy their RV to enjoy, not to repair while on vacation. Most owners have very little or no knowledge of diesel repair. We do our best to explain to them, and even show them the problem, as they are welcomed to watch us work if they like. The repair was explained to [redacted] many times, but he just did not understand. It was not a simple hose. These were steel tubes that were rotted.
We do not place demands on our customers. We have POLICIES, not demands, and all customers, out of state are treated the same. Customers are not demanded to pay cash, and can easily pay by bank check. Unfortunately a personal check is risky for a business owner, as many businesses will not take a personal check.
There was no repair done without the consent of the owner. We tried to temporarily fix it as [redacted] asked; unfortunately the quick fix did not work as he saw himself. [redacted] had choices, towing elsewhere, or towing home, but left it with us and asked us to repair it as soon as possible. He did not ask for an estimate, and only asked the cost when the repair was done.The repairs and times were all itemized, and [redacted] had no complaints and there were no demands placed on him.Please note that CDS, INC. owns [redacted] Outdoor Storage facility. You can visit us at www.[redacted]com. We store for customers approximately 115 RV units. We also repair, service, and do inspections for all of our RV's stored at our facility.