Florence RV & Automotive Specialists

Florence RV & Automotive Specialist received a letter from your departm~nt; with an assigned ID# [redacted] dated August 14, I spoke with the employee who was assigned to complete theassessment of the customers concern, make suggestions and recommendations for repair strategies andultimately carry out the course of repair that the customer ultimately agreed to pursue.As it was presented to me, the customer arrived at our facilities with a damaged 5th Wheel Hitch CapturePlate that, in the technicians assessment had failed to give was as it should have and that had been bentand stress cracks had occurred in and around the bolt holes in that plate where it attached to the bedof the truck, rendering that assembly irreparable.The technician charted out a course of repair with the customers review and input that would provide forthe replacement of the damaged capture plate assembly, using a Universal Capture Plate Assembly thatwas designed to be used in any and all applicationsThe client and technician jointly selected thisparticular Capture Plate because it was deemed UNIVERSAL, and included all the necessary hardware tocomplete the replacement and repair in a manner that was deemed to be safe, secure, and road worthy.We did not hear anything further from this customer in regards to this repair until receiving your letter.In review of the comments and assessments of the technicians, who examined and made additional repairsto this hitch assembly in Montana, as described by the customer, It appears evident that there wereissues with the actual 5th wheel hitch itself that, we were not asked to examine or assess while we hadthe truck and capture plate assembly in our chargeGiven that the hitch recreated the same damagingcircumstances to the newly installed capture plate assembly in a short span of time after our makingrepairsThe customer had already removed the hitch from his truck bed prior to our initial inspection andassessment of the situation, and returned the hitch to the bed himself after our repairs were completed.I would find it difficult to accept that the technician/s who the customer states claimed that the "wrongcapture plate was installed" because it was a Universal Capture Plate that was designed to used for thatpurpose with any 5th Wheel HitchI would suggest instead, based upon the statements made by the clientregarding the need of making additional repairs to the 5th wheel hitch itself following the failure of thesecond capture plate assembly installed by ourselves, that the problem from the beginning Lied in the 5thwheel hitch that we were never asked to inspect or given access too while working on this customers vehicleThe customer did not contact us at any point following their departure from our facility to reportany problems developing over the course of their travelsOur warranty or guarantee would have allowedfor repairs were our work or the part itself defectiveThis does not appear to be the case at all however.There is or was something defective in their 5th wheel hitch itself that caused the initial and the secondarydestruction of the Capture Plate and was not the fault of the initial or secondary capture plates or thequality of the workmanship of the installersI would suggest instead that the repairs rendered to the 5thwheel hitch itself corrected a reoccurring locking of the hitch while it was in the process or turning, thatwould prevent it from working as it was designed to and that instead subjected the capture plates tostresses that were beyond the limits of what they could endure and caused them to give way underextreme pressure applied to them in the process of turning beyond the limits of what appears to havebeen a defective hitch.Florence RV & Automotive has a long standing history of excellent in sales and service, and take greatcare and pride in our workmanship and maintenance of our good reputationWere this situation thoughtby ourselves to be the result of our failure to deliver quality workmanship, or having installed inferior ordefective products, or as the customer is now suggesting, installing a product that was not recommendedfor this application, which is simply not the case, we would have felt obligated to provide whateverservices or hardware was required to make repair, or provided assistance in making the repairs that thecustomer later encountered as a result of a defect in the 5th hitch assembly itself, which is completelyseparate from the capture plate assembly that we addressed and replacedGiven that neither of thesescenarios appears to be the case in this matter, and also given that the customer never requested of usto inspect the 5th wheel hitch, and the fact that we never provided access to the hitch while making repairto the capture plate, we do not feel that we have in anyway failed to deliver anything but qualityworkmanship and the recommended parts for the purpose of this repair, we do not feel that the demandsof this customer are justified nor do we feel that the circumstances or outcome of this repair, supportsany negative reflections, upon the quality of workmanship delivered by Florence RV & Automotive Repairnor should it negatively reflect on the integrity of our company, our employees ongoing pursuit ofexcellence in everything we do Respectfully, James *H [redacted] / Owner ,

Florence RV & Automotive Specialist received a letter from your departm~nt; with an assigned ID#[redacted] dated August 14, 2015. I spoke with the employee who was assigned to complete theassessment of the customers concern, make suggestions and recommendations for repair strategies andultimately...

carry out the course of repair that the customer ultimately agreed to pursue.As it was presented to me, the customer arrived at our facilities with a damaged 5th Wheel Hitch CapturePlate that, in the technicians assessment had failed to give was as it should have and that had been bentand stress cracks had occurred in and around the bolt holes in that plate where it attached to the bedof the truck, rendering that assembly irreparable.The technician charted out a course of repair with the customers review and input that would provide forthe replacement of the damaged capture plate assembly, using a Universal Capture Plate Assembly thatwas designed to be used in any and all applications. The client and technician jointly selected thisparticular Capture Plate because it was deemed UNIVERSAL, and included all the necessary hardware tocomplete the replacement and repair in a manner that was deemed to be safe, secure, and road worthy.We did not hear anything further from this customer in regards to this repair until receiving your letter.In review of the comments and assessments of the technicians, who examined and made additional repairsto this hitch assembly in Montana, as described by the customer, It appears evident that there wereissues with the actual 5th wheel hitch itself that, we were not asked to examine or assess while we hadthe truck and capture plate assembly in our charge. Given that the hitch recreated the same damagingcircumstances to the newly installed capture plate assembly in a short span of time after our makingrepairs. The customer had already removed the hitch from his truck bed prior to our initial inspection andassessment of the situation, and returned the hitch to the bed himself after our repairs were completed.I would find it difficult to accept that the technician/s who the customer states claimed that the "wrongcapture plate was installed" because it was a Universal Capture Plate that was designed to used for thatpurpose with any 5th Wheel Hitch. I would suggest instead, based upon the statements made by the clientregarding the need of making additional repairs to the 5th wheel hitch itself following the failure of thesecond capture plate assembly installed by ourselves, that the problem from the beginning Lied in the 5thwheel hitch that we were never asked to inspect or given access too while working on this customers
vehicle. The customer did not contact us at any point following their departure from our facility to reportany problems developing over the course of their travels. Our warranty or guarantee would have allowedfor repairs were our work or the part itself defective. This does not appear to be the case at all however.There is or was something defective in their 5th wheel hitch itself that caused the initial and the secondarydestruction of the Capture Plate and was not the fault of the initial or secondary capture plates or thequality of the workmanship of the installers. I would suggest instead that the repairs rendered to the 5thwheel hitch itself corrected a reoccurring locking of the hitch while it was in the process or turning, thatwould prevent it from working as it was designed to and that instead subjected the capture plates tostresses that were beyond the limits of what they could endure and caused them to give way underextreme pressure applied to them in the process of turning beyond the limits of what appears to havebeen a defective hitch.Florence RV & Automotive has a long standing history of excellent in sales and service, and take greatcare and pride in our workmanship and maintenance of our good reputation. Were this situation thoughtby ourselves to be the result of our failure to deliver quality workmanship, or having installed inferior ordefective products, or as the customer is now suggesting, installing a product that was not recommendedfor this application, which is simply not the case, we would have felt obligated to provide whateverservices or hardware was required to make repair, or provided assistance in making the repairs that thecustomer later encountered as a result of a defect in the 5th hitch assembly itself, which is completelyseparate from the capture plate assembly that we addressed and replaced. Given that neither of thesescenarios appears to be the case in this matter, and also given that the customer never requested of usto inspect the 5th wheel hitch, and the fact that we never provided access to the hitch while making repairto the capture plate, we do not feel that we have in anyway failed to deliver anything but qualityworkmanship and the recommended parts for the purpose of this repair, we do not feel that the demandsof this customer are justified nor do we feel that the circumstances or outcome of this repair, supportsany negative reflections, upon the quality of workmanship delivered by Florence RV & Automotive Repairnor should it negatively reflect on the integrity of our company, our employees ongoing pursuit ofexcellence in everything we do.
Respectfully,
James *. H[redacted] / Owner ,