Motorhomes Are Covered In California
California's Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act extends to new motorhomes and their components sold with written warranties. Under Civil Code section 1793.22, the chassis and drive systems of motorhomes are covered. Coach components are covered by the separate written warranty issued by the coach builder. The manufacturer or manufacturers must repair nonconformities within a reasonable number of attempts, or provide a statutory remedy.
RV cases are larger and more complex than passenger vehicle cases because of the split-warranty architecture. The good news: the same Song-Beverly remedies apply, and attorney fees are paid by the defendant under Civil Code 1794(d).
The Chassis and Coach Split
A motorhome is almost always built by two separate companies. The chassis (the cab, engine, transmission, axles, brakes, steering) is manufactured by Ford, Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz, Cummins/Spartan, or Stellantis. The coach (the living quarters, slide-outs, plumbing, electrical, generator, HVAC) is built by Thor Industries, Winnebago, Forest River, Jayco, Tiffin, Newmar, or a similar coach builder. Each issues its own warranty. The split creates three predictable problems:
- Finger-pointing. Chassis manufacturer blames the coach. Coach manufacturer blames the chassis. The owner loses weeks of use while dealers and engineers argue.
- Incomplete repair records. Some defects route through chassis service, others through coach service, so no single file captures the full history.
- Warranty timing mismatches. Chassis warranties commonly run 3 years/36,000 miles. Coach warranties commonly run 12 months. Expiration of one does not end the other, but dealers sometimes act as if it does.
A California motorhome attorney builds a single evidence file across both sides of the split. Song-Beverly remedies then run against whichever manufacturer's product is nonconforming, or both.
Coach Manufacturers We See
01
Thor Industries
Thor, Four Winds, Hurricane, ACE, Vegas, Miramar. Slide-out mechanical failures, roof delamination, water intrusion.
02
Winnebago
Winnebago, Itasca, View, Navion, Revel. Chassis wiring harness faults, house power system, HVAC.
03
Forest River
Forester, Sunseeker, FR3, Georgetown, Berkshire. Slide-out hydraulics, generator issues, leveling jacks.
04
Jayco
Redhawk, Greyhawk, Precept, Alante. Slide seal leaks, house battery and inverter issues.
05
Tiffin
Allegro, Phaeton, Open Road. Paint and decal delamination, fit and finish, slide-out motors.
06
Newmar
Bay Star, Ventana, Dutch Star. Generator, HVAC, slide controls, chassis interface issues.
Common RV Defects That Qualify
- Slide-out failures: motors burning out, hydraulic leaks, rails bending, seals failing, slides that will not retract fully before travel.
- Water intrusion: slide-seal leaks, roof-seam leaks, window leaks, and the sidewall delamination that follows untreated water exposure.
- Generator failures: Onan or Cummins units that will not start, will not hold load, or fault under standard use.
- Chassis issues: transmission hunting, engine warning lights, DEF and regen system faults on diesel pushers, steering and suspension issues.
- House electrical: inverter failures, charger issues, automatic transfer switch failures, GFCI tripping loops.
- HVAC and refrigeration: absorption and compressor fridge failures, roof A/C unit failures, furnace failures.
- Leveling and jacks: HWH and similar systems that will not extend, retract, or auto-level.
What You Can Recover
- Buyback of the full purchase price, including sales tax, DMV fees, and finance charges, less statutory mileage offset under Civil Code 1793.2(d)(2)(C).
- Replacement motorhome of substantially identical specification.
- Cash-and-keep settlement where defects have been repaired but diminished value remains.
- Civil penalty up to 2x damages under Civil Code 1794(c) where the manufacturer's conduct was willful.
- Incidental damages including tow costs, hotel nights during repair, storage fees, and lost trip expenses.
- Attorney fees paid by the manufacturer under Civil Code 1794(d).
Evidence We Need
- All chassis service records (Ford, Freightliner, Cummins/Spartan, Mercedes).
- All coach service records (dealer, mobile tech, factory service center).
- Purchase contract, window sticker, buyer's guide, and every written warranty.
- Photos and videos of failures (slide in mid-travel, water trails, generator fault codes).
- Correspondence with the dealer and with manufacturer customer service.
- Travel logs showing dates of use and dates of repair shop visits.
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