Little Guy Provides A Happy Ending.....

[hiker chick]

Last night I sent an e-mail to my Little Guy contact expressing grave concern over this situation with the link to this thread.

I will follow up with a telephone call tomorrow or Monday. I'm headed out of town for the weekend. Also, I'd like to give Little Guy a couple days to resolve this customer service matter before I engage by phone.

For my own edification, I am seeking an explanation of any material or manufacturing defects in the '05-'06 model years and precisely how those weaknesses have been addressed for the current model year.

I gather '05-'06 was the debut of Little Guys. It's not uncommon for first model year cars to have problems that are subsequently solved.

Let's hope that is the case here.

Little Guy is well positioned to be a prosperous manufacturer serving those of us who are unable or disinclined to build. And I was jazzed to be buying a Made in America product. And my Honda Element was made (mostly) in Ohio so it was going to be a harmonious combo.

Well, mistakes happen. Sorry, Sandman, that you were victimized and I thank you for bringing it to our attention. Hopefully Little Guy will do the right thing and make the mistake worth your while.

That's the Nordstrom mode of customer service and it has distinguished them and served their bottom line well for a long time.

This is an opportunity for Little Guy to burnish their brand as a model of customer service. Carpe diem, Little Guy....

[Ira]

Words just don't suffice.

And when this guy finally makes it to a gathering, everyone, please treat him REAL nice.

[Tripmaker]

Geez! I just found this thread and what a story. I agree with everyones comments that this could make or break Little Guy's reputation. I don't know how many 05 & 06's they have sold but eventually they will all have the same problem if they were made the same way. Auto manufacturers have recall programs to fix known problems and have been known to extend warranties for issues they know to be a manufacturing defect. There is no reason to think that a camper should be any different.

I would think that anyone interested in a teardrop will eventually find their way to this forum as a source of information. Anyone looking for an opinion on the Little Guy will see the result of this situation and how the manufacturer handles it.

I used closed cell foam insulation in mine only because everyone said that is what should be used. Never gave it any thought about fiber insulation holding water but that makes sense. Sounds like that is something Little Guy needs to address.

I think your cool calm approach is the best way to proceed and hopefully you will get satisfaction. You can get mean and ugly, or sic your wife on them, later on if they don't do what is right.

Don't let this unfortunate incident ruin the trip you have planned. If this is not worked out by then maybe you can rent something for the trip. Your dealer may be able to help you out someway. Sounds like he is a real stand up guy. In any event I hope it all works out for you.

[sandman]

Guys,

I had no idea my post would garner this type of reaction. Anyway, let me give you guys the news first. Within a few minutes after the Little Guy offices opened, I received a call from Chris Baum of Little Guy. The news is most excellent. Little Guy is going to exchange my defective 2005 model with a brand new 2008 Little Guy Sport that is already built and sitting on their showroom floor at their main offices in Canton, Ohio. I have to tow my defective unit to Canton and pick up the new one. I will get a tour of the factory while I am there.

Chris told me he had received several emails and phone calls from several folks here on the site. He said we had an interesting group of folks. I appreciate the support and you guys letting me bend your ear.

Little Guy is going the extra mile and then some to make sure the situation is resolved so any of you perspective Little Guy owners take heed that they will stand behind their trailers. I figured they would give me a demo unit or something but I nearly fell over when Chris told me they were giving me an 08 Sport. Things are finally going my way for a change. Anyway, Chris is emailing me photos of the new Teardrop which I will proudly share with you guys as soon as I receive them.

Now I have to laud their customer service. Like I said earlier, when I contacted them about a few small issues I found before I knew about the leak, they DID treat it with urgency and each time I contacted them via chat support, I received a call from them literally within minutes...sometimes I received a call back while I was still online with the customer service folks. I already knew I made the right decision to buy a Little Guy based on those earlier experiences. So, I can say that they are pretty awesome.

Thanks everybody for the support. My wife was estatic when told her the news after getting off the phone with Chris. We are happy Little Guy Owners once again!!!!!!

[Todah Tear]

great!

[SamR]

Wow! Just saw this thread this morning and it's already been resolved! I'm impressed. Sandman, you just keep hanging in there. It all DOES work out in the end.

What a great forum. I notice over 1000 views to this thread in 18 hours and 5 pages of supporting posts.

[hiker chick]

Sandman -- that is sensational news!!!!!

BRAVO!!




Kudos to Little Guy and a special thanks to Chris Baum! I've had the pleasure of dealing with him over the past month. I'd bombarded him with newbie questions, phone calls and e-mails before I decided to purchase and he had been unfailingly responsive, gracious and helpful. Clearly, he is a consistently honorable person.

It is a tribute to Chris and to Little Guy that a modest-sized business would move so quickly and generously. They're not a behemoth like GM for whom one vehicle is microscopic dust on the balance sheet (how quickly would GM replace a lemon car?). This is a significant gesture of goodwill for them. They do value their customers. They do value their reputation.

And it is my understanding that the defective trailer was built in '04 and that improvements have been made.

Again, congrats to you and your wife. Mistakes happen, you reacted in a civil manner and received generous compensation. This is just terrific and I'm feeling much better about my trailer which will be delivered in two weeks.

Chris responded to my e-mail shortly after he contacted you, by the way.

Made in America -- YAY!!

[bobhenry]

Guys,

I will get a tour of the factory while I am there.

You better take your camera ! Congratz !

[Tripmaker]

Wow I barely had time to write my thoughts and I see your problem has been solved. Glad to hear it is all working out for you after all the problems you've had.

Let's hear it for Little Guy for making things right with you.

Be sure to take your camera for pictures of the factory tour and your new Little Guy. It should be an exciting trip picking up a new camper.

[Gerdo]

Way to go sandman!

Way to go Little Guy, standing behind your product!

[BILLYL]

Excellent results...........

So when do you pick it up?

Bill

[Filifera]

For what it's worth, the used Little Guy we got back in July turned out to be one of a small production run in late 04 that had tongues that were prone to breaking. When I called Little Guy to find out if I could order a replacement for a broken window (totally not their fault, a passing vehicle threw a rock), I mentioned that I'd heard about the tongue issue on the net and wondered how to tell if mine was susceptible. He asked for photos of the tongue and the VIN tag, emailed me back immediately with the news that it needed replacement.

Because I'm so far from any of their authorized dealers, we worked out a deal to have a local trailer builder do the work. It took a few weeks of back and forth & paperwork to get the tongue shipped out here, but in the end it seems to have worked out.

The only issue I would really gripe about is that the followup at their end with the parts order wasn't aggressive enough. Apart from that, they are fixing a trailer that is years out of warranty, accommodating my wish to have it fixed locally rather than towing it hundreds of miles to a dealer, and being pretty nice about it all.

As for water issues, what falls out of the sky in California is mostly dirt, not rain. The trailer did get a pretty good wash a few weeks ago, and I did check the inside for any evidence of leaks and it was dry as a bone.

Mine is an 05 Little Guy Deluxe, built in August 04 according to the VIN tag.

I think these folks want to be proud of their product, and want their customers to be happy. The people I've talked to at Little Guy have been nice -- my own feeling is they need to be just a little tougher with their suppliers etc. to prevent quality problems to begin with.

[deputydogrick]

Way to go sandman, may you have many years of camping happiness!

[apratt]

Wow Sandman. I sure do hope you used up all your bad luck. YOU are due for lots of good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope everything turns out well for you. You really deserve it!!!!!!!!!!

[Kens]

Great ending to a sad story. Hope this is the end to your luck issues.