Electronics Tribulation Resolved... Maybe

Our big, mid-coach television set has never worked properly. As long as we've owned Endie, we've been plagued by the intermittent problem of having the picture go out while we're watching it. Anyone who's ever had an "intermittent" problem knows it can't be fixed 'till it's completely broken.

This electronic nightmare began when we bought the coach new from the dealer, The RV Shop in Baton Rouge and our complaint fell on deaf ears. We described the problem to personnel at the manufacturer's service centers in both Oregon and Indiana. They couldn't replicate the issue. Alliance Coach in Wildwood, Florida proudly announced they had "the best electronics guy in the business" but "the best electronics guy" didn't find the problem.

Wayne and I finally diagnosed the issue down as far as the HDMI cable as the set operated beautifully while it was receiving signal through the air antenna or campground cable.

Finally last winter, after a hefty service expense by an absolutely useless technician at North Trail RV in Fort Myers, Florida, Wayne announced that we'd take Endie to the folks we knew would find and resolve the problem: Matt Rossiter at Innovative Coachworks in Junction City, Oregon.

Drifting into and out of fog along U.S. 101

And so our appointment date came around and we left Crescent City, drove out of northern California and into Oregon along the coast to Florence and east into Junction City.

More unusual sightings along U.S. 101

A stop for coastal lunch along the way.

Pretty good lunch scenery.

At Innovative Coachworks, Matt found the problem in less than 15 minutes. The HDMI receptacle in the back of the television set was faulty. He installed a new 46"set in it's place. Problem solved. Thank goodness... Of course this would have been a warranty item two years ago....



Matt in his sock feet.
How many techs have removed their shoes?  Not many.  

We knew the quality of work done by Innovative Coachworks from previous trips to Junction City. They've done all this before.... Matt found that one of the previous attempts to fix the problem was to strap the HDMI cable down somehow... oh mercy, no wonder it didn't work.


Matt would be incomplete without Noah.

Hallelujah and away we go!

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Within a week after the repair Matt (Innovative Coachworks) made, we came to see that our intermittent video problem had been exchanged for an intermittent audio problem as the TV sound clicks on and off which can be maddening!

Two requests were made before we were able to speak to Matt about the new development and he asked to have "a little time to think about the problem and it's solution" after which he would call us back. This he did not do.

A few more weeks went by and I began sending email requests through Matt's wife, Raianne, who manages the business at Innovative Coachworks.  Some FIVE weeks later I received an apologetic reply with an explanation that home schooling and football coaching had become the family priority over customer service.
The resolution to our problem has become a replacement for the new Blu-Ray device and a "booster" which Matt feels we are "fully capable" of wiring.  Gee now that seems strange since we are not electronically inclined and that's the reason we hired the work done in the first place.  Nevertheless, we agreed to accept and return the equipment. What other options were available at this point? We are now 2,600 miles from Junction City, Oregon, after all.

Another five weeks passed before the replacement equipment was delivered to us. At this point in time, we have arranged to pay another $70 for installation.  No, we didn't suddenly become electronics wizards. Adding insult to injury, the folks at Innovative Coachworks didn't think enough of our business to even include a prepaid shipping label for the equipment to be returned. This added expense brings our total repair cost to nearly $3,700 for these two pieces of equipment.

I hereby rescind the glowing recommendation for the service performed by Matt Rossiter and Innovative Coachworks in Junction City, Oregon.  Never again!