C B.
Absolutely horrible experience
Absolutely horrible experience. We were less than an hour into our trip and a tire blow out. When we called the company they informed us that we hadn’t taken out the “tire insurance” so we were on our own. When we got to the tire shop they informed us that the tires were 7 years old (tires aren’t meant to be driven in that long). We fixed the tire and continued on. The cabin lights, fridge, etc would not work unless the generator was running. In Yellowstone they don’t allow you to run your generator non-stop. The company had no idea and again left us in our own. I had to drive over 2 hours to a repair shop in Yellowstone, when I arrived the technician reset a “tripped breaker under the banquet” and sent me back on my way. Horrible that the company couldn’t tell me that and save me a crazy long drive (during our vacation) for a tripped breaker. On our way home yet another tire blew (7yr old tires). It was SO scary, our kids were crying. I wouldn’t use this company again if they gave me the RV for free. Loss of food, vacation time, and trama for us and our kids.... not worth it!!
Response from American Dream VacationsOct 16, 2018
Mrs. Briggs, I am terribly sorry that you had an experience like that. All of our vehicle tires are thoroughly inspected and properly filled with the required air pressure prior to departure. We do this not only for the safety of our customers, but also to prevent all of the problems that may arise from a blowout or tire failure during a trip. The costs incurred on the road, for both tires and assistance, are often far more expensive than that of a proper inspection and/or replacement of a tire while here on the lot. The last thing we would want is to have you or any of our customers upset or delayed due to oversight on our part. The tires that were on the vehicle prior to departure were from the factory and only had 24,000 miles on them. Michelin states that tires can last up to 10 years. Having said that, it is typical practice to change the tires prematurely at around 4-5 years or 45,000 - 50,000 miles on standard light duty trucks with 60,000 mile tires on them. Despite the difference, the tires were properly inspected and in good condition when the vehicle left. I don’t feel that the blowouts were due to any shortcoming on our behalf. With the roadbed at 150 degrees, blowouts can occur. Brakes on these vehicles don't need additional attention until around 100,000 miles. Our findings contradict the findings on the road. The battery disconnect that allows 12V to enter the "house" was shown to you during the orientation, described in the handbook and also shown in the videos on our website. Regardless, I apologize for the inconvenience that was caused. Unfortunately, the Orem location has since closed. I would encourage you to consider another location should you ever need an RV.