After watching the crane set our Champion Genesis Jefferson II modular home on the foundation, we were anxious to do a walk-thru and get started on completing the house. Obviously, we were very excited to have one of the first two story modular homes in Southern California.
Before
selecting a type of home construction, we toured the Champion Genesis Jefferson
II Modular Home that was on display at the 2004 National Association of Home
Builder’s Show in Las Vegas.A Spokesman
told us that “this exact home/model could be placed on our lot for
approximately $131,000.”
We carefully
read the Champion Genesis printed materials, made several visits to Modular
Home Pro and visited 5 homes in various stages of construction in San Diego
County. That said, I remain appalled by the
difference in what we saw and read versus what was delivered to our property.I’d like to point
out that the Champion Genesis printed materials and website state,
·“All
Genesis homes are manufactured … by a highly-skilled and committed work force,”
·“A
dedicated workforce ensures quality workmanship,” and
·“Genesis
is committed to providing quality homes built to the same strict quality standards
and practices as a site builder.”
The
printed materials also state that off-site (factory) construction provides
benefits, including the fact that a
·“Frequent
inspection process offers better quality control,”
·“Faster
occupancy (generally within 90 days),” and
·“Better
value … more house for the money, often providing as much as a 15% savings per
square foot.”
I would say that not one of
these statements is true as they relate to the structure that was delivered to
our lot in California.We thought that the Champion Genesis website and literature would be
honest representations of the Champion Genesis product.
We committed to Champion Genesis only to
discover that very little of what we read and were told was true.
Champion Genesis bears responsibility for
knowingly allowing its factories to build defective homes and for ignoring the
homebuyer’s requests for repairs.
On 5/31/2006, our Jefferson II Modular
Home was craned onto its foundation.Within the subsequent days
and weeks, it was apparent that there were multiple problemswith damaged
and/or flawed construction that would neither function properly nor pass
California building inspection codes.
We were asked to prepare a list of anything that may need to be repaired, replaced or was missing. This list would serve as a service request start the follow-up procedure for Champion Genesis Homes Service department "to come out and take care of these items." On June 20, 2006 a list was submitted to Modular Home Pro, the local Champion Genesis dealer.
Within a week of the 20th, we were informed that for the first time ever, because of the sheer number and severity of the problems, the Champion Genesis Factory Management team from Chandler Arizona would be participating in the walk-thru inspection of our house and two other Champion/Genesis homes that were recently delivered.
Problems like, in
the downstairs half bath, the lavatory drain pipe inside the wall was missing and the lavatory
was connected via a 90-degree elbow to a vent pipe pointing skyward inside the
wall.Turning the faucet on would have
resulted in water overflowing the sink and pouring onto the floor.
It looked perfectly normal on the outside and was only discovered by the plumber when he was under the house connecting the soil pipe and there was no line coming down from the half bath lavatory, not even a hole drilled in the plate where the drain pipe was supposed to go. What does this say about the factory inspection so highly praised by Champion/Genesis and the corporate brochures and website statements!
On June 26, 2006 we were joined by Champion Genesis General Manager Jay Angus, Operation Manager Ron Bailey, QA Manager Mark Dingee and Assistant Production Manager Nick Vojvodich for the walk-thru inspection.
During this inspection, Champion Genesis Management acknowledged multiple problems, made notes on their list and asked that we submit a service request to Champion Genesis in writing.
On
June 26, 2006, at the request of Modular Home Pro, I faxed a letter listing and elaborating
on the problems that were apparent to date.
On
6/27/2006, Modular Home Pro sent a service request letter and a copy of this list to
Champion/Genesis, confirming and outlining the problems and requesting a
contact person to “get these items addressed so that we can keep this home moving
on schedule.”
On July 21, 2006 Modular Home Pro informed us that "corrections and repairs had been authorized by Champion Genesis as long as they had been approved by Modular Home Pro.
6/13/2007 11:56 AMJohn T. wrote:
THANK YOU for opening my eyes! I'm close to retirement and my wife and I were considering a Champion Genesis to put on a site in the country after selling our standard site-built home in the city. We probably will seriously reconsider that now, and move on to a more reliable manufacturer who doesn't specialize in lies, half truths and the major run-around! Reply to this
6/16/2007 3:17 PM
Mike wrote:
No doubt you will find a quality modular builder as long as you thoroughly research the market. Good luck.
6/18/2007 5:29 PM
Mike wrote:
There are several good modular home builders throughout the country. Where do you plan to build? If there is a secret to selecting the right modular builder, it has to be to do as much research as possible before you commit to buying. Ask all the questions that come to mind and be sure and ask for names of people who have purchased the modular home you are thinking about buying. The biggest mistake we made was taking Champion at face value and not doing enough research. Good luck and enjoy your retirement.
thanks in advance for your feedback...I was considering going through a company that advertises "Champion Home Center" homes and I wanted to do my homework! Reply to this
6/29/2007 9:04 AM
Mike wrote: The answer to the Champion Home question is YES. Champion operates several subsidiaries under the Champion banner. Each plant builds or at least attempts to build various types of product from manufactured to modular. The
following link is a description of what to expect when dealing with Champion Enterprises:
6/29/2007 9:38 AM
Jason wrote:
So, is it your recommendation to avoid doing business with any of Champion's subsidiaries? I didn't fully understand the website you pointed me to. It seemed like a site designed for people who've been burned by Champion if I understood it correctly? Is Champion listed with BBB and do they have a good track record (I could look but I'm sure you know the report)?
Also, if you had to do it over again, who would you go through for your modular home? A friend told me not to go through any company that does BOTH modular & manufactured homes, and to get one that JUST DOES modular. What's your opinion?
Lastly, who is the industry leader in modular home building? With other products you know this info. For example, if I wanted a car, I know to look for a Ford, Chrysler, GM, etc. You get the idea. This is all new to me...thanks for your input! Reply to this
Personally, given our experience and what I have heard from
others, I would place Champion and any of its subsidiaries at the bottom of the
list of choices for a modular home builder.
Even though they are the largest producer of modular and manufactured
homes in the United States, it is not difficult to find unhappy Champion
customers. As for the site, it is one
of many that try to address the problems associated with Champion.It is important to gather as much information
as possible and not to be sucked in by the hype and marketing of the largest
builder.
Choices in California are very limited.Our next project will most likely be along
the lines of the Glide House, or something similar.If we were further east, I would consider
Simplex, Cardinal and Excel for starters.
I think your friend is right.There are several builders who specialize in modular only and take great pride
in their work.That said, there are also
builders that do both and who take pride in their work, I just don’t believe Champion
is one of them.
As for other modular home builders, please see, if you have
not already, the following site:
6/30/2007 7:19 AM
Dot wrote:
My husband and I nearing retirement. We have been considering a Modular home by Champion. Can anyone recommend a reliable Modular home builder in the Southeast Reply to this
6/30/2007 8:58 AM
Mike wrote:
Not being familiar enough to recommend a specific builder in the Southeast, the best I can do is refer you to the following two sites.
First is the National Association of Home Builders site related to modular building:
Hope this helps a little, good luck in your search. When you select a builder, if you wouldn't mind, please leave a comment regarding your final selection and how you arrived at your decision.
7/5/2007 9:32 AM
Dan Lowe wrote:
Mike and all others, Having been in the industry for 30 years+ and having dealt with most major builders in many different geographic markets, what you have stated is true but needs to be expanded upon. Many of the major manufacturers have many different plants and product lines.Because you have had a bad experience with one does not make them all bad. Champion does have some facilities that produce a great product and other manufacturers known and respected for the quality they produce do have facilities that where the quality is not achieved. When looking for a home you must do your research on the plant that produces the product. This research should include internet searches, BBB reports on the dealer as well as the specific plant constructing the home and factory tours with a knowledgeable construction person. While on the tour, talk with the employees, are they happy with their job and do they have a sense of care for the customer and product. Ask for response time for the service department, ask for backlog service call numbers and ask for phone numbers of previous customers, of course you know these customers will be handpicked but you can still get a feeling. I have been a contractor installing and finishing the homes, I have done service work and I have been in management for various companies and have experienced both good and bad from the same company so I must say that because you got a bad product from a company or a good product should not reflect on all facilities. Also when doing your research please remember to consider the quantity of work the dealer, plant or contractor produces. 1 problem in 10 homes may look better than 2 problems in 100 homes if not properly reported and considered. Reply to this
7/11/2007 9:44 AM
Mike wrote:
We are in agreement when is comes to the need for in-depth research when selecting which modular home builder should build your home. Management plays a key part when it comes to deciding what level of quality and service to expect from the home builder. In the case of Champion Genesis modular homes, it is obvious by the numerous multiple incidents all over the country that building a quality home and providing good service is a challenge for Champion management and their factories. Please understand that I realize all modular builders at one time or another occasionally make mistakes during the construction process. However, the true measure of the company is how they go about correcting the problems and whether or not they stand behind their product. Given the shear number of complaints one can find doing a little research, Champion clearly fails in both areas.
