PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A family has been living in their Hurricane Helene flood-damaged house after they bought a new camper as a temporary home but only had it for a few days.
As Helene hit last year, Lynn and Alan Sayler were in their St. Petersburg house close to the Shore Acres community, watching as the water surged through their neighborhood.
“We’ve been here since 1984 in our home, and nobody in our neighborhood has ever had water in their home,” Lynn Sayler said. “We had 9 inches inside.”
The Saylers bought a new camper from Camping World for about $30,000 and planned to park it in their driveway until their home was fixed.
“We paid cash. They got our money and just totally frustrated,” Alan Sayler said as he showed ABC Action News the sewer line and electrical hookup he installed, along with all the gear he bought for the camper.
The Saylers said they had the camper delivered to their home, but it spent less than a week there.
“We started checking everything out, and within like a day, we realized the water heater didn’t work,” Alan said.
The family brought the camper to the Camping World service center in Pinellas Park and said they thought repairs would take days. Instead, it’s been more than four months.
“Didn’t think minor repairs on a brand new camper would take longer than settling with the flood insurance.”
ABC Action News reached out to Camping World but didn’t hear back until contacting the CEO Marcus Lemonis. That same day, Lemonis said he would look into the Saylers' case.
Camping World declined the opportunity to do an interview.
During a phone call, a company executive told ABC Action News he was sorry for what happened to the Saylers, and the same day as that call, he said the camper was fixed.
The Saylers said they are working with Camping World and hope to reach a confidential settlement.
“They seem to be bending over backward to make it right now,” Alan said. “We’re very grateful for your involvement with this, Susan, because, without that, we’d probably still be sitting here stewing or maybe going to an attorney.”
ABC Action News reached out to the manufacturer of the camper but never heard back.
Florida has a Lemon Law that extends to recreational vehicles, but it only applies to vehicle parts—it does not cover living areas.
“If you get one, check it out thoroughly,” Alan said as he shared the advice he wished he had known months ago. “Turn the hot water on and make sure it comes out warm, check all your outlets, all your windows, every little thing.”