JOHNSTOWN, Colo. — They bought RVs chasing freedom and life on the open road.
Instead, two Colorado families said they were left with defective vehicles, massive repair bills and court judgments they still may never be able to collect.
As the LazyDays RV name disappears from Colorado dealerships, Denver7 Investigates found two families won massive default judgments against the former RV giant after the company failed to respond in court.
But after LazyDays sold off dealerships and dissolved operations, both families said they are still trying to figure out whether they will ever recover the money courts said they are owed.
Watch Jaclyn Allen's full report below:
“So this has ruined our lives, right?” Michael Williams said. “It really has ruined our lives. It been a four-year nightmare that I wouldn't wish on anybody.”
For Alan and Jacki Lebo, the experience with LazyDays “not only took away our home, it took away our whole retirement plan, our dreams.”
A retirement dream falls apart
The Williams family said they bought a 2023 Thor Tuscany motorhome from LazyDays in Johnstown in October 2022 as they prepared for retirement.
The goal was simple: follow their daughter, son-in-law and grandson around the country as the younger family traveled in their own RV.
“We thought well, if we're going to see the grandbaby, then let's buy a rig and travel around the country and follow them around,” Williams said.
The couple said they chose LazyDays because it was one of the biggest RV dealers in the country and had a major dealership just off Interstate 25 in Johnstown.
“We thought we were buying a $450,000 coach that we were going to tour the country in,” Williams said.
Instead, they said the RV began failing immediately.
“The very first night we had it, things started breaking,” Williams said.
According to the lawsuit, the generator failed, the electrical charging system malfunctioned and the AquaHot heating system stopped working during freezing Colorado temperatures.
“We froze that night,” Williams said.
The couple said the RV then spent nearly its entire first year in repair shops.
The lawsuit alleged the RV eventually accumulated between 220 and 330 defects.
“Things were breaking faster than they could fix them,” he said.
The Williams’ lawsuit alleged an independent inspection later found evidence the RV had been seriously damaged before it was sold to them as new.
According to court filings, accident reconstruction expert Robert Jones concluded the coach likely suffered a significant incident while under LazyDays’ control before the sale.
The report described undercarriage damage, alignment problems, gouges consistent with towing chains and structural twisting that allegedly caused cracking and instability throughout the RV.
“There were tow marks in the front of the vehicle where they actually towed the vehicle from wherever it was crashed,” consumer protection attorney Raina Bayas said.
Bayas represented the Williams family.
“When the RV was delivered to LazyDays in Colorado, there were barely nine things that were wrong with it in the pre-delivery inspection,” Bayas said. “Then as the Williams were in the process of purchasing it, all of a sudden, all of these issues were being identified.”
The lawsuit alleged the damage was never disclosed.
“Obviously, a vehicle that's brand new that has then been crashed is something that a buyer would want to know,” Bayas said.
The Lebos said their RV became unlivable
The Lebos’ story began after a hit-and-run driver destroyed their original RV — the home they had spent years living in while traveling during retirement.
They turned to LazyDays in Johnstown looking for a replacement.
“We just needed a home,” Jacki Lebo said.
The couple said sales staff told them the used 2020 Vanleigh Beacon they purchased had been inspected and was in excellent condition.
“They told us that it was in perfect condition. There was nothing wrong with it,” Jacki Lebo said.
The couple also said they purchased more than $11,000 in warranties after being told they would cover major issues.
But just weeks later, the couple said they discovered serious problems with the RV’s slide-out system. An independent technician allegedly found major structural frame damage, according to the lawsuit.
The Lebos’ lawsuit alleged investigators later uncovered evidence that the RV’s previous owner had already returned the vehicle to LazyDays because of serious structural and slide-out problems before it was resold. The lawsuit alleged the dealership knew about the damage before selling the RV to the Lebos, but failed to disclose it.
“Well, it was devastating because that was our full-time home,” Jacki Lebo said.
The couple eventually moved between relatives’ homes in New Mexico and then in Virginia.
“We don't really have a place to live right now,” Jacki Lebo said during a Zoom interview from her brother-in-law’s home in Virginia.
Default judgments against LazyDays
Both families sued LazyDays.
The Williams family won a federal default judgment worth more than $1.6 million after LazyDays failed to respond in court.
The Lebos won a state default judgment worth more than $566,000 after LazyDays also failed to respond.
“LazyDays never showed up,” Bayas said.
The judgments included damages for financial losses, loss of use, emotional distress, expert fees, attorney fees and other costs.
But both families said collecting the money has proven far more difficult.
LazyDays sold assets, dissolved operations
Corporate filings show LazyDays sold most of its dealerships and assets to entities connected to Campers Inn RV in late 2025 for more than $140 million before dissolving operations.
Court records also show a separate addendum specifically excluded the Williams and Lebo claims from liabilities transferred during the dealership sale.
Bayas said Campers Inn sent attorneys “this specific carve-out with 'Williams' written on it.”
Campers Inn denied responsibility for the claims in court filings, arguing it legally purchased LazyDays’ assets, not its liabilities.
The company argued it did not sell the RVs, make representations to customers or assume the disputed claims.
The legal fight over who may ultimately be responsible remains ongoing.
What happens now?
The families’ attorneys said they are exploring whether additional claims can be brought against former leadership or other entities.
One possibility involves trying to “pierce the corporate veil,” a legal theory that can sometimes allow plaintiffs to pursue individuals behind a corporation.
Colorado also requires dealerships to carry a surety bond meant to protect consumers.
But attorneys said the amount may be too small in cases involving expensive RVs.
“Every dealership in Colorado has to put up a $50,000 bond,” Bayas said, but added that bond may have to be shared among multiple claims.
The families’ attorneys argued consumers need stronger protections when companies dissolve or sell assets while lawsuits are pending.
LazyDays leadership declined comment
Denver7 Investigates repeatedly reached out to former LazyDays leadership.
Former CEO Ron Fleming did not respond to requests for comment.
Former board chairman Bob DeVincenzi declined comment by phone.
We also reached out to Campers Inn and did not receive a response.
What consumers should know before buying an RV
Attorneys and families involved in the lawsuits shared several lessons for RV buyers:
- Always get an independent inspection before buying an RV.
- Ask for any known damage, repairs or prior accidents in writing.
- Carefully review extended warranty coverage — many warranties may not cover pre-existing problems.
- Keep all inspection reports, repair records, emails and sales paperwork.
- If major problems appear immediately after purchase, document everything quickly.
“I would recommend anybody that's looking to buy an RV have an independent inspector come in and look at that unit before they make any decisions,” Jacki Lebo said. "I just can't believe that a company would put customers' lives in danger by putting them into a defective unit when they knew it was defective to start with and they didn't care."
