|
I looked for about 2 years at every rv dealer and in every show I ran across. I either got the malarky or just outright lies about how much the thing had been used... Never the truth or the reason they turned it in for resale. I had all but given up when I came across a luxury 5er in a nice floorplan we liked. It was a used unit on a Dealer lot but looked absolutely brand new. I inquired with the sales people. They quoted me a price that was about the high end of NADA and it looked like it had never been used and was 3 years old. I said I would'nt pay more then below NADA for a used 5er that was a quad slide 40 footer. The big ones are always harder to move. He instantly dropped the price by 15,000$. By the time we finished negotiating I payed 29,000 for a trailer worth 45,000 and they took my old 9 year old Jayco in trade for a little less then Nada said it was worth. I lost 3000 on the trade in but I more then made up for it on the new trailer. Overall I was very pleased. Then, the troubles started.
To trade in the Jayco they said that all systems need to work properly. As it turned out the 27 inch TV and dvd player had died in it so I had to buy new ones and install them. Then I went on a walk through. on my new unit.The brake lights didn't work and they swore it was the tow vehicle. It wasn't as verified by them exhibiting the same trouble on their Tow vehicle. I also asked if the batteries and bearings had been checked. They said it had gone through a safety inspection. Too bad they didnt catch the rear brake lights and turn signal lights not working. I also found that the onan generator wouldnt start and when we did finally get it started it blew the fuse. Both DVD players didnt work and they said it's a used coach and they were not responsible. I quickly responded with my coach is used and you demanded that I replace the TV and dvd. So, in the end, I was to return a week later and all my issues would be fixed. I dropped off my trade in trailer and left.
A week later I returned and not only was the generator not fixed, they had lost all the keys to the trailer and the same old worn out battery was still in place and they put in a used DVD playrer out of my old coach. This time I hit the roof... after all, they had my $ and my old trailer. I demanded to speak to the sales manager. He agreed that it should all be working right and that he personally would see to it. He reached in his pocket after my complaining that I spent 200$ in gas to go back and forth 4 times and still no trailer, and gave me 300$ in cash and he wrote a voutcher that they would fill up my truck the next time I showed up. He also said that I could take the trailer now if I wished and that they would pick it up from my house at my conveniance, repair everything, and deliver it back to me at Home. I declined and said that they were trying and that I was satisfied.
In the end I ended going back up there to pick it up and while they resolved all the issues they still had no keys and they said if I pay to have the keys made, they would put in 2 new 6 volt golf cart batteries. As it happend they were able to change the door lock tumbler and give me two Coach entry keys but they couldnt get either the strorage bay keys or the compartment strongbox key under the ovrerhang and the battery box key. I went down with all the cores in hand to a lock smith and they made me the keys for everything and 4 each spares for 45$ total.They really did try after my 3rd trip up 200 miles but at that time my patience was wearing thin. They, since then, filed for chapter 11 and are no longer in business.
It all worked out and we did get a nice used trailer but it was a lot of work. When I brought the trailer home and went through the paperwork I found the original owners registration and got their phone # from information and called them in the hopes of setting the straight poop on this hardly used trailer. The dealer said they traded it in after 2 years of it sitting in their back yard for a motorhome. I called and talked to the woman on the phone about why they would trade such a nice trailer in at such a loss? The woman started crying and said that her husband died in that trailer from a heart attack the one and only time they used it. Even the RVQ was untouched. They spent 87,000 on it and then paid to have the Onan 7 kw generator installed too. They used it once. I bought it for 29,000$ 5 days after she sold it back to the dealer for 27,500. The generator had 4 minutes on the clock. Nothing the dealer told me was true. After the story of why it was sold, my wife wanted to know the details of the sale too. I never told her why... it would have really freiked her out. I feel like I got a great deal at someone elses expense but I guess that's always the way with a used trailer.
-Paul R. Haller-
|
Linear Mode
