Largest Inventory & Brand Variety in Socal (Inland Empire)

[pink toaster]

We want to go looking at RVs this weekend. JUST TO LOOK! NOT BUY!
We want to look at a lot of different rigs and floorplans (the more I look on line the more I confuse myself so we need to see them in person again as it's been a few months!)

We've been to Giant RV in Murrietta (and Colton) but didn't like having a saleman with us the whole step of the way (and in Colton all the rigs appeared to be locked so either it was too near closing or they just want you to have that salesman there with you. I think we were at Mike Thompson in Colton one time, too (liked that we were free to roam there with just the occasional "how you doing, do you need anything".


My interest range is HUGE: Newmar 2705, Coachman Prism, Jayco Alante, Winnebago Trend, FR3, Thor ACE and maybe even some unknown brands we aren't aware of? We haven't even 100% committed to Class A! I like the size of a lot of the Class B's... but most C's seem like the overhead bunk is wasted space for our particular use.

Which dealership(s) should we head to for looking. I looked online and see that Giant is having one of their faux RV shows at the Pomona Fairgrounds. Do they bring sufficient inventory that it would be worth our time and the $10 for parking?? Or are we better off at the various lots? We don't mind going to more than one (probably need to do that... as I think we need to go to Richardsons for Jayco but someone else for Winnebago, Coachman, Forest River, etc.

We don't need to look at Newmars right now... I know they are AWESOME and I know the best place to go for them... but if we spend all our time driving to Moorpark, we won't have time to look at other brands... which is the purpose of our day trip tomorrow!

And to add more confusion to the mix: hubby isn't averse to fifth wheels and wants to look at a few of those!

OY!

Anyways... Where would you suggest we head to? (Someone mentioned Dillon in Westminster but they are about a three hour drive... we were thinking of trying to stay more Inland Empire tomorrow... so either head toward Pomona? or Back to Murrietta/Temcula? Based of best looky loo inventory.)

[Mike and Cha]

You've pretty much hit them all in what you've already mentioned. The place in Colton used to have several Dealers in one place....Mike Thompson, Giant RV, McMahons(now Dillons?) and a few smaller ones. That is where you will be able to see all the types of RV's, Trailers, 5th wheels, MH's.

The shows that Giant puts on at the Pomona Fair are ok, the admission is free, but usually you have to pay $10 to park. That is also good to see all the types of RV's, but will only be the brands that Giant sells. They do sell several brands though, so it is a good variety. Don't fall for the "Show Price" gimmick though that is a bunch of BS, you can get a better price with a little negotiating anywhere.

If you go to Temecula, the road that parallels the Freeway has several places to look. Richardsons(mostly trailers), RV Ready new MH's/Trailers and a lot of used MH's that have been refurbished, and a few others with used MH's.

Just be very careful as some of these places will be very pushy and lead you to belive you are getting a great deal that you must act upon immediately. They really don't want you to look beyond their lots, and see what is available, and how much better you can get for just a few thousand dollars more. Once you look at all the brands you have talked about, and then drive out to Moorpark to see the Newmars at Tom Lindstrom you will really see the difference in quality and the price is not significantly higher for what you are getting in quality and workmanship. And remember a good ballpark discount off MSRP is 25% +/-.

We went thru the same thing you are doing and tried to hit every RV lot we possible could, and that is the way to do it. But once we looked at the Newmars at Tom Lindstrom, we never looked back and bought one from him, great price and even better sales experience. Good Luck, looking for one is half the fun.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by pink toaster

We want to go looking at RVs this weekend. JUST TO LOOK! NOT BUY!
We want to look at a lot of different rigs and floorplans (the more I look on line the more I confuse myself so we need to see them in person again as it's been a few months!)

We've been to Giant RV in Murrietta (and Colton) but didn't like having a saleman with us the whole step of the way (and in Colton all the rigs appeared to be locked so either it was too near closing or they just want you to have that salesman there with you. I think we were at Mike Thompson in Colton one time, too (liked that we were free to roam there with just the occasional "how you doing, do you need anything".


My interest range is HUGE: Newmar 2705, Coachman Prism, Jayco Alante, Winnebago Trend, FR3, Thor ACE and maybe even some unknown brands we aren't aware of? We haven't even 100% committed to Class A! I like the size of a lot of the Class B's... but most C's seem like the overhead bunk is wasted space for our particular use.

Which dealership(s) should we head to for looking. I looked online and see that Giant is having one of their faux RV shows at the Pomona Fairgrounds. Do they bring sufficient inventory that it would be worth our time and the $10 for parking?? Or are we better off at the various lots? We don't mind going to more than one (probably need to do that... as I think we need to go to Richardsons for Jayco but someone else for Winnebago, Coachman, Forest River, etc.

We don't need to look at Newmars right now... I know they are AWESOME and I know the best place to go for them... but if we spend all our time driving to Moorpark, we won't have time to look at other brands... which is the purpose of our day trip tomorrow!

And to add more confusion to the mix: hubby isn't averse to fifth wheels and wants to look at a few of those!

OY!

Anyways... Where would you suggest we head to? (Someone mentioned Dillon in Westminster but they are about a three hour drive... we were thinking of trying to stay more Inland Empire tomorrow... so either head toward Pomona? or Back to Murrietta/Temcula? Based of best looky loo inventory.)

This won't help you with your weekend looking, but you need to sit down an talk out your reasons for RV ownership. You need some specific direction or you run a big risk of falling in love with a unit that doesn't really fit with your intended use.

[pink toaster]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

This won't help you with your weekend looking, but you need to sit down an talk out your reasons for RV ownership. You need some specific direction or you run a big risk of falling in love with a unit that doesn't really fit with your intended use.

Kinda already done the fall in love thing! I absolutely love the little Newmar! So much in a small footprint! We also love the Jayco Alante! But I worry that the 31L (or 31V) are more than we need right now! We even found a couple year old Tiffin Breeze that's little that we like! And we like a couple others too....

This is where hubby and I keep discussing WHAT we're going to get. For the next several years it will mainly be weekends and one or two longer trips for 1, 2, 3 weeks each year, possibly.

We want to spend time at National Parks (and State Parks?) within Cali that we've never been to. The Grand Canyon. Possible make a trip to NY? Maybe go to the beach?

My concern with a longer coach (i.e. the Alante) is picking up and driving it to site see since I assume we won't just park and not go anywhere at several of the places? Granted we'll have weekends like that JTNP... but Don't you need to drive around to see the redwoods? That's why I like the little Newmar!

I like the idea of some of the Class B's too.... Short and easy to drive. Hubby worries about storage (but then I ask "How much storage do you need for a weekend?" And how many week or longer trips will we take in the next 5-10 years?) Of course, that led to adding 5th wheels and trucks into the mix .

I don't see this is our forever coach. By the time we both retire when we'll need a longer and roomier coach for extended vacations, we'd be getting rid of this one! But I don't want something that's going to fall apart in a year or two. The Newmar was one of the first Motorhomes we saw! We stopped to look at the FR3 but they didn't have one on that lot and he showed us the Newmar. Love.at.first.site! After seeing that... most others didn't measure up! We saw the fit and finish on the FR3, ACE, Flair just wasn't there. We liked the Winnebagos and of course the Jayco's are very nice, too! (And I need to stop going in Tiffin's at the RV show altogether! )

I keep talking small.... he keeps upping the size. (And I thought it was difficult years ago when we bought our house!) (I think one of his "problems" is I turned him on to the Wynns.... but what we need is WAY different than what they talked about since they were full timers!)

Sorry.... I keep writing books

[pink toaster]

Originally Posted by Mike and Cha

You've pretty much hit them all in what you've already mentioned. The place in Colton used to have several Dealers in one place....Mike Thompson, Giant RV, McMahons(now Dillons?) and a few smaller ones. That is where you will be able to see all the types of RV's, Trailers, 5th wheels, MH's.

The shows that Giant puts on at the Pomona Fair are ok, the admission is free, but usually you have to pay $10 to park. That is also good to see all the types of RV's, but will only be the brands that Giant sells. They do sell several brands though, so it is a good variety. Don't fall for the "Show Price" gimmick though that is a bunch of BS, you can get a better price with a little negotiating anywhere.

If you go to Temecula, the road that parallels the Freeway has several places to look. Richardsons(mostly trailers), RV Ready new MH's/Trailers and a lot of used MH's that have been refurbished, and a few others with used MH's.

Just be very careful as some of these places will be very pushy and lead you to belive you are getting a great deal that you must act upon immediately. They really don't want you to look beyond their lots, and see what is available, and how much better you can get for just a few thousand dollars more. Once you look at all the brands you have talked about, and then drive out to Moorpark to see the Newmars at Tom Lindstrom you will really see the difference in quality and the price is not significantly higher for what you are getting in quality and workmanship. And remember a good ballpark discount off MSRP is 25% +/-.

We went thru the same thing you are doing and tried to hit every RV lot we possible could, and that is the way to do it. But once we looked at the Newmars at Tom Lindstrom, we never looked back and bought one from him, great price and even better sales experience. Good Luck, looking for one is half the fun.

Oh we won't fall for their show pricing at their faux show! The absolute earliest I would consider buying would be the end of this year, but I prefer mid to late 2017! So no way are they getting us to buy tomorrow! Giant was the one that had a salesman with us the whole time in Temecula... so I wonder if we go to their "show" if we'll be left alone more like at the real show?

When it's time, if we end up deciding on Newmar, I'll be calling Tom Lindstrom based several posts on this forum!!

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by pink toaster

Kinda already done the fall in love thing! I absolutely love the little Newmar! So much in a small footprint! We also love the Jayco Alante! But I worry that the 31L (or 31V) are more than we need right now! We even found a couple year old Tiffin Breeze that's little that we like! And we like a couple others too....

This is where hubby and I keep discussing WHAT we're going to get. For the next several years it will mainly be weekends and one or two longer trips for 1, 2, 3 weeks each year, possibly.

We want to spend time at National Parks (and State Parks?) within Cali that we've never been to. The Grand Canyon. Possible make a trip to NY? Maybe go to the beach?

My concern with a longer coach (i.e. the Alante) is picking up and driving it to site see since I assume we won't just park and not go anywhere at several of the places? Granted we'll have weekends like that JTNP... but Don't you need to drive around to see the redwoods? That's why I like the little Newmar!

I like the idea of some of the Class B's too.... Short and easy to drive. Hubby worries about storage (but then I ask "How much storage do you need for a weekend?" And how many week or longer trips will we take in the next 5-10 years?) Of course, that led to adding 5th wheels and trucks into the mix .

I don't see this is our forever coach. By the time we both retire when we'll need a longer and roomier coach for extended vacations, we'd be getting rid of this one! But I don't want something that's going to fall apart in a year or two. The Newmar was one of the first Motorhomes we saw! We stopped to look at the FR3 but they didn't have one on that lot and he showed us the Newmar. Love.at.first.site! After seeing that... most others didn't measure up! We saw the fit and finish on the FR3, ACE, Flair just wasn't there. We liked the Winnebagos and of course the Jayco's are very nice, too! (And I need to stop going in Tiffin's at the RV show altogether! )

I keep talking small.... he keeps upping the size. (And I thought it was difficult years ago when we bought our house!) (I think one of his "problems" is I turned him on to the Wynns.... but what we need is WAY different than what they talked about since they were full timers!)

Sorry.... I keep writing books

I highly recommend that you investigate towing a small car, 4 wheels down, if you go for a motorhome. Even with a truly small motorhome, even B or B+, the drill of unhooking to go sightseeing gets really old quick. If it's small enough to do that, then it's really small for the rainy days. If it's big enough to be comfortable then it's really too big for running around. Much better to plan on a toad and not have to compromise on size of the RV. A fiver solves this with a truck to pull the 5th wheel but you are locked into a big vehicle for sightseeing.

Lots of compromises in RVing.

Good luck and enjoy looking and learning.

[Mike and Cha]

Originally Posted by pink toaster

Oh we won't fall for their show pricing at their faux show! The absolute earliest I would consider buying would be the end of this year, but I prefer mid to late 2017! So no way are they getting us to buy tomorrow! Giant was the one that had a salesman with us the whole time in Temecula... so I wonder if we go to their "show" if we'll be left alone more like at the real show?

When it's time, if we end up deciding on Newmar, I'll be calling Tom Lindstrom based several posts on this forum!!

Anytime, other than the Pomona big RV Show, where stores like Giant or Mike Thompsons put on their own "show" there has been a salesman with us the whole time. Sometimes if they are busy and realize you are just a looky loo, they will leave you alone and let you look leisurely.

Like Steve posted earlier before we bought we sat down and wrote out the pros/cons of each type of RV. Then once we decided what we wanted, which went back/forth several times, we did the same thing with Brands/Models/Pricing. It took a little longer but kept us from the "shinny object" impulse buying, we knew our prices, and ended up with a MH that we love rather than something that was just ok. They all look nice when you see them separately. So do like you're doing and it will pay off down the road.

[jarata]

I'm not sure you really are sure what you want maybe a salesman is a good idea

[biosensai]

Richardson's has 3 sites - Riverside, Menifee & Temecula. Inventory was pretty diverse 2 years ago. For example, the Menifee store had Entegra, Riverside had Newmar. Temecula neither. Colton used to have a number dealers, but that's changed. Unlikely you will be left to browse alone. I have never been told this, but it has been hinted at. Parents let their kids 'explore' units, potentially damaging them, so they have to be monitored. Parents are offended if they are 'watched' & childless couples are not, potentially resulting in a lost sale.

[MrsChilerick]

How you intend to use it and where you want to take it are critical in narrowing the field. You'll make yourself crazy looking at everything. We spent 2 years documenting what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go with an RV. During that time we researched those things and places and determined what we could take there. The books on RVing across America etc, were extremely helpful in helping us find the right size and type of RV that would allow us to go anywhere we wanted to go. Then we went out and found the perfect RV. We've had it 5 years now and continue to be sure we got the right one.

[Mike and Cha]

Originally Posted by jarata

I'm not sure you really are sure what you want maybe a salesman is a good idea

There are a lot of Salesman whose only experience with an RV have been on the Sales Lot, and really know nothing about them other than the basics. Those ones will try and overcome their lack of knowledge with a bunch of BS. Just ask a few questions and you will figure out pretty easy the ones who have RV'd and have real experience in RV'ing. If you find a salesman with RV'ing experience, you will know the difference and those ones are generally very helpful.

[Fred and Bonnie]

If you are looking at the late fall, early 2017, definitely wait for Pomona show in October. Any body that is somebody will be showing their products.

Fred

[pink toaster]

Originally Posted by Steve Ownby

I highly recommend that you investigate towing a small car, 4 wheels down, if you go for a motorhome. Even with a truly small motorhome, even B or B+, the drill of unhooking to go sightseeing gets really old quick. If it's small enough to do that, then it's really small for the rainy days. If it's big enough to be comfortable then it's really too big for running around. Much better to plan on a toad and not have to compromise on size of the RV. A fiver solves this with a truck to pull the 5th wheel but you are locked into a big vehicle for sightseeing.

Lots of compromises in RVing.

Good luck and enjoy looking and learning.

I really don't want to pull a car right now. Plus that's just another expense. If we had to buy a car to tow, might as well just buy a truck and get a 5th wheel... at least that would be used occasionally for Lowe's or Home Depot Runs! I can't really see an issue with using a truck for sightseeing (it's still smaller than a motorhome). Down the road I fully intend to have a toad but planned on that when we were going longer... i.e. weeks at a time.

I've read that people who pick up and move a lot should get a motor home and people who are going to go somewhere and park should get a trailer/5th wheel. (I also have my parents in my ear saying a motorhome is better... they started out with trailers when I was little... graduated to a converted van/class b and eventually ended up with a class c... well... I think this is their 3rd class c?)

[pink toaster]

Originally Posted by biosensai

Richardson's has 3 sites - Riverside, Menifee & Temecula. Inventory was pretty diverse 2 years ago. For example, the Menifee store had Entegra, Riverside had Newmar. Temecula neither. Colton used to have a number dealers, but that's changed. Unlikely you will be left to browse alone. I have never been told this, but it has been hinted at. Parents let their kids 'explore' units, potentially damaging them, so they have to be monitored. Parents are offended if they are 'watched' & childless couples are not, potentially resulting in a lost sale.

Menifee has Jayco. I know the guy mentioned they could get Newmars but that they didn't have any on the lot. Didn't realize Riverside had Newmars.

The lady on the phone alluded to kids running amuck when I called Mike Thompson.