Community Forums

rough road · 02-04-2012, 06:17 PM

radams, I know I will be the customer the dealer hopes for because all they hope for is for another victim to stumble into the showroom so that they can screw him/her-besides taking up a dealers time with price quotes just means they have less time to put it to another unsuspecting working stiff-so really its good for your karma.

weluvss33c · 02-17-2012, 03:14 PM

Rule #1 is to know what you want (or at least take enough time to research and compare rv classes and floor plans --there is no guarantee that you buy exactly what you will like months later, but at least put forth the effort).
It is definately a learning experience --most of us learned this lesson.
Local dealer? we bought from a dealer 4 hours away. At the time, the closest dealers were 2 hours away. We bought from dealer stock and that's where we found the new one with the most options that we wanted. Yes, dealers generally will favor their customers for service work, but most dealers won't turn you away. Generally, for service issues covered under the RV mfr. warranty, you need to go to a dealer for that RV mfr. For issues like jacks, appliances, generators, etc. you can often call that manufacturer (e.g. Onan generators) and have warranty work performed by a local RV mechanic. It doesn't hurt to contact the mfr. and find out your options. Even the worse mechanics among us will learn quickly the basics of rv ownership and maintenance. Buying used? Of course it really depends. Many gently used rv's are almost like new, at a big savings. The key is to find one that has low (or acceptable) mileage and has been well maintained. It doesn't take long to determine how an RV has been cared for. You can usually use the VIN to contact the RV manufacturer to determine if any claim work has been done. Your insurance company will also use the VIN to determine if there have been any previous claims. Of course, it's all about trade-offs. The older the unit the lower the price, but higher the risks of something going wrong. However, new rvs have their share of problems.
You can always negotiate your best price on a used RV (generally cheaper in a private sale than from a dealer) and use the savings to purchase a good Extended Service Plan. These are usually available for several years from the in service date. I hope some of this makes sense. I have given this lots of thought since I'm moving from a Class C (posted for sale on this site) to a Class A and have researched and considered the pros and cons of buying new or used.
Bottom line? "it depends" on many factors --some identified above. Good luck!!

IWillRVToo · 02-17-2012, 03:40 PM

"radams, I think it is fair to say that 99.99% of all rv dealers are scum balls who will sell anything to anyone for as high a price as they can get and they will screw you both ways if they can, trade in and new purchase all while promising you that they will stand behind the product for any little thing that goes wrong-which they have no intention of doing.

...BUT with all of the above being factual... ...you could appear one day, reach down their throats and remove the first internal organ you got your hand on.

Sorry to put things this way, but as I said, rv dealers are the scum of the earth-and I really believe that the dealers are far worse than the people who made the junk we are looking to buy."

Sure is nice to have a keyboard in front of you isn't it?
You post that as if you would say that to someone's face...
Spare me.

Tallyrver · 02-17-2012, 04:55 PM

When I traded last year ,I had five dealers involved from my local CW ,a dealer in Valdosta Ga. Winter Haven ,St. Augustine and Lazy days. All within four and half hours. I let them know up front what I wanted and how much I was going to pay.
It was up to them and how bad they wanted to make a sale.
I ended up buying from Lazy days (my second coach from them)

I would have liked to buy local ,but it did not work out that way.

I still get bunches of email's wanting to sell ,so I guess I didn't burn any bridges.

Wayne

weluvss33c · 02-17-2012, 07:08 PM

I mentioned earlier "worse mechanics" -- I mean those rv owners that aren't very handy can learn the basics and over time become quite handy. I failed to mention earlier that when buying used, private sellers often provide a 3rd party "inspection" report from a rv mechanic, Camping World or another dealer that gives some additional assurance to the buyer about the RV's overall condition, appliances, etc. If not, a potential buyer can always ask for one.