Community Forums

logsend · 09-28-2014, 06:37 AM

Please don't shoot me

I know I read it here in the Newmar section but I can't find it now and I've been searching

We spent a good two hours going over a Ventana yesterday to get a good feel for the fit and finish, how loud the generator is, storage, what the bed feels like, how the sofas work etc. We played with everything except the range and we are going back next weekend to take a test drive but we are

So what are the steps here, do we contact Newmar first with changes we'd like and get that all sorted through and get an okay from them and take that to dealers for pricing? Does Newmar send you a cost sheet or ???

Will dealers give better deals if all of that is done and you come in with your own financing?

What's the best way to contact the dealers? (There is 1 Newmar dealer in my state so will be farming out and plan on factory pick up)
Do they typically ask for a deposit on a custom order? (Is it a dealer by dealer thing?)

KenNJ · 09-28-2014, 07:58 PM

You can down load ventana order forms here. Pick the options you want and fax that to as many dealers who will give you a price. This is what we did and we also did factory pickup. We ended up getting 6 quotes and ended up buying from a dealer 2days drive away from us. We got our own financing but many dealers can do the same.

If you need more info, pm me. Glad to help you if I can.

Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

Route 66 · 09-29-2014, 04:40 AM

You can call Newmar regarding any changes that are not listed options.

Newmar calls these "Specials" and they may or may not make the changes you desire.

PDR John · 09-30-2014, 07:25 AM

We dealt with Newmar directly, then took that info to the dealer.

When wanting custom stuff, I felt it best to cut out the middle guy. I've seen how bad the the phone game can end up. One person interpret what the other said, then trying to relay that to somebody else, never works out right.

andyh · 10-01-2014, 08:04 AM

I agree with PDRJohn. Call Newmar and get the latest Retail Price Order Form from them. The available options change and the ones posted on forums and even at dealers become obsolete. You can discuss the custom option with them and then you can get pricing from multiple dealers, all quoting to the same spec.

logsend · 10-01-2014, 08:50 AM

I haven't been able to get anything but a busy signal and the email that I sent was replied to by someone named Linda, however she forwarded my email to the sales rep at a local dealer?? We had already spoken with that person and he told us that we couldn't change anything that the floorplans came as they came. Further he said that no color options were allowed besides what was in his sample book???

SWag · 10-02-2014, 08:04 PM

Logsend,

I completed a retail price sheet and sent it out to several dealerships after speaking with each of them on the phone. When I found the discount I was looking for I let Newmar know which dealership I was going to purchase from and then ran all my specials through the dealership. With all the options selected we placed the order with Newmar to lock in a build slot and then started working through the specials. The Newmar folks are very busy and away from the office quite often for shows etc so working directly with them can take time. The salesman I dealt with at my dealership did all the leg work with Newmar and made the process much easier for me. He worked primarily with Michelle but when she was away he always got quick answers from Linda, Roxy or others, he knew where to go to get things done. I was going to take the factory delivery but in the end decided to use a dealership, I'm working with Coachlight RV in Carthage MO and felt comfortable with them considering they are one of only 12 platinum rated dealerships. I spoke with someone this evening who took delivery of his Dutch Star today at Coachlight and tells me it was a great experience. I paid a 5% deposit when my specials were finalized and I believe you will find that to be the case with any dealership if you are ordering specials. I would be surprised if anyone would take an order for a customized coach without a non-refundable deposit.

Good luck with your order!

Scott

SWag · 10-02-2014, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logsend

We had already spoken with that person and he told us that we couldn't change anything that the floorplans came as they came. Further he said that no color options were allowed besides what was in his sample book???

This is incorrect. We selected everything in our Dutch Star from decor options in the Ventana LE, Ventana, Dutch Star, Mountain Aire and London Aire lines with no problem. We went with a 3 color exterior graphic (instead of the standard 4 color) with colors from Mountain Aire and Essex graphics and made a lot of changes and additions inside the coach. Newmar was very accommodating.

logsend · 10-14-2014, 08:34 AM

First I want to thank everyone that commented and suggested help, it was very much appreciated.

We had planned to order a 2015 Ventana 4003 all electric. We contacted Newmar about making what we thought were modest changes. We wanted to make the sofa on the PS a hide a bed of the same size instead of a jack knife and we wanted to make the sofa on the DS a jack knife of the same size instead of a hide a bed. We also asked to have a pull out cabinet with a piece of counter top on it located somewhere in the kitchen and we wanted to mix some fabrics from the LE in. We were told no on everything. We don't know if they are cutting back on custom request or if they reserve those for the higher up coaches.

So when the decline for changes was added to a couple of other issues we decided that Newmar just wasn't going to work for us.

So again, thank you to everyone for all your help!

"007" · 10-15-2014, 04:58 PM

If you have talked to the people in this post they are the ones that will tell you what can be done to your coach for upgrades.
If Newmar were to give you everything in your coach model why would they need to build the higher top of the line coach's.

andyh · 10-15-2014, 05:51 PM

What you call "modest " changes are really not. The passenger side slide is not a flush floor slide, designed such to increase accessibility to the basement storage. Since it has a 5" step, a hide-a-bed will not fit.
Looking at the kitchen counter size, there is no place to fit in the pull-out drawer unit.
The fabric selection should not be a problem if you talk to the right people.