Buying a USED High-End Class A - Should it take this long?????

[Just For Fun]

Preamble: After MHing in our current coach for some 16 years, I decided to began my search to upgrade our MH about two years ago. When planning on spending $100,000 to $200,000 - for us - this becomes a slower, more detailed, checking everything possible process; especially if something goes wrong.

Status: About nine weeks ago one of my many offers was accepted through a dealer in Florida on one of their consignment class A's. That's the good news!! I think.

The Process: Being a sponge for knowledge and a wimp concerned about not making a financial mistake of this size (after reading many of the horror stories from others on this forum and others), I did my best about requiring this coach being in the best possible condition possible (reasonable?):
1. I told the salesperson to have this coach checked out by their repair facility ASAP. What they did (supposedly) was to "put this coach into service" at their facility and require (??) the coach's owner to pay for all needed repairs.
2. Possible due to my accepted offer and the required repair, the dealer said (supposedly) they decided to buy this coach themselves to guarantee my purchase price - concerned that the seller would back out. OK, that sounds reasonable.
3. Identified repair (supposedly) is the replacement of the starter and muffler. After three weeks, the ordered muffler (supposedly) has still not been delivered.

OK, nine weeks into this process I'm getting the hebe-geebies that there's more going on in the background then I'm being told of. But with me on the west coast and the coach on the east coast... Until my tech get's out there, I just twiddling my thumbs.

WOW!!!!! That was a lot of verbiage to FINALLY get to my question

Simply put: So for those of you who are still reading this...Should it take this much time to purchase a high-end coach?? Is this reasonable????
Is what I'm going through typical, normal, expected or...?

[wnytaxman]

It sounds like you are making this purchase sight unseen. Is that correct?

It would seem like the length of time being taken is extreme. I would hound the dealer to see what is going on. Some things sound a bit odd. Just a gut reaction, but some of the fact patterns do not bode well.

[38Chevy454]

For the amount of money you are spending, I would suggest a cheap airplane trip there. Then you can lay your own eyes on everything, and confirm the repairs that were or scheduled to be made. A few hundred $ and couple days now could be a wise investment. It is a lot harder for them to BS you in person, vs email or phone.

It may very well be true the muffler is taking longer to receive than expected. Being able to verify yourself is the way to know the real story. As to the exact funds and who has money in their hands vs keys and title, I guess in the end as long as you get the fully repaired MH and keys with clean title it does not really have effect for you.

[CntryCoachRV]

Originally Posted by Just For Fun

Preamble: After MHing in our current coach for some 16 years, I decided to began my search to upgrade our MH about two years ago. When planning on spending $100,000 to $200,000 - for us - this becomes a slower, more detailed, checking everything possible process; especially if something goes wrong.

Status: About nine weeks ago one of my many offers was accepted through a dealer in Florida on one of their consignment class A's. That's the good news!! I think.

The Process: Being a sponge for knowledge and a wimp concerned about not making a financial mistake of this size (after reading many of the horror stories from others on this forum and others), I did my best about requiring this coach being in the best possible condition possible (reasonable?):
1. I told the salesperson to have this coach checked out by their repair facility ASAP. What they did (supposedly) was to "put this coach into service" at their facility and require (??) the coach's owner to pay for all needed repairs.
2. Possible due to my accepted offer and the required repair, the dealer said (supposedly) they decided to buy this coach themselves to guarantee my purchase price - concerned that the seller would back out. OK, that sounds reasonable.
3. Identified repair (supposedly) is the replacement of the starter and muffler. After three weeks, the ordered muffler (supposedly) has still not been delivered.

OK, nine weeks into this process I'm getting the hebe-geebies that there's more going on in the background then I'm being told of. But with me on the west coast and the coach on the east coast... Until my tech get's out there, I just twiddling my thumbs.

WOW!!!!! That was a lot of verbiage to FINALLY get to my question

Simply put: So for those of you who are still reading this...Should it take this much time to purchase a high-end coach?? Is this reasonable????
Is what I'm going through typical, normal, expected or...?

I just replaced the very large muffler on my diesel pusher and I received the new muffler in less than a week, found it on Amazon, and it was also a very good deal. Donaldson muffler, exact replacement. Sounds fishy!

Ray

[530ktm]

I have to agree with the above, I can not imagine buying something like this without personally seeing it and dealing with the people in person. A voice on the phone has little impact vs a human standing in front of the sales or service person and wanting information.

[smlranger]

Would you buy a house without seeing it and inspecting it? A motorhome is a house on wheels, even more complex. Plus, trust no dealer or salesman. You must verify everything yourself.

Consider hiring someone qualified to inspect the coach for you before you write any checks.

[Davdeb1]

9 weeks? Just cancel, that is unreasonable. Something stinks. There are literally thousands of units in that price range. If it was $20-30k, it might be worth taking the chance on sight unseen, but NEVER for the money you are talking.

[Just For Fun]

Originally Posted by smlranger

Would you buy a house without seeing it and inspecting it? A motorhome is a house on wheels, even more complex. Plus, trust no dealer or salesman. You must verify everything yourself.

Consider hiring someone qualified to inspect the coach for you before you write any checks.

NOT sight unseen. I have a tech schedule to review it on-side before we travel out there for my personal inspection.

[oakcreekeric]

Ok.. my two cents..

First of all.. do you mind sharing with us the; year, make and model ??

I have to agree with 38Chevy454... getting a cheap plane ticket would be a very small investment to make to insure a square deal..

Also... if I may suggest.. if you decide to go that route.. I would do it on the "down low".. I wouldn't tell the dealer you were coming.. I'd just show up and start looking for your rig.. kick some tires.. see if they'll let you look at it.. it couldn't hurt.. besides, showing up unannounced would prevent them from having their "stories straight", so to speak..

Whatever you do.. best of luck !!

[JFXG]

Originally Posted by Just For Fun

NOT sight unseen. I have a tech schedule to review it on-side before we travel out there for my personal inspection.

Well, you haven't seen it, have you? You're 9 weeks in and your tech hasn't seen it either. How did you find this tech? Referred by the dealer?

On a purchase of this size, you ought to be prepared to invest a couple of percentage points into due diligence. Get on a plane. Arrive unannounced- don't call your tech, either- and look for yourself. And be prepared to walk away from it.


John & Diane, fulltiming since '12
'02 DS, FL, 3126, '04 Element

[Mr_D]

Hire an independent inspector, that's what I didn't do!!
I was told the rig would be gone through by their tech who was an ex CC employee, which he did (sort of). After signing the papers I was talking to him and he admitted all he did was go through and flip stuff on, if it started up it was good (wouldn't have caught a bad heat pump for instance) although he did change all the filters except the air and do the yearly service on the AquaHot.
Now I'm finding two dual pane windows that are not sealed and are fogging, the 10 disk changer refuses to work although I did find a disconnected wire last night but it doesn't connect to the changer unit but still might have something to do with it. The run through was a couple hours but really should have been longer as I'm not one to run to the dealer to get a fuse changed and there are dozens of control boxes in the Magna.
Anyway, the dealer did what they said they would, just that I trused but didn't verify!
I'd still buy from the dealer though, just be more careful.

[CntryCoachRV]

Originally Posted by Just For Fun

NOT sight unseen. I have a tech schedule to review it on-side before we travel out there for my personal inspection.

Are you dealing with a well known reputable dealer, if so then it is less of a risk? However, when I purchased my current mh back in 2000 from a dealer who advertised being the largest dealer in the world, everything went fine. But, it didn't go so well for another gent who I met there, he had bought a used mh and he was waiting for the paperwork to go through and there had been a long delay with lots of back and forth and lots of excuses from his salesman and sales manager, bottom line the dealer couldn't come up with a title and they were trying to convince him to go for a different rig. He got so disgusted that he demanded full refund and he walked away. Not sure what had happened but it appears the dealer had taken a unit in on trade but the person doing the trading didn't have clear title. Things do go wrong and sometimes it is best to just walk away when something just doesn't sound right.

Ray

[cb1000rider]

Originally Posted by CntryCoachRV

Are you dealing with a well known reputable dealer, if so then it is less of a risk?

Part of the risk is that he's perhaps buying a used coach from a dealer who is going to sell it with an "as-is" contract. As many of us know, lots of systems on a high end class-A and hard to get them all tested without having owned it.

When I was shopping, one question that I asked was what happens when I drive off the lot and find a broken item? Have them put the answer in writing... As they dealer is far-away, cover that contingency first...

For 100-200k, an IN PERSON trip is required.

[Smitty77]

Sounds like you are still working thru this carefully. Having the independent inspection, as long as you are are it is 'independent', is the way to go. Based upon this report, and a good inspection should cost some funds and is a good investment, then decide if you will fly out for a final review, acceptance, and purchase.

IMO, the part that sounds the most fishy to me - is that they say they bought the coach in order to 'protect the price'. Maybe the bought the coach to ensure their profit, more then to protect the price. And now, any expense going into the coach for repair, is coming out of their profits. That does not sound right.

I assume you have put earnest money deposit? Is this written in away that if you back out, you can get his deposit back? Was it by check, or credit card? If credit card, you can always dispute and obtain the help of the credit card company to recover. (Of course, only if needed, and only if warranted.)

My fingers are crossed that the 'independent' inspection reveals a coach as it was represented. If so, I would not get too hung up on the Dealer possibly getting a higher profit - as you agreed to a price. Dealer was probably working both ends. Squeeze the seller down, and bumping you the buyer up.

Keep your eyes open, and sure hope it all works out for you! If not, yep, keep on hunting!

Smitty