Community Forums

richie o · 08-14-2016, 01:37 AM

if you buy down south to get a good price, where are you going to go service, locally? Dealers tell you you will at the 'end of the line' for service if you didn't buy from them. ???

Superslif · 08-14-2016, 01:54 AM

Said that to me too after they found out I bought 3 hours away. When the time came for warranty work, they were more than happy to take me. I fully understand during their spring and summer busy season I would be behind others. My warranty issues were not pressing and I took care of them on Dec.

blang · 08-14-2016, 05:53 AM

I agree with Superslif (above) and, in addition, there are plenty of RV service guys (shops and/or mobile) that aren't Dealers but do warranty work. Personally, I like service-only people for repairs because they don't have mixed motivations. If their only business is repair, I think they're more conscientious. Often, Dealers are more interested in getting one in and out as quickly as possible so that they can get the next one in... all for the purpose of making it good enough to sell. Your rig, in that mix, may not get the attention to detail you're expecting.

wildtoad · 08-14-2016, 06:14 AM

Many dealers, mine included, will tell you that they take care of their customers first. But in reality, most service departments are their own profit center and will take all comers and treat everyone the same. ( Good or bad ). If you find a unit you really like I think it is a good idea to see if the local dealer can match the price, or come close.

Trapper2022 · 08-14-2016, 08:41 AM

We went full time so when looking price was one of the main factors. Our service was not going to be done where we purchased anyway. In the end we bought a used unit and have not had a problem with finding service. $$$ speak.

Take care and good luck with whatever way you go.

Enjoy the Rv life

oldsman41 · 08-14-2016, 03:45 PM

if im looking for something and my local dealer doesnt have it well im movin on. they will service it. but if he has what i want then i feel he should get first shot at the sell. i have looked at the southern dealers price and hes matched them almost everytime. if you have a dealer close by and you like his service buy local or a least give him a chance to match price.

twogypsies · 08-14-2016, 05:34 PM

We full-timed and traveled constantly for 16 years in two RVs. We never returned to the selling dealer and didn't have any issues.

Sue46 · 08-15-2016, 04:58 AM

I wouldn't take my rig to a dealer if you paid me. Even the dealer I bought it from. Everything takes weeks to repair, no matter how minor. RV repair shops are the places to go, there goal is to repair you and get you out the door. The repair is generally good as they don't want you coming back.

Example: Our jacks stopped working a week after we got the rig. We took it back to the dealer. 2 weeks later it was "ready". Spoke to the mechanic, he said as soon as he saw it he knew what was wrong, a fuse had blown but it was well buried so we didn't know about it nor was it documented. Said it took him 30 minutes to diagnose and repair. Charged us for a hour of his time(that's OK) and $16 for the fuse. We later found out we could buy it at Napa for $4.

If dealers had a someone to triage the repairs and a few to do the first level(easy stuff) they would have more throughput and the customers would not be so unhappy.