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Old 09-30-2020, 09:04 AM   #1
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Smile What to ask dealer when buying an RV

Hi all,

im new to the forum and would need some help to get over the last bump after researching for the past 3 month.

I'm going to buy a RV (Toyhauler Travel Trailer, 32', 7000 GVWR pulling with a 1 ton Van LWB) from a dealership most likely out of state. Here are several questions i ask myself.

A) What to clarify with the dealer before entering a deal?
PDI? Closes repair facilities to my home? Warranties? Options the rig includes? What else?

B) The price as seen on RVTrader or their own website, how much from there you can typical negotiate down. (MSRP is $33K, on website sold for $24)

C) Training. Anyone can recomend a organization i can organize a rv driver training. Our location is Raleigh, North Carolina. I found RV Scool online. They offer a 8h course over 2 days for 600$ bucks, a bit steep, anyone has a better idea? (We don't know any friends, nearby with expreience)


D) Any one experience with Couch's Nation? They seem to have the best price on RV-Trader compared to all other Dealers including even RV Wholesale.

E) We will definitely have to get it delivered. Is it advisable to utilize the dealer recommended company to bring the rig to our state? Or should i organize myself. Prices seem to be very similar.
We don't want to drive there, a because we are newbies and would like to do a proper training first before going on a long journey.

D) any other topic i have missed???

ANY advise will be helpful! Cheers
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Old 09-30-2020, 11:42 AM   #2
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Tell him you have a very small tow vehicle and then ask if it will handle it just fine. If he says yes then go find another dealer.


Skip the school and watch some youtube videos and ask more questions. Also try out everything before you take it home then use it in your driveway a night or two before going on along rip.
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Old 09-30-2020, 12:32 PM   #3
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Just curious, but why are you intent on buying out of state? Doesn't sound like you're looking for anything that unusual, so if you can find and buy relatively local, that avoids a lot of potential complications. Any warranty repairs would likely be easier to address at the dealer who sold you the unit, which is difficult if out of state. (I know it shouldn't matter, but I'm pretty sure it does!) Absolutely you want to go over the unit thoroughly before ever leaving the dealer's lot. The dealer should be able to help make sure you have the right hitch, know how to set up, etc. I don't see much need for driver training to pull a trailer. I'm sure those are mostly geared toward driving a big motorhome. Towing a camper should be fairly straight forward. Swing wide when you turn, and maybe practicing backing in an open parking lot somewhere before trying it at the campground, and you should be good to go. There are You Tube videos to help. Discounts of $9-11K off MSRP in that price range are consistent with what I've seen offered in the past. When dealing with the salesman, remember, get it in writing!
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Old 09-30-2020, 01:07 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cazy View Post
Hi all,

im new to the forum and would need some help to get over the last bump after researching for the past 3 month.

I'm going to buy a RV (Toyhauler Travel Trailer, 32', 7000 GVWR pulling with a 1 ton Van LWB) from a dealership most likely out of state. Here are several questions i ask myself.

A) What to clarify with the dealer before entering a deal?
PDI? Closes repair facilities to my home? Warranties? Options the rig includes? What else?

B) The price as seen on RVTrader or their own website, how much from there you can typical negotiate down. (MSRP is $33K, on website sold for $24)

C) Training. Anyone can recomend a organization i can organize a rv driver training. Our location is Raleigh, North Carolina. I found RV Scool online. They offer a 8h course over 2 days for 600$ bucks, a bit steep, anyone has a better idea? (We don't know any friends, nearby with expreience)


D) Any one experience with Couch's Nation? They seem to have the best price on RV-Trader compared to all other Dealers including even RV Wholesale.

E) We will definitely have to get it delivered. Is it advisable to utilize the dealer recommended company to bring the rig to our state? Or should i organize myself. Prices seem to be very similar.
We don't want to drive there, a because we are newbies and would like to do a proper training first before going on a long journey.

D) any other topic i have missed???

ANY advise will be helpful! Cheers
1) So when are you going to do the PDI? After the driver deliveries it, who will fix what needs to be repaired? Not the driver. Drivers do not carry tools to fix things if they need repaired or do they carry parts.
Check the contract you sign, it COULD state you will need to bring the trailer back to them for warranty work, our sales agreement did. Generally it is difficult to get another dealership to do warranty work if they did not sale the unit, or if they do you could be placed at the bottom of the list. The warranty work on these things are NOT like on a car/pickup truck.

2) Take the sheet to a locale dealer and see if they can match or get close to the price.

3) Close to the going rate for training. To learn how to bac, like said, go to a big empty parking lot and set up cones and practice.

4) Couch Nation - we looked there for a toy hauler and did not like the units they had.

5) So when are you going to do the PDI? After the driver deliveries it, who will fix what needs to be repaired? Not the driver. Drivers do not carry tools to fix things if they need repaired or do they carry parts.
Check the contract you sign, it COULD state you will need to bring the trailer back to them for warranty work, our sales agreement did.

6) What about the hitch and setup for it? Are you going to do it? Do you need a WDH, weight distribution hitch, if so which one? If you need a brake controller are you going to install it, and test to make sure it is correct? How about everything else you will need to purchase to START camping? Little things like sewer hoses, water hoses, leveling blocks, water filters, sewer hose supports, if you like satellite TV are you going to get it there. How about chairs, rugs, tables little simple things like that.
See if you can work the price of these things into the finance paperwork, especially the hitch, brake controller things like that
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Old 09-30-2020, 01:38 PM   #5
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Ask for a group 29 battery instead of the small standard group 24 battery.

RV batteries are small group 24, better group 27 and best group 29.

The group 29 will last a lot longer than a group 24. A small group 24 will not run a furnace blower all night. My new group 24 only lasted about half the December night before I woke up cold with a dead battery. I woke up at 3:00am cold because the furnace quit working.
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Old 09-30-2020, 02:25 PM   #6
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Watch this video. There is some good dealer info in here.
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Old 09-30-2020, 02:46 PM   #7
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We're buying a trailer 2,000 miles away from us. The closer you get to the manufacturing plant the lower your price should be. Prior to ordering our trailer I called at least a dozen dealers with the exact same specs. You can see how the prices increase the farther you go from the dealer. As an example the trailer we bought would run $69k in Norcal (our location) but we bought the exact same one for $53K in Illinois.

We're going to have a NRVIA inspector do a thorough 6-hour inspection prior to taking delivery. For $500 this will provide a knowledgable independent inspection to identify any repairs needed.

As for delivery, the dealer is going to mark it up just like everything else. Again, call several places yourself and you will start to get a feel for who you trust. The average is about $2 a mile for a long haul.
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Old 09-30-2020, 03:48 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tuffr2 View Post
Ask for a group 29 battery instead of the small standard group 24 battery.

RV batteries are small group 24, better group 27 and best group 29.

The group 29 will last a lot longer than a group 24. A small group 24 will not run a furnace blower all night. My new group 24 only lasted about half the December night before I woke up cold with a dead battery. I woke up at 3:00am cold because the furnace quit working.
Great, thanks , this is was new info for me. Appreciate it!
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Old 09-30-2020, 03:51 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by SacRV View Post
We're buying a trailer 2,000 miles away from us. The closer you get to the manufacturing plant the lower your price should be. Prior to ordering our trailer I called at least a dozen dealers with the exact same specs. You can see how the prices increase the farther you go from the dealer. As an example the trailer we bought would run $69k in Norcal (our location) but we bought the exact same one for $53K in Illinois.

We're going to have a NRVIA inspector do a thorough 6-hour inspection prior to taking delivery. For $500 this will provide a knowledgable independent inspection to identify any repairs needed.

As for delivery, the dealer is going to mark it up just like everything else. Again, call several places yourself and you will start to get a feel for who you trust. The average is about $2 a mile for a long haul.
thanks. I checked NRVIA there would be an ispector 14 miles of the dealership. Honestly a inspector anyway will see more than i do. I think that's a good idea even if i buy close to home. Thanks! Very helpful feedback.
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Old 09-30-2020, 05:44 PM   #10
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Follow up questions. I learn mom and pap dealer take better care of your problems than big sellers.

I have now two options;

Buy from mom and pap shop 600 miles in another state

Or

Buy from Camping world in my hometown.

Mom and pap shop say I can bring the rig in, if any issues, to any forest river dealer which would be the same campingworld as above mentioned since the rig will be under manufacturers warranty. But I also read in comments that I will not be first priority and they might not be very supportive in slotting me in.

So, thus better buying from Campingworld? At least I will have some priority (hopefully) in case I need to bring it in.

I think in both cases I would organize a certified RV inspector.

What's your advise?
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Old 09-30-2020, 05:51 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by hamm2018 View Post
1) So when are you going to do the PDI? After the driver deliveries it, who will fix what needs to be repaired? Not the driver. Drivers do not carry tools to fix things if they need repaired or do they carry parts.
Check the contract you sign, it COULD state you will need to bring the trailer back to them for warranty work, our sales agreement did. Generally it is difficult to get another dealership to do warranty work if they did not sale the unit, or if they do you could be placed at the bottom of the list. The warranty work on these things are NOT like on a car/pickup truck.

2) Take the sheet to a locale dealer and see if they can match or get close to the price.

3) Close to the going rate for training. To learn how to bac, like said, go to a big empty parking lot and set up cones and practice.

4) Couch Nation - we looked there for a toy hauler and did not like the units they had.

5) So when are you going to do the PDI? After the driver deliveries it, who will fix what needs to be repaired? Not the driver. Drivers do not carry tools to fix things if they need repaired or do they carry parts.
Check the contract you sign, it COULD state you will need to bring the trailer back to them for warranty work, our sales agreement did.

6) What about the hitch and setup for it? Are you going to do it? Do you need a WDH, weight distribution hitch, if so which one? If you need a brake controller are you going to install it, and test to make sure it is correct? How about everything else you will need to purchase to START camping? Little things like sewer hoses, water hoses, leveling blocks, water filters, sewer hose supports, if you like satellite TV are you going to get it there. How about chairs, rugs, tables little simple things like that.
See if you can work the price of these things into the finance paperwork, especially the hitch, brake controller things like that
Thanks for this comprehensive feedback. Appreciate it.

Hitch, Break controller, ... set up I plan to do at my local U-Haul. I thought they know best.

Beefing up my van to make it ready for the tow we plan on doing it at the dealer we bought it.


PDI I think I will spend the money and organize a inspector.

Training, got your advise. Will practice first by ourselves and if still in need will see for a training.
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Old 09-30-2020, 05:53 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by charliez View Post
Tell him you have a very small tow vehicle and then ask if it will handle it just fine. If he says yes then go find another dealer..
Let me do that tomorrow's :-)
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Old 09-30-2020, 06:12 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cazy View Post
Thanks for this comprehensive feedback. Appreciate it.

Hitch, Break controller, ... set up I plan to do at my local U-Haul. I thought they know best.

Beefing up my van to make it ready for the tow we plan on doing it at the dealer we bought it.


PDI I think I will spend the money and organize a inspector.

Training, got your advise. Will practice first by ourselves and if still in need will see for a training.
To setup the hitch you will need the camper hooked up to the tow vehicle. You can't just install a hitch and say you're good to go.
With a weight distribution hitch some parts are attached to the trailer and it needs to be leveled when setup.
During a PDI you should also be shown how to operate the different systems on the rig. You could ask questions concerning how things operate, how hitch, unhitch and such.
Also one other item you will need is a good surge protector
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Old 10-01-2020, 08:45 AM   #14
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Let me tell you my experience with taking an RV of any type to a large RV shop. And I'm talking you bought it from them, the works.
1. You call and say you have an issue. They say "We are backed up for 6 weeks, so let me put you on the calendar for then.
2. You take the RV in at your set appointment. They say "We are behind, it will be another 2 two 3 weeks before we can get to it."
3. They call weeks later, and say "We found the problem, we are ordering the parts today". Now, at this point, you go back to the end of the line.
4. They call several weeks later and say "You are fixed".
5. You go pick it up and it breaks again on your next trip.

I went through the scenario above time and time again on a brand new Super C. Short story, I learned to buy used and find a good, local, mobile repairman for those jobs that are either above my skill level or that I just don't want to do. With the money I saved by buying used, I can afford to pay someone for their work, and I get it done really quickly and don't have to deal with the hassle.

FWIW - My new RV was in the shop for 172 days in the first 11 months of ownership.
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