buying a new RV HELP

[aceinspp]

Might want to reconsider the Forever warranty. Later RJD

[dahagen]

Watch out on warranties....never buy one that lists WHAT IS INCLUDED. Buy the one that lists what it DOES NOT INCLUDE. I noticed on the one mentioned in HAVERCAMPS post lists what is covered. And it is not much. No slides or automatic jacks are covered and my son, who runs an RV repair shop in Denver, says that much of their work is on slides and jacks.

[stallsmi]

Once again, you don't buy the forever warranty. It was provided by the dealer. I'm sure the cost is considered when the dealer sets the price, but I don't believe it is an after-market program the buyer purchases. My dealer provided it along with the RV. I didn't buy or sign anything, it was part of the purchase that I couldn't opt out (not that I would have). All I have to do is the annual maintenance to keep the contract in force. My maintenance guy signs off on the areas required, and I submit the form to the RV Warranty Forever company. And I have the maintenance done by someone other than the dealer.

[aa9zz]

I'm new, first post. Someone earlier noted to look around the country for the best price. Would this not make it more difficult to get warranty service and later just service from a dealer you did not buy from? Is service or warranty service an with a Forest River dealer issue if you did not buy from them?

[camaraderie]

@ Stallsmi

Once again, you don't buy the forever warranty. It was provided by the dealer.

Yes you do...you pay by the discount you DON'T get from the dealer...unless you think THEY get it for free from the goodhearted Forever Warranty people.

@aa9zz... Shop around then give your local guys the opportunity for the sale at the right price. YES many dealers will give non local buyers the cold shoulder BUT many dealers suck even for the people that buy from them. Since the warranty only lasts for a year and many other service alternatives exist...do your shopping....find out what the RIGHT price is...find out how good your dealers service it...and live with your choices. I Bought 500 miles away & don't regret it FWIW. Hell...you're in Indiana and can go to the factory to make things right. Good luck.

[Earvinery]

Always remember, most RV salesmen only.lie when their lips are moving. Ask all your questions via email (another plus of NOT buying local), so you get it all in writing. My last unit, Crossroads Rushmore, I was told that it had a 12" frame and as part of the deal they installed a 3 point hitch so I could put a motorcycle lift on it later. Lippert told me they couldn't recommend even a small carrier rack on the.back of.it (a year later). Lessons learned.

[PenJoe]

aa9zz, look at it this way. A reputable manufacturer pays any franchise dealer for warranty service rendered. You are purchasing some type of RV that is meant to move anywhere at your will. You are not expected to return to your point of purchase for warranty. A good dealer will give you good service because they are being paid under a warranty or you are paying if it is routine maintenance or not covered. Dealers depend on their service department for a revenue stream. A word of caution-don't pay for service you don't need-that's a favorite service revenue generator.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by PenJoe

A reputable manufacturer pays any franchise dealer for warranty service rendered. You are purchasing some type of RV that is meant to move anywhere at your will. You are not expected to return to your point of purchase for warranty.

You're walking a fine line with that statement and its been beaten to death here, and at every other manufacturer specific and RV/Camping forum millions of times.

It is STRONGLY SUGGESTED you return to "point of purchase" as you call it for warranty concerns or they would not bother printing it.



This is common verbiage per an owners manual.....

"OBTAINING WARRANTY SERVICE: To ensure your local dealer's personal interest in your complete satisfaction, it is recommended that all warranty service be performed by the authorized dealer from whom you purchased your unit. Following a move or as you are traveling, should warranty service become necessary, such service shall be performed by any authorized dealer in the United States or Canada. Such service shall also, whenever possible, be scheduled by an appointment in order to avoid possible delays."

And per a brochure........

"Forest River Inc dealers are independently owned and operated businesses so priority service and scheduling is at their discretion and is often provided to customers that purchased their unit at that dealership."


Although their is no shortage of sh$%ty dealers they all get a bum rap. People buy at a distance to save a few bucks, then they have a warranty issue so they expect to take it to the local dealer to save the cost and inconvenience of taking it to the selling dealer. Most times the local dealers are busy, so the appointment can not be scheduled for some time and that's not acceptable to the buyer. Lots of people believe everything revolves around them. At that point they jump on here or another forum, and proceed to bash that certain dealer for their own shortcomings in not understanding something that is disclosed clearly on the front end of the deal. That is if they were intelligent enough to do a little reading.

In the dealer review section of this forum, you can find some examples where owners bash a dealer for slow warranty work or scheduling and the dealer sees it and responds with something such as ..................

"Unfortunately, you called for work to be done in the "heart" of camping season when we are extremely busy. And, yes, we do give priority to customers that purchased RV's from us. I do not think we should be blamed for taking care of our customers warranty repairs in a timely manner and Forest River stands behind us on this."

Its amazing how silent the thread gets when that happens. I for one would like to see more dealers defend themselves in these forums.


You as a buyer have to decide if buying at a distance is beneficial to you from the warranty / local dealer standpoint. No one can do it for you on a forum. It can have huge ramifications. Especially if you're incapable, for whatever reason, of doing your own maintenance or small repairs.

[camaraderie]

Mr.H... I think many people think RV dealers are like franchise car dealerships and are obligated to serve all customers of a certain brand...regardless of purchase origin. They also think dealers make $$ on warranty claims...when those reimbusements are unusual if they even cover the actual costs of making the repairs.
You have to go into the purchase with your eyes wide open. I understood that warranty service could be difficult to obtain at my closest dealer.. but I wasn't about to pay 10k more for ONE year of in warranty service. I have lots of good service options now that I'm out of warranty and only had one claim in my first year and it happened on a road trip anyway. I'd have bought locally if the local dealer wasn't trying to hose me on price. But buyers need to understand that you are not entitled to service at any dealership.
Ironically...the dealer so far away from me is a member of the Priority Service dealers network...and any dealer who belongs will treat YOU as their own customer. It wasn't even mentioned during the sale. LOL...To me this is a more valuable perk than the "forever warranty" since as Captain Ron was fond of saying...."If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there boss."

Here's a link to the priority service network of dealers. Priority RV Network | America's Largest RV Dealer Network

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

You have to go into the purchase with your eyes wide open. I understood that warranty service could be difficult to obtain at my closest dealer.. but I wasn't about to pay 10k more for ONE year of in warranty service.

Exactly.........
On the Roo I have ordered, a dealer on the other side of the state was at 20k. The local Roo dealer, and I'll be honest, I have never though much of them due to a run in I had with one of their salesmen at a show in the past, offered to order me a unit and the price was only 1K more than the best price I could find anywhere. 1K is a lot different than 10k

In that case I took my chances with the local dealer just in case I have some large issue in the first year or two, maybe I can get some type of expedited service since I bought there, maybe not. In any case I do not have to drive hundreds of miles to purchase. Time will tell if that was the right decision. Financially it was basically a wash either way. The way I look at it I can do about 99.9% of any repairs myself as long as I can obtain the parts, and I am a realistic 7 hour drive from the factory if needed.

Those are the type of a decisions everyone must think through and decide according to their own situation.