Delivery opinions

Grizzlygibbs · 02-13-2013, 02:46 PM

Hello everybody!

My Roo is still in the process of being built, even my 4 year old can hardly contain her excitement for it to arrive! I was discussing having to drive the 2000 miles to take the delivery of my Roo and then a 2000 mile return. It appears I may not have the time it would take to do this and I wanted to get everyones opinions on having the Roo delivered. I am sure I would save a little if I just made the trip but as the old saying goes, time is money and I am not sure if my time is worth that.

Some things that have me worried is not being present for the PDI, and if any issues arise, having them taken care of. Also ensuring that everything is up to snuff and included that is supposed to be included.

Please weigh in on this to help me make a decision. Thanks everyone.

Triguy · 02-13-2013, 03:31 PM

That's a tough one. A good PDI accomplishes two main things: you get an opportunity to learn from the tech and to check over the trailer before you accept it.

The learning part is nice (but not necessary if you have trailering experience, are willing to teach yourself, and have access to information such as on this site and others). IIRC you ordered a Roo 233S. Here's a good video of a walkthrough. Its 3 or 4 years old but will help you somewhat learn some of the systems.

walkthrough

The main part that you miss is the chance to examine the trailer before you sign off on the acceptance. Inevitably, something needs to be fixed and this is the best chance to get it done. Often, people use a PDI checklist like this one as they walkthrough - http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ers-21227.html

Many people who drive long distance to pickup a unit will spend a night or two at a nearby CG to give it a shakedown so the dealer can fix any items before they head home. There is a risk in not having this opportunity, but I think its a small risk if you researched the selling dealer and have a service dealer nearby your home that is willing to do the work as needed.

You're right that time is money and a 4,000 mile round trip is going to take awhile. Its also a lot less fun unless you can take your time camping on the way home so I can see why a delivery would be worth your while.

As I said, you lose the learning experience (but that can be replaced) and the ability to inspect before you sign. That last part is the risk but I don't think its necessarily a deal-breaker if you have a dealer lined up at home who can do the warranty work.

**ependydad** · 02-13-2013, 03:34 PM

I don't know what I would do if I were in your shoes- but we have friends who had a camper delivered and it worked out for them. They had previously owned a pop-up and her dad has a fifth wheel, so they weren't completely blind going into it. They, too, had a friend who had one delivered and again - it worked out for them.

But, I'm sure there are horror stories, as well.

I'm fairly positive that the delivery drivers still give a walk thru when they drop it off. I don't think it's dump and run.

Good luck!

Grizzlygibbs · 02-13-2013, 03:47 PM

Yes it is a 233s. I have seen those video's and watched the series through a few times. I am fairly mechanically inclined, just have never fired a RV hot water heater but I could teach that and a lot of other things to myself from this site and youtube and the like. The trailer is scheduled to be done by end of April, and I would like to get it soon after that but the way my schedule is going, it will not be until mid June till I am able to pick it up, and even then I am very pressed for time!

I have some options of having it delivered half way to save some time, I am more just worried about what to do in the event of finding damage from something that was not done properly or finding something missing, obviously if some thing is missing my dealer will have to replace it, but I just wanted to see what others thought as I am unsure what kind of reception I will get from local dealers.

For anyone who has had a trailer delivered any input?

clancythecamper · 02-17-2013, 03:25 PM

If the delivery is via the dealership, shouldn't they be responsible for the condition at time of delivery? Also, wouldn't the person delivering be expected to do a PDI? any issues would be noted when you took delivery. I'm assuming warranty work could be done locally, depending on where you live. Also, if you are not an experienced camper, have someone who is with you for your PDI when it arrives. Just a thought.....

Dave_Monica · 02-17-2013, 04:01 PM

Just for clarification, are you talking about using the delivery option from one of the large internet dealers?

I've purchased two campers and imported into Canada and picked them up myself on both occasions. There's a fairly good chance that the camper may need fixing/adjusting when it arrives at the dealer. If the dealer doesn't find and correct it, it becomes your problem to deal with if you have the camper delivered. At least if you pick it up, you have one chance of finding/correcting issues while it's still at the selling dealer.

I'd make it your first camping tadventure on the return trip home.

Seriously, if you can't find a week's time to pick it up, how are you going to find the time to camp in it.

Dave

lbrjet · 02-17-2013, 04:32 PM

I would either pick up or have it delivered, not even consider meeting half way. Either way use it enough in the first year to find any issues so they can be fixed under warranty.

**bikendan** · 02-17-2013, 07:01 PM

Grizzly, it would help some if you gave us an idea where you bought it and where in the country, it's being delivered.
i'm guessing West Coast, since i drove 2000 miles to Chicago to pick up my Roo and bring it back.
if i had bought from RVW, i was going to meet them halfway in Rawlins, Wyo.
but i ended up buying from House of Camping and decided on making a camping trip on the way back.
plus i had just bought my Avalanche and needed break-in mileage before i towed with it.

Grizzlygibbs · 02-18-2013, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clancythecamper

If the delivery is via the dealership, shouldn't they be responsible for the condition at time of delivery? Also, wouldn't the person delivering be expected to do a PDI? any issues would be noted when you took delivery. I'm assuming warranty work could be done locally, depending on where you live. Also, if you are not an experienced camper, have someone who is with you for your PDI when it arrives. Just a thought.....

This is basically what I am trying to figure out from others experiences with having an RV/TT delivered and it is something I will figure out when the time gets closer. I feel confident with the walk around and PDI, just trying to get peoples opinions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

Just for clarification, are you talking about using the delivery option from one of the large internet dealers?

I've purchased two campers and imported into Canada and picked them up myself on both occasions. There's a fairly good chance that the camper may need fixing/adjusting when it arrives at the dealer. If the dealer doesn't find and correct it, it becomes your problem to deal with if you have the camper delivered. At least if you pick it up, you have one chance of finding/correcting issues while it's still at the selling dealer.I'd make it your first camping tadventure on the return trip home.

Seriously, if you can't find a week's time to pick it up, how are you going to find the time to camp in it.

Dave

Is this a serious response? I take advantage of my weekends and only living 10 miles from the Wenatchee National Forest and only 15 and 30 respectively to the nearest wilderness access points... I may not use a TT based on not being able to take a week or more off?

I am on a schedule, have appointments and responsibilities, as well as a family... Sometimes being a grown up sucks, but yes, one week in the midst of a busy season makes it hard to take a whole week off, rather than a day here or there to add onto a weekend!

Are you saying from experience that it becomes my problem to fix it if I have it delivered?

Quote:

Originally Posted by lbrjet

I would either pick up or have it delivered, not even consider meeting half way. Either way use it enough in the first year to find any issues so they can be fixed under warranty.

I appreciate this, the only reason why I was considering this options was to only have to travel 2000 miles round trip rather than 4000 miles and only paying half the cost of the delivery fee.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

Grizzly, it would help some if you gave us an idea where you bought it and where in the country, it's being delivered.
i'm guessing West Coast, since i drove 2000 miles to Chicago to pick up my Roo and bring it back.
if i had bought from RVW, i was going to meet them halfway in Rawlins, Wyo.
but i ended up buying from House of Camping and decided on making a camping trip on the way back.
plus i had just bought my Avalanche and needed break-in mileage before i towed with it.

I bought the Roo from All Seasons RV Supercenter in Muskegon, MI. It was the best deal I could get even accounting for the add on fuel costs to pick it up. I live in Washington state, and was considering meeting the dealer 1/2 way, around Billings, MT to have it delivered. I was going to drive the whole way to the dealer to pick up the first part of June but I am finding I would rather take possession earlier and early-mid June is starting to fill up fast in my schedule anyway.

It is scheduled to be done around the last weekend of April, so getting it around the first week of May would be great, just really busy with my work and school schedule.

SuwanneeDave · 02-19-2013, 11:04 AM

I have a similar situation. I ordered a trailer from a dealer in New Hampshire for a price that includes delivery to Georgia, but I am more and more thinking of driving up there to pick it up and having a leisurely trip back. This difference is the distance which is about 1100 miles one way versus 2000, which to me is too much when facing a time constraint.

jeeplj8 · 02-19-2013, 11:37 AM

While it is easy for me to say I would go get it and not even consider delivery, that is not your situation. We each have to make do with what we have.

So this is my advice, I would have a long conversation with the selling dealer about what happens if it shows up damaged. There have been several threads lately about delivery of trailers that were damaged. Look for specific answers, not just a general "we will take care of it." That is far easier said, than done. Warn the dealer that if the camper is damaged en route, you will refuse to accept it. Discuss what will happen then. Note that under no circumstances should you be compelled to pay for the trailer prior to acceptance upon delivery. You may be giving up almost all protection you have under state law if you pay for it site unseen.

Then I would talk with a local independent RV mechanic. See how much they would charge to help you with accepting the unit, inspect and fix any minor problems (loose fittings, wires etc.) You may want to make your decision on accepting based upon what the local RV mechanic can tell you. You do not want to get stuck with a unit that has problems.

I suggest a local independent RV mechanic because odds are your local FR dealer will refuse to even touch your unit. They are not obligated by FR to honor your warranty, a fact that has been discussed ad nausea on this forum. However, the selling dealer may be able to work something out with a local dealer to accept the unit, prep it for your pickup and do a final PDI. This would clearly be your best alternative.

At this point, my guess is the selling dealer expects to hook it up in their lot to a shipper, take your payment and never hear from either of you again. The shipper expects to pull up to large parking lot near you (they most often will NOT deliver to your residential area), drop the trailer with no more than two words exchanged with you and leave. The trailer condition after 2000 miles on the road is your responsibility. Best to try and set some different expectations up front.

Dave_Monica · 02-19-2013, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grizzlygibbs

Is this a serious response? I take advantage of my weekends and only living 10 miles from the Wenatchee National Forest and only 15 and 30 respectively to the nearest wilderness access points... I may not use a TT based on not being able to take a week or more off?

I am on a schedule, have appointments and responsibilities, as well as a family... Sometimes being a grown up sucks, but yes, one week in the midst of a busy season makes it hard to take a whole week off, rather than a day here or there to add onto a weekend!

Are you saying from experience that it becomes my problem to fix it if I have it delivered?

Sorry if I offended you...

There's a high probabilty that fixing/adjusting will need to be done on the camper when it arrives at All Seasons RV...shouldn't be but that seems to be the nature of the RV industry. If the dealer doesn't correct all, the problem becomes yours. Yes, it's under warranty, but local dealers aren't obliged to do warranty work on units that they didn't sell. Large internet dealers such as RVW have some type of dealer service network which would help. I have no idea what All Seasons RV has should you have a warranty issue.

That's the reasoning I was using to justfy pick-up at the dealer. You'd be doing the PDI at the dealer where any problems identified can be fixed. That's not possible in some parking lot off the interstate.

Dave

bakken · 02-19-2013, 12:06 PM

Grizzly, by the sounds of your schedule, it doesn't seem to make sense to drive that far to pick it up yourself. And by the way you talk, you make lots of money at whatever job you do, so it would cost you more in lost work than the delivery guy would charge.
The odds are that the delivery guy would be reasonably careful with your camper, and you could always ask the dealer for a recommended delivery dude.
You do hear the odd story about campers arriving half destroyed, but most are fine. Ours was transported from the factory to Minneapolis, where we picked it up, and it was immaculate.
One thing you might want to avoid is getting it too early in the spring, when the roads could still be very salty. Some of the chemicals they use will strip the paint right off the undercarriage/frame and rust the begeebers out of it. The camper would never be the same after that.
Good luck!

Flying dutchman · 02-19-2013, 12:08 PM

X2 for taking delivery at dealer's site for PDI and subsequent fixing of issues by the dealer.

Grizzlygibbs · 02-20-2013, 01:51 PM

I really appreciate everyones comments on this topic.

I understand all of these situations and the advantages of doing a PDI before taking possession but I was kind of hoping for some real world opinions from those who have actually had their TT delivered.

Of course nothing is set in stone yet. I may still end up picking it up, just wanted to hear from those who have experienced RV/TT delivery.

lkin · 02-20-2013, 06:22 PM

I bought a forester from a dealer insN Diego, and I live in Boston area. Time constraints prevented me from making the trip, so we got a driver from uship. We did have some issues, nothing I couldn't handle, but if there was a major problem we would have been screwed.

I don't know if I would do it again.

FarmerJim · 02-20-2013, 06:45 PM

You should read this ..... http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...s-34682-5.html
lots to learn here . Jim

Grizzlygibbs · 02-24-2013, 11:39 AM

Definitely some sketchy stories on delivery, but I am fairly confident that not every deliver ends up in demise. I will definitely keep my options open, especially the option of canceling prior appointments or moving my schedule around and making the entire drive. When time gets closer I will be more confident in my answer and will definitely let people know what I decided and how everything went.

Thanks for everyone's input!

Grizzlygibbs · 04-07-2013, 11:04 AM

Hello everyone. The last two weeks I have been putting in long hours by moving my schedule around and putting in extra work. We have decided to save on financing the extra money and we estimate we will save at the very least, half of what delivery cost would be. Plus it will just be me and my wife and it will be a good memory and good to spend some time away from home responsibilities.

I plan to break the trip up into 3 10 hour sections. This is happening later this month and we are both excited but both nervous as well as have never travelled this far or this long before.

We hope to make the whole trip in 6 days and I am sure we will be dog tired but it will be fun. I'm gonna get some audio books and just enjoy the open road with my sweetie!

Thanks for everyone who weighed in, it did help me to make my decision.

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