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Old 10-02-2014, 04:24 PM   #1
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Pre-Delivery Inspections

My wife and I have talked about buying a motorhome for as long as I can remember. Out first RV was a Terry 5th wheel trailer with bunk beds for our children when they were young which we enjoyed as a family along with their friends. As the kids got older we ended up selling it along with our truck because we were always running somewhere else to support the kids in other endeavors. As we neared retirement I began to think that it would be nice to have a smaller TT to use as my wife and I explore our state and the Pacific Northwest. After about a year of using the Lance TT, which had some issues along with mediocre dealer support, I came to the conclusion that I never really did care for towing! I see many of you on the freeway and always wonder why it looks so easy for all of you but for me it is something I was never comfortable with. I tell you all this because after all this time of thinking it would be great we made the decision to trade in our TT for a new 2015 Forester 2651S which will be delivered the middle of next month.

As we were making the decision I joined the Forest River Forum to learn from all of you. I posted a thread pertaining to Forest River Quality and received quite a few replies. Some were very positive and some not so much. After reading most of the other posts on the forum it was obvious that there is the group of owners that have had quite a few problems and those that have virtually none. I agree with several of you that a lot of how you feel about having problems with your units depends on how well they are handled by the dealer or in some cases Forest River. I too appreciate the fact the ‘BCLEMENS’ spends time on the forum and provides some responses and in some cases assistance to the owners. His dedication to the product and his position is to be commended; it is a rare trait in this day and age.

So after this long introduction I have one more question for all of you. Many of you discussed the importance of the Pre-Delivery Inspection and I found one link to a checklist that was developed for a TT, is there a list out there for a motor home that any one is aware of? I have been making my own list but a template to use as a starting point would be helpful. How long should a thorough PDI last? Do the dealers and technicians providing the PDI understand that I will be expecting to spend several hours going over my unit? I realize that I will not catch everything but I would like to hit as much as I can. Picking up the unit in the middle of November does not allow for much of a shakedown trip in the state if Idaho. The snow will be flying by then and I have always tucked my trailers in for the winter by late October.
Any advice or information you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 10-02-2014, 04:36 PM   #2
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Here is a list....

RV Inspection Checklist
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Old 10-02-2014, 05:36 PM   #3
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Just a thought, if the dealer has a couple of RV hookups you may want to overnight there after the PDI. Then you can ask more questions the next morning. Worked for me.
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Old 10-02-2014, 06:37 PM   #4
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" Do the dealers and technicians providing the PDI understand that I will be expecting to spend several hours going over my unit? I realize that I will not catch everything but I would like to hit as much as I can."

They should but to be honest it would be like rolling the dice especially if they know you have owned a RV before. If it were me I would make sure they knew my exceptions ahead of time for scheduling reasons.
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Old 10-02-2014, 06:53 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biznsa View Post
Just a thought, if the dealer has a couple of RV hookups you may want to overnight there after the PDI. Then you can ask more questions the next morning. Worked for me.
That's really sound advice!! I would even go as so far as to recommend a good 3-4 day shakedown as close as possible to your dealer. It would be money well spent for a CG. Part of that would be to go through a dump cycle even if you have to feed the tanks with clear water just to get them full before you dump. Run up all the appliances.. cycle the hot water heater a couple of times through... get the reefer down to temp and measure it (probably $2 for a fridge/freezer gauge).. push every button and pull every drawer if you need it or not.

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Old 10-03-2014, 01:26 PM   #6
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Record the delivery.
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Old 10-03-2014, 03:58 PM   #7
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Top few things people forget during pdi.
1) water heater bypass valves.
How they work and where there at.
2) how to operate the water heater.
3) how to winterize / dewinterize
4) how to run the heat/ac thermostat.
Low,auto,hi /lo features.
5) what each and every switch does.
6) where the water pump is.
7) where the water filter is.
8) how to manually operate "jacks" and "slideouts" in case of failure.
9) where ALL fuses and current limiters are.


Just a few off the top of my head.



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Old 10-03-2014, 04:40 PM   #8
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Pre Delivery Inspection

Thanks everyone for all the tips. I truly appreciate your willingness to share all your experience with me.
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Old 10-09-2014, 07:55 PM   #9
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If you have access to a video camera, record the walk thru. You can never (or at least we could not) remember everything that was said. And since I don't learn by watching, I had them talk me thru the systems (me doing the work) while spouse videoed. And ask questions. I like the idea of spending the night and getting back together with them the next day because questions will come up. Enjoy!
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Old 10-09-2014, 08:04 PM   #10
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Thanks Sbryant. I will be looking for an inexpensive video camera.
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Old 10-10-2014, 09:34 AM   #11
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We just traded our class c in for a 5th wheel. When we purchased the Class C the walk through took about an hour. With the 5th wheel we spent 3 hours going over everything and touching everything. They even dry walked me through winterizing it. I used my cell phone and the memory card for video then downloaded it on the computer and burned a disk. I keep that disk in the 5th wheel. Just in case I forget something.
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Old 10-10-2014, 10:13 AM   #12
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Another Check List

Here is a check list with a bit more narrative. I would take the best of both.
Attached Files
File Type: pdf PDI.pdf (92.4 KB, 63 views)
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Old 10-10-2014, 11:41 AM   #13
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Scootdawg --

Thanks for the information. I appreciate the idea of walking me through the winterization since I am getting it late in the season and really want to take it out once or twice before putting it to bed for the winter.

David, thank you for the file, I will incorporate this into the one I have been developing. This is great information

Thanks gentlemen.
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Old 10-20-2014, 03:13 PM   #14
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You are lucky. We drove from Atlanta to Iowa to pick ours up. Delivery scheduled at 8:30 am, ice storm scheduled to hit at 11:30. Walk through was brief, but very thorough. Got hitch installed, and on the road headed SE by 9:45 and ahead of the storm. Had no problems. We love our PUMA and have pulled her 4500 miles since Nov,13. Gotta. Love camping.
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