Neutral RV Wholesalers

OnSabbatical · 02-18-2015, 01:08 PM

I know people have posted good reviews of RV Wholesalers, and I'm seriously considering buying from them as they are coming in $2,000 below my nearest dealer for the fifth wheel we want.

The RV Wholesalers salesman I've been working with has been very helpful and done a lot of leg work for me.

But when I asked my RV Wholesaler rep for a list of places in my area that are part of their "Nationwide Service Network," and I called 2 of 4, and those businesses told me they had no agreement whatsoever with RV Wholesalers, and one of them warned me that local dealerships might not do warranty work on RVs purchased by local people from far away (as opposed to people traveling through).

That was kind of disheartening. So I called the RV Wholesalers "Customer Service Advocate," and she explained that they don't have any contracts with anyone but merely run a search to see who sells Forest River RVS and so could do warranty work, and they have another search method that tells them who they've worked with in the past. She gave me the name of one those, Camping World, and CW confirmed that they could do warranty service for an out-of-state purchase. So, it seems, though, that the language is misleading; RV Wholesalers doesn't have a "nationwide network," but, if you need help, they will point you in the right direction, sort of.

I can do without the fictional nationwide service network, but the misleading way it is presented has me worried.

Thoughts? Anyone out there have direct experience with them ?

geotex1 · 02-18-2015, 01:20 PM

I don't think is misleading because they do not proclaim to have a contracted network. You inferred that from their marketing, and smartly looked into it. They also just don't point you in the "right direction, sort of" but work hard to arrange work at a local dealer for you and don't leave it just up to you to fend for yourself. Are they always successful, probably not, but they'll try. From what I gathered from knowing many campers who have purchased from them (we even almost did), they entice the local dealership to take a customer in because they handle all the behind-the-scenes headaches at least where warranty matters are concerned including paying an agreed upon labor rate upfront to them and waiting to get the reimbursement from FR themselves.

I think you will find many, many campers who have had great experience with RVW and RVD and should echo what I've said here. I have one close friend who is now on their 3rd unit from RVW, and have two members in my camping club who are also repeat buyers. They must be doing something right, and many of us really just repair and service our own after the warranty period too.

donanddona · 02-18-2015, 01:48 PM

Depending if your the weekend warrior type or the full timer traveler. This might help in your decision process. Yes you will probably save thousands through RVW. And, as a full timers you will not necessarily have repairs completed at your local home town dealer or from the purchased dealer and vise versa, if your a weekend warrior you rely solely on your dealer to complete the repairs. I look at this as one of many pulse areas in the purchase of a RV. Hope this helps!

OnSabbatical · 02-18-2015, 02:00 PM

We're planning a year-long trip around the country, so if we have problems, they probably won't be local--unless things show up in the couple of weekends we will take before then.

I agree that I "inferred" what was not stated explicitly, and so I can't say they were untruthful, but they were at least a little misleading.

Rather than call it a Nationwide Service Network, they should say they provide a service concierge or something like that.

The real issue for me is whether I can trust RV Wholesalers to provide me with a quality product that meets the specifications we agree on and with reasonable after service care.

It sounds like people here have had good experiences with them.

FandRChambers · 02-18-2015, 02:01 PM

I purchased from RV wholesalers in the past, and referred two others who purchased from them. You are correct about dealerships not wanting to service or repair your unit because you didn't buy from them, but that's all dealers. Unfortunately they don't have to take your work. I'm on my 4th unit, two purchased new (one from RV wholesalers) and none were purchased at local dealers because of your same reason, saved a lot of money purchasing out of town. Over 10k on one of my purchases. So to me that was worth it. Your warranty only last a year anyway, so I didn't want to base a purchase decision on a one year factory warranty. That's just me. I say do your research and find out who will take you in and weigh the option from their. I know people who purchased locally and still can't get in for service or repair in a timely manner. The industry sales are increasing from what I'm told, so dealers can turn down non customers, and don't care. Dealers use that as a scare tactic in my opinion. I found a repair shop that takes everyone. In your case the local dealer won't negotiate the 2k? In my case the units I purchased were not sold locally so I couldn't negotiate with the local dealers anyway. Just my two cents! Good luck on your purchase.

OnSabbatical · 02-18-2015, 02:05 PM

The local dealer (who is actually two hours away) would not go any lower, which I don't understand because if she had gone halfway, $1,000 I would have gone with her. I would think they still would have made some profit. . . .

FandRChambers · 02-18-2015, 02:13 PM

Wow, she lost a sale over $1,000. Yes they would have made a lot of profit. These units are marked up so high it's ridiculous. My brother in-law purchased a unit from RVW for 13k. The "show" price from a local dealer was 18.5k Well worth the trip! I think it's funny when they talk about repairs because truthfully when you break down, you will likely be camping somewhere, not home where the local dealer can help right away anyway.

geotex1 · 02-18-2015, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnSabbatical

The local dealer (who is actually two hours away) would not go any lower, which I don't understand because if she had gone halfway, $1,000 I would have gone with her. I would think they still would have made some profit. . . .

Sometimes they just can't because of what delivery to the dealership costs. In shopping last year, I learned that Florida is it's own "region" for pricing because the delivery charge from the factory was LITERALLY 10x the charge for the same, identically optioned unit we purchased in PA! With RVW, they're situated close to the factory so that's a cost not even a consideration.

OnSabbatical · 02-18-2015, 02:15 PM

She did say it was because of shipping costs.

FandRChambers · 02-18-2015, 02:19 PM

Ok, well I understand shipping cost. RVW is about 3 hours from the factory. My first unit arrived about an hour before me. They offered to ship is to me for around 1k, but I chose to pick it up myself. I know delivery was expensive but wow, 10k. I will say when I was there, there were people from all over picking up units, Canada, far Midwest, and a couple had just left from Alaska and were camping there way back home. I thought that was crazy and sounded fun at the same time.

**Flybob** · 02-18-2015, 02:29 PM

You need to judge what value the local dealer brings to the picture. If the local dealer does good work and can get you in and out in a reasonable time, then that is worth some additional cost up front. If however your local dealer is not someone you want working on your RV or will keep it for half the camping season to do repairs, then he/ she is of no value. I purchased out of my area for a better price, but primarily because even if I got the same deal locally, I would not return to that dealer for warranty service. They were not able to answer many of my basic questions while shopping and many friends who purchased there had bad experiences when needing work. Call a local RV repair place you have confidence in ( doesn't have to sell RV's) and ask them if they have ever been approved by FR for warranty work.

KMP44 · 02-18-2015, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnSabbatical

I agree that I "inferred" what was not stated explicitly, and so I can't say they were untruthful, but they were at least a little misleading.

I had always wondered what exactly their Nationwide Service Network consisted of. And I would totally agree that the ads are at least mis-leading.

We were in a similar situation. Quote from them was $2,000 less than the best offer at the local dealer. Local dealer included the hitch and the install plus a couple other freebies which was worth a couple hundred. Then it was going to cost me $500 in gas to go get the trailer, plus travel expenses and whatever 2 days of my time may or may not be worth. So for the roughly $1000 more, we bought the one we were sitting in 20 minutes from home. And the local dealer has turned out to be outstanding to work with so paying the extra worked out for us.

But if the price differential is bigger, or the local dealer isn't good to work with, the internet dealers are a good option. Biggest problem in deciding is you don't really know how service and support after the sale is going to be handled until you actually need it. Makes the decision harder for sure.

dustman_stx · 02-18-2015, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnSabbatical

I know people have posted good reviews of RV Wholesalers, and I'm seriously considering buying from them as they are coming in $2,000 below my nearest dealer for the fifth wheel we want.

The RV Wholesalers salesman I've been working with has been very helpful and done a lot of leg work for me.

But when I asked my RV Wholesaler rep for a list of places in my area that are part of their "Nationwide Service Network," and I called 2 of 4, and those businesses told me they had no agreement whatsoever with RV Wholesalers, and one of them warned me that local dealerships might not do warranty work on RVs purchased by local people from far away (as opposed to people traveling through).

That was kind of disheartening. So I called the RV Wholesalers "Customer Service Advocate," and she explained that they don't have any contracts with anyone but merely run a search to see who sells Forest River RVS and so could do warranty work, and they have another search method that tells them who they've worked with in the past. She gave me the name of one those, Camping World, and CW confirmed that they could do warranty service for an out-of-state purchase. So, it seems, though, that the language is misleading; RV Wholesalers doesn't have a "nationwide network," but, if you need help, they will point you in the right direction, sort of.

I can do without the fictional nationwide service network, but the misleading way it is presented has me worried.

Thoughts? Anyone out there have direct experience with them ?

First of all, I think CW is blowing smoke about not doing service work for anyone that purchased "out-of-state." Also, as far as warranty work is concerned, many people have had excellent success getting warranty work with RVWholesalers done at local dealers. Given the nightmares forum members have gone through dealing with local dealers, I would definitely opt to go with RVW and save the money. Think about it- odds are, you won't even need warranty work. If you do, odds are you won't have any issue getting it. And, even if you had NO warranty, which isn't the case, you saved $2000 on your purchase up front. You could always take that $2000 and buy an Extended Service Plan from a reputable company and have "guaranteed" service for the next 5 years. Looks like its definitely a win-win going with RVW to me.

dustman_stx · 02-18-2015, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnSabbatical

The real issue for me is whether I can trust RV Wholesalers to provide me with a quality product that meets the specifications we agree on and with reasonable after service care.

It sounds like people here have had good experiences with them.

With RVW I guarantee you will get EXACTLY what is agreed upon and is on the documents you sign. They are VERY explicit about going over everything to make sure it is EXACT because they will go by what the paperwork says to a "T". I am actually about to make the 1K mile trip and pick up our 3rd TT from RVW in 3.5 years. In-laws and mother also have purchased from them in that time. I promise you that I wouldn't recommend them nor would I be taking another 1K trip to give business to a dealer that I didn't feel truly appreciated my business and respected me as a customer regardless of price.

OnSabbatical · 02-18-2015, 08:48 PM

So, I'm in negotiation with RV Wholesalers, and it turns out to get my discount, I need to finance with them for at least a year (I had intended to pay cash). But, they say I can pay off 40 of 45k in the first month, and then only finance 5k for 11 months, so the whole thing will amount to about $450, which still leaves me with a $1,500 difference from the local dealer. They said they would put these terms in writing.

So again, it's just a matter of trust. Has anyone here done this sort of financing arrangement with RV Wholesalers?

Jared Finnegan · 02-18-2015, 10:37 PM

@OnSabbatical
Be cautious of making a long term commitment to get a discount. If you read the fine print, you're liable for the "discount" amount if the loan is paid off, for any reason, within the term of the contract. If your camper is totaled/stolen and paid off through insurance, you decide to sell it, or any number of reasons that might ultimately lead to the loan being paid off early, you're on the hook for whatever the "discount" amount you agreed to reimburse the dealer. Things can get messy when an unexpected $3,000 appears on your credit card. Just some food for thought.

MtnGuy · 02-19-2015, 08:51 AM

When it comes time to buy again, I will check out RVW. I have already checked with them on a SOB camper recently. I saw a 5th wheel that will work for us at the Hershey RV Show last fall. The MSRP was listed at over $60k, and the show sale price was just under $47k. Wow, a $13k dollar break !! Seems like a good deal. I got a quote from RVW for a little over $45k.......same options, plus a generator which the Hershey unit did not have....which is probably a $2000 option.

I would like to buy from a local dealer, but there are no close dealers. We drove 150 miles each way to Maryland to look at a similar unit. There is a dealer in Virginia, but the closest is about 120 miles away. If 1 of those dealers can come close to RVW, then we will probably buy from them, but that involves at least a 240 mile round trip for warranty service.....if we have a problem while we are at home. If we are on the road, then we will need to seek out service wherever we are, and that is where RVWs "network" might be more beneficial.

**BradJacksonRVW** · 02-20-2015, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OnSabbatical

I know people have posted good reviews of RV Wholesalers, and I'm seriously considering buying from them as they are coming in $2,000 below my nearest dealer for the fifth wheel we want.

The RV Wholesalers salesman I've been working with has been very helpful and done a lot of leg work for me.

But when I asked my RV Wholesaler rep for a list of places in my area that are part of their "Nationwide Service Network," and I called 2 of 4, and those businesses told me they had no agreement whatsoever with RV Wholesalers, and one of them warned me that local dealerships might not do warranty work on RVs purchased by local people from far away (as opposed to people traveling through).

That was kind of disheartening. So I called the RV Wholesalers "Customer Service Advocate," and she explained that they don't have any contracts with anyone but merely run a search to see who sells Forest River RVS and so could do warranty work, and they have another search method that tells them who they've worked with in the past. She gave me the name of one those, Camping World, and CW confirmed that they could do warranty service for an out-of-state purchase. So, it seems, though, that the language is misleading; RV Wholesalers doesn't have a "nationwide network," but, if you need help, they will point you in the right direction, sort of.

I can do without the fictional nationwide service network, but the misleading way it is presented has me worried.

Thoughts? Anyone out there have direct experience with them ?

Hello OnSabbatical sorry for the confusion on how our Nationwide Service Network works, but I assure you this is not fictional.
We have been in business for 17 year and we have built a data base of Dealerships and Service Providers we have used in the past that we refer to when a customer needs assistance.
Many times depending on who you talk to at a dealership and what department they work in you will get different answers. In over 17 years it is possible the person we were originally working with may no longer be there. One of the things we always ask you to do if you have a problem is contact us first and we will make the arrangements for your repair.
We are the only dealership that will pay for any approved warranty repair out of pocket so you do not have to wait for your trailer or have out of pocket expenses and wait for a reimbursement.
Feel free to give me a call with any questions you have and I will be glad to answer them.

OnSabbatical · 02-20-2015, 12:59 PM

Well, for what it's worth, I've placed an order with RVW for a Sandpiper, putting faith in the responses people have posted here as well as in my salesperson there. You can be assured that if I have good experiences, and RVW lives up to its advertising, I will post glowing reviews. Looking forward to working with you all.

**ddurnell** · 02-20-2015, 01:59 PM

OnSabbatical, thank you so much for your business! Please realize our Nationwide Service Network is not fictional in anyway. We have a list of tons of places we have used over the years to help our customers get great service! Sometimes the service managers have left and the new one does not know the relationship. Sometimes people call and talk to a sales person or a new employee that is not aware of the relationship. Sometimes we don't have anyone in the area, so we have to begin a new search to locate someone. But simply put, we guarantee you WILL NEVER go without service! We have never in 17 years had a customer go without service! You will be happy and I will ensure that by telling you to email, text or call me should you ever need anything. Our Map is real and our list is real, our caring is real, and our appreciation for your trust in our business is real. Also, you are going to love our new addition to our service this year: RVWholesaler's BILL PAY. Let me know what you need and I am here. Thank you very much for your time- David Durnell

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