PDI

[Mem]

I’m new to purchasing a new RV. When shelter in place is over, I plan to begin.
My newbie or maybe dummy question is at what point do you have the PDI! after a down payment, after deal agreement. When you find the one you want? (Which I have).

[upflying]

The PDI is when you take delivery..after you sign the sales agreement and temporary registration is placed on on the unit.

[Mem]

So they have your money and you trust them to take care of all things needing attention.

[Mem]

Not being sarcastic or difficult just want everything in mind. On just walk throughs trying to decide floor plan and brand, there were so many things just visually wrong it made me concerned about the things that have to work fully hooked up.
Thank you for your response.

[5er_tom]

It is best to do the PDI before you sign papers or exchange any money. The dealer would be motivated to fix everything to clinch the deal. Much less motivated after they have your money.
As a new RV’er you may not be aware of all the negative issues with Camping World. If that is where you are considering purchasing your unit, be very careful.

[upflying]

Originally Posted by Mem

So they have your money and you trust them to take care of all things needing attention.

In a real world, that's a good idea. But dealers wont devote the time and expense to do a PDI without someone committed to buy.
Is it reasonable for a casual lookie-loo and tire kicker to demand a PDI before deciding to buy?

[5picker]

In my experience, all dealers are different.

I've always been be happy to give a deposit (refundable by some/not by others) and do a thorough PDI BEFORE signing the final papers.

That satisfies the dealer knowing I'm more than a tire kicker and I don't commit to buying the unit until I'm happy things have been taken care of.

Dealer selection is important if you are not experienced at buying or repairing things.
I always say to these types of individuals... finding the right dealer is as important as finding the right R/V.

Good dealers won't shaft you into paying, taking delivery and then asking you to bring the R/V back at a later date only to make you wait forever for an appointment.

If bottom line cheapest price is your only objective... buy anywhere that a deal like that can happen. If you want/need service before and after the sale, shop for a good dealer.

[Falconer]

I bought my trailer (2608BS) last fall. Put a deposit ($500, refundable) on it, flew out with some tools. Spent about 3 hours doing an inspection. Looked at EVERYTHING. followed all the caulk lines looking for gaps, checked every powered item, ensured everything worked, looked at all the plumbing fittings for leaks, Operated everything that moved, etc. Followed a checklist I found with a few of my own modifications.
Dealer was great with all of this. After lunch, they did their formal PDI walkthrough with me, explaining how everything worked.
Had a couple of issues. They put a team of techs on it immediately and got them taken care of.
Once my punch list was taken care of, I signed the papers and paid them.
Wouldn't do it any other way. If the dealer isn't OK with that, probably time to find another dealer. No way would I pay them and sign papers and THEN do the walkthrough. The dealer I worked with was great. I would probably go back to them first if I needed a replacement. RV Outlet USA in southern VA. And I'm in AZ...
I think the checklist was from Tom Boles... He's on here somewhere...

[upflying]

Originally Posted by 5picker

In my experience, all dealers are different.

I've always been be happy to give a deposit (refundable by some/not by others) and do a thorough PDI BEFORE signing the final papers.

That satisfies the dealer knowing I'm more than a tire kicker and I don't commit to buying the unit until I'm happy things have been taken care of.

Dealer selection is important if you are not experienced at buying or repairing things.
I always say to these types of individuals... finding the right dealer is as important as finding the right R/V.

Good dealers won't shaft you into paying, taking delivery and then asking you to bring the R/V back at a later date only to make you wait forever for an appointment.

If bottom line cheapest price is your only objective... buy anywhere that a deal like that can happen. If you want/need service before and after the sale, shop for a good dealer.

Yep, and a good dealer will proudly show you their service department and introduce you to the technicians.
You can tell a lot about how a dealer is managed by how their service department looks. If it looks unprofessional, find another dealer.

[Mem]

We aren’t new to campers just new to buying from a dealership. I do not know all the issues with camping world but we did drive to one in TN cause they had the model we wanted to look at but was disgusted with the experience. Never go there again. There is a CW an hour away from us but we have never been and they do not carry Forest River. I did hear that they already have TT and expect to carry the 5th wheel late spring.
The dealer we found is not CW and has the model we want and have been happy with our visit with them.

[5er_tom]

It is a very good thing that you are happy and confident with your dealer. That makes a big difference.
We bought our current 5th wheel from an RV dealer that has been in business since 1951. They have been great in everything over the past 5 years.
Good luck!

[Scrapper]

Keep in mind a lot of dealers charge the buyer for the PDI. It's usually listed in your financial contract. Some dealers don't even mention that you are charged for it. A few dealers will tell you the PDI is included at no extra cost.

[5er_tom]

As it should be.

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by upflying

Yep, and a good dealer will proudly show you their service department and introduce you to the technicians.
You can tell a lot about how a dealer is managed by how their service department looks. If it looks unprofessional, find another dealer.

Sorry I have to disagree and say just opposite ............. the best dealer I have every had a dump for a service department it looked very unprofessional but the service was top notch. They took care of their customers not their shop...........but the worst dealer I have ever had had a nice professional looking shop because they never used it. Same with car dealers.

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by Scrapper

Keep in mind a lot of dealers charge the buyer for the PDI. It's usually listed in your financial contract. Some dealers don't even mention that you are charged for it. A few dealers will tell you the PDI is included at no extra cost.

Most dealers do not charge extra for a PDI. Not any that I have ever dealt with.
A few will ripoff dealers will charge extra and nickle and dime you for everything.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by Mem

We aren’t new to campers just new to buying from a dealership. I do not know all the issues with camping world but we did drive to one in TN cause they had the model we wanted to look at but was disgusted with the experience. Never go there again. There is a CW an hour away from us but we have never been and they do not carry Forest River. I did hear that they already have TT and expect to carry the 5th wheel late spring.
The dealer we found is not CW and has the model we want and have been happy with our visit with them.

CW is the most dishonest and unethical outfit there is. Buy from them and you're guaranteed to get screwed over by them. There are plenty of horror stories to be found by doing a simple search.

[Mem]

It’s a 2 1/2 hour drive to thedealer we will be negotiating with. One closer that we buy parts from when needed but they only deal in big fivers and Tiffin buses.

Thanks for your help. I feel better armed now!

[Orlando bull]

RE: Camping World... IMHO, it all comes down to the specific dealership. We bought our last TT from them, they were way cheaper than the competition on it (like 15-20%). Other than the finance guy doing finance guy things (upsell attempts, etc), we didn't have any issues. This dealership was 6 hours from home, so, we used a closer CW for warranty work. They went way above and beyond the call of duty for us. We had several warranty items to deal with and they did a really good job on it. They also were great with my schedules as we usually had trips planned, so, I'd drop off and give them a date I needed it back and they always delivered.

Point being... if you refuse to support the parent company, that's fine, I do think they are a bit shady, but, just because an individual dealership is a CW dealer, doesn't mean it is going to be a horrible experience. There is still a chance that you'll have a good experience and get good service.

To answer your question, both of our purchases, we have done the PDI before signing the paperwork. The first time, I forced the issue because of CW reputation. The second time, the dealer was having technical issues with their finance dept, so, they sent us out to the PDI first. We had already looked at this unit, and had a small list of things for them to fix before we even showed up on delivery, but, we did a thorough look when we initially looked at the unit, so, I would have been comfortable doing paperwork first.

Even with a good PDI, you're likely going to find some things for the dealer to take care of after camping for a little bit with it. I keep a list on my phone so I can add to it every time I see something new. I try to be really nit-picky in the first several trips to make sure I am catching everything I want fixed.

[flyflotrtim]

Originally Posted by Mem

It’s a 2 1/2 hour drive to thedealer we will be negotiating with. One closer that we buy parts from when needed but they only deal in big fivers and Tiffin buses.

Thanks for your help. I feel better armed now!

We get quotes from a number of dealers before going in to see the closest dealer. That way you have a good idea of the lowest price available and can decide if you want to pay more at the closest dealer or can get them to match the price. Some folks save $1,000s by driving a long way and taking a vacation trip home; I'd rather purchase closer to home even if it means paying a bit more.

If purchasing new, they will want a deposit, balance on delivery. Do the PDI after delivery and before paying the balance.

Search online, there are lots of PDI checklists available . A thorough PDI takes most of the day.

[pilotpip]

PDI is a big part of it, but a lot can be determined just by checking a unit out before purchase. One of the big reasons I ruled out a dealer and a model I really liked was that they threw the new units on the lot without any prep. Sawdust and foam everywhere from the assembly line, drawers that needed to be adjusted, loose fixtures, etc. "oh, we do that when you buy it so we know everything is right". Why not make it right before a customer looks at it so you can spend time on the PDI going through how everything works?

When we bought, our dealer spent nearly 4 hours with us on inspection. We arrived to a camper that was connected to power, with the furnace running (it was below freezing) and cold fridges. They went though every single drawer and door for fit. Every knob and switch to show what it did. Opened every access panel to show us how to dewinterize when the weather warmed, how to work the slide and how to properly hook up the hitch (which they adjusted). He then went on a test drive with us to show how to adjust the brake controller and verify the hitch was properly set up. I've had one warranty issue while on the road when the tongue jack broke. I found a cheap hand cranked one to finish our trip. A call to the dealer to explain the situation, and the service department had a new one in the box waiting when I came by and offered to have a tech help me swap it. Good service.

My brother in law went to CW. They hitched him up and he was off. First two trips they went on with us I had to torque their WD hitch because the hardware was about to fall off. They had no idea how to work anything on it, and it spent 3 months of their first year of ownership (and warranty) in CW's lot waiting on service for what were relatively minor things. They missed a month of prime camping weather because they were told to "go on a trip to shake it out and we'll fix it".