The Best Deal you can make with an RV Dealer

[ArkRVHog]

Originally Posted by Larry0071

The way I read that, is that you dropped it off for a small list of issues and that it does not need to sit there for the next month. So you're welcome to go get it and bring it home and set it anywhere you wish and bring it back to them when they or you are both ready to do the actual list of repairs. Otherwise if you choose not to go get it and put it at your house or some other place that you have a right to carry it to, then you are storing it there.

I'm 2000 miles away right now so it does sort of need to sit there. Parts weren't going to be available for nearly 3 weeks so add another week for install and there's one month of storage. My point is that I question if I should be paying storage if I'm waiting for them...they aren't waiting for me! (And this place has the outside room to store too.)

[techguy464]

We purchased a 2018 Rockwood Roo 23ikss in July of 2017. The dealer seemed very responsive and the delivery seemed to go smoothly. The first time out we noticed that the radio did not work properly and we got like 2 stactic filled stations and there were a few minor things to take care of like hinge screws coming out of the wood and would not tighten. Then the fridge quit. I called them for service and after 5 calls and messages found out our service person had quit. So now after 3 weeks I got ahold of another service person and they gave me an appointment for 3 weeks from then. Took it in and long story short was very disapponted. They told me the radio was fine and that they had fixed the screws and the fridge. The fridge was fixed for a short time, the radio was no different and they screwed the screws in but they still would not tighten. Next trip out the fridge quit again, no radio and the screws were falling out still! When I called them, they told me what to check and then short out to get the fridge going so we could salvage our weekend camping trip. Another 2 weeks to get it in and only got it back after that because I called and raised hell about a trip to another state that was planned.
Still the radio was not fixed and the fridge quit again on the way home from the trip. Anyway it took a year and a half and a call to the Service manager at Forest River to get the radio replaced and it was bad from day one. Still not sure about the fridge but we have another trip planned in2 weeks so we shall see.
So Buffalo RV in West Seneca NY is a great dealership if you don't need service!

[Palinduff]

If they take your unit, it should be done in less than 3 weeks. unless of course you need parts. I don’t know about your area, but up here it takes 2-6 weeks for forest river parts to come in. Grand Design is a little quicker I believe.

[RStormC]

Originally Posted by CZNEDY

After years of dealing with different RV Dealers, I came up with an idea that I am going to try during my next purchase (which I hope is not in the next three years).

You're at the dealer. You work out the trade value, the purchase price, the financing and then you schedule the pick up date. Now, when you get back, they will try to sell you one or more up sells, depending on which type of RV you are purchasing.

Ask if you can discuss these options with the finance guy before you leave that day. Then you can do some research and make a more educated decision. This is especially important for the less than experienced RV buyers.

After you meet with the finance guy, now is the time to drop the "and one more thing" question on them. Here's the question to ask the sales manager, not the salesman:

When I come back next week, one thing I may be interested in is an extended warranty. I went over the pricing with your finance department and I have some time to do some research on it but I don't know anything about your service department and what the warranty process is should I have an issue under the factory warranty or under the extended warranty. Tell me about your service department and how I go about scheduling an appointment and obtaining service.

He'll tell you all kinds of great things and how they have this many service techs and access to factory support and blah blah blah. Then, ask him how long would I typically need to leave my RV here at the dealer if a warranty repair was required.

Get ready for the second lie. Once he's done providing you with his view of how the service department works you can ask your final "one more thing" question and it goes like this:

So, if we buy this RV from your dealership and purchase an extended warranty, are you confident enough in your service department to complete any and all warranty work required on my RV within 3 weeks every time I bring it in? And, if you take more than 3 weeks to finish the repairs to my satisfaction, are you willing to make the monthly payment for the time it is in the shop?

Maybe a few people can pull this off before I can try it on my next purchase.

Have fun out there!

I don't play those games. The dealer that I buy from doesn't play those games. Everything is discussed on day one. The price they quote includes everything, including tags, taxes, etc. No attempted add ons either when signing the paperwork or at pickup. And they still beat the other local guys. Provide great service to boot. Last time they beat the Indiana wholesaler by $1,000,and I didn't have to drive 500 miles to get it.

Seven Os
Cicero NY

Great experiences with them

[PaGroundhog]

Extended warranties usually have a 100% mark up. If they say it cost you $2000. The actual cost is $1000. Be careful how much it raises the 10 year payment. If it goes up $30 a month... times 12= $360 per year times 10 years... That $2000 warranty just cost you $3600. Price shopping is key. Campers have a HUGE mark up. Mine was $21,000. Got it OTD for $13,200. I negotiated my BIL's at another dealership. His was over $22,000. 2020 model... OTD $14,350.Want a part for your RV... better be ready to wait weeks. Need a repair... could be months before you get in. Warranty needed? It could take weeks to get it in... weeks for the parts... and weeks for the appointment to get it fixed. Does this happen at all dealers? No but it sure happens at a lot of them. Look at their service bays. Do they have 2 or are there 8. I had an issue with mine from Camping world. It was a month before I could get it in. 2 months for the refrigerator part to come in, if it needed one. My BIL has had his new camper for 2 months that he bought from Boyers.... still does not have the warranty repair parts in. It is what it is.... be prepared to be a patient person and you will not stress so much. Campers require a lot of space and most dealers do not have 8 bays. If you want to know how service is... talk to service dept... tell them you have an issue and see how far out they schedule you. This is good to know before you buy.

[CZNEDY]

Originally Posted by RStormC

I don't play those games. The dealer that I buy from doesn't play those games. Everything is discussed on day one. The price they quote includes everything, including tags, taxes, etc. No attempted add ons either when signing the paperwork or at pickup. And they still beat the other local guys. Provide great service to boot. Last time they beat the Indiana wholesaler by $1,000,and I didn't have to drive 500 miles to get it.

Seven Os
Cicero NY

Great experiences with them

It's not a game. It's a day one discussion to make them stand behind the product

[Grapehound]

I am surpirised that no one is talking about the season when you try to get a good deal. If you're looking in June and RV's are flying off the lot, why should they give you a deep discount for a unit they will sell for near list price anyway?

I buy all my RV's in Michigan in December, when everyone is Christmas shopping and "ain't nobody" buying RV's. The short transport distance betyween Michgan dealers and the Indiana factories keeps their costs low. They always give me a great deal to move a unit at this time of year.

Time of year also influences service time as well. If I take my unit in for a repair in June, I expect a longer wait than if I take it in in December. Just reasonable to see they have more repair demand in June than in winter. Hopefuly they give some priority to those who purchased at their dealership.

I think that the season you buy influences your price more than the tactics you use. Just my take on things. You can research the unit to death but if they are selling fast during the height of RV season with or without you, don't expect a big discount.

[kelticdestination]

[QUOTE=PaGroundhog;2156529]Extended warranties usually have a 100% mark up. If they say it cost you $2000. The actual cost is $1000. Be careful how much it raises the 10 year payment. If it goes up $30 a month... times 12= $360 per year times 10 years... That $2000 warranty just cost you $3600.

My question is from replies is : Few reported good exp with PA dealerships. If I purchased a new RV there or Illinois, would they offer a fair Extended Warranty so I could get repairs done in Maine - Wait for it, Mobile Repair vs Shop Repair ( like 2 in Southern Maine) I ask in this way as many retired folks are seasonal for summer-
it seems imho that if you're handy, your Golden- Dam I should have gone to Trade School-
BTW I think most of the replies offered great insight for me and others who will try to understand the Warranty World-
Thought for me- If I help other RV owners it reduces my anger and my innate desire to choke a certain RV Dealer Serenity Now

[Blank]

On the PDI at Nelsons RV in Boise, we identified a couple small issues. The person doing the walk thru with us was the senior service tech. Said he'd take care of them immediately. Then we went to the sales office. We settled on the actual purchase cost, out the door with taxes and doc fees. Went into the Finance managers office to close the deal, and I mentioned I did not need ext. warranty, clear coat, silicone on the interior, etc. He laughed and just said "Well, you just made it a heck of a lot easier for both of us". Took 5 minutes and we were out the door. The MH issues were completed, a couple extra things were noticed and adjusted, and a full set of touch up paints were provided.

[PaGroundhog]

Originally Posted by Grapehound

I am surpirised that no one is talking about the season when you try to get a good deal. If you're looking in June and RV's are flying off the lot, why should they give you a deep discount for a unit they will sell for near list price anyway?

I buy all my RV's in Michigan in December, when everyone is Christmas shopping and "ain't nobody" buying RV's. The short transport distance betyween Michgan dealers and the Indiana factories keeps their costs low. They always give me a great deal to move a unit at this time of year.

Time of year also influences service time as well. If I take my unit in for a repair in June, I expect a longer wait than if I take it in in December. Just reasonable to see they have more repair demand in June than in winter. Hopefuly they give some priority to those who purchased at their dealership.

I think that the season you buy influences your price more than the tactics you use. Just my take on things. You can research the unit to death but if they are selling fast during the height of RV season with or without you, don't expect a big discount.

I bought my 2018 in Oct of 2018. It was the last one so I did get a fantastic deal. My BIL's was purchased at the end of May this year. Prime season. His is a 2020 model. One of the first they got in. Some dealerships hold out for the big bucks. Others have learned that you make nothing if you do not sell. By the end of the season, few people are buying and after floor planning has run out, the unit will now cost them to leave sitting on the lot. It is hit and miss...hence shopping around is key. One thing to consider is... how far are you willing to travel for service. Dealers will take care of those who bought from them before others and they will not fight the fight, if need be.

[RG Parker]

We are on our fourth and last fifth wheel. We retired 8 years ago and have enjoyed years of travel.. We have always negotiated an extended warranty.. For all the ones we received, we were able to take our fifth wheels to any authorized dealer or repair center. If you take it to a repair center, they (the center) love it.. They get paid on the spot by credit card and always a fair price.. Always worked for us..

[Bissel]

They will laugh at you and when you return for service it will be another story. More than likely, the same finance guy won’t be there any longer . The turnover at an RV
Dealership is quicker the pan full of pancakes. I worked for one for almost 3 months before I ran away. 95% of them are bold face liars. They make used car guys look like choir boys.

[Cam3012]

We just purchased our first ever tt
I felt like the dealer was fair and no pressure.
We love our trailer I just hope we don’t experience any issues to find out how long it will stay in for repairs.
So far so good.
Love this forum! I learn so much and enjoy everyone’s posts.
Don’t have a lot to add as of yet being a total newbie.
Thanks to everyone!

[Mad Cow]

Originally Posted by Bissel

They will laugh at you and when you return for service it will be another story. More than likely, the same finance guy won’t be there any longer . The turnover at an RV
Dealership is quicker the pan full of pancakes. I worked for one for almost 3 months before I ran away. 95% of them are bold face liars. They make used car guys look like choir boys.

Really doesn't matter. Once the RV crosses the curb, it is solely the responsibility of the owner. Commonly known as the "Curb Law" in the business. No BBB, calling the attorney general, or anything else will work. You buy it and take it off the lot, it is your responsibility. If it were to break in half on the way home, you still own the two halves and it is still your responsibility. For some reason, folks have it in their minds that RV dealerships are like auto dealerships and are beholden to the OEM for the products they sell. That is a great misconception. Anyone can open a dealership on the nearest street corner and start selling RV from any brand.

One might have a good relationship with the dealer that they may have a leg up when it comes to future service, but in most cases, it is the simple "first come first served" game. And most RV manufacturers only have structural warranties. All the individual components (furnaces, water pumps, water heaters, refrigerators, etc) are warranted by those makers and they have to be contacted about warranty work.

Save yourself some time. If say your Dometic or Norcold fridge doesn't work. call the manufacturer directly, go thru the troubleshooting game with them, and if that doesn't resolve the problem, get pre-authorization for warranty work and go wherever you want to get it repaired, or better yet, have a mobile repair shop come to you. Get the parts yourself via the approval, or If it needs replaced get the component yourself, and either replace it yourself or have a shop do it. By contacting the manufacturer directly you will save yourself days in wasted time. After all, the shop will have to do this very thing with the component OEM, and it may be days before the shop gets around to going thru that ritual. Do it yourself and save the time.

Until the OEM warranty runs out on such things, the extended warranty is not in play usually. So the procedure would still be the same.

Just like all my other purchases from my lawn mowers on up thru my commercial trucks including personal vehicles, they only see a dealer shop as a last resort. A RV is no different.

[ljbowser75]

After the issues we’ve had lately with our dealer I know what we should have looked and asked now. I also know we will not ever use this dealer again

[billr1]

When we were shopping for 5th wheels a few years back, I happened to get the chance to talk to the serice manager and asked him about timeliness of warrantly repairs. He said per the owner, warranty repairs go to the back of the line because the reimbursment rate is generally less than a cash customer and they may have to wait for payment. I asked if this was true even for RVs purchased from them and he said yes. He said it's not the way he would do things, but that he was overulled by management. Needless to say, we didn't buy anything from them and wold not take anything there to be serviced.

Certainly not all dealers are like this, but there are some that prove the OP's point.

[_WW_]

I know this thread is about the length of service appointments but I do have an experience with extended warranties. When I bought my pickup used the dealer offered the extended warranty, that I could cancel at any time for a pro-rated refund. I said no. Then he pulled the computer thing out of a drawer and said these cost bla bla bla and are the usual thing to go out. I said no. He reached into the drawer and pulled out a list of repairs that would be covered and how much to make each of those repairs. That's when the light bulb in my head went off! I said yes.


Two weeks later I called and canceled it. Since the cost was already a part of the financing they sent me a check for $3200. The truck I bought was a no frills Tradesman model. I used that money to buy a canopy, a lumber rack, had a brake controller and power locks installed. put air bags in the rear springs, installed fender flares and nerf bars. I still had enough $ to take the wife out for a nice dinner! Much better use of those funds than a warranty I'll never use.

[Gottaluvlife]

I’ve been finding some really good tips for negotiating RV price on this forum. I’ve actually done some of the things suggested when buying a car... easier to do when there are several choices locally. But not so easy with RV shopping since most dealers are in opposite directions and hundreds of miles away. Does anyone have tips on negotiating over the phone?

[Mad Cow]

Really not much different than face to face. I have purchased vehicles by email and phone call and before I ever showed up we had the price negotiated and settled. Just the paperwork to take care of. The same applies to an RV or TT.

Always keep in mind, at any point before you actually take the RV or TT off the property, or what is called "crossing the curb", you can kill any deal. So you can negotiate price and any other particulars and then when you show up to take possession the unit, give it the heavy duty go over and make sure you are getting what you are paying for and that it is indeed functional and ready to go, then finalize the deal and take the unit.

[benchdog]

Hold off to the last week of a quarter, and don't be afraid to though them a stupid number and be willing to walk away.