Buying a Solero from RVDirect vs. from your local RV dealership

[jjva]

I'm researching into possibly buying a new, 2015 Solero 24R. I've seen very good sales prices from RVDirect.com, probably for prices I would likely be hard pressed to get from any local RV dealer, at least not without lots of haggling, which I prefer not wasting my time doing if I can avoid it.

I do have a question as to whether I should expect to get really poor service from my local dealer if I haven't bought my Solero from him? I've always bought my cars through pre-arranged, no-bartering, set prices, and then gotten good warranty work done by any car dealership of the cars' brands, even though these dealerships knew from their computerized records that I didn't buy my cars from them. So, why should I expect to get lousy service from my local RV dealership if I don't buy from him? Well, because FR essentially tells me that I should expect it.

1) Forest River, Inc. dealers are independently owned and operated businesses so priority service and scheduling is at their discretion and is often provided to customers that purchased their unit at that dealership.

2) Purchasing locally allows customers to establish meaningful relationships with a dealer, enhancing the RV experience through assistance with product questions, user tips or RV regulations for your state or country, and much more!

My question. Has anybody purchased a FR RV from RVDirect? Have they found that they received poor treatment from their local dealers when they went in for warranty work? With my cars, I stopped returning to any dealership for work once my warranties ended. I've built up relationships that have lasted for decades with local repair shops, and that's where I go for non-warranty work on cars.

Also, how good or bad have you found the quality of material and workmanship on your Soleros to be? Would you buy one again? Would you look at some other Mercedes Benz Sprinter based RV? If so, which ones? Why? How would you rate the FR dealerships? Are they capable? Fair? Honest? Thanks for any advice you can throw my way. (I hope FR doesn't delete my post.)

[Weezer]

First off, your post won't be "deleted by FR" because this forum is in no way controlled or even associated with Forest River.

There's a search bar at the top, with "FRF" and "google" underneath it. You can click "FRF" and put in the words RV Direct warranty service and you'll get LOTS of information there.

You'll also find lots of threads here about people who bought their FR RV at a dealer much further away from where they live because of better pricing, only to discover that the dealer close to them is under NO obligation to service them at all, and if they do, they put those customers who bought from them first, meaning your unit will go to the back of the line.

Reportedly, there are exceptions, for example, if you're stranded "on the road" somewhere. In that case it is my understanding the dealer you wind up at will try to get you operational again.

There was a thread just a couple of days ago about this, and someone stated quite fairly, IMO, that they would be irritated to find out that their RV (bought locally) was pushed back in the service schedule, so the dealer they were loyal to could service an RV owner that had gone to "a lower priced dealer" out of town somewhere.

No, buying an RV is not like buying a car or truck, in many more ways than just this one.

You could also simply contact the dealer you are considering and ask them if they have a network of dealers willing to service your RV during and after the warranty period. IIRC there is one wholesale dealer that does that, but I don't know about scheduling issues.

[The_Rhino]

#2 Weezer's post

We live in OH so we had our choice between:
1) A couple wholesalers, including RVDirect, with bottom-dollar prices & reasonably close
2) National chains like Gen. RV & CW w/sale prices near wholesalers but 10 minutes away
3) A mom & pop shop w/high prices, but exceptional service & loyalty

We went with #2 on a big sale day so prices were closer to the wholesalers but we still have the support of a local shop combined with a national chain when we are out-of-state... Because salespeople want referrals, they will often go to bat for you when it's time to receive service. Our salesperson will keep checking-up on the maintenance staff until they get the work done so IMO we get faster service than folks who did not buy there...

Interestingly, RV Direct did not carry the PrimeTime lineup & when I asked, the salesperson LIED and said that it was due to the poor quality of the PT line. He said, "We only carry the highest quality RVs. Primetime did not meet our high standards, and so we do not carry that line." He went on to name a couple issues which where all falsehoods because the other FR products they sell have the exact same components or lesser quality components with more known issues...

I won't buy from someone who lies to me. The opposite is probably more likely. IMO PT likely has higher dealership standards since they have raised the bar with the PT lineup.

[PhoneDude 8289]

We bought our unit from RV Direct. The only worry was having to pay for it before laying eyes on it but it all turned out great including the PDI. Ours is a 5er, we took close to four hours on the PDI. Delivery was 1200 miles from home. The closest FR dealer to us put us off a couple of times saying it would be several weeks before they could look at it and for us to leave it, no thanks. So far I have been able to take care of anything that came up with FR sending me directly what I needed. I talked with FR and a independent repair shop close to us and they are willing to work with each other if the need arises. 9 months into our new unit we are very happy with it and FR.

[hkreck]

We got our Solera from RVDirect, It is a little stressful waiting for it and all but we haven't had an issue with it at all. I did a lot of research into RVing before buying and I do most of the service and work on our MH myself with the help of books and manuals also youtube. We just found out that our local camping world has started to carry FR so if I have a major issue hopefully they can help out. I have gone to the local MB dealer for some service issues with the chassis and have not encountered an problems with them. As with any vehicle you purchase these days you just have to chance it. Good Luck.

[bclemens]

I'll start by saying I hate this question, because everyone seems to make it so simplistic. The internet guys are angels sent down to protect the consumer the local dealer is a high priced gangster. As with everything in life...the truth is somewhere in the middle.

1. The internet guys are just like any other dealer. They have to pay people, pay for units to have on the lot for you to look at, keeps the lights on, etc. If you come on their lot, you will see higher prices because they need to make a profit. Their internet pricing is designed just to get business from a consumer they would never see otherwise. They will never have to comp you service or items, because you will take it home and have it serviced elsewhere. They will never have to pay overnight charges to get a part to get you on the road. The local customers are paying the bills.

2. I was involved in one deal where one of their local customers came on the lot, bought a unit and was ecstatic. They went online in another zip code to show their parents what they bought and the exact same unit they bought was few thousand less from the exact same dealer. (just the difference in their lot pricing versus internet pricing). Canceled the deal because they felt the dealer lied to them.

3. In many cases this is to combat trade issues. Most customers with a trade expect top dollar for their trade and the lowest price possible on the new unit. There is a lot of risk taking in a used unit. To get the very best price on a new unit...sell the trade yourself, then you are dealing with ONE negotiated item, not two. If you don't want that hassle...then have them open up the NADA dealer book. Most dealers will give you wholesale book price minus a few percentage points for detailing. That number is dictated by what units are going for at auction. So if they can't sell it, they can wholesale it out and come out even. That price is not based on how much you loved it, or took care of it, or washed it, or got new tires. Wholesale buyers don't care. This is the price it gets at auction. Be prepared for that...or again, sell the unit yourself and get what you think is a fair price. Dealers do this so you feel good about your trade in. The last thing they want to do is insult you by offering a too low price on your beloved, well maintained trailer.

4. 99% of all dealers will service your unit, even if you did buy it elsewhere. You just may go to the back of the line. That is not poor service, that is good service for their local buyers. If you bought from a dealer you would expect no less. You want to be at the top of the service list, take it back to that deal you bought from. The only time I ever saw a dealer refuse service, was when a customer came in, gave them a price. The dealer said they would match that price plus freight cost (which the internet dealer did not have figured in). Seemed like a fair deal, they even showed them cost of freight. Customer refused, dealer felt slighted. Refused service.

5. So in the end. If you have no trade or are selling it yourself, Private Message me exactly what you are looking for, your email address, where you are located and I can have one of our factory reps see if they can help you with the local dealer. Please let me know if you have already contacted a local dealer (and who).

In 99% of cases I have dealt with, I was able to connect them with a local dealer that was able to take care of them. Even if you have a trade...if you are OK with taking wholesale book on your trade then we can still make it work. The dealer is not going to give away a brand new motorhome at a tiny margin only to take a HUGE risk with your trade in that may have unseen issues.

Consider me like MATCH.com, the dating site. I'll pair you up with a dealer that is most compatible. Sometimes, maybe we can't find a local dealer that wants to help, but at least you tried.

Everyone wants a dealership to make a profit on customers so they can have units on display for them to look at. They just don't want it to be them.

[bclemens]

And no. We do not delete posts, we do not run this site. We are here as a service to our customers.

[X96mnn]

@Bclemens: Best offer I have seen on a forum to help, thumbs up to you on this.

@OP, everyone here has given you solid advice. I don't think anyone can say for sure what you will experience and a conversation with your local dealer is the only way to know for sure. My personal experience, rVision product was told to go pound sand by the local dealer when I moved to a new area, rVision could not make him service it. I had a keystone product for 3 yrs and on that forum there are post after post of the same type of service rejection or delays getting it fixed.

Price from rv direct may be good enough to take with the expectation it is where is as is unless willing to take it back.

[Cajun Po-Boy]

Great info from factory rep on this thread...heed their recommendations!

[vinmaker]

I have done business with RVDirect as they are not that far away. About 100 miles. I consider them fairly local. If the need arose and an FR dealer refused to assist me then I would just pull it back to them. It would be a pain in the butt but when is it not.

We all need to make judgments on cost vs. benefits.

I am pretty handy and hope to do the repairs myself. Not sure how FR feels about this but I hope they would stand behind the product. I do not blame FR for a broken unit supplied by a supplier like a Domestic oven. But I would hope FR would ship me another oven if I agreed to send them the old one. To me that is just good customer service. Cannot game the system if you send back the old one first. The big problem arises when you get into actual FR manufacturing mistakes. This is when the finger pointing begins. I have not had this arise and hope I never do as it would be incredibly frustrating.

Are customers even allowed to contact FR directly? Or does FR defer you to their independent dealer network? This business plan works well until the dealer tells you go jump in the lake. The FR customer is then stuck.

As was previously said, this topic comes up a lot and I feel this is just a personal answer we all must decide for ourselves. Is the $10 - $20,000 extra you pay to a local guy worth the chance of you needing warranty work? Remember the warranty is only good for 1 year. Here in New England we put a tarp over our units for 8 months out of the year. So your really talking about spending $20,000 for a 4 month window when you might need warranty work. Might be better to save $20,000 and put that towards work performed by an independent RV repair shop. These independent shops are much more agreeable to establishing a relationship with you than the dealers. They charge by the hour for work performed.

Good luck with your decision jjva.

Vin.

[JLeising]

My Solera is a 2012 and is therefore just over a year out of warranty - so my experience may be dated. Also, my experience is mine - it may not be representative. I have great respect for BClemens, and from comments on this board I believe he is working to improve our dealer experience.

That said, in my opinion, based on my experience and on multiple comments on this board and from others at campgrounds, if I had the purchase to do again I would put ZERO weight on dealer support in deciding how or from whom I would buy.

My closest local dealer - whom I bought from without any price haggling and without a trade - is about 70 miles away. Of the two Forest River dealers in the (150 mile radius) area, he is rated highest on the internet - including some positive reports on this forum. Given the 70 mile distance, as I would need to accompany the motor home with a "chase car" to drop it off - required for any warranty service by the dealer - my wife and I would drive over 400 miles to drop off and pick up the MH (70 miles each MH and car to dealer, 70 miles home with car for 210 miles to drop off; same in reverse to pick up). The dealer would not pre-order parts or schedule technician time to enable same-day repairs. Said he needed to see the MH, then order parts from FR, two week minimum for parts to arrive, then schedule repairs. No help with regard to loaner, rental car, vehicle pick-up, or other "car industry" service facilitators.

I also ended up re-doing or fixing essentially everything the dealer "fixed" or installed (items ID'd at time of purchase or during PDI; aftermarket installations of an outside shower and a passenger seat swivel).

I ended up using a local RV repair shop for warranty work I couldn't do myself. FR pre-authorized and reimbursed me for repairs. Even without the FR reimbursement, I believe I would have been better off with the local RV repair shop - the techs know what they are doing and I have not had to re-do their work. The dealer said "3 to 4 weeks" to repair my one major issue (slide motor mount broke off frame in about five actuations - poor movement had been highlighted to dealer both at purchase and at PDI - dealer said "normal", "lubricate"). Local RV shop fixed properly in 3 days (local shop is just 15 miles away.)

If you have a "good" dealer with competent techs (check online reports, BBB, local small claims court records, try to find other owners, etc) and he is convenient - may be worth some money. I believe such "good" dealers are the exception rather than the rule, however.

I believe FR and the dealers could improve the customer experience quite a lot with relatively minimal effort. Pre-order and stage parts and tech time - to do this trust the customer reports of the issues and plan accordingly. Try to make most warranty calls a less than 4 hour (from customer arrival to check-out) experience. This would allow customers to wait - no need for (very inconvenient) drop off. Make arrangement with a local car rental company to at least allow customers on-site car rental (better if complimentary). Set and measure "return issue" incident frequency. Tie bonuses / raises to repair quality.

As stated above, based on my experience, the availability and quality of dealer service is not something I would value in a future purchase.

[jjva]

Thanks, everybody, for taking the time to help me decide what to buy, and from whom. The RV business seems to be light years behind the auto manufacturing industry. Whenever I buy a new car, I get surveys from the manufacturers, e.g., Ford and Toyota in my case, checking up on the quality of repair service I received from the local dealer. And then, after the work had been done, I've gotten phone calls from the dealerships too asking if they did a good job and if not, how so, and would I "please, please" give them a perfect grade on the manufacturer's survey? I've had reason to talk with at least one dealership owner and he said that they get into a huge problem if they don't rate A+ on these surveys, including from owners who did NOT the buy the vehicles from them. The manufacturers get very upset if the repair work (under warranty or not) isn't done properly, fairly and in a timely manner. Apparently, RV manufacturers have no such control over RV dealers. If Toyota yanks a dealership concession, I would imagine the dealership might be out millions of dollars. I get the feeling that the RV dealers don't live or die from the disciplinary actions of an RV manufacturer. For one thing, they don't sell just a single brand.

I will pay several hundred dollars above what I will pay to a wholesaler, like RVDirect, to a local RV dealer in purchasing an RV to win his loyalty, but not thousands of dollars, and, in the case of the Solera, the nearest authorized FR dealers are a long, long ride away.

I have a couple of additional questions. Perhaps BClemens can best answer them, and I hope to be able to read his posted, written thoughts, but I'd very much like to hear also from anyone and everyone who has ideas.

1. In my limited Internet research on RVs, I've come across a number of slide mechanism problems, in all sizes and in many brands of RVs. Are the slide mechanisms in the Solera any more robustly engineered and built than the norm for the industry? This would seem to be one of the bigger and more expensive items to go bad. Newmar, a manufacturer of relatively pricey, class-A motorhomes shows in a video the tiny, flimsy drive mechanism from what they say is in a competitor's RV, and then show this huge industrial looking cog device that they use. I'm not an engineer or mechanic, so I don't remember the name of the item, but it needs to make only three revolutions to move a slide three feet. The other ones I've seen seem not much sturdier than a toy. (YES, I know the price for even one of Newmar's least expensive, smallest, gas-powered units is more than the Solera costs.)

2. I might be mistaken, but it seems to me that most manufacturers who offer a back of the vehicle camera offer it together with side cameras. I see that FR offers the back-up camera as an option on a Solera, but I don't see the left and right side cameras being offered. I think the idea of driving down the highway, without the aid of a front seat, "co-pilot" to help me in changing lanes or turning right, is unnecessarily disconcerting. I've had to do it driving moving vans, and hated it. And I had to drive those vans only once every so many years. Driving an RV is supposed to be fun, not scary. Does FR offer the side cameras and I'm just missing it? If they don't offer them at least as options, WHY? Probably, it is offered and I just missed seeing it.

[john.tucson]

You will go to Mercedes for any "running gear" problems anyway. And frankly I have had the best luck over the years going thru independent RV repair shops. Generally they can handle warranty repairs on major components anyway.

[JLeising]

If you have quality and/or service expectations based on the auto industry you face severe disappointment. Actually, you should seriously consider whether or not you should buy at all...

With regard to the slide mechanism on our 2012 Solera "S" FR used an "industry standard" Lippert "flush floor" slide mechanism. Don't know what they are using now - suspect similar Lippert mechanisms including the Schwintech mechanism. Pretty much the same as used by most.
Our 2012 does not have sideview cameras. Again, don't know if available on 2015s.

[bclemens]

1. You're talking apples to oranges on the slide mechanisms. They NEED huge hydraulic slides to push all that weight. Solera, the slides are smaller and very lightweight. No matter how robust the slide mechanism..it only takes one part (like a shear pin or gear) to keep the slide from malfunctioning and those small lightweight slides can be repaired by most anybody. As I have said before...with the hundred of thousands of slides in the field...yes, you hear problems. But that's because people that come on here have problems. No one on this forum is coming on here to brag about how their slide has been trouble free for 10 years. So you will get a higher ratio of problems. Its still a small fraction of the number of slides in the field.

2. We are offering side cameras, it will be added to the price sheet this week. I for one am not a big fan, but people seem to like them. The RV mirrors are very large in comparison to van or auto mirrors. Next to no blind spot based on the convex mirror and large size. My problem with the side cameras is...lets say you want to move into the left lane. Well, you have to look to your right. It is counterintuitive. But to each his own.

The only reason we didn't offer it was that all our side cameras were mirror mounted and the Sprinter mirrors do not have that option. So we were simply testing body mount locations that gave you the best viewing angle.