Foto-n-T
Well-known member
I recently read a post by Dave911 and since what I'm about to say wouldn't be of any use to him now and I didn't want to hijack his thread I'll throw this out there on a new one.
I've been living part time in a 5th wheel (snow birding) now for twenty years and I've picked up more than a few tidbits of experience during that time, some of it expensive. If you're reading this and considering buying your first RV (new or used) read on and maybe, just maybe I "might" be able to save you a headache or two, who knows maybe even a few bucks.
Dealerships/Salesmen are NOT your friend and no matter how much you dicker and deal the one thing I can promise you is that if you drive off the lot with one of their units "they" will be happy with what you paid, you ain't gettin' over on the dealership believe me. Regarding the sales people: Most RV sales people couldn't spell RV without a dictionary, do your research ahead of time and don't expect the sales team to be able to answer any technical questions i.e. towing compatibility, gross vehicle weight, central vac questions et.al. and be wary of any answers you do get. Of course the interweb is a reasonable place to gather the info you need but when it comes to the PDI (pre delivery inspection) it's hard to interact with a forum on your laptop as the sales person is rushing you through so he can collect his commission. By the way, salesmen are terrified of being married to you meaning they will brush off your questions whenever possible just so you don't think they know everything there is to know and come running back when you can't figure out how to turn on the lights. I once had one that had the response "Please refer to your owners manual" down pat.
Here's a thought and one that I personally helped with a couple of times. Head over to your local RV park and talk to someone in the office and have them put you in contact with a mobile RV repair person, one who DOES NOT work for any dealership and one that the RV park trusts. Most RV parks don't just let anybody in to their property to work on their customers units, the RV repair guy will have a trusted following. Of course this mobile RV repair person will need to be compensated for his time but he also should understand that he's generating a new customer. Pay the guy for an hour of his time and let him know what you're looking at and why. When it comes time for the PDI money spent on taking the mobile RV guy with will be WELL spent as well. Hopefully a used car buyer would never think of shelling out hard earned taxable income without getting that used car checked out by a mechanic. First time RV purchases are very similar, you don't know what you don't know and education is seldom free.
I've been living part time in a 5th wheel (snow birding) now for twenty years and I've picked up more than a few tidbits of experience during that time, some of it expensive. If you're reading this and considering buying your first RV (new or used) read on and maybe, just maybe I "might" be able to save you a headache or two, who knows maybe even a few bucks.
Dealerships/Salesmen are NOT your friend and no matter how much you dicker and deal the one thing I can promise you is that if you drive off the lot with one of their units "they" will be happy with what you paid, you ain't gettin' over on the dealership believe me. Regarding the sales people: Most RV sales people couldn't spell RV without a dictionary, do your research ahead of time and don't expect the sales team to be able to answer any technical questions i.e. towing compatibility, gross vehicle weight, central vac questions et.al. and be wary of any answers you do get. Of course the interweb is a reasonable place to gather the info you need but when it comes to the PDI (pre delivery inspection) it's hard to interact with a forum on your laptop as the sales person is rushing you through so he can collect his commission. By the way, salesmen are terrified of being married to you meaning they will brush off your questions whenever possible just so you don't think they know everything there is to know and come running back when you can't figure out how to turn on the lights. I once had one that had the response "Please refer to your owners manual" down pat.
Here's a thought and one that I personally helped with a couple of times. Head over to your local RV park and talk to someone in the office and have them put you in contact with a mobile RV repair person, one who DOES NOT work for any dealership and one that the RV park trusts. Most RV parks don't just let anybody in to their property to work on their customers units, the RV repair guy will have a trusted following. Of course this mobile RV repair person will need to be compensated for his time but he also should understand that he's generating a new customer. Pay the guy for an hour of his time and let him know what you're looking at and why. When it comes time for the PDI money spent on taking the mobile RV guy with will be WELL spent as well. Hopefully a used car buyer would never think of shelling out hard earned taxable income without getting that used car checked out by a mechanic. First time RV purchases are very similar, you don't know what you don't know and education is seldom free.