I_rv2 wrote:
No, I am not a salesman posing as a satisfied customer.
And no, I am not looking for nay-sayers to post "buy local."
But I thought I'd post some comments about picking up our new Jayco 24RKS at RV DIRECT at their Des Moines RV facility yesterday ... and post some tips for those who are planning future pick-ups.
#1. Business is booming. I saved thousands of dollars over buying locally. It's really worth the trip. You'd be a fool for at least not getting a price quote from them.
#2. I had "Google Satellited" DIRECT RV's Des Moines facility in advance ... so I knew the facility wasn't a large one ... but I was a little bit surprized at how "over-crowded" the facility appeared when we drove up.
#3. There was precious little level pavement that didn't have an RV already parked ... for that matter, even level dirt that wasn't already occupied by an RV at the facility ... which kind of threw a wrench in my "install my own Equal-i-Zer hitch" on site. RV Direct does not sell Equal-i-zer hitches, so I wasn't planning on paying or soliciting their help.
#4. RV Direct asks for a deposit when you place the order, and full payment when your rig goes "off line" at the factory. That means you've paid in full before even laying eyes on the trailer. (Factory pick-up was not an option for my Jayco trailer.) I was a little bit nervous about this ... but since my entire RV DIRECT purchase and communication had been so positive, complete and low-stress, and the NET was full of positive feedback from prior RV DIRECT customers, I felt comfortable with the arrangement. And I was right.
#5 My trailer was sitting along side DES MOINES RV's sole building. This is my fourth trailer (over more than 20 years RV'ing), so I really wasn't too nervous about the PDI or having someone explain all the systems ... but I guess I was expecting the rig to be set-up inside a building, on concrete, on level ground. It wasn't.
#6 I was greeted when I walked into the building (at a previously mutually agreed time) and was promptly greeted by Rob, who said he was the one who would handle my delivery.
#7 He did a completely thorough job, explaining and demonstrating everything. As I said, this is my fourth trailer ... so to be honest, I was only half-listening, instead trying to look for flaws or fit and finish problems. I saw no immediate problems and remain convinced of Jayco's build quality ... and RV DIRECT's dealer prep.
#8. After the PDI, I asked where people installed their own sway control systems, they said there was a Walmart parking lot about a mile away ... and a large mall further down the road. So we dropped the trailer on the ball, no weight control, no sway control and left, completely satisfied.
#9. The Walmart parking lot was way to packed to pull into. We stopped a Home Depot lot, but it wasn't level ... so we continued on down the street to a large wide-open mall and spent an hour or so, hooking up the hitch and sway control.
#10. The Equal-i-Zer hitch was a snap to install and adjust (I'd never installed on before).
#11. We hit a Love's travel stop, just east of Des Moines on the way home to verify our set up on a Cat Scale. Just the truck, truck and trailer without weight distribution, truck and trailer with WD. (I know, I know, we were empty, and will double check weights and everything prior to setting out on our early summer, 5,000 mile, two month sweep out to Colorado and up to Alberta's northern most border to play in the Athabasca Tar Sands.
All in all, I'm a happy camper. It's a rainy, cold day today. Daytime temps in the low 40's. But my wife and I are headed out to an Illinois State Park to spend our first night in the rig. (Illinois State Park campgrounds stay open year-round, with electricity to most sites.).
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, Jess
, and our Parsons Russell Terrier, 
