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Open Roads Forum  >  General RVing Issues

 > RV service departments hurting too!

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NHguy

NH

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Posted: 05/16/08 07:01pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Back to your original post, I bet the RV dealer was buying the tires at the tire dealer in town at the local tire dealer's wholesale and trying to make over 100% markup on them. There is NOTHING that you can make that kind of % on except the 10 cent stuff that is actually just done as customer convenience. I bet they are working on some formula that fits with the markup needed on motorhome custom fitted repair parts.
When we are quiet where I work the pricing tends to get a little more liberal if customers request it. I can say we are not cheap but we try so hard to be nice and to be perfect that we have a very high percentage of repeat customers.


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Hornet28BHDS

Parker, PA

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Posted: 05/16/08 08:07pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

fordsooperdootydieselsmoker wrote:

Hey, the good news might be that all of our RV's are so well made now that they don't need dealer servicing anymore!


That's the spirit!


2006 Hornet 28BHDS-Bunk House, Dual Slides

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rockhillmanor

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Posted: 05/16/08 09:04pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

On Edit:

I also had them replace the vinyl insert around both sides of the cab over. When I got in the MH they had left the whole roll in the coach.

So I brought it back in like a good citizen......well I was told it was mine, apparently I had to 'buy the whole roll'.

Anyone need some vinyl inserts? I now am the proud owner of enough to do about 50 MH's.


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tom_kat

way upstate new york/lake george area

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Posted: 05/16/08 10:04pm Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I can tell you our local car and truck dealerships are hurting for business also its just not the rv places.people are letting things go they would normaly have done to save some money.


1985 Class A Holiday Rambler Imperial 33 +1979 Class C Holiday Rambler Statesman 1000 = 24 ft


JALLEN4

OHIO

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Posted: 05/17/08 06:49am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

Here we go with another RV.NET rant about service where no one seems to have a clue about what they are ranting about.

The OP makes a post about it costing $400 to replace a toilet and goes into detail how easy it is and how he could do the job in fifteen minutes if he had the proper parts. What he doesn't go into detail about is the entire scope of the service visit. In his original post he mentions casually he also had an issue with his antenna repaired. In a subsequent post he now states he had trim work done and had to purchase an entire roll of material, unjustly.

What isn't known is exactly what all was fixed on this $400 visit and exactly what parts were needed to make these repairs. We know fittings and lines were needed for the toilet, we don't know what parts were needed for the antenna, we do know trim work was done, we don't know how much the roll of material cost, and we don't know if there were other repairs made on this visit that are not mentioned.

If you need to replace trim and have to buy material by the roll, what do you do with the excess? Do you put the remnant in stock and just hope someone shows up someday needing the exact same material? Sounds like a good investment to me! Or, do you charge the person who actually requested the material and give him the excess you had to purchase, as this dealer evidently did?

Last, and certainly not least, every state has consumer protection laws governing repair estimates. It would be imprudent for anyone to take a vehicle in for service and just say "fix it" without some discussion as to cost. Not to mention just not very smart? Wouldn't the time be to complain and discuss the price before repairs are made, not after?

I am positive there are consumers taken advantage of by service facilities daily. I am also positive there are far more accusations than real incidents. It takes all the details folks for the prudent person to differentiate the two! Some people just don't have a clue.

LoudRam

New Jersey

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Posted: 05/17/08 08:29am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

I don't want to take my TT to the local dealer if I can fix it myself, but I have to say that our local RV dealer is a family owned business. It has very good service and some really helpful people. Their prices are a little higher than CW or Wal-Mart buts that's because of the buying power of the larger stores not because they are trying to rip people off.


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rockhillmanor

On the Road

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Posted: 05/17/08 08:38am Link  |  Quote  |  Print  |  Notify Moderator

JALLEN4 wrote:

Here we go with another RV.NET rant about service where no one seems to have a clue about what they are ranting about.

The OP makes a post about it costing $400 to replace a toilet and goes into detail how easy it is and how he could do the job in fifteen minutes if he had the proper parts. What he doesn't go into detail about is the entire scope of the service visit. In his original post he mentions casually he also had an issue with his antenna repaired. In a subsequent post he now states he had trim work done and had to purchase an entire roll of material, unjustly.

What isn't known is exactly what all was fixed on this $400 visit and exactly what parts were needed to make these repairs. We know fittings and lines were needed for the toilet, we don't know what parts were needed for the antenna, we do know trim work was done, we don't know how much the roll of material cost, and we don't know if there were other repairs made on this visit that are not mentioned.

If you need to replace trim and have to buy material by the roll, what do you do with the excess? Do you put the remnant in stock and just hope someone shows up someday needing the exact same material? Sounds like a good investment to me! Or, do you charge the person who actually requested the material and give him the excess you had to purchase, as this dealer evidently did?

Last, and certainly not least, every state has consumer protection laws governing repair estimates. It would be imprudent for anyone to take a vehicle in for service and just say "fix it" without some discussion as to cost. Not to mention just not very smart? Wouldn't the time be to complain and discuss the price before repairs are made, not after?

I am positive there are consumers taken advantage of by service facilities daily. I am also positive there are far more accusations than real incidents. It takes all the details folks for the prudent person to differentiate the two! Some people just don't have a clue.


My OP was NOT a rant, it was tongue in cheek, lighten up.

This was a service department that is about 30 miles from the one I usually use, it just was more convenient to get to.

I have NEVER been overcharged at the one I usually use. So no it isn't the fact that I 'don't have a clue'......I did though 'assumed' that being in the same locale the prices/practices of both dealerships would be the same. Apparently they aren't.

My observations where that, where RV service departments are usually booked till fall this this time of year this one was rather empty and I got an appointment. This is a major dealership. They also have dropped carrying Class A's on their lot due to the economy.

Service departments have quotas too. And many pay the manager a percentage of sales. I simply was stating my observance that the service department had moved into 'pushy sales mode' which before this dip in the economy you'd be lucky if you even got an appointment.

I've used RV service departments before and they were so busy they wanted to know what you wanted done and moved on to the next guy standing in line.
It sure was a different experience having them be real aggressive with sales pitches....in the service department.
The newbie to RV'ing is going to be the ones that will suffer with this new type of service department demeanor.

It's definitely a sign that this economy is trickling down to everything.

FYI: seal, toilet flange, ring pex crimp, worm shaft kit, inserts(roll!), shop supplies = $30.48......Labor=$306.00

It's done. I got to play with my new laptop while waiting and met a few new RV owners in the lot and when I got back to the CG.....experienced a nice comfortable moment in the bathroom.

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