The one thing to weight here would be after sales service. Obviously if you have any problems it will be extremely problematic to travel that distance for any warranty work.
In my personal opinion it is worth paying a little bit more upfront at a local dealer and build a relationship with them. In our experience we end up getting discounting on accessories, little adjustments along the way and even repairs at no cost after warranty has ran out on two of our 5er's.
It it is thousands of dollars in difference then that would be a different story but I would bounce the pricing off a local dealer and see if they will match it.
good luck ......
2013 Crossroads Provincial CF345RF Full Paint loaded
2006 GMC Crew Cab Dura Max Diesel
porkchop1221 wrote: I posted in the newbie forum, but there wasn't a lot of traffic there so I'm hoping you can help me.
I am a complete novice and I'm pretty nervous about buying something sight unseen, not built yet, and then driving 13 hours away to pick it up, I've never bought anything this big and so far.
I got the numbers pretty close to where I want and I asked him for paperwork like a sales contract but what should be on it? A vin number? Date of arrival?
How much do you put down as a deposit? Is it refundable? Can I have then write the date of delivery on the sales contract? What else should be on the sales contract?
Sorry about all the questions. I am a bit embarrassed asking, but I just want to make sure it's correct before I drive out there.
Thank you for all your help.
We just bought ours out of state. Not based on price, but because the nearest Road Warrior dealer was 350 miles away. As for warranty work, you're buying a Heartland product. They are much better with non purchasing dealers than other brands. Also, any Heartland dealer, whether the sell your brand or not, can do warranty work on your trailer. Plus, if you have trouble getting service, Heartland is very accommodating contacting the dealer in question to get the ball rolling and resolve any issues. As for deposit, the amount will be up to dealer policy. Ours only wanted $500 to special order. Also, on deposits. It is illegal for a dealer to keep a deposit on any IN STOCK unit. If it is a special order like yours or mine, they can keep your deposit if you back out. As stated before, VIN numbers aren't assigned until the actual build begins. I may be a little old fashioned, but I didn't ask for much in writing. I got a P&S agreement, signed it, and sent them a check. While your waiting for it to be built, Heartland is very good about keeping you posted on ETA's etc. Just call or email them. Anyways, we just went through exactly what you are doing. New truck and new trailer. The only difference was our kid is on the way and yours is one. LOL. Oh, and a question, I saw in your other post you "needed" a crew cab because of your child. To me, kids are small, and an extended cab is fine. At 16 maybe a big back seat is in order, but babies are pretty small! Being a Chevy guy, you were stuck with a crew cab anyways. They don't make a 3500 SRW short bed extended cab. Dodge doesn't anymore either. Only Ford.
What I would do is take a few days off so you can do a shake down in a RV park close to the dealer. That way if you encounter any problems drop it right back off with him to fix. All of us here will tell you there are no trouble free trailers no matter the price. Good luck.
The closest dealer that sells the cyclone is in virginia I think. There are a few dealers that sell heartland but can't order it. I called the dealers near me and they said, nope. They can't order it. So that's what I started calling other dealers for costs.
I'll try to take more time off being a completely new to any camper. Thanks!
2012 GMC 3500HD, Diesel, Crew Cab Standard Bed, SRW
2013 Cyclone 3010 (to be picked up)
I put my deposit down at a different dealer and will be taking delievery of it May 3-4th I hope.
I decided to go with another dealer since I was getting some strange vibes and just didn't really trust the orginal dealer I was working with. The second dealer I feel MUCH more comfortable with and didn't mind putting the deposit down.
I guess I was worried about the deposit from the original dealer because he wanted so much down (3k) and wrote a very vague sale contract. The second dealer's sales contract was much more clear cut and I felt more comfortable about the deal in general.
I feel kinda bad not about the first dealer, but its my money and I have to go with my gut instincts.
We are going to take a road trip out there and will be staying at their campground overnight for at least one night. I would love to tour the manufacturing plant, but I'm not sure how much time we have. It's a 12 hour ride out there and I'm now trying to figure out logistics of taking or not taking our 1 year old son.
I'll post later when it comes close to picking it up!
Congratulations on the purchase! You will really enjoy the Cyclone.
Consider joining a Heartland Owners Club near you!Lots of fun and good support!
Best Wishes!
2011 Heartland Big Country 3450TS
2007.5 Chev LMM Duramax/Allison
2010 FLHTC Electra Glide Classic Red Hot Sunglo
Heartland Owners Club - Washington Chapter Leaders
I guess about the only thing I would add (if you haven't already) is to research the RV Dealer (till you're blue in the face) you would be buying from. If I were you I would check with the local BBB, Chamber of Commerce, D&B, customer testimonials, online inquires regarding the specific dealership and the like.
OH boy.... So the reviews on the dealer isn't great. The BBB rating is pretty bad too. There were some people in the heartland community forum that recommended them to me. I put down my deposit already and I don't think its refundable... So I guess I have to be extra vigilent with the PDI. I hope that if they don't solve the issues, that Heartland will make good. At least I hope so.
I'm going to have to do some serious research on PDI and what to look for when we go pick it up.
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