Mallo wrote: RV Direct and RV Wholesale also have lots and will do PDIs at least according to the posts on these forums from folks who have bought from them.
I'm glad it worked well for you. And it seems to for many people. I would just want to do my own PDI, regardless of what the dealer has done. Everything I found that was wrong would need to be fixed BEFORE I purchased the unit. It appears that is not possible when purchasing from "them".
Your misunderstanding me.
When I said we did the PDI at AK Recreation I mean WE. As in me and one of there techs name of Ron.
We crawled all over that rig checked things that were not on Ron's list but were on mine.
They had no issues with how long I took and we started at 9 AM and finished up at 4 PM. I ended up driving through Dallas at rush hour first time towing a fifth wheel.
If I had had to have something fixed or changed out they would of done that. They installed my Brake Controller (Since upgraded) and the Hitch for the truck.
The point I was trying to make is that it is pretty much the same experience as buying local as far as the PDI, Finance, Insurance, etc.
AK Recreation was willing to help me insure and finance the rig (both of which I arrange myself but they had the staff to handle it) they took care of everything with making sure my paper work was right with the State of PA so that the title was setup correctly from jump.
The only material difference for us in buying in Texas vs buying local in PA is I was in Texas for work when I found the trailer so my wife never saw it until I got it home, that and instead of getting out of bed at home and going to the PDI / Closing I checked out of the hotel I was in.
Mallo
Eloise - 2000 F350 7.3 DRW XL, Reading Flatbed, King Ranch Leather, AIS, MBRP 4" Ex
The Chinese Princess - 2007 Hitchhiker II LS 32.5 LKSBG
Your Kung Fu is weak!
When I said we did the PDI at AK Recreation I mean WE. As in me and one of there techs name of Ron....
They had no issues with how long I took and we started at 9 AM and finished up at 4 PM....
If I had had to have something fixed or changed out they would of done that...
You're right, I did misunderstand. Got it now, thanks.
What I was trying to find out is can you pay for the unit AFTER you do the PDI. That is the only way I think I would purchase a new RV, esp. one so far from home. I'd want everything I found wrong fixed BEFORE I purchased it. After all, if they do a complete PDI they would find everything anyway.
But, it's just a curiosity as I'm not likely to be in the market for a new RV any time in the near, or not so near future.
When I said we did the PDI at AK Recreation I mean WE. As in me and one of there techs name of Ron....
They had no issues with how long I took and we started at 9 AM and finished up at 4 PM....
If I had had to have something fixed or changed out they would of done that...
You're right, I did misunderstand. Got it now, thanks.
What I was trying to find out is can you pay for the unit AFTER you do the PDI. That is the only way I think I would purchase a new RV, esp. one so far from home. I'd want everything I found wrong fixed BEFORE I purchased it. After all, if they do a complete PDI they would find everything anyway.
But, it's just a curiosity as I'm not likely to be in the market for a new RV any time in the near, or not so near future.
Once I was pretty happy around 2 PM or so I went in and signed the papers. Then went out to finish up the small fry things (Check the hitch, check the brake controller both of which were on a seperate bill. Re winterize the unit as I was heading out to PA from Texas in Feb. Another couple of hours worth of work.
In point of fact one of the things that came up is my Tow Vehicle is a F350 Chassis Body with a 9 foot flatbed instead of a standard pick up bed.
This led to the lead tech having to call the hitch manufacture a couple of times to make sure he setup the truck correctly. Every bit the service you'd expect from any full service dealer.
AO_hitech wrote: I'm glad it worked well for you. And it seems to for many people. I would just want to do my own PDI, regardless of what the dealer has done. Everything I found that was wrong would need to be fixed BEFORE I purchased the unit. It appears that is not possible when purchasing from "them".
You are correct if they are delivering the RV to you. You do have the option of taking delivery at their showroom. After you are satisfied you can bring it home yourself. Some volume dealers even have free or cheap campground facilities nearby to camp for a night or two to be sure everything is ok before you leave the area. If I had the time, I would do this, but I"m a working stiff. I will take the risk of delivery. At least with the dealer I bought it from, I don't pay for it until I receive it and I"m happy. I do have to be realistic and not expect the delivery person to be able to fix everything at my house before he leaves! If there is something majorly wrong with the RV, then I do have the option of refusing delivery. Otherwise, I will either fix the minor things myself, or have a dealer fix it. It's a bit of a risk, but since I saved over $5000, I am willing to accept it!
a.k.hillbilly>when you bought from RV direct, did they barter
The way it worked for me ... there was no bartering.
I filled out a form online with the various options ... submitted it ... they responded minutes later with an email, asking that I call a salesperson, Rebecca ... who immediately after calling her, emailed me a price quote.
It was so much lower than the two area Jayco dealers that I never thought to barter.
I was more than happy with the price. The whole process, from pricing to delivery, was the smoothest, no hassle, no buyer's remorse process I've ever experienced.
* This post was
edited 05/17/08 04:18am by I_rv2 *
Murgatroid wrote: ...You do have the option of taking delivery at their showroom. After you are satisfied you can bring it home yourself...At least with the dealer I bought it from, I don't pay for it until I receive it and I'm happy.
It was my understanding that with RV Direct and RV Wholesalers that you HAD to pay for the unit BEFORE you show up to pick it up (even when picking it up at their showroom). Considering possible issues with warranty work, among other issues, I would not be comfortable paying for the unit until it was completely fixed. The ONLY real leverage you have is the payment. However, it really is just a discussion point as I'm not going to be purchasing anything new for a long time, if ever. But at least it lets others know of possible issues.
Mark, I've bought four rigs and have never paid for a PDI. Of course, my local Jayco dealer tried to charge me $1,600 for "dealer prep" in his quote so I suppose you'd say part of that was his PDI.
$1,600 dealer prep ... plus $800 quote for shipping from Indiana to Illinois.
$2,400 "pack" in his quote.
Do you know how much RV Direct charged me?
$0 dealer prep $0 shipping if I picked it up at their full-service dealership, Des Moines (Iowa) RV.
So, before we even talked price ... RV Direct was $2,400 less.
Since you say you are the general manager of an RV Dealership ... you might instruct your salesmen that perhaps a first-time buyer would pay a $1,600 dealer prep "pack", not knowing any better ... but tell your sales force not to chase a seasoned customer out the door with such nonsense.
appreciate the feedback I_rv2! I am in the process of upgrading my rig and doing my research...trying to learn the ropes and figure out what I want. Thanks,
I_RV2- Sorry, but nothing is free. They are charging it to you somewhere, just maybe not where they are disclosing it to you. The bottom line price is all that matters, how a dealer handles their own accounting is not relevant to the consumer, just the bottom line price out the door is.
A dealer Pack and Prep are two totally different things. Some dealers do have a very high pack and I am not here defending that. I am simply saying that I would not let any of that bother me as long as the out the door price was acceptable to me.
We deal with seasoned RV customers every day and I think handle them very well, but I will pass on your advice.
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