I am working on a story for RV Industry News about buying and selling RVs online and would like to talk to a few active RVers about their experience purchasing a new unit on the Internet.
I am especially interested in talking to consumers who bought an RV from a dealership out of their home state.
Some of the questions I'd like to ask include:
Was your experience buying online positive or negative?
Were you able to get service after the sale?
What did you like about buying online?
Would you buy another unit online?
Did you visit a local RV dealer before buying online?
If you considered buying an RV online, but opted to buy from a local dealership instead, I'd also like to talk to you.
If you would like to be interviewed, please e-mail your name, phone number and the best time to call to ggerber@milomediapub.com. You can also e-mail answers to the questions above, if you'd prefer that over a telephone interview.
I will need to complete the interviews before June 5. Thanks!
Yes, we live in central Wisconsin and I bought a 5th wheel from a dealer in Grand Rapids MI. Our on-line buying experience was just fine. I've not worried or needed service after the sale, it's been two years now. There isn't much with our rig that can go wrong that I cannot repair or get serviced by another source other than an RV dealership. What I liked most about buying on-line was saving about $6,500. Yes, I would buy again on-line. We did visit our local dealer before buying on-line. He didn't attempt to even try and bring his price down when we told him we had a better offer. I wouldn't tell him what the offer was. I think he thought I was bluffing. He did play the no service after the sale line if I didn't buy from them. That really turned me off.
2004 F250 PSD 6.0
2006 Wildcat 5ver 31QBH
Me, the wife and 2 great kids
Ready to Camp!
Live in GA, traveled to Indiana to pick up, bought from NY dealer.
Experience very positive.
Haven't needed service, but do have an extended warranty, can opt to have serviced under that instead of mfr warranty if so desired, already talked with local service center, they said no problem, they would service the unit, or I could get service under warranty about 70 miles from home.
No hassle bottom line pricing was what we liked about buying on-line. Dealers all liked to play numbers games, would not budge from their high prices.
Would buy online again in a heartbeat.
Visit both local and out of town dealers before buying online, saved at least $4-$5,000.
Retired US Army
2000 Ford F250 SD 7.3 PSD, Firestone Ride-Rite™ air springs
2007 Keystone Laredo 29RL, Doran Pressure Pro and Metal Tire Valves, 16" Michelin XPS Ribs, Dirt Devil CV950 Central Vacuum, 2000W AllPower (Honda Clone), 4000/3500W Champion C46540
We bought from out of country, actually. We're in Canada, and we bought a used TT from a dealer 800 miles away in the USA. It was a sight unseen deal that we thought we had done our homework on, but were woefully wrong about.
It ended up being a bad deal that resulted in 5 months of stress and frustration for me, and in the end, loosing a bunch of money to flip it and move on.
Lesson learned, I guess - we'll never buy sight unseen ever again.
Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss the matter.
We too purchased online, from RVPricebusters.com. We are fulltimers so we don't have a home state. We picked our unit up in Springfield, OH directly from the dealer who operates RVPricebusters as their internet division.
The purchase process was smooth, simple and almost too easy. The major benefit was saving over $10,000 on our ordered rig, and not having to settle for what was sitting on some dealers lot.
The down side was the service from the dealer was way below par...however, being a fulltimer this doesn't affect us too much as we travel all over and the manufacturer makes sure we get service when and where needed.
I would never buy a used unit online because you'd have to take the dealer's word for the condition, etc. Buying new and ordering is vastly different, as all the dealer does is receive the unit, PDI it prior to delivery, and turns the unit right over to the purchaser. That's why they can sell so far below others, they are not carrying the inventory cost, insurance and overhead, etc., on to the buyer...both parties win this way.
To answer your questions, yes, our experience was mostly positive. Service from the purchasing dealer was mostly non-existant, however, not an issue for us. Yes, would definitely buy a new unit online again, and yes, we visited many dealers to look at units prior to deciding on what we wanted, they just couldn't come close to the online companies.
We bought on line sort of. I was the high bidder on a Ebay auction for a new Jayco RLSA last November. It just so happens that the auction ended the day after Thanksgiving and the reserve was not met. I called the dealer and the person that answered was the boss and the dealership was closed. After telling him why I called he asked if he could call back because he was with someone at the time. 10 minutes later were talking and I get his price which is about 5 grand below the local dealer. I tell him I like the price but the trailer is not quite what I wanted. "no problem lets order what you want" 10 minutes later I had ordered what we wanted and several months later after a 800 mile drive we picked up our new camper. We had spent a year looking and new what we wanted and more importantly we had visited a dealer and sat in the model we wanted. I have bought several cars and trucks this way. We live in a rural area that doesn't offer a lot of choices on anything is one reason. another is you don't have to deal with a salesman and you have the best price up front. The dealer we had visited called one day to ask if we were interested in his camper. After telling him we had made a purchase he started asking questions. I was up front with him and told him what we paid and where we bought and his comment was if you ever need and warranty work lets us know. I do think I would react different if I was looking at used instead of new.
One thing I forgot to mention is a comment made to us by the selling dealer. He stated that Ebay is responsible for many sales lead like mine.
Buying a used unit online sight-unseen was a huge mistake. The condition was deplorable. I fixed & cleaned it up & sold it without ever camping in it.
When I bought my recent new vehicle, I priced it at local dealer & online. I could have saved about 2500. buying out of state, but decided to buy from the local dealer. It was my first towable after years of motorhomes & I was concerned about learning to drive it. I had a problem on the way home with the new unit (emergency brake cable pulled out) and dealer came to where I was and showed me how to fix it. I've been back several times for advice & help with small things. Worth the peace of mind to me - a single woman.
2008 Rockwood 2320 5th Wheel
2007 Ford F-150
Seven Kayaks - You can't have too many!
Was your experience buying online positive or negative?
- Very positive ... but I really did not expect much. Therefore what service I did get was better than "expected". I also knew more about the unit then the salesperson I dealt with did. (I did a lot of research before buying.), but that didn't bother me at all.
Were you able to get service after the sale?
- picked up the unit in Des Moines (we live in AZ) ... so I never had to use the dealer we bought from for service. I did have to go to my local dealer for service, and was treated just as if I had bought it from them. I was honest with the service manager that his dealer couldn't touch the price ... his comment was "well let us earn your service business then !!!"
What did you like about buying online?
- Ordered what I wanted and saved about $9K.
Would you buy another unit online?
- absolutely
Did you visit a local RV dealer before buying online?
- Yes ... and one of them was so terrible to deal with it pushed me to look on-line !! It was comical how they tried to use every "used car salesman" technique in the book ... all the way down to the RED ink and "I'm doing you a favor" comments !! By the way ... this dealer IS NOT the one I get my service work done at.
Bought from RV Direct. Picked up my unit end of November, 8 weeks after ordered. PDI went fine, but again, I knew some stuff about the trailer the tech did not. The folks were EXTREMELY friendly and helpful, and I HAVE recommended them to others.
Any other questions you may have, feel free to PM me directly.
CRUZ
HR & Beth
2006 Chevy Silverado LT3 3500HD, DRW, D/A, CC, LB, 4x4 and RED
2008 Jayco Designer 35RLTS
Cassie - pure Black Giant Schnauzer
Mollie - pure White Mini Schnauzer (the boss)
I have purchasd 7 5th wheels on the internet. Four were used and three were new.
I have been very happy with all of them. Everyone was exactly as described. I drove and picked them up some as far as 1700 miles away. The people have been very honest and would buy another one on line.
If you are buying on line that far away you are also buying at below wholesale prices. Paying thousands less you can't always expect it to be as good as the local dealer. As long as the actual condition is described. and you are comfortable with it then there is no problem.
Was your experience buying online positive or negative? Positive
Were you able to get service after the sale?
Yes
What did you like about buying online?
No haggling with a price, send an email with the make, model, and options, wait to see who is lowest.
Would you buy another unit online?
Yes
Did you visit a local RV dealer before buying online?
Yes - would not deal, would only take 2-3K off, said they sell them that way all the time, and if I didn;t buy it, they would sell it to someone else.
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