We bought our unit from a dealer in SE Michigan, after one month of full timing the reefer went out, took it back to the dealer and was told that it would be 10 days before they could even look at it because it was the busy part of the year. Took it to another dealer 20 miles away and they replaced the reefer in one day under factory warranty and it didn't cost me a cent. Any repair that we have needed during the last nine years has been on the road and at a strange dealership and not once have we been told that they wouldn't work on it or that they would get to it when they were done with their regular customers. I just don't think a dealership could stay in business if they worked this way.
I agree that with the hitch and brakes (parts and labor) is probably around $1000 of his price and you can do a walk around and have anything fixed before you take delivery. But service can be done anywhere.
I think I would see how far down the dealer would go like he said he would. If they come close to RV Direct, then I think that it would be worth it to go with the regular dealer. They sound like an honest and customer oriented place. Good luck!
2006 Hornet 28BHDS-Bunk House, Dual Slides
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 HD
5.7L Hemi, Factory Towing Package
Reese Brake Controller, WD Hitch and Sway Bar
I purchased my Rockwood from RV Direct two years ago and have NEVER had any problem finding service on the very few occasions I've needed it. Think of it like this, if you TRAVEL with your RV as many do, and had to return to your place of purchase to get work done, would you even CONSIDER that brand or ANY RV?
Any RV that couldn't be repaired on the road would be absolutely worthless as a means of travel. If your dealer doesn't work on RVs he didn't sell I'm guessing he isn't a very good place to have them repaired anyway since warranty work is a good means of making money for MOST good dealers. Good luck with your decision / Skip
Of course this is assuming the dealer has a service department worth a dang. Most I have been to are not. The trailer surely can be serviced at any dealer selling that brand or the factory if needed.Service departments around here are getting $130 per hour shop rates for help that usually isn't qualified to wash windows. I'm sure most people agree most service work is done by the owner because of poor service at dealers and inflated costs. An extra $3,000 can pay for a lot of camping and extra's.From personal experience... I don't trust any service departments.
Hi: This is the kind of dealer I like to do business with. Running the type RV business he describes is expensive and therefore must produce the revenue necessary to stay in business. This means his prices are not going to be rock bottom. He seems to be a dealer who is honest, reliable and will go out of his way to see that your equipment is properly taken care of. Since you are new to Rving let me say an honest, reliable dealership is one of your most important and best assets. Bill
Service departments aren't subsidized by the sales department, it's the other way around in every other business and I can't believe any different in the rv industry.
This line of FUD is the salesman not wanting a cut in his commission.
First, you do not have fair comparisons.
1. RV direct does not include the hitch and brake controller.
2. RV direct does not include your actually costs to get the trailer.
3. RV direct does not include sales tax to your home state that you will have to pay when you register in home state.
The dealer's response was very honest and straight forward. He is willing to try to reduce his margin of profit in order to keep your business. I bought my trailer from an out of town dealer only because of price. I was full timing then, so I really did not have a "local" dealer. So, I am a price shopper. But I look at the full price. I bet after the local dealer reduces his offer some, you add the value of the installed brake controller and hitch, you add your local sales tax and other registration fees, and you add the cost of retrieving the RV from RV Direct, your actual costs will be about the same.
When deciding who is really cheaper, be sure to actually make complete accurate comparisons.
wayne_tw wrote: First, you do not have fair comparisons.
1. RV direct does not include the hitch and brake controller.
2. RV direct does not include your actual costs to get the trailer.
3. RV direct does not include sales tax to your home state that you will have to pay when you register in home state.
The dealer's response was very honest and straight forward. He is willing to try to reduce his margin of profit in order to keep your business. I bought my trailer from an out of town dealer only because of price. I was full timing then, so I really did not have a "local" dealer. So, I am a price shopper. But I look at the full price. I bet after the local dealer reduces his offer some, you add the value of the installed brake controller and hitch, you add your local sales tax and other registration fees, and you add the cost of retrieving the RV from RV Direct, your actual costs will be about the same.
When deciding who is really cheaper, be sure to actually make complete accurate comparisons.
This is a big problem in the RV industry. As I stated earlier I purchased my fiver five hours away from home. There was a dealer about an hour away. I called the factory and asked it they would do warranty work there and the warranty guy told me no but suggested I take it to the dealer about an hour from me. When I brought this subject up to him he said he agreed, that I might have to wait awhile to get it fixed and that this was a real problem in the RV industry, it doesn't operate like the auto industry does. He did suggest a repair shop who did work for them. I went there (Fox RV in Middlebury, IN), they took care of all warranty issues for me and all billing was between them and the manufacturer. Worked great. I will go there from now on--even though it's a bit of a drive for me. I can do 90% of my own work anyhow so it's not like I need service that often.
because prices are much higher out West, i drove to Chicago to get my hybrid trailer.
i was given similar responses from the 3 local dealers, though none were as up front as the OP's.
for me, it was worth the drive, because of the savings. and this not a big online dealer. they actually beat RVW and RVDirect.
as far as service, Forest River has helped me find local dealers to do warranty work. the dealer that is currently working with me doesn't even sell FR products.
personally, i don't like dealers threatening me with "no one is going to work on it". i found a FR dealer and a non-FR dealer that has been happy to do warranty work, and in a timely fashion.
if any of the local dealers had been within $2000, i would have bought from them. but they were twice that.
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
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, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever
, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
