Buying Long Distance

[Phoebe3]

I've spent months researching RVs. We were able to look at and drive a few (new and used RTs and WGOs, used PW, new Coachmen Galleria). Pretty sure the one we want is the Coachmen Crossfit on the Transit chassis.

Dealer stock is fine - we don't want to special-order, but unfortunately, the closest dealer is 450 miles away, second closest is 615 miles.

When you start looking at distances like that, dealer service isn't a consideration and one might as well look for the best deal and get on an airplane, correct?

But here's the rub: Given that we have been unable to actually see one in person or drive it, I don't want to "commit" until we've had our hands on it. I've spoken with Coachmen, but there are still some unanswered questions that will only be clarified by actually inspecting the coach. At this point, I'd say we are about 95% certain this is what we want.

On the other hand, I don't want the dealer to sell it before we get there (arranging time off and buying tickets, etc. may take 3 or 4 days). Even if we offered a non-refundable deposit for the privilege of looking it over, there is nothing preventing the dealer from informing us when we arrive that it's been sold and just returning our deposit.

Has anyone bought long-distance? The dealer with the best online prices is MHSRV in Alvarado, TX. Their Yelp reviews are mixed, but I haven't found an RV dealer with consistently high reviews so I'm not sure whether it makes any difference.

Any and all advice would be appreciated.

[BBQ]

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Most people bought long distance, whether they are RT or WGO or whatever.

The best place to buy is at a large RV show. You get to negotiate with multiple vendors, and ink the deal on the spot.

[Ron J. Moore]

Distance to a dealer seems, at least to me, secondary to getting what I want. I have had two RT's ('05 190P, and a '15 210P), both bought online, and couldn't be more satisfied. Both deals had us traveling about 1K miles to pick-up, but the Contracts were very clear, concise and had everything I wanted and ordered. The PDI was great in both cases, and neither have seen a Dealer since I picked them up. Were they perfect - nothing ever is, but the items that needed attention were easy to handle on my own. This is just my opinion, I don't know who that dealer assigns to work on my rig, seasoned pro or a rookie. I know that there are folks on this Forum that have extensive expertise and more than willing to share their wealth of knowledge.

[ponti33602]

We bought in NJ and flew and drove an Agile back to FL. After the flight we prob only saved $3k over local but the 1200 miles in 2 days was awesome to get me feel of driving it. We had researched for 18 months and had never driven one prior to pulling off the lot. May be all should not do this? Anyone will service. They are separate business units within the dealer and won't throw good money on warranty or cash jobs.

Why we chose the Agile - we were able to park in our condo which avoided storage fees for us and also allowed us to use this as our only vehicle. We typically only use once or twice a week anyway as we both walk or bike to work.

[Phoebe3]

Ponti - had you driven a Sprinter before? Had you seen the Agile in person? Did you provide a deposit so they would hod it for you? What if you didn't like it?

Ron - What were the contracts like - do they send them to you via email? Is there anything I should look for in a contract? What is PDI?

BBQ - When going to a show to buy, is it better to go the first day or the last day or does it matter?

All, thank you for your insights!

[ponti33602]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

Ponti - had you driven a Sprinter before? Had you seen the Agile in person? Did you provide a deposit so they would hod it for you? What if you didn't like it?

Ron - What were the contracts like - do they send them to you via email? Is there anything I should look for in a contract? What is PDI?

BBQ - When going to a show to buy, is it better to go the first day or the last day or does it matter?

All, thank you for your insights!

We had never driven anything larger than a BMW X3. it is for sure a truck but it is quite nimble on the city streets of Tampa.

We purchased during the Hershey last September show but didn't attend. We got 19.96% off of list price for a $150K sticker so came in pennies over $120K. My wife wanted Diesel Alde, no propane, induction cooktop, and 400 lithium. Only 1 guy in the country had 1 at the time....most still seem to not have all the features she wanted.

She had researched for 18 months so she knew what she wanted in features and what she wanted to spend. Honestly I tried to push her the way of Advanced RV as I know she would get a kick out of designing but she didn't want to come in at ~$300K.

We had toured all the B's. She liked the CS but actually liked that the Agile was lighter (more windows due to lack of hutch). Because we could fit in our condo garage the decision became easier for us. We are pretty much minimalist and she can't believe how much extra space we have in it after we are packed . The HOA didn't say a word......maybe because I am on the board.........

We wired the full amount of the purchase in September. All paperwork was done thru the mail and or on-line for some things. It was a reputable dealer so we were comfortable enough. They agreed to hold it till the spring but we had a window over Veteran's Day and flew up. Because we were getting rid of our only car (CarMax WBYCEIYDBO :>) we view it that we were saving $500 a month in depreciation on that car. If she hated the Agile we would trade it after a year or two and take whatever loss for being "crazy".

So far she loves it. Going to the Keys tomorrow for a few days. Been to Miami as well and so far everything has worked. We also did all this 18 months prior to retirement to get super comfy traveling local before heading out for real adventures.

[Ron J. Moore]

In both cases, we handled via FedEx Overnight. We had previously discussed at length via phone, fax and email. I wanted a complete list of everything I was buying, that the vehicle will be fully prepped, with a thorough PDI on a agreed upon date.. If it isn't spelled out within the Contract, you will most probably have no recourse. I bought from two different Dealers, they were totally cooperative, once they found I was a serious buyer and wasn't afraid to walk away. When we arrived, they were super to deal with, and we drove off with a great RT. As I mentioned, neither have ever been back to the Dealer; most minor things I would gladly take care of. Ron