Internet RV Sales Advice

[Oliver2017]

I am being push in the DYI direction by the lack of response from RV dealers.

I contacted four different dealers that have an internet sales division. Only one responded. The internet salesperson...called me...so much for using my email... and he said he would ask his sales manager for the answer to my question...what is the lowest out the door price for ordering a... with no upgrades?

I'm still waiting for a response...8 days and counting...

What is the trick to getting the internet salesperson to respond or is this the season for walk-ins and they are too busy for internet sales?

[Ron J. Moore]

I bought both of mine via the Internet, and it turned out great. Since '04, the first has closed up, and the last one I ironically bought the last Roadtrek they sold before closing their doors after 45 years. Neither have I had a problem occur. I would like to recommend two places you might contact Sun Shine State RV, Gainesville, FL, excellent reputation and handle various B's. Then there is Van City, St. Louis, MO. I dealt with them both times when I was buying and found they knowledgeable and forthright. I would have done business with them, had they had what I was looking for. Van City is apparently working with a couple other B Dealers, so you can look at their listings. The last one I bought, I looked at their listings then I made contact, asked a few questions and made an offer; the salesman said he would call back-took him about 5 minutes, they wanted more and I said no, but you have my number, should you change your mind. They called back about 3 hours later and give me the price I wanted. engine. Hope this helps. It just takes patience, hang in. Ron

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Ron J. Moore

you might contact Sun Shine State RV, Gainesville, FL, excellent reputation and handle various B's.

A plus to consider with them is that with Roadtreks, unlike the factory, they have a team that has both the facility and the skill to make some pretty extensive coach modifications to suit unique customer preferences. That's uncommon among class B dealers.

[Highway Pilot]

Buyer Beware.......

I also tried the dealer route, until I came across Camping World in Tallahassee, they had a truck camper for $899, yea it needed some work but the bones were solid. The sales lady mentioned if it wasn't sold by Friday, it would go to the wholesale buyer for less. I said no problem, offered full price but to my surprise, they tried to add $2459 in dealer fees (Not including tax) that's nearly 3X the asking price. Obviously I told her where she could shove it.

Since then I looked for private sales in my state and saved a bundle on a 190.

[RUFFNIT]

I purchased a Winnebago ERA a few years ago and saved a few thousand dollars by going through the internet. However, when I took it into my local dealer for warranty service, I was told I would be put at the back of the line as they always serviced their own sales first. They also made me pay for the warranty work, then I had to submit the claim to Winnebago for reimbursement. I complained to Winnebago, but they said it was the dealer's choice. I would contact the dealer that would most likely service it and find out their policy.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by RUFFNIT

I purchased a Winnebago ERA a few years ago and saved a few thousand dollars by going through the internet. However, when I took it into my local dealer for warranty service, I was told I would be put at the back of the line as they always serviced their own sales first. They also made me pay for the warranty work, then I had to submit the claim to Winnebago for reimbursement. I complained to Winnebago, but they said it was the dealer's choice. I would contact the dealer that would most likely service it and find out their policy.

This practice is well overdue for industry reform. At this juncture, when you purchase an RV, there is no consistent policy with regard to how a buyer will be treated for warranty and post warranty repairs.

At the high end, is a business like ARV who will work directly with the most skilled and convenient repair facility reasonably available to you and will provide that facility with any necessary technical support and arrange for the reimbursement directly with them. It doesn't get any better than that.

In the middle are OEMs that have a contractual relationship for warranty repairs with their dealers but must permit the dealer to prioritize their work to satisfy the needs of customers that purchased locally. This condition often is aggravated by the fact that the OEM warranty repair reimbursement may be based on a stingy flat rate that generates far less profit than the dealer's labor rates. For this situation, it's an advantage to purchase the coach from a dealer that's reasonably convenient to where you live. But that said, when we looked into buying our Roadtrek, the selling dealer indicated that RT's policy for warranty work was to reimburse at the dealer's actual labor rate, not some diminished flat rate. Since that probably makes prioritizing less likely, we considered that a plus.

At the bottom end are OEMs that sell their coaches to a dealer, but have no contractual arrangement with that dealer for warranty work resulting in an unenviable situation where the very dealer from whom you purchased the coach can refuse to make warranty repairs, leaving you with the task of finding a facility that will or sorting it out directly with the factory.

[Phoebe3]

W also saved several thousand dollars by shopping out of our state. There is no way we are going to get any dealership within 80 miles to service our rig. However, the parts are still under the manufacturer's warranty and we have a reasonably priced local shop to perform the service. We saved $7,000 on the purchase and so far have only spent $138 on repairs.

You might want to just factor repair costs into the price of the rig you want to buy.

Full disclaimer: we got a pre-authorization from Coachmen and they reimbursed us for the repairs since we couldn't get a dealer to help. Don't know if that is their policy or a one-off. But even without that deal, we were better off shopping for price rather than for warranty work we might never need.

[ponti33602]

Originally Posted by Phoebe3

W also saved several thousand dollars by shopping out of our state. There is no way we are going to get any dealership within 80 miles to service our rig. However, the parts are still under the manufacturer's warranty and we have a reasonably priced local shop to perform the service. We saved $7,000 on the purchase and so far have only spent $138 on repairs.

You might want to just factor repair costs into the price of the rig you want to buy.

Full disclaimer: we got a pre-authorization from Coachmen and they reimbursed us for the repairs since we couldn't get a dealer to help. Don't know if that is their policy or a one-off. But even without that deal, we were better off shopping for price rather than for warranty work we might never need.

Just got our Roadtrek serviced under warranty locally in Fl and was purchased new in NJ. They were more than happy to take Roadtrek's money to fix our rig and were aware where we purchased FWIW.

[dhectorg]

Originally Posted by Oliver2017

I am being push in the DYI direction by the lack of response from RV dealers.

I contacted four different dealers that have an internet sales division. Only one responded. The internet salesperson...called me...so much for using my email... and he said he would ask his sales manager for the answer to my question...what is the lowest out the door price for ordering a... with no upgrades?

I'm still waiting for a response...8 days and counting...

What is the trick to getting the internet salesperson to respond or is this the season for walk-ins and they are too busy for internet sales?

I have never had a positive experience buying a vehicle from ANY traditional dealership. Dealerships have well earned the terrible reputation they have. Like you, I try to communicate ONLY via email in the initial 'shop around' stage because I don't want to be bothered with disrespectful sales reps, without common sense boundaries, calling me daily. I always put right in my initial email "DO NOT CALL ME, I will contact you IF the price and everything else meets my requirements." But of course, they always call me anyway and proceed to try and pressure me into the immediate purchase of something I don't want.

Long story short, I've decided to go with a professional custom build, which is likely to cost a tiny bit more than off the lot models I was considering, but it'll be exactly what I want without the hassle of enduring a shady dealership.

As for which builder, I'm leaning toward Sportsmobile because they have a pretty good rep and I can afford one, but I really want an Advanced RV, although I'd have to wait another couple years at least before I can afford one of those. Either way, I'm definitely NOT buying from a traditional dealer. I'm done with their idiotic way of doing business.

[wincrasher]

Originally Posted by ponti33602

Just got our Roadtrek serviced under warranty locally in Fl and was purchased new in NJ. They were more than happy to take Roadtrek's money to fix our rig and were aware where we purchased FWIW.

Florida seems to be a bit better in this regard as there are so many snowbirds coming down with new rigs. They would be turning their nose at a LOT of customers if they did that.

Although if you are going to a huge dealer like Lazy Days, be prepared to wait. They can't even service their regular customers in a reasonable time, let alone walk-ins. Low prices often means poor service, with very few exceptions.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

Florida seems to be a bit better in this regard as there are so many snowbirds coming down with new rigs. They would be turning their nose at a LOT of customers if they did that.

I think there is a different reason. Roadtrek apparently reimburses their warranty repairs at the facility's regular shop rate, not some low ball flat rate. That policy probably cuts down on non-locals being shoved to the end of the line.