[jlb27537]

Hello, When we were shopping, I used the internet and local (200 miles) dealerships for looking at floor plans. We settled on a floor plan and then got serious about pricing.

My local/close/30 miles is Camping World, they were not interested in ordering me something, only selling from inventory. Next, a 200 mile away dealership, had a floorplan in stock, quoted me a price, but when I got there, "O'h that washer was not included in the price" "swapping the recliners, that will be extra".

That meant we had to go on the road. We ended up buying 700 miles away, got a good price but that is all.

The PDI was a absolute joke, the entrance door had a 1" gap at the top. The install of the W/D was neat and clean, however they stuck the drain hose in so far it siphoned the water out of the drum, they never hooked it up to water, thus they did not find the toilet would not hold water, they installed the Mor/ryde X factor braces, the longer wet bolts were installed dry and they would not take grease, the closet doors fell off on the way home.

We turned the 700 (one way) mile trip into a road trip to see friends close to the dealership and from there home.

Being handy, I was able to fix the problems as they appeared. A friend has bought 3 5th's from the local CW. His service experience has been so-so and lately has been terrible.

If shopping ONLY on price, or shopping on a good dealership that will be there for you, you will probably find they are not the same place.

You just need to decide how important the dealership is, how much money can you save by driving a bit. The items such as frig, A/C, furnace, water heater, converter, etc. are covered by their own warranties and any RV shop or mobile tech can warranty those items.

I had my rear A/C loose a board, fixed by a mobile tech in Colorado, Furnace issues, fixed by a mobile tech in S.Texas. Most of the other stuff I fixed my self. Easier and cheaper than dragging it to a dealership and letting them try and fix something. Waiting a week or 2 for authorization and then a week or 2 for parts.

Is the best deal for you the least money spent, or is the best deal for you to buy from a dealership where they appreciate your business, have folks that care for you and have people that can actually fix a problem and not screw something else up?

Happy shopping,

Jim