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Old 07-28-2016, 05:24 PM   #1
ronenz
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Managing my expectations

Hello and I appreciate any feedback this post generates. So my dealer is installing slide awnings on all 6 slides of the 2016 3711 FL as well as a rear bumper metal swing down storage rack. When completed, I will schedule the PDI and am wondering what my expectation should be for this activity. I am anal retentive and sometimes I get to deep into the weeds and have to take a reality check so based on your collective experiences, what should I expect regarding the condition of the exterior/interior, time/details the PDI personnel has allocated for this activity. Have any of you ever wished you had checked out some feature after you took delivery? If you had to do it over again, what would you have done differently? I did find the PDI checklist on the forum page and plan to send that to my sales rep, do the dealers follow their own? My dealer is Camping World of Oxford.
 
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Old 07-28-2016, 05:53 PM   #2
rames14
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Our dealers (3rd Montana) had checked out all of the systems and we found very few issues. If your dealer balks at doing a thorough PDI, and/or when you do your PDI you find basic items wrong, do not sign the paperwork. With some dealers, once they have your money you have lost your leverage. Take your time, you are spending a lot of money. Make sure you check fit/finish inside, all of the major systems and how everything works. Pay special attention to HVAC, as that seems to be a "hot" topic right now. Also, make sure that all tanks are filled and then emptied. Find all three dump valves. Many times the galley valve gets missed. Also, if you are going to be winterizing, a thorough review of the convenience center is important. Take a cd, DVD and memory stick with you (cd and memory stick with music. Have them show you how to switch between DVD, network TV, Sat TV, Cable TV and music. Take along a flashlight, a square screwdriver, an infrared thermometer, tire pressure gage and a notebook. Write one section for the how to' sand another for the "needs fixing". Good luck and enjoy your new home on wheels.
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Old 07-29-2016, 02:04 AM   #3
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by rames14

Our dealers (3rd Montana) had checked out all of the systems and we found very few issues. If your dealer balks at doing a thorough PDI, and/or when you do your PDI you find basic items wrong, do not sign the paperwork. With some dealers, once they have your money you have lost your leverage. Take your time, you are spending a lot of money. Make sure you check fit/finish inside, all of the major systems and how everything works. Pay special attention to HVAC, as that seems to be a "hot" topic right now. Also, make sure that all tanks are filled and then emptied. Find all three dump valves. Many times the galley valve gets missed. Also, if you are going to be winterizing, a thorough review of the convenience center is important. Take a cd, DVD and memory stick with you (cd and memory stick with music. Have them show you how to switch between DVD, network TV, Sat TV, Cable TV and music. Take along a flashlight, a square screwdriver, an infrared thermometer, tire pressure gage and a notebook. Write one section for the how to' sand another for the "needs fixing". Good luck and enjoy your new home on wheels.
All good advice from Ron. I might add, take a different perspective to look at things. Don't just walk the coach. Lay on the bed and couch and look around from there. Sit in a chair for a bit. Get up on the roof and check sealant at the seams(I found one not sealed on ours). It's quite enlightening what a different view brings. I will double down on what Ron said; Do not sign even one piece of paperwork until you are satisfied with the condition of the coach. Once you have signed, all dealer personnel scatter like cockroaches in a lit room!
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Old 07-29-2016, 02:54 AM   #4
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I still remember our PDI from 10 years ago. We had never owned a rig and then we learned later that the salesman had never stayed in an RV! On the galley dump handle--I traveled over 500 miles only to have to return to the dealer to have a tech show me where it was located. Next time for me--lots more checking!
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Old 07-29-2016, 03:01 AM   #5
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And do not blindly assume that the dealership person handling the PDI knows his business or your particular model. If you have an experienced fiver buddy, take him with you. More eyes the better.
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Old 07-29-2016, 05:22 AM   #6
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During the PDI when we picked up the trailer, the jacks did not all retract the way they should. Didn't know enough then to question it. Thereafter, always had to try several times to get the jacks to retract. About two years later, a bimetal breaker failed and had DC power only intermittenly. After replacing the breaker, jacks work fine. The breaker was bad from the start and was cutting out, thereby interfering with jacks retracting. Live and learn, hopefully.
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Old 07-29-2016, 06:28 AM   #7
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I do not know about Camping World and purchasing a new Keystone but if You want to buy from General RV in Birch Run Michigan do not drive it off the lot without a complete inspection as they will cover nothing if it has left the lot. I am still working with Keystone to get AC's and other items repaired at another warranty dealer.
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Old 07-29-2016, 06:36 AM   #8
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2X on everything said above. Just a note it is prime time for RV sales. Be careful as the dealers are trying to deliver as many rigs in a day as they can. I bought from a high volume dealer. The first rig I bought from them was in 2010 in October. Had lots of time with the service people that's because October is tha start of the slow time. It was almost like guys please leave me alone. Had a great experience, everything that needed fixing was fixed. Soooo I bought another rig from them 2015 3582RL but this time in July. It took them 3 days to replace the frig and they did not even wash the rig till the morning I left. The service was not terrible it was nonexistent. I am lucky as I have had very little problems with the rig. Well except for the low bridge incident but that's another story.
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Old 07-29-2016, 06:53 AM   #9
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Great advice on taking RV buddy along. Rondo and JPKelpe came along on our PDI.
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Old 07-29-2016, 07:05 AM   #10
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Concur with what everyone so far has said. You stated you are anal about stuff, use that to your advantage. Be anal, TOUCH EVERYTHING, OPERATE EVERYTHING. Open/close every door and drawer, operate every lock, open/close every storage hatch, lower and raise the spare tire, open/close every shade and window, if your rig has a residential fridge make sure the ice maker works(some come not hooked up), make sure the converter fuses and breakers are labeled, open/close all slides, extend/retract the awning, open/close sofa bed(s), inspect under bed storage, make sure they write down all serial numbers for all appliances, ask for an LP drop test. BE ANAL. Take as much time as you feel you need. Don't worry about their clock.
One other thought. The only "trip" your rig has been on is from the factory to the dealer. It has not been camped in. It has not had your stuff in it. It also didn't travel with propane or fresh water. You will find things the first few trips you take. Make notes and notify the dealer right then. I recommend your first trip be some place close to home as a break in. This way if something "big" happens, you won't be stranded far from home.
Congrats on your new purchase and happy camping.
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Old 07-29-2016, 08:05 AM   #11
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One thing that I would add. You're spending a lot of money. Do not let them rush you. There is nothing wrong with taking hours to look the rig over in every way. Also, keep your eyes open for things that shouldn't be a problem and aren't on the check lists. In our case, we found a crack in a front landing gear leg.
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Old 07-29-2016, 09:15 AM   #12
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Batteries... 2 12 or 2 6 volt.

Chances r the dealer doesn't know a lot about your RV, you'll learn like the rest of us. And without a doubt you will have some issues that will come up after you buy it
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Old 07-29-2016, 03:27 PM   #13
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If you can vidiotape the PDI, a picture is worth a thousand words.
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Old 08-05-2016, 05:42 AM   #14
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I and others have posted a PDI checklist on this site. Just do a search for "PDI." Should take you about 3 hours to complete everything on the list. And don't accept (sign for) the RV till you're satisfied.
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Old 08-06-2016, 03:44 PM   #15
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If your selling dealer is as bad as mine was I would not drive it off the lot/complete the transaction without fully inspecting everything including HVAC. I thought I did a good PDI but I missed AC issues and am still fighting to get it fixed two months later.
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Old 08-16-2016, 12:41 PM   #16
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FYI,
Since the day I bought it I have been fighting Keystone to fix obvious warranty issues. Today I visited my coach in the warranty deaer waiting on parts. It has been in the shop over 50% of its life. I bought mine and PDI'd it on June 2 took it to the nearest campground and set it up. I fund a few things I had missed. A scratched window pane, a bedroom shade with a hole in it, a water heater flame that flickered. The first dealer did not fix these and made some warranty issues worse. I fought with Keystone on the window shade and window glass they refused and Shelly promised me they would approve replacing the glass and shade if I resubmitted them through a dealer. I did so but they again refused to fix the glass even after promising me they would. They also would not cover the cost of fixing the debris in the water heater chimney telling me it was normal maintenance.

So you can count on it being sold AS IS as far as Keystone is concerned so spend days doing a pdi if you want. I think most dealers know the story and will accommodate you. Drive it off the lot and it may be your issue as far as Keystone Warranty.
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Old 08-17-2016, 06:02 AM   #17
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It took us two days to do our PDI on both our Montana's. We did day one and submitted a list of issues to the dealer. When they told us the issues had been resolved we went back and did day two then signed the papers.


The dealer had done their own PDI on delivery and called to tell us they found a hole in the main awning and the delivery date would be delayed.
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Old 08-17-2016, 02:56 PM   #18
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Boy when you read these unhappy camper issues it makes you cringe and think what did I get myself into? I keep reminding myself that major issues like the ones you read on the forum pages are hopefully the exception and not the norm. Very little we do as owners are standardized so comparing how I take care of my rig as compared with how you take care of yours can be light years apart. Establishing a norm is difficult as we drive our rigs differently, across terrain and in environments that differ greatly, all can be very stressful to the rigs. I read somewhere here that every time the rig moves down the road an earthquake is taking place and with that in mind, it is so unlike a stick built house that I think we set ourselves up for failure, by failing to manage our expectations. My dealer is crazy busy right now as this is the busy season, I had all my PDI issues documented and photographed with the written agreement that I would be bringing in the rig in the off season to have the warranty work completed at that time. Here in the South I have learned that people here work on southern time which if your from the north can drive you batsh*t. I learned many years ago to accept this as a norm here and not to get wrapped up in it as you never win. Buy the way I took over 4 hours PDI'ing the rig and to my satisfaction, very little needed to be addressed. A missing window knob, missing back up camera antenna and missing battery terminal block cover. A curtain shade has to be replaced as it does not have the controlled assent feature and there were some screws missing from the plastic bottom plate where the hose hook ups come through the bottom of the cabinet. A few paint scratches, from where I suspect the dealer installed the slide awnings and one scratch that was done after the rig was initially PDI'd. That was really disappointing and again motivated me to get the rig off the dealers lot as they are wall to wall filled with work. Oh by the way I was interested to see that Montana brand RV's were not represented in the back load of work they had on site. I though that spoke pretty well for Keystone as my dealer is a Keystone dealer. Anyway, thanks to all for your advise, mission accomplished, looking forward to the adventure.
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Old 08-17-2016, 04:27 PM   #19
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Some great advise by all. Only thing I can add is check the dates on the CO2 monitor(s). Ours just died by indicating 6 year service life is over and it was only 3 years. Come it find out CO2 was almost 3 years old when installed. Get fresh ones. We drove 650 to buy ours. Dealer insisted we stay in the unit overnight plugged into his shop to use everything overnight and give them a list the next day. Also to go to local campground and check everything again. Very good experience. Good luck and as stated, take your time.
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