We are looking at purchasing a Tiffin Fred. We know there has been several recall notices one on the refrig and one on the brakes as well as issues with the dry rot on slides, floor and such. We would like to talk to previous owners to make sure these things are addressed but the dealership cannot give out the info. They say everything passes inspection. Not that I don't trust them however......Now having said that we had a call a few months ago from someone who had purchased our previously owned rig. They had general questions that we were more than happy to adress. My question....how do we get the info on the current owners or I guess now it would be previous owners?

if you call tiffin with the VIN they probably will tell you if all the recalls have been taken care of.

Privacy laws prevent that info from being passed on. (at least that's what they will tell you) Often previous owners are a wealth of info. However, if your vehicle was a piece of junk, the dealer probably wouldn't want you talking to them anyway.The dealer we traded the Dynasty to took all the "good" stuff out of it after we traded it in. I had a 3 ring notebook with everything that had ever been done to the coach since it was born. They threw it away. I had a box of floor tile that came with the coach when it was mfg. so it would match the ones on the floor..they threw it away. I had a patio room that attached to the outside of the coach..no idea what they did with that, but it didn't go with the coach. There were some other smaller things as well that the "new" owners probably would have liked but they were also "lost"...dumb, but the new owners knew nothing about them and the dealer didn't get an angry customer back asking where this stuff was....Dennis

The dealer does not want you to know how little they paid for it. Has nothing to do with privacy as with a little luck searching you may find it as it's public info. I'd tell them I will not buy it until I speak to the previous owner.

Make it a requirement of the deal. That is what I did on both of my last two DP purchases with the dealer. Either you put me in touch with the previous owner or no deal. In both cases, the dealer called the PO and got permission for me to call them. Same thing on the coach I recently traded. I left all the service records with the coach and other 'stuff' unique to the coach and told dealer it was OK to have potential buyers call me. First couple that looked at my traded rig talked to me then bought the coach.

When we purchased our Dutch Star, the dealership gave us the contact info of the previous owner. However, its important to note that this was done only with prior consent of the previous owner to the dealership. As they were the original owner (purchased new), they were a wealth of information about the coach. The dealership had no reservations whatsoever about us speaking to the previous owner.I also gave consent to the dealership to give my contact info to the new owner of the the coach we were trading in.

Do you talk to previous owners before you buy? | Good Sam Community

wny_pat1
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
Federal Trade Commission's Privacy Rule and Auto Dealers
cwdavis
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
After we bought our coach, we asked the dealer to put us in touch with the previous owner to get maintenance records, etc. He contacted the fellow who then emailed us ...

... So, how the contact works may depend entirely on the personalities and circumstances involved in a particular sale. That said, though, if you're buying I do like slmranger's practice of making such a contact contingent on a sale.
doxiemom11
Explorer II
Jan 13, 2014
When we purchased our used Monaco - we called Monaco with our VIN and they checked and verified what recalls had been done. Everything had been taken care of. We have no idea who the previous owner was because we purchased it from a small town dealer who did not disclose the information from the title (nor did we ask). He had purchased it and we were purchasing from him.
workhardplayha1
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
If you want a relationship with the prior/previous owner perhaps you should consider a private party sale.
zmotorsports
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
mtrumpet wrote:
I think that it's important to note...If you have the opportunity to speak with the PO, don't make a pest out of yourself (i.e. multiple phone calls about every little thing). Ask your questions, find out the info you want to find out about, then be done with it. I only spoke to the previous owners of our rig only one time, for about 20-30 minutes. Very nice people. But that was it. I found out what I needed to know and was done with it. Although they welcomed me to call them if any other info was needed, I wouldn't do that (Unless it was really, really important).

Agreed. Good point. I know there are some that given a telephone number would be calling it non-stop and definitely making a pest of themselves.

Had I had an experience like that on the first one there is no way I would have agreed or volunteered on the second one.

Mike.
mtrumpet
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
I think that it's important to note...If you have the opportunity to speak with the PO, don't make a pest out of yourself (i.e. multiple phone calls about every little thing). Ask your questions, find out the info you want to find out about, then be done with it. I only spoke to the previous owners of our rig only one time, for about 20-30 minutes. Very nice people. But that was it. I found out what I needed to know and was done with it. Although they welcomed me to call them if any other info was needed, I wouldn't do that (Unless it was really, really important).
Flowergirl
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
Our dealer got prior consent for us calling PO. We asked them for the matching stove top and sink Corian covers that were not with the coach. They said they would sell them to us for another $300 bucks. Not sure what they were going to do with them but we said no thanks.
zmotorsports
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
As others have already stated, privacy law nowadays prevents the dealers from being able to pass along that information.

That said, I on the other hand offered to do a walkthru with potential buyers on both of our previous rigs that I traded in. I was happy to be of help to the dealership and I knew the coaches inside and out as well as wanted to "brag" a little on the maintenance, records and the modifications that I performed on them while my wife and I owned them.

From what I gather that is far from the norm and many co-workers and friends thought I was crazy for even offering. However, I had absolutely nothing to hide as well as the fact that the dealership treated me well on both the trade and new to us coaches so I thought it was the least I could do.

Mike.
Dyngbld
Explorer
Jan 13, 2014
I would be interested, though why you would be upset at a new owner trying to find more info about something they just bought. As you said, you're done with it...what could it hurt?..Wouldn't you want it if you were the buyer..?

Not that every one would do this, but do you really want someone calling you everytime they find something wrong, or something they don't understand about a coach you owned two years ago?
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Jan 13, 2014
Executive wrote:
bigdogger wrote:
When I sell or trade something, I am done with it. I will be POed at the dealer for giving out my name and at any prospective buyer or owner if they researched and tracked me down.

Exactly why dealers don't want to give out that info. IMHO though, you're in the minority.....Dennis

I would be interested, though why you would be upset at a new owner trying to find more info about something they just bought. As you said, you're done with it...what could it hurt?..Wouldn't you want it if you were the buyer..?.:h....Dennis

The new owner could blame the previous owner for ANY problem since the dealer will claim that they did nothing but resell the coach. If you, as the previous owner, can predict the future about when something may fail, then feel free to talk to the new owners.
Just suppose that YOU made a modification to the coach and somehow that modification injures the new owner or one of his passengers, would their lawyer come after you?
Personally I would not want to talk to the previous owner or want any new owners to contact me. As mentioned, I am no longer the owner and I have moved on and owe the new owners nothing.