Is this a good deal?

egurewitz wrote:
I have been to La Mesa, Lazydays & Freedom (both locations), but not Pedata. Good to know they are all reputable dealers. I really liked the people at Lazydays and their "philosophy". The sales person spent several hours with me, showing me different RVs and explaining the differences. There was no pressure at all. They said whenever I want to come back, I am welcome, whether I buy now or in a year, or not at all. They also offer free driver training classes and a 3-night stay at their Camping Wprld RV park.

Thanks for all the advice on what to buy and what to look for. After reading about Forest River on some other forums, I think it may not be a good option. I will try to stay with your recommendations.

Gas or DP (yes, I know there are other forums where this has been discussed "to death"); is one easier to drive for a petite newbie?

As you would probably discover by searching here, Lazy days has lots of fans and detractors. We did the whole day tour with a salesman, and got the whole experience. In the end. we bought at a competitor. We ended up with a sweet, used, diesel Winny Journey, in excellent condition, for about 15% less than Lazy Days best price on a similar gas coach, that wasn't even close to being in similar condition. In my experience, doing business with Lazy Days would of cost us 20-30% more than aggressively negotiating with other dealers who wanted the business. Personally, I found the operation to be impressive, and it is designed to create the feeling that you are in the "Disney" of the RV world. They rely on a massive volume of shoppers, and stick to "bottom line" prices that are significantly higher than what is easily negotiated elsewhere, by a savvy buyer.

In talking to folks who were actually going through the sale process, many of them were trading in their coach for a newer/nicer rig. IMHO, this is where the gravy is for the dealer. We discussed a trade-in, and after all the smoke and mirrors were removed, they hoped to get our low mileage truck and newer, loaded travel trailer for $9K. We sold the pair, from our yard for $30K. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that a lot of "move up" buyers get thoroughly hosed in deals like this, and walk away smiling
Finally, DO NOT assume that any dealer is trustworthy, or reputable. I bought from one of the dealers you listed. They have well documented case, recently featured on the forums, of knowingly hiding a severely rust damaged windshield frame in a used motorhome. They were aware that it is a well known defect, that they were replacing the glass because it cracked due to the extreme rot, and that doing so was a violation of federal law regarding passenger safety and crashworthiness. When the new owner asked them to do the right thing, and repair the issue they hid, they told him to $%^&* off. In my case, my salesman spent a month lying to me, claiming that he was "working on" getting me the previous owner's maintenance records, when in fact, he never intended to do so. When you find a coach, never pay more than NADA low retail, and always have it inspected, prior to purchase, by an independent expert. Good luck, and be careful.