I'm in the process of researching and buying a new Mercedes Sprinter Chassis RV and have moved from online research to hitting the dealers. (this will be my second RV, I previously had a small travel trailer, but was not really involved in the purchase process) One dealer I went to mentioned PDI, I wasn't sure what it was so looked it up online when I got home. Well you can imagine my shock when I discovered what it was he wanted to charge me an additional $3,995 for! I consider myself a savvy buyer, I know what the range of the markup on a new RV usually is, and have my bottom line out the door figure already calculated. So I'm not necessarily concerned about what ever they "call PDI", but has anyone actually had a dealer try to add PDI for that much??? In my opinion it should be part of the dealership's overhead etc and I'm sure I'll pay something for it in the final figure I pay, but I've never heard of someone trying to charge that much. I can't imagine what they would actually do for $3995.

I just ran into this too. They called it a "make ready" charge for $599 at a reputable dealer in the Houston area. This was for a $60k used Class C unit. I was able to have them reduce the selling price by that amount, but they still wanted to show the charge on the invoice to pay the service department. When I questioned the charge, I got the "every dealer does this" type answer. I wonder if they charge also based on a percentage of purchase price?

I would ask the dealer for a list of what they do during a PDI for $3995.

Usually the charge for a PDI is built into the selling price. Some manufacturers actually will pay the dealer for doing a PDI at a fixed rate. Being a RV tech, a PDI should not take any more than 3 hours, it may or may not include the sewer hose, plug adapter, in some cases a bottle of sewer chemical and maybe a few other small items but the charge you quoted is excessive

Well he did come back and offer to cut the PDI charge down to $2,000 to get closer to my bottom line price. I told him thanks, but no thanks. :)

DebbieA wrote:Well he did come back and offer to cut the PDI charge down to $2,000 to get closer to my bottom line price. I told him thanks, but no thanks. :)Yeah, that's ridiculous.

PDI Charge on a New RV Question | Good Sam Community

27 Replies

map40
Explorer
Jan 07, 2016
Get the OTD price you you want and when you do the walk through and find issues they missed ask them for a refund of the PDI and make money that way!!!!
PSW
Explorer
Jan 07, 2016
Here is one technique if you are not using dealer financing (paying cash or have already made arrangements at your bank, credit union, Uncle Willy, etc.). Make the deal, write out a check in front of the sales guy/sales manager, whoever. Hold the check in your hand and simply say that is the total to the penny you are going to pay them, period. If they balk, tear up the check and head for the door.

Always have "extree" checks! Most of the time, they will come a runnin'!!

Isn't it a shame that we are reduced to these tactics when dealing with so many of these folks? Buying an everyday vehicle or an RV should be an exciting purchase and time, not reduced to a an experience of grief, anger and frustration.

Our last RV purchase was from an individual and boy was it a pleasant, coffee drinking, story telling experience. Why don't dealers learn? Why don't sales people educate themselves? The individual seller and I came to an agreement in fifteen minutes and we went to the bank and completed the transaction. That was after I inspected his almost new unit with a fine tooth comb.

Paul
ron_dittmer
Explorer III
Jan 07, 2016
x96mnn wrote:
What people really need to be not "caught up into" and the OP mentioned it, anything other then the final price out the door. I don't care if the charge 5k for the unit and 55k for the PDI on paper if 60k is a great price I am buying.
Given identical OTD cost to the buyer, I believe it is to the buyer's benefit to be charged more PDI and less purchase price. This because sales tax will be only on the purchase price. So charge me $55,000 in PDI and $5,000 for the motor home. Then I will pay sales tax on a $5,000 purchase. :)
mgirardo
Explorer
Jan 05, 2016
We didn't pay a fee for PDI on our first two RVs as far as I can remember. We offered the dealer a price and they accepted it. If they charged a PDI, it didn't effect the bottom line.

On our current motorhome, they did charge us a fee of $1,500. However, that was included in the bottom line price. We asked them what was a realistic price of the motorhome. They told us, the last one they sold went for this much and that is what they'd like to get for the one they wanted to sell us. We were happy with their offer. They added PDI afterwards, but lowered the price of the MH so the bottom line would not be affected. The only thing we paid extra for was sales tax, licensing and documentation fees.

-Michael
DebbieA
Explorer
Jan 05, 2016
coolmom42 wrote:
JAXFL wrote:
haddy1 wrote:
Your bottom line is yours.

How they get there is their problem.

Every time that I shop for a vehicle, I only accept their out the door cost for comparison.

X2

X3

I totally agree, and that's what I'm sticking too, I was just flabbergasted with the $ amount he was quoting me for that "service" By the end of the conversation he finally "got" that I wasn't budging from my bottom line, stopped discussing PDI and agreed to my bottom line IF I financed with them (even though I told him more than once I already had my own financing already approved and ready to go). All that being said I wouldn't buy from this dealership just because of this guy AND their horrible reviews for service, sales tactics. Not to mention the fact he insulted my intelligence more than once. :B
coolmom42
Explorer II
Jan 05, 2016
JAXFL wrote:
haddy1 wrote:
Your bottom line is yours.

How they get there is their problem.

Every time that I shop for a vehicle, I only accept their out the door cost for comparison.

X2

X3
JAXFL
Explorer
Jan 05, 2016
haddy1 wrote:
Your bottom line is yours.

How they get there is their problem.

Every time that I shop for a vehicle, I only accept their out the door cost for comparison.

X2
gbopp
Explorer
Jan 05, 2016
I think the question is, why do you pay for a PDI on a new vehicle that 'should' be in perfect working condition?

You're just paying for the poor workmanship and quality control from the factory.
haddy1
Explorer
Jan 05, 2016
Your bottom line is yours.

How they get there is their problem.

Every time that I shop for a vehicle, I only accept their out the door cost for comparison.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jan 05, 2016
Contact the MFG and ask why dealer is charging you $4K for the PDI....see what kind of response you get.