downtheroad wrote:
My advice: camp in it as soon as possible. actually use it early on as much as possible. This will allow you to find out what works, what doesn't and what needs dealer attention.
The sooner you do this and get it back to the dealer to address your, "punch list," the better off you will be.
Don't buy it, store it, and then let it sit unused...
This is great advice. Camp, camp, camp, camp..... That first year goes by fast!!!!!!!!!!!!! and warranty items take time to fix. Buying near the end of the camping season will limit your experience. You can and should camp in your driveway, using it as much as you can. (A/C might be a challenge as most people don't have electric at their houses to run the A/C.)
At the dealer, they should hook everything up and show its working. Water, electric, a/c, water pump, hot water tank turns on first time w/ propane. Look at everything slowly and carefully. Check trim pieces, flooring, doors, cabinet doors, lights, both sides of cushions for rips or tears, shower head, roof vent covers (I noticed mine were cracked and the dealer fixed it right there), etc....
My camper had issues with the brakes when I bought it. They were vibrating and tugging like crazy when stopping at all settings. They told me this was normal and its not! It was a nightmare to get them fixed and the dealer would not help since I already took it home. (Home was ~7hrs away) I suggest a test drive with your truck before you sign the papers as well. This is not a joke and I will definitely do this with my next camper. We test drive cars, why not campers...
Two of the confusing things for most new people are how to run the HW tank on electric or propane and how to run the fridge on electric or propane. Write this down as its easy to forget.
Before leaving, know how to use the WD/Stab hitch, check tire pressure's are correct and all lights are working.
Have fun and congrats!
