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Apassalacqua75's avatar
Jun 03, 2025

Don’t buy here

Review of North Trail RV Center - Buyer Beware!

 

I recently had an unfortunate experience purchasing an RV from North Trail RV Center, and I feel compelled to share my thoughts to help others avoid the same pitfalls.

Initially, I was excited about finding the perfect RV and thought I was getting a great deal. However, things took a turn for the worse during the paperwork process. The staff had me sign a waiver that, unbeknownst to me at the time, could lead to serious legal implications, including the potential suspension of my driver’s license. They assured me that it was standard procedure for RVs to be registered under the serial number instead of the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), which seemed plausible and common for RVs.

However, what they didn’t clarify was that registering a vehicle using the serial number instead of the VIN can create significant legal issues. The VIN is a unique identifier assigned to every vehicle, providing essential information regarding its history, ownership, and legal status. When an RV is registered with only the serial number, it complicates matters like insurance coverage, theft recovery, and even resale value. Additionally, many states require the VIN for proper registration, and failing to adhere to these regulations could lead to fines, penalties, or even the suspension of your driver’s license if you’re found to be operating a vehicle that isn’t registered correctly.

After signing the waiver, I was left feeling confused and uneasy. It became apparent that this practice could put a burden on the buyer, leading to complications down the road. Now, not only do we have to spend more money on layers of legal protection and repairs, but we also have to miss work to resolve these issues.

If you’re considering purchasing an RV from North Trail RV Center, I strongly advise you to do your due diligence. Read every document carefully, and don’t hesitate to ask for clarifications, especially regarding waivers and the registration process. It’s crucial to understand what you’re signing and the potential consequences that could follow.

In summary, while I was initially drawn in by their offerings, the lack of transparency and the implications of the paperwork left me feeling misled and frustrated. We felt taken advantage of, especially since, even knowing we couldn't secure the RV properly, they were still asking us where we were planning to go sightseeing next. Protect yourself and think twice before making a purchase here!

20 Replies

  • So a bit of grace here for you, unlike me or others, you may have not dealt with odd dmv or insurance issues in the past. 
    But in the state of FL you do have a few problems if you don’t have insurance. You should have already received a notice from the dmv revoking your plates and suspending drivers license for no current insurance on file. FL is tough on this unlike any other state I’ve dealt with. 
    Get tough w/ Progressive or find new insurance immediately or you’ll have issues with the State, whether it’s parked or not. 
    call the Farm Bureau. Great rates. Beat Progressive and others on my sons car. 

    This ain’t a dealer issue though. And you’re mostly right that you will have legal issues in Florida if you don’t get your insurance handled. 

  • Maybe drive the RV over to the DMV and try again. It's very possible that the original person at the DMV is just someone who is jaded with their job and didn't want to help. And the next person you talk to is more amicable and willing to help you resolve it. Even go to a different DMV office if the first one you were at talked to their manager and the manager was the not so helpful one. Explain that you have this issue, the seller is not going to help, the insurance says xxxx and please help you fix this. The RV is right there in the parking lot if they need to see it. 
    Or you can go the route you are saying where you get a third party involved, you spend a lot of money on those third party fees (possibly more that the RV is even worth), and eventually it gets resolved. 

     

  • Do you just want to vent? Or are you looking for advice?

    Did the DMV person offer any advise on how to resolve this? 

    Did you contact the dealership for assistance in this? What did they say? Is this a used RV lot or do they sell new and used? 

    • Apassalacqua75's avatar
      Apassalacqua75
      Explorer

      Let people what happened to us so they don’t make the same mistake. 
      Used and yes I contact the dealer and they don’t care o want to help. Now I have hire a lawyer to fix the problem before we loose our driver licenses. 

      • Grit_dog's avatar
        Grit_dog
        Navigator

        So you got an ishy feeling about, well, probably nothing, and still bought the RV?  
        Now you’re claiming you have legal troubles with the title and/or registration?

        None of this makes any sense, really, unless you’re actually going to explain the real problem and the consequences you’re so worried about. 
        That said, to be fair, different states do have different and sometimes strange sounding requirements or lack thereof.
        But in this case, will chalk up your experience to some hand wringing or too much late night googling about stuff you think could go wrong.
        I doubt that a large chain of RV dealers like the one you mention, send all their customers out the door committing some sort of vehicle registration violation. 

  • Lots of details missing like the year and type of RV. It's very common for Chassis year and the house year to be different and the VIN may only show an incomplete vehicle while the SN may show a completed RV. So a SN may be required instead. In short, you seem to be making a huge issue out of nothing. If the DMV provides a title and you get insurance then it's a moot point. You are borrowing a lot of trouble that will most undoubtedly not come to fruition, and then you write a trash review on a dealership about something that will likely never be a problem. 

    • Apassalacqua75's avatar
      Apassalacqua75
      Explorer

      In the state of Florida don’t work like that. They should register the vin number not the serial number as well they are the only ones that can’t change it. If will be that easy I will get it done, but after spending 2 hours at the DMV office last Saturday they couldn’t correct it. 

      • Grit_dog's avatar
        Grit_dog
        Navigator

        Yea, this doesn’t make sense. You got a registration and the state is issuing you title and tags, right?  Thats all you need. 
        FL is tough on residents to minimize the number of uninsured and unregistered vehicles though. It’s nice because there should be less uninsured drivers, but a pain in the ass in some circumstances like my sons. 

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