Factory to Dealer Transport
Unless you purchased your new RV directly from a dealer near the manufacturer, it has likely been towed or driven maybe a couple of thousand miles. My comments are mainly directed towards transport of motorhomes. A few years ago when the transmission gave out at around 22,000 miles, it was hinted by the repair shop that a possible cause was abuse. Was it initial transport or the frequent shuttling from the dealer to RV shows? Ours was already a year old when we bought it "New". I just shrugged it off as an unexplained failure. We did get a new transmission and torque converter after two failed attempts to rebuild.
Over the years we have noticed RVs on the road that were on the way to the dealer. A few times, I wondered if the new owner would have bought had they known the history. We are in the process of looking at a new motor home and having a dealer just a few miles away would be convenience. In doing research on the Net, I came across a dealer just a few miles away from the factory. While I am not convinced that there is any advantage for buying from them, they did make a point that you are getting a factory fresh RV and not something that was exposed to untold horrors in transport. A friend bought a fifth-wheel and traveled 2,000 miles to pick it up from a dealer down the block from where it was built. In his case, the cost savings was significant. That is something that would influence me as well.
All things being equal and with a sharp pencil, I would just assume buy from my local dealer as they would be doing any required service. That is until I saw something yesterday that made me think twice about buying a motor home that has been driven by ANYONE else. We spotted two new motor coaches with cars in tow that were obviously being delivered to the dealer. With a little research, I figured out where they were built and who was the dealer. I then mapped out the shortest route. The shortest route is not necessarily the best route. Here in town, we had a rash of tractor trailer trucks following a GPS route that took them under a railroad bridge that was just a bit too low. Despite the warning signs en-route, several trailers had the roofs peeled off.
Anyway, these two motor coaches that were no less than 34 feet in length were on a mountain road that was well marked with warnings with a "Last Chance" turn around. The limitation was steep grades, hairpin turns, 16 foot max pavement width two lanes, 35 foot length restrictions. Other hazards included trees and foliage low hanging and to the sides and zero clearance at pavement edge where the road was chiseled through volcanic rock. Many blind turns with oncoming traffic. My Class C Sprinter, in my opinion, the upper limit of being able to navigate with no room for error.
Okay, did they blindly trust the GPS looking for a short-cut? Were they sightseeing or were they just plain stupid? I will go with stupid, because the road was well marked and anyone with common sense would have taken another route. Google Maps says that the route they took was 12 miles shorter than the road they should have taken. A main truck route would have added only 42 miles to the 2,000+ mile trip from factory to dealer. Well, there are at least two $150,000 RVs that I know of that I would steer clear of.
Over the years we have noticed RVs on the road that were on the way to the dealer. A few times, I wondered if the new owner would have bought had they known the history. We are in the process of looking at a new motor home and having a dealer just a few miles away would be convenience. In doing research on the Net, I came across a dealer just a few miles away from the factory. While I am not convinced that there is any advantage for buying from them, they did make a point that you are getting a factory fresh RV and not something that was exposed to untold horrors in transport. A friend bought a fifth-wheel and traveled 2,000 miles to pick it up from a dealer down the block from where it was built. In his case, the cost savings was significant. That is something that would influence me as well.
All things being equal and with a sharp pencil, I would just assume buy from my local dealer as they would be doing any required service. That is until I saw something yesterday that made me think twice about buying a motor home that has been driven by ANYONE else. We spotted two new motor coaches with cars in tow that were obviously being delivered to the dealer. With a little research, I figured out where they were built and who was the dealer. I then mapped out the shortest route. The shortest route is not necessarily the best route. Here in town, we had a rash of tractor trailer trucks following a GPS route that took them under a railroad bridge that was just a bit too low. Despite the warning signs en-route, several trailers had the roofs peeled off.
Anyway, these two motor coaches that were no less than 34 feet in length were on a mountain road that was well marked with warnings with a "Last Chance" turn around. The limitation was steep grades, hairpin turns, 16 foot max pavement width two lanes, 35 foot length restrictions. Other hazards included trees and foliage low hanging and to the sides and zero clearance at pavement edge where the road was chiseled through volcanic rock. Many blind turns with oncoming traffic. My Class C Sprinter, in my opinion, the upper limit of being able to navigate with no room for error.
Okay, did they blindly trust the GPS looking for a short-cut? Were they sightseeing or were they just plain stupid? I will go with stupid, because the road was well marked and anyone with common sense would have taken another route. Google Maps says that the route they took was 12 miles shorter than the road they should have taken. A main truck route would have added only 42 miles to the 2,000+ mile trip from factory to dealer. Well, there are at least two $150,000 RVs that I know of that I would steer clear of.
