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Brent_in_Louisv's avatar
Brent_in_Louisv
Explorer
Jan 18, 2018

Distance From Dealership When Considering a New Truck Camper

I am currently saving up for a 1 ton dually and a larger sized TC, my first foray into the TC world. Three brands I am considering are Northern Lite, Arctic Fox and Lance. As I am looking around, Lance seems to be the only brand with dealerships near me in Louisville, KY, Arctic Fox and Northern Light seem to have all their dealerships on the Western half of the US. Would a brand's dealerships being a half day or more drive compared to a few hours for another brand steer you away from that longer distance brand knowing someday your TC will need service and you will need to take it there? Driving 2 hours for service would not be fun but certainly beats driving 12 or 18 or more hours.

Appreciate and thoughts you may have.
Truck Campers

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  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    Jan 19, 2018
    X2 don,t worry about the dealer, theres plenty of mom,pop shops that do repaires. and a lot of mobil techs can do warrenty work. here in ohio northeast canton area we have a very good mom,pop shop .they do it right and don,t break the bank. you get to deal with the owner and talk to the mech. can,t be beat.
  • fitznj's avatar
    fitznj
    Explorer
    Jan 19, 2018
    My last TT was bought from a dealer approx 900 miles away (because it was the floorplan I was looking for). TTs are not rocket science, most use the same components (Atwood, Wingard etc), so any RV place should be able to service your TC.

    I've had 4 TTs - and they really very basic; wiring, plumbing, wall construction etc etc. I have not found anything that I can't fix myself.

    Distance from a dealer is not something that I would worry about.
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator III
    Jan 19, 2018
    But a used one, save way more $ than you'd be likely to benefit from a year of warranty and then get it fixed anywhere if you need to.

    Or buy a Lance, they're nice too.
    But I'm the guy that won't drive to the oil change place 20 minutes away because it would still take longer than doing it myself....and I'm cheap!
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Jan 18, 2018
    Several things you need to consider.
    -do you have an RV repair shop that can do warranty work for any brand?
    - do you plan to use TC only in your area? Most of owners do repairs 2000 or more miles from home
    -educate yourself when picking up new camper and don't hesitate to walk away if it does not meet your expectation. I know it is not easy decision, but once you accept inferior craftsmanship, you might never get it back on right track.
    BTW TC don't require oil changes, so you don't have scheduled service on them.

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