Long drive for new TT!!

sandhills wrote:
Yes...thats with all costs considered. Now...I would rather buy local...but $2500 is rather substantial...and that's with the Caliber model(few more upgrades)while the local is the standard model. That alone is worth an additional $2500...which would make it closer to 5k that I would be saving. I don't have to have the upgraded version(but it sure looks nice!!) I am self employed so can make the trip anytime. Barring any issues, I can make the trip in 2 days. I have no issues with the local dealer. They sell lots of campers and service area seems fine...so if the total costs were a little closer...I would rather buy there. Decisions...Decisions!!

Sounds like it's a green light if you have exhausted all efforts with the local guy. One word of caution don't be in a hurry. I don't know how you can go 750 miles one way towing an RV in 2 days. You need to allow at least a day for the PDI. and 15 hours drive time each way. I figure it is more of a 4-5 day trip vs. 2.
Maybe your thoughts are 2 days one way which is more realistic.
Do a thorough PDI, check everythings it's your only chance. Act as though if you find something wrong when you get home it's your own fault for not finding it sooner.
Camping a night at the dealership is also a wise idea. If the RV is not 100% acceptable be prepared to walk away or have dealer deliver for free. You assume a little extra risk by not playing the game on your home court,nevertheless the savings are generally worth the risk. Good Luck

Go Dogs wrote:
Another bit of 'free' advice. If your wife is having hip surgery,(speaking as a former ortho RN) don't buy anything until she is fully recuperated. ;)

Agree 100%.

As for OP not being able to decide based on feedback in this thread - l don't see why the OP can't decide. If you want a clear answer then these fora are not the places to look. If the $2300 savings is indeed after travel expenses at least one way, then the decision is clear - go for it. If after travel the margin is small then it is probably best to buy local.

If you are still hesitant after that, then buying out of state is not for you and you should just go to the local dealer.... after your wife recuperates, or at least is confident that a TT will not pose a problem. .

For me, saving $2000 would be a no brainer: I'd go the distance to get it.

But:

1. I'm retired
2. I place little to no value on my time, since I am retired
3. I love to drive, so a little road trip is fun. It's a major part of why I have a camper.

ps, I don't consider food to be part of my travel expense for a trip like this, because I can eat as cheap on the road as I do at home.

Thanks Go Dogs....she had right hip operated on 4 years ago...now time for the other. No fun at all!!

Yes...thats with all costs considered. Now...I would rather buy local...but $2500 is rather substantial...and that's with the Caliber model(few more upgrades)while the local is the standard model. That alone is worth an additional $2500...which would make it closer to 5k that I would be saving. I don't have to have the upgraded version(but it sure looks nice!!) I am self employed so can make the trip anytime. Barring any issues, I can make the trip in 2 days. I have no issues with the local dealer. They sell lots of campers and service area seems fine...so if the total costs were a little closer...I would rather buy there. Decisions...Decisions!!

sandhills wrote:
Thanks for all the great responses! Although i'm still not sure what to do..lol! After 5 pages of comments, it seems like a 50/50 split on whether to spend a little more and buy local or save some $$$ and buy long distance. For me...it would be saving $2300-$2600 so lots to think about. If it was only saving $1000 I would for sure buy local...if it was saving $3,000 or more I would for sure go pick it up or have delivered. One other thing I should add...my wife is having hip surgery end of April, so we wont even be using this camper until at least early June...so i guess I'm not in that big of a hurry. I'm not sure if TT prices go up/down or stay about the same as we get into summer??

Another bit of 'free' advice. If your wife is having hip surgery,(speaking as a former ortho RN) don't buy anything until she is fully recuperated. ;)

sandhills wrote:
Thanks for all the great responses! Although i'm still not sure what to do..lol! After 5 pages of comments, it seems like a 50/50 split on whether to spend a little more and buy local or save some $$$ and buy long distance. For me...it would be saving $2300-$2600 so lots to think about. If it was only saving $1000 I would for sure buy local...if it was saving $3,000 or more I would for sure go pick it up or have delivered. One other thing I should add...my wife is having hip surgery end of April, so we wont even be using this camper until at least early June...so i guess I'm not in that big of a hurry. I'm not sure if TT prices go up/down or stay about the same as we get into summer??

Does that $2300-$2600 include deducting travel expenses? What are your realistic travel expenses including food and fuel.
I see 750 miles as a 2-3 day trip with an RV. Do you have to miss work or are you retired?
Is your local dealer playing hardball? Is it a good dealership, with a good reputation and a good service department. What is the local dealers reputation like after the sale? All dealerships are not alike.
Observe the local dealer's service dept. Are you impressed? Would you like to bring your rig there for service?

If you really dig into the numbers and can qualify the local dealer the decision will be clear.

Thanks for all the great responses! Although i'm still not sure what to do..lol! After 5 pages of comments, it seems like a 50/50 split on whether to spend a little more and buy local or save some $$$ and buy long distance. For me...it would be saving $2300-$2600 so lots to think about. If it was only saving $1000 I would for sure buy local...if it was saving $3,000 or more I would for sure go pick it up or have delivered. One other thing I should add...my wife is having hip surgery end of April, so we wont even be using this camper until at least early June...so i guess I'm not in that big of a hurry. I'm not sure if TT prices go up/down or stay about the same as we get into summer??

Go Dogs wrote:
It is stated on the Coachmen brochures, that they recommend buying from a local dealer. I don't blame the dealers one bit for not wanting to service a unit, that they did not sell. The ones around here have their service bays full with their own customers. As I said, they don't even want to inspect units that they didn't sell. My experience is that it is better to buy local. Don't be 'Penny wise and pound foolish'.

Well, you are kinder towards them than I am. My feeling are if this industry wants to be taken seriously, they need to get their act together and join the modern world of marketing and focus on customer satisfaction. That starts with improving quality control at the manufacturing process, and extends to treating the customers right all the way down to the dealer level, no matter where the customer buys the product. They need to see that it should be an integrated network of manufacturer, dealer, and customer.

This is not hard, and all the groundwork is done for them....all they have to do is look at how the major auto makers handle all this is the US market. My two cents on it....so take it with a grain of salt.

It is stated on the Coachmen brochures, that they recommend buying from a local dealer. I don't blame the dealers one bit for not wanting to service a unit, that they did not sell. The ones around here have their service bays full with their own customers. As I said, they don't even want to inspect units that they didn't sell. My experience is that it is better to buy local. Don't be 'Penny wise and pound foolish'.