wholesaler price vs. local dealer price

We also bought from RVW and saved over $3500, and that's after having it delivered from OH to MA. Now that I think about it we saved an another $1000. The price from our local dealer was for an aluminum sided unit and RVW delivered a fiberglass sided unit which according to our local dealer would be an additional $1000.

We bought both our HTT and TT from RVW and yes, we were comparing apples to apples. Even after costs of driving from West TN to OH to pick up the HTT our savings were over $4000....believe it or not, makes no difference to me. On our TT, even more. We have 1 "local" dealer and he will swear he's almost giving you the trailer at a 10% discount and WILL NOT BUDGE.

General warranty service is a phone call away to RVW's warranty department. On our recent trip to FL, the microwave went out. DH called, they totally agreed that it needed replacement and what the rep had to determine is whether FR sends us the replacement or Magic Chef, since the trailer is still under warranty. Very responsive service. We've also had couple of things serviced at a semi-local dealer with no problems. We had an insurance claim with our HTT and it was handled by an excellent dealer in Olive Branch, MS. The service is out there and just like anything else, you may have to do a bit of legwork yourself to find what's right for you.

If we'd gotten down to a $1500 difference, we'd likely have bought locally. We tried, but the local joker didn't even make an effort.

For what it's worth, we received a better price for our Solaire at our hometown dealer here in Indy vs. RvWholesalers- by about $1500. I would not hesitate to purchase from RvWholesalers if the price was right. I know dealers can do what they want, but the way I see it even warranty work is income for them. As long as they are not swamped with their own customers, they why would the turn you away?

You can get an RV repaired at any CW! Why the fuss?

most dealers will do it for the traveling public and hope others do the same for his customers in return…

Yes, but many don't. I think that's the point. What good is a warranty when you're 2000 miles away?

Some of these low cost sellers require a nonrefundable deposit and payment in full when the RV leaves the mfg.… it is yours and hopefully all goes well but it doesn’t always… I don’t buy any big ticket item sight unseen… you can find horror stories about this in these forums…

With my recent purchase, I've discovered that "new" doesn't necessarily mean it's right. I've discovered a lot of little things that I couldn't have possibly have found when I was at the dealer.

Lots of little nicks, scratches, scuffs and some wiring issues. And now, I find out about front tie down hook integration (or lack thereof) that Northwood uses on the Wolf Creeks.

The bathroom door had about 1/2" gouge in it. My dealer was just gonna just let it go if I hadn't said something. They seemed bothered that they had to replace the door, and that I was being nit-picky. Really?? I'm about to fork over a small fortune (by my standard) for a cardboard box....It should be in PERFECT condition. It had only been on the lot for about a month.

Our Dealers are as a rule, independently owned and operated businesses. Outside of those customers they personally sold products to, they are not contractually obligated to perform warranty service on Forest River products that were purchased elsewhere. There may be an occasion that you would be required to return to the point of purchase to satisfy warranty requirements.

Although many dealerships will eventually service products not purchased at their place of business, they will usually take care of their customers and other Forest River customers who are traveling away from their local dealer as they would their own.

This really should change. It would give a TREMENDOUS amount of confidence to customers and potential customers if they knew that they could absolutely count on getting their rig repaired under warranty while on the road at ANY authorized dealer, without ANY worries.

And yes, I know that this isn't the truck camper forum. It applies all the same IMO.

edit

I purchased my TT from a wholesaler and saved around $4000. The two closest RV dealers are 1.5 and 2 hours from where I live. I drove a 700mi round trip to get my TT, but I feel it was worth it. There are two local guys that are certified to work on my brand of TT. Both do great work, both will store my TT in a bay while they have it, and both do better work than Camping World, which is where I purchased my first TT. The local guys fix any problems in a day and are 15 min away. Camping world had my TT for 5 weeks to do a yearly inspection and forgot to tighten the AC unit back after the inspection. The first rain we encountered soaked the inside of my unit. When I called CW, they denied any responsibility. So much for doing business locally.

Just to throw my $0.02 in....
Checked with a dealer 65-70 miles from me. Got a decent price. Had several conversations with a "wholesaler" 6+ hours away but could only get a price within a couple hundred of the "local" dealer. Long story short - I went with the local dealer. My first trip with the camper, I was in the campground and promptly hit a 4x4 post and tore up the rear section of my brand new power awning.
The relationship I have with my local dealer is fantastic. They went out of their way to replace the awning and stored my camper at their facility so I didn't have to drag the trailer and spend the extra $$$ in gas money to bring it back.
Any offer from a "wholesaler" would have to be well worth my while to drive the extra miles and spend the extra money in gas to make such a purchase.
But, we all have our preferences of what we would do and what we're willing to spend. OP, Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

Larry

sandhills wrote:
Is it unreasonable to expect my dealer to match the wholesaler on price? I know they will have shipping on my ordering it with local guy, but I will have shipping as well with wholesaler. With all else being equal...right now the local dealer is $1,500 more than wholesaler.
Thanks for any advice!

Buy the time you get walk out to your old unit, the price will be $10. less than the wholesalers.

On edit: Welcome OP!

Sigh... This thread pops up what? Once a month at least. Every time it's the same. OP. Buy what you feel most comfortable with. Go with your instincts and you will most likely do fine.

If you skip the local dealer know that they *might* be a pita if you ever should happen to need to get service.

In the 3 plus years I've been reading here, I can't remember a thread where somebody bought in one city and could not get service in another because they didn't buy there. I can remember threads where local dealers were jackasses. Not saying it hasn't happened. I just don't think in real life it happens a lot. Not in metro areas with competition anyway. Your experience may vary where you live - keep that in mind.

So. You place your bets and you takes your chances.

Rant alert:

In my case, the dealer local to me was not only thousands higher than where I ended up buying, but he was also unwilling to order a unit the way I wanted it, and actually scoffed at the idea that I might want to pay him *more* $$$ for the optional Arctic package. There I was throwing extra money at him to get what I wanted and he was laughing at me.

Called the "wholesaler" 120 miles away. Told them the exact unit and exact options I wanted, the interior decor scheme I wanted. Got a quote thousands of dollars less for a 2014 than the local guy would do me the favor of offering for a 2013 model year on his lot without the options I wanted. I can do a lot of camping for 7 or 10K.

In the interest of full disclosure, in my case it has worked out both ways. I saved a whole lot of money and the dealer I purchased from ended up opening a branch much closer to me. Close enough that I won't bother with the other dealer again, even though he is still closer to me. I'd rather spend the extra $ on somebody I trust and who does not laugh and scoff at me. Had the far away dealer ended up 1,500 higher than the local guy at a price I though was fair, I would have probably made the drive anyway.

Local dealers worth a carp (yes I edited this to be a less naughty word) will do business where there is business to be had. I do NOT expect them to loose money on my behalf. But, if they are worthwhile, they will treat customers well no matter where they come from, and yes, they will at times bump a loyal customer to the front of the line. That's a risk I can live with. I can't live with a dealer that won't deal, and who does not respect their own perspective customers.

Ok done with the rant.