Going to buy an Open Range

crochetdiva wrote:
So we know which Open Range we are getting. We have already named it Squeaky. However the brick wall I have run right into is how to not get taken advantage of by the RV dealership. What questions do I need to ask? Neither my husband or I have ever bought an RV before.

First, do not believe what the salesman tells you about "towing capacity" of your truck. With a fifth wheel, it's not about how much you can tow, it's how much you can CARRY. Never forget that your truck is carrying as much as 25% of the total weight of the FW in its bed. You also have to remember that the truck is also carrying =you=, fuel, the hitch and any "stuff" you want in the truck. All that has to be figured into the payload of your truck. Rule of thumb is to choose the FW first, then buy the truck to match it. If you find that the truck you need is simply too big, then lower your sights on the FW to something smaller.

Don't get bamboozled into buying extended warranties, upholstery treatments, exterior treatments and other add-ons. Most are just a waste of money.

MSRP is a number that the dealer usually pulls out of his nether regions. I've seen "MSRP"s for virtually identical units several thousand $$ apart, and that's what they are "dealing" on. A general rule of thumb seems to be that you should be able to get about 30% off the MSRP on almost any unit. Don't be afraid to shop around at out-of-town or out-of-state dealers and see if your local dealer will price-match or come close enough to keep you from going out of state/town.

In general, if you do buy out-of-town, your local dealer(s) will likely put you at the bottom of their service list if/when you need service. The real a-hole dealers won't even service your rig at all, simply because you didn't buy from them. Most manufactures (I don't know about OR, so you might want to ask them directly) seem to be willing to work with certified local independent service providers if the local dealer won't work with them.

If the dealer wants to install your hitch, shop the price around a bit, as you can usually find you can have it done much cheaper at a dedicated hitch shop.

NEVER be afraid to ask questions here, even if you think they're trivial. The only dumb questions are the ones that don't get asked. You can bet that someone here has experienced exactly what you're asking about at some point in time. :-)

Lyle