Picking up from MH manufacturer

[Foodsman]

Hi folks,

Is there an advantage in picking up your new MH directly from the manufacturer instead of a dealer? I realize you have to go through a dealer to make the sale, but is the dealer best place to pick it up?

Thanks for your help,

Harry

[dougrainer]

OhhWell wrote:

Effy wrote:

gswcgi wrote:
Effy:
The reason it costs more for a factory pick up is that most manufacturers do what most dealers can't or won't do and that is have the resources available to fix anything that is not right with the rig then and there. Knowledgeable and dedicated technicians are on site to quickly diagnose and fix any problem. They have the parts and know how to get it done , dealers rarely do. When I picked up my new rig at Monaco there were 15+ things that needed repair/replacement and all were taken care of in two days. Try finding a dealer who can do that, has the parts and more importantly has the know how. Most dealers sell you the unit and hope they will never see you again once you drive off the lot. My prior RV was an Allegro picked up at the dealer and the PDI was a nightmare. I had to call Mr. Tiffin to get the rig fixed, that took weeks of aggravation to resolve some serious manufacturing issue. The dealer couldn't come up with a pair of pliers.

So you pay extra money not to have to wait on warranty work which is free and/or by a better tech. I guess if that's your thing and your pockets are deep then so be it. I have a great dealer who gets stuff done fast. Maybe not in 2 days but fast and if it's warranty - free. I never have issues with their work. At the end of the day the concept is still a little absurd. You pay money for them to fix things that would be covered under warranty otherwise, or shouldn't have been an issue if PDI was actually done in the first place. I mean let's be real, it rolls off the line and has issues that you pay money to have fixed. I call that warranty work. PDI should be free. Any issues should be fixed for free despite proximity to the dealer. And a walkthrough should be free. These aren't nuclear subs, they are RV's. Sorry, I still don't get it. To each his own.

What jumps out at me is that someone is saving quite a few dollars on the transport cost and you still have to pay more to pick it up yourself? I don't know if that's the dealer or the plant. There is value in dealing with the factory but man.... that much of a charge to pick it up yourself just don't seem right.

The "factory" Technicians are NOT that knowledgeable about repairing RV's. Yes, they Can repair cabinet and build type issues, but as for Technical knowledge, very few have that training. GOOD dealerships have trained Technicians. Factory Techs are TRUE part changers, because they have the availability of just changing out parts rather than fixing the issue. YES, I make this statement because I AM a trained Technician with almost 35 years experience and have met scores of Monaco/Tiffin/Fleetwood/Newmar/Jayco Factory Techs at the Factory service centers. They are all pretty good at repairing Build Issues, but very poor on diagnostics of appliances and problems that take a trained tech to see and fix. I have repaired countless RV's that have been "repaired" at the factory and it goes to show, that factory does NOT mean better grade of competence. As I pointed out, some of you FAIL to see, there IS a cost to factory delivery. I find it funny that you state they come OFF the line and then you want to be there for the items that need repair. Do you NOT think that there should BE NO items that would require factory repair AT THE FACTORY? Especially if you are picking up at the factory. There are literally thousands of new motorhomes picked up each month thru out the USA and almost 100% delivered at a dealer. There are NO major problems for the majority of these deliveries. Newmar would have a Technician spend 2 days prioe to the customer delivery doing the PDI (that is what you paid the $1500 for) and fixing any items found BEFORE you walked in the unit and then he would give you the Walk Thru. So, almost 3 days spent on the Factory delivery and that is what you paid for. If your local dealer cannot have your new unit ready except for minor trim items that may be special ordered, maybe you should NOT be patronizing that dealer. The general rule of thumb is simple, If they have "goofballs" employed, then that shows the lack of professionalism of the dealership. Usually, having "goofballs" means THAT is why you got that great price that beat your local dealer. DO NOT pay for competent Staff and you can cut corners and cost. Doug

[dougrainer]

Foodsman wrote:
I guess I have no strong argument about paying PDI, but I sure don't understand not having credit for the delivery. Maybe the dealer factors that in with their price but I for one would like the dealer final price and then take the freight off. Maybe its a matter of semantics...

Hey lets buy a used rig in Seattle, make our best deal and then say deliver it to me in Key Largo! My wife just said, "Harry, we don't live in Key Largo", what does she know... 🙂

Oh the thrill of it all,

Harry

The "freight" is in the invoice to the dealer. It is NOT a separate line charge like in the days of Cars showing the delivery charge. The dealer has no real idea what the freight is as it is Spread out thru all dealers. Doug

[Foodsman]

I guess I have no strong argument about paying PDI, but I sure don't understand not having credit for the delivery. Maybe the dealer factors that in with their price but I for one would like the dealer final price and then take the freight off. Maybe its a matter of semantics...

Hey lets buy a used rig in Seattle, make our best deal and then say deliver it to me in Key Largo! My wife just said, "Harry, we don't live in Key Largo", what does she know... 🙂

Oh the thrill of it all,

Harry

[OhhWell]

Effy wrote:

gswcgi wrote:
Effy:
The reason it costs more for a factory pick up is that most manufacturers do what most dealers can't or won't do and that is have the resources available to fix anything that is not right with the rig then and there. Knowledgeable and dedicated technicians are on site to quickly diagnose and fix any problem. They have the parts and know how to get it done , dealers rarely do. When I picked up my new rig at Monaco there were 15+ things that needed repair/replacement and all were taken care of in two days. Try finding a dealer who can do that, has the parts and more importantly has the know how. Most dealers sell you the unit and hope they will never see you again once you drive off the lot. My prior RV was an Allegro picked up at the dealer and the PDI was a nightmare. I had to call Mr. Tiffin to get the rig fixed, that took weeks of aggravation to resolve some serious manufacturing issue. The dealer couldn't come up with a pair of pliers.

So you pay extra money not to have to wait on warranty work which is free and/or by a better tech. I guess if that's your thing and your pockets are deep then so be it. I have a great dealer who gets stuff done fast. Maybe not in 2 days but fast and if it's warranty - free. I never have issues with their work. At the end of the day the concept is still a little absurd. You pay money for them to fix things that would be covered under warranty otherwise, or shouldn't have been an issue if PDI was actually done in the first place. I mean let's be real, it rolls off the line and has issues that you pay money to have fixed. I call that warranty work. PDI should be free. Any issues should be fixed for free despite proximity to the dealer. And a walkthrough should be free. These aren't nuclear subs, they are RV's. Sorry, I still don't get it. To each his own.

What jumps out at me is that someone is saving quite a few dollars on the transport cost and you still have to pay more to pick it up yourself? I don't know if that's the dealer or the plant. There is value in dealing with the factory but man.... that much of a charge to pick it up yourself just don't seem right.

[Effy]

Mr.Mark wrote:

Effy wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
Harry and Effy, the fact of paying extra for the PDI for a factory delivery certainly did cross our minds. But, after thinking about it, we went for it. The extra cost is probably because the factory manager had to pull one of their techs off of the floor for two days.

The goofballs at our dealership service were just that most of the time, goofballs. You just can't beat the expertise of a factory tech showing you everything for two days. I would do it again if it was an option.

MM.

I imagine with the new one you have coming, all that fuss over you is included.

Effy, the new coach company really prefers delivery to be done at their showroom in Florida. Since it's going to be in November, Florida would be a great place to pick it up. They will also change all the fluids once it arrives at the showroom (they said).

I'm hoping the coach will have no teething pains. I'm paying for perfect and want perfect.
We'll see what happens.

MM.

I hope you get perfect. I am going to live vicariously through you for a while.

[Mr_Mark1]

Effy wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
Harry and Effy, the fact of paying extra for the PDI for a factory delivery certainly did cross our minds. But, after thinking about it, we went for it. The extra cost is probably because the factory manager had to pull one of their techs off of the floor for two days.

The goofballs at our dealership service were just that most of the time, goofballs. You just can't beat the expertise of a factory tech showing you everything for two days. I would do it again if it was an option.

MM.

I imagine with the new one you have coming, all that fuss over you is included.

Effy, the new coach company really prefers delivery to be done at their showroom in Florida. Since it's going to be in November, Florida would be a great place to pick it up. They will also change all the fluids once it arrives at the showroom (they said).

I'm hoping the coach will have no teething pains. I'm paying for perfect and want perfect.
We'll see what happens.

MM.

[Effy]

gswcgi wrote:
Effy:
The reason it costs more for a factory pick up is that most manufacturers do what most dealers can't or won't do and that is have the resources available to fix anything that is not right with the rig then and there. Knowledgeable and dedicated technicians are on site to quickly diagnose and fix any problem. They have the parts and know how to get it done , dealers rarely do. When I picked up my new rig at Monaco there were 15+ things that needed repair/replacement and all were taken care of in two days. Try finding a dealer who can do that, has the parts and more importantly has the know how. Most dealers sell you the unit and hope they will never see you again once you drive off the lot. My prior RV was an Allegro picked up at the dealer and the PDI was a nightmare. I had to call Mr. Tiffin to get the rig fixed, that took weeks of aggravation to resolve some serious manufacturing issue. The dealer couldn't come up with a pair of pliers.

So you pay extra money not to have to wait on warranty work which is free and/or by a better tech. I guess if that's your thing and your pockets are deep then so be it. I have a great dealer who gets stuff done fast. Maybe not in 2 days but fast and if it's warranty - free. I never have issues with their work. At the end of the day the concept is still a little absurd. You pay money for them to fix things that would be covered under warranty otherwise, or shouldn't have been an issue if PDI was actually done in the first place. I mean let's be real, it rolls off the line and has issues that you pay money to have fixed. I call that warranty work. PDI should be free. Any issues should be fixed for free despite proximity to the dealer. And a walkthrough should be free. These aren't nuclear subs, they are RV's. Sorry, I still don't get it. To each his own.

[gswcgi]

Effy:
The reason it costs more for a factory pick up is that most manufacturers do what most dealers can't or won't do and that is have the resources available to fix anything that is not right with the rig then and there. Knowledgeable and dedicated technicians are on site to quickly diagnose and fix any problem. They have the parts and know how to get it done , dealers rarely do. When I picked up my new rig at Monaco there were 15+ things that needed repair/replacement and all were taken care of in two days. Try finding a dealer who can do that, has the parts and more importantly has the know how. Most dealers sell you the unit and hope they will never see you again once you drive off the lot. My prior RV was an Allegro picked up at the dealer and the PDI was a nightmare. I had to call Mr. Tiffin to get the rig fixed, that took weeks of aggravation to resolve some serious manufacturing issue. The dealer couldn't come up with a pair of pliers.

[Effy]

Mr.Mark wrote:
Harry and Effy, the fact of paying extra for the PDI for a factory delivery certainly did cross our minds. But, after thinking about it, we went for it. The extra cost is probably because the factory manager had to pull one of their techs off of the floor for two days.

The goofballs at our dealership service were just that most of the time, goofballs. You just can't beat the expertise of a factory tech showing you everything for two days. I would do it again if it was an option.

MM.

I imagine with the new one you have coming, all that fuss over you is included.

[Mr_Mark1]

Harry and Effy, the fact of paying extra for the PDI for a factory delivery certainly did cross our minds. But, after thinking about it, we went for it. The extra cost is probably because the factory manager had to pull one of their techs off of the floor for two days.

The goofballs at our dealership service were just that most of the time, goofballs. You just can't beat the expertise of a factory tech showing you everything for two days. I would do it again if it was an option.

MM.

[dougrainer]

Effy wrote:
Something that eludes me. Why is factory pickup more? I mean there is no delivery, etc. It has to go though less as it's being picked up where it's built. If you are telling me that I would have to spend money to travel to go get it, and then spend extra for the manufacturer to do what they should be doing in the first place (PDI), this seems a bit absurd. It's a bit like building a house and paying for the puchout. Logic tells me picking up at the factory should cost less as I am saving them shipping fees and other incidentals. It should be ready to go. And for the money we spend, a tech walkthough should be part of the deal. Sorry, I don't get it. It should be cheaper.

Can you pick up a car at the GM/Ford Assbly plant?? NO. The reason is that the OEM's are NOT in the business to pdi and deliver RV's. There IS A COST. What makes you think there is no cost???? The factory has to have there Tech go thru (PDI) and then they usually fill all systems except motor fuel. They then have to have that tech walk thru the RV and explain everything. Transport costs for MOST RV makers is equalized so that farther away dealers do not suffer more expense than closer dealers. The exception is usually Canada and Alaska. YES, your logic is correct. THEY CHARGE to discourage factory pick up and PDI and walk thru's. The money you spend?????? You are buying a product and the PRICE is what you agree too. You are NOT paying for the PDI and Checkout AT the Factory level. THAT is a cost either absorbed thru the dealer or is added on like some dealers do. The Factory does NOT pay a dealer for a PDI and check out. So, YOU will have to pay somewhere. It may NOT be a separate item when you buy (like some dealers) but you DO PAY and it is in the price you negotiate. Doug

[Foodsman]

Effy I'm with you,

I have no idea how much freight is paid $ from the manufacturer to the dealer but it ain't cheap of that I'm sure. Even GM charges $650 for a Chevrolet, it defies logic!

It just seems crazy doesn't it? I would think it a huge advantage to the manufacturer, it has to be better for them to have there people handle any problems than paying the dealer for it.

I'm sure the answer will come from somone smarter than me, not a difficult thing BTW, but I'm like Effy, I don't get it... Where did we go so terribly wrong? 🙂

Harry

[Effy]

Something that eludes me. Why is factory pickup more? I mean there is no delivery, etc. It has to go though less as it's being picked up where it's built. If you are telling me that I would have to spend money to travel to go get it, and then spend extra for the manufacturer to do what they should be doing in the first place (PDI), this seems a bit absurd. It's a bit like building a house and paying for the puchout. Logic tells me picking up at the factory should cost less as I am saving them shipping fees and other incidentals. It should be ready to go. And for the money we spend, a tech walkthough should be part of the deal. Sorry, I don't get it. It should be cheaper.

[Nomadac]

jhilley wrote:
I like the idea of picking it up at the factory, then using it for a week in the vicinity of the factory and then taking it back to get problems fixed.

X2 By staying in it for a few days and operating all of the systems give you a chance to be sure everything is working correctly. If not
service would be better at the Factory than a Dealer with greater experience of the MH, IMO.