Dealers may suck, but what can we get?

[kerrlakeRoo]

The number of post/threads based on poor customer service make me want to ask the question, and it may help us all.
How far will a dealer go to seal the deal while planning on ignoring you later?
When looking at TT's, 5'ers, or coaches, we all want things changed on the units we are looking at buying as compared to the way the unit sits on the lot.
Typically dealers will make certain concessions in order to close the sale on a new unit.
Based on the collective experience of this group,,,, what should we realistically expect to be able to get as a change from the status quo?
1. Tires, Pop ups to Class A's we all look at upgrading the minimum tires dealers want us to take, How much credit for the factory tires should we be able to get from the dealer?
2. Furniture, Dont want the jack knife sofa? how much should an upgrade to theatre seating cost, and can a dealer handle this internally?
3. Batteries, They all claim to give a 12 v group 24 battery as standard, but will they give you credit for that cost toward GC batteries? and if so, how much?
There are dozens of other catagories, Dealers sometimes need to move a few units for cash flow purposes, how far have you been able to push them, and why?

[Expyinflight]

Buying from CW, hoping to have nationwide service available down the road may soon lead to extreme disappointment. Just sayin'.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

I think getting changes done that can easily be handled by the dealer, should be easy enough - assuming you didn't beat them up so bad on the price that they have no wiggle room? Upgrading tires might be more difficult, though?

When we signed our purchase agreement for our Class C, we told the salesman that we needed to be able to tow 5,000#; and we wanted a Fantastic Fan (the unit they had on hand didn't have that). They delivered as promised - and if we ever buy another new RV, we will definitely go to General RV in Wayland again.

[delwhjr]

kerrlakeroo wrote:
Thanks for the numbers western. Point taken, but I have wondered, how much latitude dealers are given as well as what are considered as the standards. How far can dealers go with customization without it becoming a MFR warranty issue? Is removing an installed furniture item and switching to something else going to be taken as voiding a warranty, and is a dealer allowed to exchange fixtures between units?
I started out looking at travelling to a CW for purchase, with the idea being that a nationwide chain would make service simpler because I don't intend to stay permanently in one location. Now I have moved toward the idea of accepting that I will likely have to do all servicing myself. With full timing being the plan, handing a unit back to a dealer for repairs for a couple of weeks just isn't practical. So how far I can reasonably expect a dealer to work with me to get the TT set up the way I believe I need it was something I was hoping for some guidance on, and I had believed others might find it helpful too.
Thx all.

An authorized dealer with a good relationship with a manufacturer can do many things without compromising the warranty but get it in writing. Call the manufacturer and get it in writing. Many changes do not involve the warranty if they do not alter the structure or add additional weight. What ever you have done get it in WRITING what the warranty is or is not. OR just wait until after the warranty and do it then.

[Bobbo]

Got a rearview camera system added to an Airstream at no additional charge last week.

[Blazing_Zippers]

Last June, we did business with a large dealer based in North Idaho. Boy, what a mistake. They almost seemed to go out of their way to make the purchase as unclean as possible, even to screwing up the credit union somehow.
When service work was required, they failed again miserably-several times! We finally contacted the manufacturer and traveled the miles there to get the problems corrected.
We know 4 other folks that bought from the same dealer and they also have had horrible luck.
If a dealer had great service, that would go a long way to make the customer want to come back for their next unit. Not these guys!
Oh, I don't know if their dog is really blue.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Thanks for the numbers western. Point taken, but I have wondered, how much latitude dealers are given as well as what are considered as the standards. How far can dealers go with customization without it becoming a MFR warranty issue? Is removing an installed furniture item and switching to something else going to be taken as voiding a warranty, and is a dealer allowed to exchange fixtures between units?
I started out looking at travelling to a CW for purchase, with the idea being that a nationwide chain would make service simpler because I don't intend to stay permanently in one location. Now I have moved toward the idea of accepting that I will likely have to do all servicing myself. With full timing being the plan, handing a unit back to a dealer for repairs for a couple of weeks just isn't practical. So how far I can reasonably expect a dealer to work with me to get the TT set up the way I believe I need it was something I was hoping for some guidance on, and I had believed others might find it helpful too.
Thx all.

[westernrvparkow]

There were somewhere around 430,000 new RVs sold in 2016. Also, there are approximately 9,300,000 RVs currently owned in the US. Do you really think the 10 or 20 or even 500 horror stories (even if they are 100 percent true, which I think we mostly agree is not actually the case) told on these forums is indicative of the actual quality of service provided by RV dealers? The vast majority of people, buy their RV, get any repairs or service work done and enjoy their rigs for years.

[1492]

Moved from Forum Technical Support

[Tyler0215]

It never hurts to ask.

[BB_TX]

How many different RV dealers are there? That is how many different results you will get.

[Sprink-Fitter]

You might get more answers in a forum for RV questions and not technical help questions for the forum

[DutchmenSport]

Never pushed for "upgrades" or changes like you've mentioned, but we have tried negotiating a lower price. And as the final straw that broke the camel's back ... we walked out of the deal and never looked back. When a meeting of the minds cannot be accomplished, no matter how big or small, there is no agreement. Continue to negotiate farther is "futile". Time to just leave!