Rant on buying an RV - long
I have been off RV Net for about 3 years after having stopped a 15 yr full timing run. I now live in the Everglades FL area and am thinking of buying a used higher end 28-30' B+ to summer-bird in and...
Forum Discussion
OP here and if my original post was too long, quit reading.
First of all, thank you to Dave who did an inspection complete with dozens of pictures of the 3 PPL units that I was interested in. Very grateful. The eight exterior scratches completely through the body paint were just out of PPL's camera range by only a couple of inches amongst numerous other things. Another unit had obviously been damaged along the curb side as it had been repainted with lots of overspray. Unfortunately, they forgot to repair some of the 'crunch' effect that appeared on the inside wall of the rig. Awning arm damage appeared to be taped and so on. All units rated by PPL on their site as "Very Good +" or "Excellent".
To the 2nd and 3rd page posters who complain that my post was too long - the thread title both stated it was a 'rant' and that it was 'long'. Yet though you don't like long posts, you opened the thread anyway :h and then felt compelled to add your wisdom to the thread.
A number of posters suggest that I should call. First of all, these dealers were all advertising and promoting their products on the web - an electronic communication - and invited responses and inquiries. Second, I live in the Everglades at the very fringe of a cell and my coverage is at best spotty. Often, tethered to my phone, emails and texts will get out and and come in when voice coverage doesn't exist. Calling and conducting a business conversation from the car a mile away from home, waiting on hold, etc., just doesn't cut it for me. Where I live is not the dealer's fault but it is what it is.
Further, I am very much in agreement with the oh so many posters on RVNet that if an RV salesman's mouth is moving, he/she must be lying. And so, why would I or anyone want to conduct an oral phone conversation? The dealers are entitled to their business model of only speaking with people by phone or in person but I am entitled to my buying model of making written inquiries. Old school, I know, but I figure if they can't handle my inquiry my way before the sale, they sure are going to dump on me, post sale.
I must be of a different generation than many. I'm old. I bought my first tow vehicle sight unseen except by pictures on the internet and had it delivered to me.
That was over 17 yrs ago.
I bought my second tow vehicle also via the internet though once I was satisfied with the answers to my questions, I traveled to test drive it.
That was 12 yrs ago.
I also bought both of our full time fivers via dealer emails with 10 dealers. Never went to any of the dealers except one and that was only to pick the unit up.
Also sold the second truck via the internet to a buyer well over 3,000 miles away. Probably exchanged 10 emails with him and sent well over 50 pics to him (pics of specific things that he wanted taken). He bought the truck and wired the funds, sight unseen and didn't see the truck until he flew to S. Florida from British Columbia and picked it up. I gave him the keys at the airport and 5 minutes later he was on the road back north.
My fiver and my RV lot were also sold via the net though not closed until inspected. So I've had a fair amount of experience with major purchases/sales electronically. But it's been a few years and perhaps things have just passed me by and the younger generation feels more comfortable with verbal jousting?
First of all, thank you to Dave who did an inspection complete with dozens of pictures of the 3 PPL units that I was interested in. Very grateful. The eight exterior scratches completely through the body paint were just out of PPL's camera range by only a couple of inches amongst numerous other things. Another unit had obviously been damaged along the curb side as it had been repainted with lots of overspray. Unfortunately, they forgot to repair some of the 'crunch' effect that appeared on the inside wall of the rig. Awning arm damage appeared to be taped and so on. All units rated by PPL on their site as "Very Good +" or "Excellent".
To the 2nd and 3rd page posters who complain that my post was too long - the thread title both stated it was a 'rant' and that it was 'long'. Yet though you don't like long posts, you opened the thread anyway :h and then felt compelled to add your wisdom to the thread.
A number of posters suggest that I should call. First of all, these dealers were all advertising and promoting their products on the web - an electronic communication - and invited responses and inquiries. Second, I live in the Everglades at the very fringe of a cell and my coverage is at best spotty. Often, tethered to my phone, emails and texts will get out and and come in when voice coverage doesn't exist. Calling and conducting a business conversation from the car a mile away from home, waiting on hold, etc., just doesn't cut it for me. Where I live is not the dealer's fault but it is what it is.
Further, I am very much in agreement with the oh so many posters on RVNet that if an RV salesman's mouth is moving, he/she must be lying. And so, why would I or anyone want to conduct an oral phone conversation? The dealers are entitled to their business model of only speaking with people by phone or in person but I am entitled to my buying model of making written inquiries. Old school, I know, but I figure if they can't handle my inquiry my way before the sale, they sure are going to dump on me, post sale.
I must be of a different generation than many. I'm old. I bought my first tow vehicle sight unseen except by pictures on the internet and had it delivered to me.
That was over 17 yrs ago.
I bought my second tow vehicle also via the internet though once I was satisfied with the answers to my questions, I traveled to test drive it.
That was 12 yrs ago.
I also bought both of our full time fivers via dealer emails with 10 dealers. Never went to any of the dealers except one and that was only to pick the unit up.
Also sold the second truck via the internet to a buyer well over 3,000 miles away. Probably exchanged 10 emails with him and sent well over 50 pics to him (pics of specific things that he wanted taken). He bought the truck and wired the funds, sight unseen and didn't see the truck until he flew to S. Florida from British Columbia and picked it up. I gave him the keys at the airport and 5 minutes later he was on the road back north.
My fiver and my RV lot were also sold via the net though not closed until inspected. So I've had a fair amount of experience with major purchases/sales electronically. But it's been a few years and perhaps things have just passed me by and the younger generation feels more comfortable with verbal jousting?
