Help New trailer PDI this week

[NM-JT]

Hello all -after a 5yr break from RVing my wife and I have purchased a new Coleman 192rd trailer. We are picking it up from Camping World this Wed. I have read numerous posts on here about things that should have been caught during PDI. My last trailer purchase, from a different dealer, they spent 10min going over everything then sent us on our way. We then had to make a warranty appointments to get some items fixed. I would like to do a more complete inspection this time but I don't know what is typical. My question is what should I expect the dealer to do for the PDI. Should they have the water heater, furnace and a/c up and running so I can test there operation and look for leaks etc? Should it be plugged in, and then unplugged to check for battery operation? Check awing operation? If they do put water in the unit should they drain it out before we leave? What would be a typical good PDI? From what I have read on these forums I should not take delivery until problems have been solved . Thanks in advance for your help.

[therink]

NM-JT wrote:
The unit is brand new. So it will be a traditional inspection.

I was answering the post by rwbradley regarding the purchase of a used TT.

[rwbradley]

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but this is a topic that caught my attention, and since I will be going thru the same thing shortly I thought I would join the conversation.
therink brings up some points I had never considered. The trailer is the first used vehicle I have ever bought, I thought I had been thorough, but until I stared reading the forums I did not realize how complex a trailer is. I guess I wished I had insisted in a PDI before making an offer and knew what I know now about the plumbing, electrical and gas systems. I hope that the dealers "taillight" warranty will help. I have 2 trips, a 1 night practice run and a 2 week trip in the first 30 days. I am hoping since I am dealing with a reputable dealer with a 30 day warranty I can discover all the issues before driving off the lot or on my first couple of trips.
I hope I don't need to know this, but to be safe, does anyone know the Lemon Laws for Ontario?

[NM-JT]

The unit is brand new. So it will be a traditional inspection.

[therink]

rwbradley wrote:
Any thoughts on using the PDI list linked previously in this thread on the purchase of a used TT. We will be picking up our first trailer, it is only 2 years old and appears (superficially) to be in excellent condition. Obviously there will be some wear and tear on it. I have read up in the forums etc and I think I have a decent idea of how things work and I do not mind taking the time to nit pick. I was thinking that I will make sure that everything is 100% functional ie plumbing, electrical, propane, moving parts etc. What about things like wear items like tires, caulking, awning etc?
Thanks

Well, you are likely buying the unit as is. Would I go through everything? You bet.. Many dealers could care less about going through everything on used units before selling. They don't have to deal with warranty and there are no manufacturer driven prep guidelines they need to follow or nor are they paid to do expect for the profit they are making based on your purchase price. You should do a thorough pdi before you even make an offer on a used unit. Your offer price should include repairs for any items that don't work, are worn, etc (tires, brakes, wheel bearings, suspension, caulk are a good example of items that are commonly overlooked on used rvs)

[NM-JT]

Thanks for all the info! I have printed out the check list and go through everything. Unfortunately they would not set up the PDI unless they had drafting instructions from my credit union since I did not finance thru the dealership. I am pretty sure they all ready have their money.

[rwbradley]

Any thoughts on using the PDI list linked previously in this thread on the purchase of a used TT. We will be picking up our first trailer, it is only 2 years old and appears (superficially) to be in excellent condition. Obviously there will be some wear and tear on it. I have read up in the forums etc and I think I have a decent idea of how things work and I do not mind taking the time to nit pick. I was thinking that I will make sure that everything is 100% functional ie plumbing, electrical, propane, moving parts etc. What about things like wear items like tires, caulking, awning etc?
Thanks

[therink]

beemerphile1 wrote:
The PDI or prep should be done by a service technician before the customer arrives. A proper PDI can take many hours, as many as eight hours.

The service tech should fill all tanks, and check operation of all systems and appliances. If anything is incorrect the manufacturer is contacted, a warranty claim made, and warranty repairs accomplished.

After the service tech has verified that every aspect of the RV is correct, adjusted, and working correctly, and then the customer arrives and does the "walk through".

If the dealer does not perform this function then the customer is being short changed.

While you agree with this, the reality is most dealers spend as little time and $ ad possible to prep a rv for delivery. I recently did a pdi for a friend of mine talk ng delivery of a brand new TT. We info med the dealer ahead of time that we would be doing a 3 hr pdi. When we arrived the tech informed me that he went through every system twice and we would find nothing wrong. Here is what I found :
- bedroom AC inoperative
- all 4 tires 20 lbs under posted psi
- rooftop AC shroud cracked
- twelve areas of cracked caulking on roof
- antifreeze still in waterlines indicating that tech never checked plumbing or h20 heater
- catastrophic water leak (cracked waterline fitting under bathroom sink, which flooded bathroom upon powering up water pump
- 5" gouge on cabinet door in kitchen
- front cap severely faded (common Keystone issue)

Like I said, the dealer said that they went through everything twice and basically lied. All they appeared to do was vacuum, wash the unit and put tire gloss on the tires.
It is your $. Make sure you are satisfied before you sign any documents.

[beemerphile1]

The PDI or prep should be done by a service technician before the customer arrives. A proper PDI can take many hours, as many as eight hours.

The service tech should fill all tanks, and check operation of all systems and appliances. If anything is incorrect the manufacturer is contacted, a warranty claim made, and warranty repairs accomplished.

After the service tech has verified that every aspect of the RV is correct, adjusted, and working correctly, and then the customer arrives and does the "walk through".

If the dealer does not perform this function then the customer is being short changed.

[therink]

I have used this twice now: PDI form
I highly recommend reviewing this form and using it as written. A thorough PDI should take you about 3 hours. Do not sign the papers until the PDI is complete and any items you find are corrected. I suggest emailing the Form to your dealer and explain that you will need a 3 hour window to go through the entiree Form. They will need to have water and electric available. Bring tools and a flashlight. Open up every access panel where ever there are plumbing fittings and inspect for leaks. Bring someone with you to help and leave the kids at home (if you have any).
You will find items that need fixing/adjustments and will have much better results getting these items dealt with before you take delivery. Once you drive off the lot, you will be much less of a priority in the dealers eyes.
Good luck

[mdamerell]

Mine took an hour or so. Yes, run the water pump, flush the toilet, open and shut valves and if it runs, run it. Only way to know it works is to operate it. Make sure they hook up a propane bottle and run the appliances on gas. Easiest to fix in the beginning. Some places will let you camp overnight there or near by to catch anything you missed in the walk through.

Good luck and hope you have years of enjoyment.

[NM-JT]

Just Realized I need to update signature and photo.