How close is your "local" dealership?

[rmnpcolorado]

Just curious how far people travel to purchase their trailers or take them for service. I saw a trailer this weekend that I never heard of so I looked them up and found that the closest dealer to me was 3 hours away! Do we purchase trailers that are close to us because that's what we see and know even though there may be others that would be a better fit?

[schlep1967]

If you are shopping, trying to figure out what you want, go to the largest RV show in your area. That way many Dealers come to you. In one trip you get to check out many different units from many different manufacturers. In our experience when the wife walks into the right one with the right floor plan, you will know what you are getting. Then you can get on the phone and look for that model at every dealer you are willing to drive to just to pick up the unit. Get prices from all of them. Saving a couple hundred by driving a hundred miles my not be enough to justify the trips for service. In our case the best price our local dealer (120 mile round trip) could do was $9,000 more than a price I found on a one year old leftover 550 miles away. I think it cost me about $600 to have the unit delivered. $8400 was enough of a savings for me to take the chance on getting warranty work done. And yes, I did tow the trailer back to Indiana to get some warranty work done at the factory. Dropped it off figuring on picking it up the next week. I got a call telling me the camper was done and it would be delivered free of charge. So it cost me another $300 to tow it out there and drive back. I know this got long and convoluted, but that is exactly what the process is. Figure out what you can save by buying elsewhere. Then determine if it is financialy prudent to do it.

[naturist]

Ain't nothing magical about having the dealer from whom you bought it be close to home. If you find a unit you covet that can only be bought far away and you are really worried about warranty issues, I'd highly recommend taking your vacation, buying it, spend the two weeks camped nearby to shake out initial problems, and then take it home assured that it is unlikely you'll need service that can't be handled by almost any nearby service center.

I looked at all the nearby dealers (and there are a bunch of them within 100 miles) before buying from a guy about 250 miles away, on the other side of the mountains. I've had most of my work done on it by a place that is not a dealer for that make but is only 5 miles from home. There has yet to be a part needed that he couldn't get.

[fla-gypsy]

6 miles for service type work. For new sales I have 5 dealerships within a 30 mile radius.

[Tvov]

A couple hundred dollars more to buy from a local dealer... that may just be how much in fuel you'd spend anyways to buy from a "better" dealer farther away. Sometimes warranty work can be done by independent repair shops, something to look into.

Friends of ours actually did spend $100 more to buy the same model TT from a different dealer, same travel distance. The reason(s) was that the salespeople at the first dealership were just rude and obnoxious - they may have been trying to be "friendly", but it backfired big time. The dealer they bought from said they hear those stories all the time about the first dealership.

Our "local" dealer is about 40 minutes away. I thought they were great, but I never had any need for warranty or repair work from them. When I switched tow vehicles and removed the brake controller they had installed for me, I found out how jury-rigged it was and was happy I never went back for any service work (TT battery charging connection was never hooked up, wire connections were left bare - no tape or wire nuts, etc).

There is an independent one man repair garage in the next town who is very good and honest.

[wannavolunteerF]

I bought from the only local dealer in our area, less than 15 miles from my house. That being said, he had what I wanted. Other dealers are at least 90 miles away. Padlin mentioned Arctic Fox and going 300 miles; I would really like to look at them for my next TT, but the closest dealer is over 1000 miles away, so I am not sure about that option.

[Padlin]

Bought mine from the nearest Starcraft dealer in 06, about 40 miles one way, I've done all the maintenance myself so I've not brought it back.

Thinking about an Escape trailer from Chilliwack, BC., 3080 miles away, they ship. There are a number of west coast manufacturers that don't have any or very limited dealers on the east coast. For an Arctic Fox I'd have to go to Pa. at about 300 miles.

[Atlee]

I believe you need to find the trailer that works for you, floor plan, etc, and then find a dealer that sells it. At that point, it doesn't make any difference whether that dealer is closest to you or not.

all that said, I personally would prefer to deal with the dealer closest to me, assuming I could get roughly the same deal.

For example, for a couple of hundred dollars, I'd go to a close dealer even if he were a little higher. For several thousand dollars, I'll go to a far away dealer first.

[Farm_Camp]

The brand I wanted was available local to me (10 miles) but I just got this funny feeling in my gut about the salesman there. So I ended up buying mine from a dealer about 100 miles away. Just afterwords that second dealer opened an additional location about 30 miles from me - which makes me happy because I now have two local options for warranty/service work as well.

[Hondavalk]

50 miles away outside Detroit . Large selection.

[Randu]

rmnpcolorado wrote:
......Do we purchase trailers that are close to us because that's what we see and know even though there may be others that would be a better fit?

I'm betting this is fact for a good 80% or more of who buys what. I have 2 dealers close at 20 and 30 miles. Both sell brands that I don't care for. I purchased 1st close at 30 miles and wasn't happy. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rigs came from 100 miles away in Grand Rapid, Mi. Current rig came from 90 miles the other direction in Pontiac, MI
Randu

[WyoTraveler]

Drove about 2, 000 to buy my 5ver. The same for my TT. Only about a thousand to buy my present MH. I drive 110 miles one way to do any major shopping except for Walmart.:B

[lj2654]

I have two dealerships that do service work: one is 10 minutes away, one is an hour and 1/2 away! I am lucky as I have a CAT service center literally 10-15 minutes from my house!

[phenrichs]

About 8 blocks up the street. Coincidentally they are closer to my TT than I am. My storage lot is across the street from the dealer.

[rvten]

Nashville 110 miles one way.