What the TT dealer knows about your TV

[rbpru]

Judging from some of the messages lately it seems that the TT dealer is supposed to know a lot about your TV. Particularly for the new buyer.:h

Unfortunately, This is not always the case. For example; if you tell the TT dealer you are looking for a 5000 to 7000 lb. TT unit and you have a 1/2 ton pick-up; all he knows it he has sold several 5K to 7K units to ½ ton owners over the years.

The dealer might even have discovered that with a WD hitch a ½ ton the tow weight increases to 9000 lbs. plus. What he does not know is the “specific max load for your vehicle”, the fact that you like to take every toy you own with you, you travel with two 100 lbs. dogs etc. or in my case the truck only had a 200 hp. six cylinder engine.

From my experience I would tell a newbie; the dealers are in the business of selling you the TTs you want, they are not your TV advisor. They expect you to know what your TV can handle.

In general the dealer was knowledgeable about the product but not how the product was going to be towed. Just too many variable involved.

It is similar for the truck dealers, they know what the truck ratings are but they do not know how they apply to the trailer you want to buy or how you will load it.

It always pays to do your homework and go slow.

[Tystevens]

NWGaGatorFans wrote:
If they are going to ask what your TV is, then they should be prepared with knowledge of said TV, or look it up and get the particulars.

That is a good point. If I owned a RV dealership, my instructions to the salespeople would be not to express any opinion about their TV, and if they did, make sure it was clearly an opinion. You know, something like "well, I think you would probably be ok, but you should look into the ratings of your truck yourself."

This thread also raises a question as to the flip-side of a TT dealer thinking he "knows" about your TV. Imagine you had done your research and were comfortable with your decision. But your salesman or the sales manager happens to be Mr. One-ton Dually for everything, and won't sell you the TT you had picked out? How would you feel then about the dealership's views about the compatibility between your TT and TV?

For me, I'd rather they just showed me the trailer, the stats on the trailer, and let me make my decision!

[NWGaGatorFans]

I agree it is responsibility of consumer to know the details, however many new buyers simply don't "think" like that. Most people who decide somewhat spontaneously to get a trailer only know that they see ads talking about how much they can tow. Where I would disagree is that sales staff then need to cease the practice of asking what you are towing with, and responding with the all too familiar, "Well, you could tow anything on our lot." That attitude fosters a false sense of security. If they are going to ask what your TV is, then they should be prepared with knowledge of said TV, or look it up and get the particulars.

[Heavy_Metal_Doc]

I don't have unrealistic trust of dealerships, but I also don't think that they are all so stupid and evil and "just want to get you to buy". They don't all want to max you out and sell the biggest TT they can. Some realize a satisfied customer might come back to buy again.
The first question our sales guy asked us was what our TV is and we went over the capacity together. He didn't go over fine details that affect the ability to use the vehicles rated towing capacity, but he clarified the weight of full propane tanks and also said "count on 1000 lbs more for personal items / gear will be added to the TT for 2 people....possibly more on longer trips, so this 6300 lb TT will likely be 7500 lbs when you hook up to go."

[mowin]

DW and I pulled in to dealers lot with our Hond pilot. Salesmen came out and met us. I told him we wanted a 36'+ tt. He looked at the pilot and walked us over to pop ups... I laughed and said my 3500 is bigger than the pop up.

[rbpru]

Again I would warn the Newbie that it is easy to bump up the towing capacity and tongue wieght with a WD hitch. But as I learned, the Max. Cargo or or GVWR of the TV does not change.

Basically the more tongue wieght the less cargo. With the WD hitch the load may be shifted to the front of the TV and a bit to the TT but the overall max cargo stays about the same.

[Campfire_Time]

fla-gypsy wrote:
It's called "Merchantability for a particular purpose" and is written into the warranty which in this case would be a "Limited Warranty" for that very reason. Read your warranty and learn.

Good luck with that. Unfortunately that clause is not unlike the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act. Its there to give the consumer a nice warm fuzzy. Unless you video tape your conversations with the dealer, it's always going to be a "he said, she said" sort of thing.

2008Wildcat wrote:

When did it become the RV dealer's responsibility to know how your truck is outfitted?

Best statement in the thread!

[Dog_Folks]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Just buy a 3500 / F350 Diesel Dually and then you won't have to worry about mismatching an trailer or 5er and the dealer can blow smoke all he wants!

When we bought the trailer in our signature,(8100 pounds loaded) we entered the front.

The service manger met us and said they would be installing the hitch while we did the PDI, and would met us "out back."

I told him I was not so sure if I had enough truck.

He said: "Pull it around back and we will look."

As I came around the corner in my one ton Ram Dually, all he could do was laugh. Between rounds of giggles, he said: "Enough truck?I think so."

What he did not know was when we bought the trailer when it was in line with many others. When we first saw the side view, it looked huge!!

So we both a had a surprise in reference to size.

[2008Wildcat]

There are many factors that you, the TV owner, need to know, not the RV dealer.

Things like tire ratings, gear ratios, tow packages that you should be aware of.
When did it become the RV dealer's responsibility to know how your truck is outfitted?

We all know that "our trucks can haul whatever you have on the lot".

I hear that statement every day......

[anaro]

When I bought my tt, I thought I knew the capabilities of my armada (how little I knew back then). I had dealerships try to sell me a tt with an 8500 lb dry weight to be towed by an Armada with a 9100 lb max tow capacity. I had one dealership question it's capabilities and steer me away from too big of a tt (I bought from him). I have been hunting again for a new tt or 5er. When I started the hunt I had an F250 diesel that only had a 1500 lb payload. I should have made bets with the dealerships over what that thing could really tow. Almost every one of them was convinced I could tow anything on their lot with that truck. One even went so Far as to look at my tire loading sticker and pull the truck up online. To say he was shocked would have been an understatement. We already knew we needed another tv upgrade for the next trailer. When we discussed wanting a tt with an 11000 lb gvwr with the tt dealership, he asked what are you towing with? We told him we were considering upgrading to a 3500 silverado gasser. He said, you won't be happy towing this tt with that truck. We left that day knowing he was probably right. We bought a 3500 diesel and will probably be back to him when we are ready to buy the new tt.

On the other side, when we went TV shopping for this truck, I knew more than the salesman on pAyloads, gcwr and hitch capacity. He knew what our needs were but he didn't know that short bed silverado trucks had a lower class V hitch rating than a long bed. Per the chevy manual and stamped on the hitches it says short bed max tongue weight (weight distributing) is 1500 lbs. Long bed max tongue weight (weight distributing) is 2000 lbs. With a potential tongue weight of 1500-1700 lbs for our next tt, this was a big deal and we almost missed it. We almost bought a truck without the necessary capabilities because we missed a spec. Luckily, I had learned my lessons and I left no stone unturned. I know this truck can tow what I want. It was hard work but well worth the time and energy.

[DutchmenSport]

Just buy a 3500 / F350 Diesel Dually and then you won't have to worry about mismatching an trailer or 5er and the dealer can blow smoke all he wants!

[fatboy66]

When shopping for our first trailer, a factory rep asked about my tow vehicle, said no problem and went about his business. A number of minutes later, he comes back and says he thought about it some more, looked up some info and I didn't have enough truck.

I appreciated that.

[fla-gypsy]

It's called "Merchantability for a particular purpose" and is written into the warranty which in this case would be a "Limited Warranty" for that very reason. Read your warranty and learn.

[rbpru]

While we were shopping for our TT, I was told by three different sales people at different locations.
1. No you cannot pull a fifth wheel with your ½ ton. 😞
2. You are not going to try to use that mini-van are you? :E
3. Let our tech rep look at your TV. (We were serious about signing.) 🙂

I will admit there were many other things I should have asked but the best answer I received was “Sure we will rent you a TT similar to what you want.” It was expensive but we learned a lot really quick.

I think the biggest mistake people make, myself included, is to underestimate of how much “stuff” you carry. The dealers have no clue about that.

[fx2tom]

handye9 wrote:

path1 wrote:

What the TT dealer knows about your TV

They know you want to towing something, the rest they don't care about.

Over the years, I have been trailer shopping, five times. The only time, I was questioned about my tow vehicle, is when I left my F250 at home and went looking at 8000 lb trailers, with a Dodge Dakota. One of the sales people (out of many) said, "you don't plan to pull it with that, do you". I really believe, had I said "yes", they would have sold it, anyway.

I originally pulled in with my wife's Hyundai, told the sales rep I was there to look at the TT she retorted said "I have a tent trailer unless you have a bigger truck'.