$1400 plus $1090 for 2 hour Winnebago factory PDI and 10 galons of gas

I finally got my new Aspect. I had planned to order a 2010 in the spring but when I went to order I found out the 2011 model would be out in a few weeks so I ended up ordering a 2011. Because of postings here, I really wanted to do a factory delivery and get the special factory tour that I had heard such great things about. I knew it would cost me more money to pick up at the factory, it was a $1400 option for the PDI plus they still charge the "equalized" delivery charge of $1090. OK, it was tough decision to spend the extra money, but I would enjoy the "special factory tour" my dealer had arranged and I would enjoy the 550 mile trip and getting to see Forest City and the Winnebago mystique.

We arrived in Forest City Sunday evening and drove around the Winnebago complex. WOW! It was huge with RVs everywhere. I couldn't believe the size of it and I would never guess we are in a recession with that many RVs being manufactured and presumably sold. Our PDI was scheduled for Monday morning so we stopped at the welcome center first to set up our special tour for Tuesday. We were told to stop back after our PDI to find out what time we would be scheduled for.

We then went to our PDI and was very excited when we saw our new Aspect for the first time. It was all that we had hoped it would be. The PDI went well. Our tech was very good at explaining all the details and answering any questions that I had. The only disappointment came at the end when he told us he had filled the fresh water to 2/3 full and put in 10 gallons of gas. 10 GALLONS OF GAS? I paid $1400 for a 2 hour walkthru and $1090 for a factory delivery that cost Winnebago nothing. He said that is the Winnebago policy. ...........Disappointment 1.

OK, I was disappointed at the slap in the face Winnebago had given me, but I was still really impressed by the quality of the fit and finish and very happy with my new RV. We then returned to the welcome center to see when we were scheduled for our special tour. Guess what, We were informed that they don't do special tours. No one is allowed on the floor. Insurance rules. ..... Disappointment 2.

We then signed up for the standard factory tour for Tuesday morning and returned to the service department to see about having them install the Winegard dish I had brought with me. I wanted the Winegard SK-1000 dish and it was not an option on the Aspect, so I brought one with me.  The service manager said it was rated at 4 hours at $100 per hour, so $400. I told him from what I have read on the forum it's a simple job and should be a 1 to1.5 hour job. He agreed to install it for $250 and I told him to do it. I also asked if they would run a 2nd wire from the dish to the inside for future use. When they finished and I got the bill, they had added an additional 1.5 hours for routing the 2nd coax. Final bill was over $400 with parts. ..............Disappointment 3.

We did the factory tour Tuesday and it was great. Well, not as great as I,m sure the special tour would have been, but it was really neat.

Overall it was a good experience and fun. I don't know that it was worth what it cost me, and Winnebago has lost a lot of it's mystique with me. I am Very happy with my new RV though, and that's what really counts.

Jim

Congratulations on the new rig! 

Look at is this way, if you didn't do the tour, you'd always be wondering "what if", so now you know. You did get to see a lot of cool things, though so sounds like the glass is still half full on the whole thing.

Get out there and enjoy the new ride!!!

Jim - did you have your special tour arranged in advance, or were you assuming that was part of the deal?  We bought our Horizon through Lazydays and they filled the propane and fuel tanks - I thought that was a nice touch.

The advantage of factory delivery is that you get a knowledgeable tech, an in-depth PDI and the ability to get instant and accurate correction for any problems you find. Apparently there were no problems - or at least you did not observe any. 

The equalized delivery charge is just that - each and every rig pays a flat rate share of the total annual delivery expense. Great for those who take delivery far from the factory, but not so hot for those close by or right there.

The $100/hr rate for shop time is pretty standard among RV manufacturers. You paid for what you got.

$2,500!  WOW! 

I guess I like value for what I pay for - this was a total financial rip off!!! The only thing that may have been close to value
received was the antenna installation. I bought a used 5er - and spent SIX hours doing the PDI at a very large dealer, the entire time with one or more very knowledgeable techs. Sorry if you wont/don't agree with me, but paying extra for a factory pickup - ludicrous!! Equalized shipping - purely asinine. For a unit that costs well over 100K!!! Ten gallons of gas and FREE water!!!

FrontrangeRVer said:

$2,500!  WOW! 

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Mark

It wasn't $2,500. He still would have paid the $1,090 if he would have taken dealer delivery, tho as John said, might have had a full tank of fuel and propane included.

Bad deal sorry you got screwed. :-X

Winnebago isn't the only one who charges for factory delivery.  The dealer pays for the PDI out of his profit margin and the dealer got the profit on the sale even though you took factory delivery. Ergo, the factory has to recover their PDI costs via a separate, extra charge. Perhaps the dealer gave you a slightly better discount because he did not have to do the PDI himself, but that would happen only if he knew you wanted factory delivery before the price was set. And he probably didn't give $1400 worth of discount in any case. The factory surely could have done better on the fuel, though. Pretty chintzy.

As for the delivery charge, since most RVs get shipped to either coast from the centrally located Winnie factory, the equalized charge is fair for most buyers. Those who take factory delivery get screwed.

I think we all share in the disappointment over the 10 gal of fuel.  However as I have thought about it I arrived at the following conclusion: 1) The addl cost of fuel would approximate additional costs of $200  2) I don't know how many PDIs Winne does a year but if there were very many the expense would soon need to be included in the cost of all units.  3) When costs are added to price there usually are additional overhead factors included besides just the price of the fuel, so it would end up costing more than just the $200.  4) Several people have indicated that they do not agree with the equalized delivery cost .................. how many would agree with the equalized factory fuel cost?
 

Thanks for your comments. I would like to clarify the points I was trying to make.

First, I am very happy with the RV and am glad I went with Winnebago. I think they are one of the top manufacturers for quality and I am so happy I haven't had some of the problems that a few others have posted here about their new RVs.

I think it is mainly a question of customer appreciation.

I chose the factory delivery knowing the extra cost, and I understand the rationale of equalized delivery charge. But, that they chose to fill only 10 gallons of gas after being charged $2490 (for 2 hours of their time) to pick up my new RV was an insult. My Winnebago mystique or good will or whatever you want to call it was completely deflated.  Yes, I did expect a full tank. That's what delivery on a new RV is supposed to be.

On top of that, my dealer had set up the special tour and they acknowledged that at the welcome center. They knew my name and the dealer who set it up. I understand that policy changes, but again it was a large part of the reason I went to Forest City, and I was disappointed when they informed me it would not happen.

The deal with the dish installation only added to the disappointment and made me feel taken advantage of. When they charge me an extra $150 to install a second wire (which I supplied) and all they had to do was screw it to the dish and pull it into the inside withe the main wire (which was also supplied), I felt they were padding my bill.

They just seemed to keep reinforcing the feeling that my major purchase of their product was not important to them. There was no Thank You, .. either verbally or by action. Actually, it was just the opposite. I guess my expectations of the Winnebago experience were just too high. I was very happy to get on the road and put the factory behind me.

I really like my new RV!

That's all I have to say about this.

Jim

IMO, you were hosed! If they are going to charge $1400 for a PDI at least they should waive the delivery charge. When I got my new Newmar last year delivered thru a dealer I got an excellent PDI and a full tank of gas and propane. Only learned afterwards I could have picked it up at the factory in Nappanee for a similar charge as what you paid. Since they are only 140 miles from me, I might have bit but I also found out I still would have paid a delivery charge. Not worth it !!

jagage46 said:

On top of that, my dealer had set up the special tour and they acknowledged that at the welcome center. They knew my name and the dealer who set it up. I understand that policy changes, but again it was a large part of the reason I went to Forest City, and I was disappointed when they informed me it would not happen.

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Then that situation is a complete puzzle and I would be disappointed as well.    Unless the policy changed, WIT General Manager Doug Formanek has provided special tours, but typically in the winter when the factory doesn't have scheduled tours.