Is this wdh okay or am I better off with something else?

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henkelphoto

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Jun 6, 2016
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Hi guys!

My wife and I ordered a new Keystone Hideout 177lhs from the local Camping World and will be taking delivery soon. (Yes, I know that it would have been better to buy used, but we like the floorpan, it's small enough to tow and there were none used anywhere close to us, if any used at all.)

Anyway, the dealer has a Camco Elite #52097 on the paperwork as the wdh. I know this is a Camping World hitch so that is why he wants to sell us that one. On the paperwork, he's got it charged out at $653.32, and he won't include it for free into the bill. I've looked online at Camping World and they have it listed on sale right now for $313.

So is he charging us an additional $340 for installing or is he just screwing us? Should I purchase the one online and hand it to him and ask him to install it (I've no experience with wdh and wouldn't know the first thing about installing it)? Or would it be better to buy another hitch and bring it to him to install?
 
That's why I don't recommend buying from CW.  You need to assume they are charging you for installation and taxes.  I would rather have an Equalizer one.
 
Camping world is fun to go and look at units.  But dealing with their sales staff is worse then the shade used car lot down town.    Huge fees. And to much switch and bait for my taste......... But then again I'm the nightmare customer that knows all the tricks. And I'm proud of that fact that I have been thrown out of car dealers because of my hard nose negations
 
First thing is that a 1000 lb. hitch is way to strong for that trailer.  Just find what the hitch weight will be when fully loaded, probably less than 600 lbs.  Next, go to the eTrailer website and find the hitch you need, it doesn't have to be anything fancy for that smallish trailer.  There is much help on the website and anyone that can drill a hole and torque some bolts can install a WDH.  There is little chance that CW will do better than a kid on your block.
 
Anyway, the dealer has a Camco Elite #52097 on the paperwork as the wdh. I know this is a Camping World hitch so that is why he wants to sell us that one. On the paperwork, he's got it charged out at $653.32, and he won't include it for free into the bill. I've looked online at Camping World and they have it listed on sale right now for $313.

So is he charging us an additional $340 for installing or is he just screwing us? Should I purchase the one online and hand it to him and ask him to install it (I've no experience with wdh and wouldn't know the first thing about installing it)? Or would it be better to buy another hitch and bring it to him to install?
Click to expand...

Hard to say what the charge includes - you'll have to ask them. There is some installation labor involved to mount the trailer side on the tongue and then adjust after connecting to the tow vehicle. It takes a little time to get it set up right, but $340 seems like a lot.  I doubt if they would spend an hour on it even.

Could it possibly include the trailer light wiring hook-up as well? Brake controller? I'm guessing you don't have those either...

You can probably buy that same hitch for even less elsewhere. Check this out:
http://www.onlinervstore.com/products/camco-elite-weight-distributing-hitch-kit-48058-1-000-lbs-capacity

The problem with bringing your own hitch there is you don't know what they will charge you to deal with it. They may "punish" you with an even more exorbitant price. See if you can get a firm installation quote if you supply the hitch (lot's of luck on that!).    Anybody can slip the ball mount into the truck receiver, but you can't finish the hook-up until you get your hands on the trailer, and you can't haul the trailer off the lot to another shop until the hitch is in place. Catch-22! Any chance a friend or another hitch shop could pick up the trailer for you and take it elsewhere for the install?

As others have said, you really only need maybe 600 or 800 lb WD bars for that trailer.
 
Thanks for your information!

Gary-actually the truck came equipped with the 7-pin connector and I had the factory brake controller installed when I picked up the truck.

Since they offer the same hitch in their online catalog, I'll try to hardball him into dropping the charge down to a reasonable level.
 
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