Buying a new RV

[Fullabunk]

I am looking for someone that has recently dealt with RVDirect.  I see numerous references to them but no statements as to their honesty or integrity.  I know they are a broker, but their prices seem very low.  They gave me a price 20% below what a local dealer offered on an identical unit.  Has any one had a personal experience dealing with them?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I seem  to recall some positive reports here - you might try a Search on RVDirect to find them. Hopefully someone will see this and respond, though.

 

[Fullabunk]

Thanks I read those, but was looking for anything more recent.

 

[SargeW]

I don't know about RV direct, but if they are like Cars Direct, I have bought 3 cars with them. Streamlined operation, little overhead, all on line.  It made a lot of sense for someone that is not afraid of the internet.  Some folks like the "in person" contact.  If you can get past that, you may be able to save some cash. 

 

[Fullabunk]

Thanks, I appreciate the comment.  In May, I purchased a 2011 Jayco Ultra-lite Eagle through them.  It is the model # 298RLS.  With my add-ons the MSRP was pushing $32,000.  My best price locally for a 2010 year model at a Jayco dealership was about $26,000 with the same equipment.  I paid RVDirect $21,500 for the 2011 equipped the way I want it.  They originally told me mid July pickup in Des Moines.  I hadn't heard anything so I was getting a little worried and wrote the original question.  Less than 24 hours later I was notified it was in Des Moines and we have scheduled a July 24 pickup, pretty much on schedule.  After I do the inspection, acceptance and maiden voyage the long way home (about 1500 miles) I will write another chapter in the experience.  So far I am pleased and nearly $5000 better off and with a one year newer model year.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Ought to be an excellent report - looking forward to it.

So far everybody has been positive about them.

 

[dnbrown]

My wife and I are looking at a Jayco Greyhawk 31FS and the quote from RVDirect was $12k less than the starting number from two Jayco dealers here in Washington.  We'll let you know the final outcome, but so far RVDirect looks like a positive experience.

 

[kwdleo]

No business can succeed without making a profit.  RVDirect advertises great discounts and sells in volume to make that profit where smaller local dealers may have to negotiate higher prices to maintain their profit margins to stay in business, however depending on the make and model, most local dealers can be very competitive in their pricing to volume dealers.  In my case, I purchased an entry-level, loss leader from a local dealer for a couple of thousand more than RVDirect.  However had I gone with RVD, by the time I spent money on gas and hotels the bottom line was nearly identical and I was able to support a local business with national ties.  It comes down to getting the most for the least and being pleased with all aspects of the purchasing experience along with service after the sale. 

 

[Fullabunk]

I agree, everyone needs to make a profit, but my job is to minimize the profit made by others from me.  And local dealers can be very price competitive; really, by charging me 20% more for a one year older model  and less add-ons.  And gas and motels to go pick it up; yup, my bride of 47 years will have to spend a night or two in a motel with me to go get it.  That is called vacation or bonding.  And the two weeks on the road after the pickup seeing America as we try out our new toy, yes that is painful, may take another 47 years to get over the trauma.

And service after the sale, that is a good one.  This is my 5 RV from various size trailers to a large MH, the first 4 purchased from dealers.  They wanted $1100 for a MH tire that I decided to buy from a local tire dealer.  Same brand for $450.  Or the time I needed generator work and they wanted over $3000.  I took my unit to a generator dealer for less than $600.  Or 2 months ago when I needed a weight equalizer, anti-sway,  etc  hitch.  The local dealer wanted $699 if I bought their trailer for 20% more; I ordered the same Reese hitch for less than $300 on the internet. The dealership that I will pick up the trailer from will install and align at no charge.  Yep, service after the sale sounds like a good deal.  After buying about 8-10 new cars in the past 40 years I learned that you only use dealerships for warranty or insurance claim work.  Their prices are double and service slower with no improvement of service rendered. 

When we began taking cruises (16 completed now) we used a local travel agency.  Every time we needed assistance our local agent was on a trip and we had to seek resolution from the cruise lines.  The last 10 cruises were purchased on line.  You ask any of those discount agencies why you should deal with them and they will tell you ?service after the sale?, but have a problem like getting injured and needing to cancel the rip and the discount agency can?t help you, you need to contact the cruise lines.

Service after the sales is a good line but a meaningless one that means if is not warranty or paid by insurance, fix it yourself or buy/fix elsewhere.  In the end the manufacture pays for the fix or you get overcharged by a dealer.
My experience shows that you should buy at the best price on a product from a known manufacture.  Yes, buy from the local dealership to keep them in business so I can get warranty work.

I will take my nearly $5000 savings, buy a quality extended warranty and use the local dealer for warranty work that they will gladly do.  There will be enough $ left over for my expensive trip to pick up the unit.  Gee, there might be enough left over for some repair work when needed.

 

[Fullabunk]

I picked up my Jayco Eagle super-lite From Des Moines RV.  I had purchased the trailer on line from RVDirect.  The trailer was ready and serviced at the appointed time.  The demo guy was very knowledgeable about this trailer and campers in general.  He spent nearly 2 hours going over every item and making sure I understood its use and how to use it.  At the end I told him I needed help connecting the trailer to my Excursion with the Reese Dual Cam hitch system.  On setting the appointment, I told the dealership I would need mechanical help installing all the hitch parts and proper aligning the whole rig.  After we started it was obvious this young guy new trailers but not hitches.  He had a positive attitude but did a lousy job.  When he was all through my trailer was front high about 5".  It was his quiting tome so he said goodbye and left.  We hauled to a RV park for the night with the trailer bouncing all over the place. The next day I moved the ball position but unfortunately I had a choice 5" high or 4" low.  I chose low for the interim and proceeded over the next couple days to get to Colorado Springs.  It felt much better towing nose down instead of nose up.  The Excursion was level in both configurations.  Tomorrow I will go to Camping World and get the parts to be able to haul the trailer level.

So my experiences with RVDirect were excellent but the Des Moines RV dealership had an incompetent mechanic doing the install.  Being Saturday afternoon, he was the only one there.  Fortunately, I know enough about trailering to know it was wrong and be able to fix the problem.  My advice is use RVDirect if it meets your needs (saved me $5000 and I would do it again), but do your pickup and demo during the week and early in the day.

 

[cybertron]

I just picked up my trailer from RVDirect in Elkhart about 4 weeks ago.  I chronicled some of the hassles in other threads, but for the most part they weren't RVDirect's fault.  The factory was very slow getting it built, but the dealer doesn't really have any control over that.  They weren't especially good about keeping me updated on what was going on so I ended up calling them quite a bit.  They also told me the wrong hitch ball size and interior height for the trailer, but I don't know whether that's their fault or Forest River's for giving them bad information.  The guy who did my walkthrough gave me a little bit of bad information (said I could run the battery all the way down when dry camping), but by and large he seemed knowledgeable and gave me a lot of good information too.  He also helped me out when I had a couple of fuse problems on my way home, so overall he gets a big thumbs up from me.

For me, the trip to pick up the camper was not that big a deal.  It definitely cost me less than having it shipped to a local dealer would have, and it got pretty much all of the breaking in for both the trailer and the owner out of the way.

Finally, I saved something like 37% off MSRP on a little trailer that wasn't that expensive to begin with.  That way overshadows any minor irritations I had with RVDirect, so I would recommend them for anyone else looking. 

 

[Fullabunk]

cybertron, that is about the savings we experienced.  We are now sitting in a great campground in Colorado Springs.  We have been site seeing for 3 days and will leave Sunday.  It has been a great shakedown maiden voyage.  We have had zero trailer problems.  Yesterday afternoon and again this afternoon we have experienced 3+inch rains.  The trailer shows no signs of leaks anywhere.  Our trailer was ready dor pickup within days of the original estimate.  So far no complaints against RVDirect.  I do not ordinarily buy extended warranties, but I think I will this time with a little of the savings I have experienced. 

Good luck to you on your trailering.