New Dealership organization seems to be planning to refuse independent inspectors access to their stock.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

LarsMac

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
3,357
Location
Eastern Colorado
In an FB discussion, several people have reported that their requests for pre-purchase inspection by an independent inspector have been refused. The related dealerships claim that all dealerships refuse access to inspectors.
They recently purchased Cousins RV in Colorado.
That seems like a bad move to me. I would not purchase an RV without an independent inspection. Even being an inspector, I would hire an independent inspector before I bought one.

Any thoughts?
 
In an FB discussion, several people have reported that their requests for pre-purchase inspection by an independent inspector have been refused. The related dealerships claim that all dealerships refuse access to inspectors.
They recently purchased Cousins RV in Colorado.
That seems like a bad move to me. I would not purchase an RV without an independent inspection. Even being an inspector, I would hire an independent inspector before I bought one.

Any thoughts?
They might get the message if enough potential buyers refuse to buy without inspections.
 
Again, supply and demand at work. The dealers must believe that enough people will still buy even without an inspection, that will more than offset the loss of sales to people who wont buy without an inspection.
 
Well, I don’t know how much good it does to do an inspection of a new rv. We found three things wrong with our 5th wheel and they just halfway patched them together to get out of the warranty period. Then after the warranty was up, it’s my problem now.
 
It's hardly suprising - the dealer has nothing to gain from inspections and a lot to lose. Plus it delays closing the sale and gives impulse buyers days to re-think their decision. So the important question for a dealer is whether of not prohibiting 3rd party inspections will cost them many sales. Only the prospective buyers can educate the dealer about that.
 
On a brand new unit why would an inspection be necessary, isn't it all covered anyway? Couldn't you buy it, drag it home and have it inspected in your driveway and then bring it back to have all the faults fixed right away?

Do lemon laws apply to RVs?

(I bought ours used so I have no experience with warranty repairs from a dealer)
 
Lets say you are buying a NEW RV, and an independent inspection reveals that there was a major flaw in the coach, one that might not otherwise reveal itself in the first 12 months of warranty coverage, not to mention then having to deal with the warranty repair process.

Let me give you an example of the type of thing that might happen, this one is based on an actual incident where the new owner found the issue just after buying the coach. As I recall this was a couple of years ago a custom order Tiffin diesel pusher delivered to California, It appears the factory had cut a hole for an RV absorption refrigerator roof vent which should not have been cut on a residential refrigerator model, then rather than removing and replacing the entire roof, they simply put a large patch over their oopsy.

In the overall scheme of things this sort of thing is somewhat minor, but would require added ongoing roof maintenance, but if could easily be something much worse. Perhaps missing caulking on roof seals which let water in (saw this on a brand new 2 month old 5th wheel, entire width of rear cap seal had a 1/4 inch wide gap in the sealant, worse yet this was a rear entertainment center model so all that water was leaking back behind the built in cabinet work, and could not be easily spotted inside the RV.
 
If my previous experience is any indication, then probably not "right away." Many (most?) places you have to get in line for an appointment same as if it were for routine maintenance, which might be a month or more away. Then wait for ordered parts to arrive..........
 
IMO the business is owned/operated to make money. How they choose to do so is totally their responsibility.
We bought this MH from Camping World on consignment and did not employ any outside inspector; instead, we purchased a 3-yr. Good Sam extended service contract for a worst-case scenario because the MH had been parked in a barn for 8 years due to the owner's poor health.
I've seen pre-purchase inspection checklists on the web folks can download if they have the time and drive.
 
On a brand new unit why would an inspection be necessary, isn't it all covered anyway? Couldn't you buy it, drag it home and have it inspected in your driveway and then bring it back to have all the faults fixed right away?
Yes it is covered by warranty, but once you hand over your money and take delivery, service is rarely timely (see Larry N reply). You lose all your leverage once you leave the dealer lot.

Do lemon laws apply to RVs?
It varies by state but in general "No". Some states cover the vehicle mechanical portion of motorized RVs, though sometimes limited by GVWR. A few include the entire RV, but not many.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
131,753
Posts
1,384,359
Members
137,524
Latest member
freetoroam
Back
Top Bottom