Slide damage by dealer

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mkern

New member
Joined
Apr 19, 2021
Posts
3
Location
Fort Mohave, AZ 86426
I’m in the middle of a used (2020) travel trailer purchase from Blue Dog RV in Las Vegas. I’ve put down a deposit and gotten financing approved but, before completing paperwork and taking delivery, they damaged the trailer. It was in their shop for some minor fixes before delivery and someone forgot to put in one of the slides before moving it out. Now, I’m told it will be at least a few more weeks for repairs.

My question is, how concerned should I be about future issues with the slide after repairs? Because the trailer is used, it doesn’t fall under their “Coast to Coast” warranty that comes with their new trailers. Do they offer any kind of extended warranty on their used inventory? Or, should I just start looking for something else? I feel like the value of the trailer has gone down as well which should be reflected in the final price.
 
Slides have enough problems without any help. Even if they gave you a discount on the purchase price you still have the potential for latent damage. Gotta wonder about the integrity of a repair by a dealer, that does this for a living, and they "forgot" to do a very basic operation. The minute you roll off the lot with this thing, it's all yours so if it's not right, you're in for a ride. You could request to look at it yourself and see if it's more of a cosmetic issue, then from there decide to renegotiate or walk.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Thx for the advice. I’ll definitely give it a thorough look over before signing anything, and I’m really gonna push for some kind of extended warranty to be thrown in as well.

BTW, I noticed the call sign in your user name. I’m an Extra as well. :)

-Mike KJ7UZU
 
It all depends on the damage. I would visually inspect myself prior to them making any fixes. If they just tweaked something and the wait is for a part, that is not terribly alarming.
 
Do you have pictures of the damage? And a repair cost estimate, those will give you an idea of how much and what is damaged. Without those your flying blind
 
Your "warranty" on the slide repair will be whatever you negotiate. The trailer is no longer in the same condition as what you signed up for, so certainly you would be within your rights to cancel the sale if you are worried about the potential for long term damage. However, I would not panic.

An obvious question is "what sort of damage?". Dents and scrapes of the outer skin? More severe damage to the slide itself or the wall structure around it? Broken gears or pulleys? Somethings are just replacing parts or patching & painting, while other things could be more worrisome.
 
I spoke at length with the service dept today. The damage seems to be mostly cosmetic... edge trim and some new stickers. However, he did say the slide was knocked askew, so they completely removed it to check out the tracks, seals, motors, etc.

Still gonna ask for some kind of warranty coverage, but I’ll have plenty of time to negotiate that as parts are another month out. Thanks for all the feedback, everyone!
 
Since this is the dealer's fault, I think they should loan you a similar trailer while they repair yours in case you want to take a trip. Also, I would not trust them that parts will be available in a month. That is often an excuse for taking their time getting it fixed.
 
Presumably the dealer is motivated to get this fixed ASAP, so the sale can be completed. Money is a great motivator! Do NOT let them talk you into completing the sale paperwork and finalizing the loan before the repairs are finished and the RV ready for delivery. It's the busy season at RV shops, parts are always slow to arrive, and your priority drops dramatically once they get paid. Don't be surprised if a month goes by and you are still waiting.
 

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