Test drive rv

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Debx77

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Feb 26, 2017
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Hey folks why is it that rv dealerships won't let you take a test drive. We are looking to buy an rv and want to see which one we prefer class a or c did anyone come across this? Would appreciate some info thank you
 
When we went looking for a class A at Giant RV, here in Southern Ca., the dealer asked us if we wanted to take a test drive, instead of us asking them.  Not sure what kind of criteria your dealer follows...maybe it's insurance related.
 
If they want a sale, they can let you test drive. Or you can just go elsewhere. Theres got to be a few near you that allow it.
 
Most RV dealerships will let you test drive.  If one of them doesn't, I certainly would not buy from them.

That said, don't buy an RV (Class A or Class C) based on how it drives.  You can learn to drive any style... you'll spend a lot more time "living" in it, so shop with that aspect in mind. 

Many of us have come to this forum with the idea that we would buy/own a Class C (that's how I was) perhaps because they seem more van-like and less intimidating to drive.  But in my case, once I really got out and started checking out rigs in person... the extra headroom, huge windows, and open space of the Class A was impossible to turn down!

My first motorhome ended up being a 35' Class A motorhome, and I loved driving it.  It's a different "feel" than a Class C, because in a Class A you are sitting over the top of the engine & front wheels instead of having it all out in front of you.  But the driving is no more difficult, and you'd be accustomed to it quickly.
 
Most will let a serious buyer test drive, but in some stores you may not be considered "serious" until you place a deposit. If the reason to drive is to compare A vs C, discuss that with the sales person or his manager. If they aren't cooperative, shop elsewhere.

However, I agree with Scotty that a test drive probably isn't going to help you decide. The "A" is going to be strange while the "C" is car-like and that is likely to influence you overmuch. It takes a few days and a thousand miles of driving to get familiar with the different driver position in a Class A.
 
Some dealerships offer driving lessons, then you get to drive the rigs without buying one.  ;D

I sure would not buy anything I couldn't test drive before the deal was finalized.

Gosh I test rode my Day 6 comfort bicycle for hours then went home for 24 hours to think about it further.  ;D

Maybe look them square in the face and ask them to suggest another dealer since they obviously don't need your sale.

I had a helluva time with dealers and salesmen in 2009 when I was shopping. They just wanted to brush me off and ignore me and my questions. It was like begging for mercy to SEE inside any rigs, to get them to unlock the dadgum things. It was insanity!

They were pre-judgemental and boy did that cost them. I was a solo female dressed in bright Caribbean colors. I had just moved from the Caribbean after 25 years, so I was kind of clueless to American current customs.

I had no idea a person's worth was based on the car they drove.

I had cash to pay for my RV but I was ironically driving an old beater to go shopping. I wasn't sure if i was going to tow or even continue to own a car, so I just bought an old beater cause it was way cheaper than a week's car rental. I spent about 2 months shopping anyhow.  I sold the old beater for $150 more than I paid for it minus $300 in maintenance. So I spent $150 to have a car for 2 months, not bad at all!

I guess RV salesman had just never dealt with a thrifty female from another world. Was my cash not good enough? Did it need to arrive with a husband and a new car?

Mind boggling!

The couple I finally bought from, believed in me. They delivered the rig to me (I had driven 8 hours round trip twice to see it).

Anyhow, they delivered it, signed the title, and drove away with my cashier's check from a bank headquartered across the country. We had worked out insurance so I was covered and they weren't liable as of the day I got it.

They certainly were open minded enough to realize my cash was as good as anybody's.  8)

I offered to cash the check for them and hand them a shoe box full of money, but they didn't want that kind of foolishness.

Keep looking. You shouldn't have to force your money on an obnoxious dealer.

I think some salesman are plain lazy. If you test drive, they have to ride with you and explain a few things. Hard work!
 
That is an interesting take on things, and as a counter point I had no trouble getting attention of salesman when looking for a motorhome, but I am a man and drive a car that tends to attract a surprising amount of attention, a plum crazy purple Dodge Challenger SRT-8
 
Isaac-1 said:
That is an interesting take on things, and as a counter point I had no trouble getting attention of salesman when looking for a motorhome, but I am a man and drive a car that tends to attract a surprising amount of attention, a plum crazy purple Dodge Challenger SRT-8
They would hang up on their mom or wife if they saw that pulling in.

But really, Id go to another dealership. Their loss. When you finalize a rig, let the seller know "thanks to so and so for not letting me test drive, i found this one I actually wanted"  :p
 
I can't imagine making the Class C vs. Class A decision without test driving at least one of each style.  If you've never owned either kind you can't make that decision until driving them to learn the differences.  Yes, you live in them most but there are a lot of driving differences between the two styles.  If a salesperson told me I couldn't take a test drive to help me make the C vs. A decision, I'd say bye bye.  By the way, we've owned both types.

ArdraF
 
This thread further explains why I don't buy from dealerships when other options are available... or at least not without a great deal of research first.

There are a great many benefits of buying a gently used RV from a private seller, but I understand that when first researching RV ownership it makes the most sense to start at a dealer (and I did the same thing).
 
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