UncleShiloh said:
Yes..big thanks on Kennedale Campers. I could not figger out what was up with that place. The town is not too uppercrust so to speak. The folks who hang out there normally carry the switch blades in the open position.
Oh, but it is. If you get off 287B through town, there are many really nice neighborhoods. They have been in business since the 50's and are friendly down home people. Because they post lots of nice pictures on their site, I was able to look at lots of units, how they really are, as opposed to some of the private party pics, which were from how they were when THEY bought them. I had been looking for well over 6 months, the last three months were every weekend. So it was a breath of fresh air when I got there, and was treated so well.
http://www.mhsrv.com/ is less than 10 miles from them and were very nice as well. In that when I got to MHSRV, they gave me a golf cart, told me to look around and take 25% off any sticker price. But Kennendale just bargained with me on the price they had it marked. I had seen a similar unit, albeit in rough condition from a private seller, and offered the same price, they got close, and told me everything but the cruise control, and tank meters were guaranteed to work when I left, after that, no warranty. So I made sure everything worked before I left. If the cruise didn't work, that would have been a deal breaker for me.
But they assured me, even after I signed the papers, that I hadn't bought the unit until after my test drive, I gave them the check and drove it off the lot. It was a very pleasant experience.
Although I didn't count how many units I looked at from Craigslist, I was never comfortable looking at those units, and they never lived up to my expectations. In addition, I took the following precautions when going to see a CL listing;
1.) Always informed neighbors and friends where I was going.
2.) Always left a printout of where I was going (phone numbers, addresses), and the order of my visits.
3.) Always carried protection, and am highly trained to handle various situations.
4.) Always made it clear to whoever I was going to visit that I will not be carrying cash. But made it clear I am a serious buyer.
The advantage of looking for so long, at so many units, which I had a NADA value for each unit. This helped me, as I looked as all classes and fuel types of units. So I really knew the market when I made my purchase. In addition, I looked as far east as Shreveport, LA, south to Houston and San Antonio, west to Abilene and Wichita Falls, and as far north as Oklahoma City. And each visit was a learning experience, so I had a true market value before I made a purchase. I should have joined this forum before I started looking, but still had access to the libraries, and read just about every forum topic before I made my purchase, then joined right after I signed the papers to purchase it.
But one of the best things you've done in your search of the perfect RV for you, is to join this forum first. The people here are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I'm looking forward to meeting some of these people that have helped me here so much, in person.
In the PU process, the checklists are very helpful, they can be found in the library. I used them when I went to PU my unit. Rushing through the process, could be a mistake. Waiting is your friend, until after you've made that purchase. So take your time, and look at everything you think you may be interested in before you buy.