BernieD
Well-known member
Shayne
We've been to PEM a number of times, you come very close to us on your way to the Flea Market.
We've been to PEM a number of times, you come very close to us on your way to the Flea Market.
We put a deposit down today on a new Class A
- Thread starter irvsiegel
- Start date
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.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
OP
irvsiegel
Well-known member
Thank you so much for the invitation to get together! My brother lives in Phoenix, so if we do stop over there maybe we can all get together for dinner or something.
We do have a copy of Woodalls. It's the 2006 edition. When does the 2007 one come out? I think that 400 miles a day is reasonable in good weather. My wife will share some of the driving. She's an excellent driver, having driven a taxicab in the San Francisco area for over seventeen years. Also, we're both used to driving long distances in the car. She drove from California to Massachusetts with two cats while I was getting treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital. The cats love the motorhome! One of them likes to sit on top of the dash and watch the view as we're driving down the highway.
On our trip home, leaving on Friday from Jacksonville, we're planning on spending our first night out in the Mobile area. That's about 400 miles, and we'll see how well we can do that. If it's a struggle, then ensuing days we'll decrease our miles accordingly. Anybody have any suggestions for campgrounds in the vicinity of Mobile? Thanks in advance!
Sincerely,
Irv
BernieD
Well-known member
Irv
Two comments; first the coach is more tiring to drive than a car. I've done 500 miles a day in a car, easy. Also you'll be fighting a headwind all the way west.
A lot of use never make reservations. We drive until we are ready to stop (some are ready after 200 miles or less) and then start checking out the nearby campgrounds in the directory.
Would love to get together with you and your brother in Phoenix.
Two comments; first the coach is more tiring to drive than a car. I've done 500 miles a day in a car, easy. Also you'll be fighting a headwind all the way west.
A lot of use never make reservations. We drive until we are ready to stop (some are ready after 200 miles or less) and then start checking out the nearby campgrounds in the directory.
Would love to get together with you and your brother in Phoenix.
OP
OP
irvsiegel
Well-known member
Bernie,
When we had our Class B we almost always made reservations because we were generally going somewhere to visit some relative or to see some particular attraction, or to stay at a particular campground, and we had good reason to want to be at a particular geographical location. For most of our trip home, that won't really be the case, so we might very well do without reservations most days. However, since this is a Class A and we'll be towing a car on a dolly, we most definitely need a pull-through site, and I'm wondering if campgrounds fill up their pull-throughs often enough that reservations might be a good thing.
Irv
When we had our Class B we almost always made reservations because we were generally going somewhere to visit some relative or to see some particular attraction, or to stay at a particular campground, and we had good reason to want to be at a particular geographical location. For most of our trip home, that won't really be the case, so we might very well do without reservations most days. However, since this is a Class A and we'll be towing a car on a dolly, we most definitely need a pull-through site, and I'm wondering if campgrounds fill up their pull-throughs often enough that reservations might be a good thing.
Irv
BernieD
Well-known member
Irv
You might try calling ahead while you are driving (the navigator should do the calling ;D) and have an idea of where and when you will be ready to stop. You can check on pull-thru availability at that time and reserve a space.
You might try calling ahead while you are driving (the navigator should do the calling ;D) and have an idea of where and when you will be ready to stop. You can check on pull-thru availability at that time and reserve a space.
OP
OP
irvsiegel
Well-known member
That's our plan!
Irv
OP
OP
irvsiegel
Well-known member
We are very satisfied with our motorhome. The ABS light keeps coming on, so we'll have to bring it to Workhorse to have that checked. I think that it's just the light, and not anything involving the brakes. We had to have the CD player replaced. Other than that, everything is working and working well. Where are you located?
wack2547 said:
rutherford.ms
Well-known member
Congratulations on the new coach, sounds like a great deal and the option list looked pretty impressive. Enjoy!purduepete2
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2007
- Posts
- 27
Congratulations on your new purchase,and thanks for sharing the details!
What's the scoop on dealer prep charges? We almost bought a unit at General rv and they were asking for $395 on a used unit, but the sales guy made it sound like he could make it go away if it zonked the deal. We ended up buying at Bestbuyrvs in Richmond, IN and there wasn't any suggestion of a dealer prep fee, just a tittle fee of $125.
Terry
What's the scoop on dealer prep charges? We almost bought a unit at General rv and they were asking for $395 on a used unit, but the sales guy made it sound like he could make it go away if it zonked the deal. We ended up buying at Bestbuyrvs in Richmond, IN and there wasn't any suggestion of a dealer prep fee, just a tittle fee of $125.
Terry
OP
OP
irvsiegel
Well-known member
purduepete said:
Terry,
Dealer prep charges are negotiable. When I bargain, I toss them in with the asking price. Basically, you should get the same 25% discount off of the prep charges (if the charges are reasonable in the first place) as you do the MSRP. I've never purchased a used MH, but I have purchased used cars, and there was never a mention of dealer prep fee, 'cause it was included in the dealer's asking price. $395 is reasonable on a new unit (especially if there's a lot of options that have to be checked and or adjusted). One thing that the dealer I purchased from *didn't* do was to adjust the levelers. So far we've been better off (i.e. more level) by not using the levelers at all. Once I get some free time, I'm going to adjust the levelers properly according to the procedure in the owner's manual. Good dealer prep is worth the $395 in a new unit, and usually they do a good job 'cause they know if they don't you'll be back in again to complain and take up more of their time. In my case, they knew that I was departing for California and that they would probably never see me again, although I did take a two night shakedown trip prior to my departure to California. Other than the levelers, everything else worked perfectly. Oh, they did charge me for hanging up the clock, which I thought was pretty chicken-s***. At another dealer I noticed that the clock had already been hung prior to my first visit to look at the coach. Hanging the clock should have been included in the dealer prep.
Irv
John From Detroit
Well-known member
When a new motor home arrives at a dealer there are things that still have to be done, Often it gets a wash and basic wax, they take up the carpet runner, General RV gives you a half tank of gas on a Class A (thta's around 100 bucks just now in and of itself) and of course there is the technician time showing you around and showing you how to use everything. We cut that a bit short on my rig, I'd already read the manual by the time it got there.
All in all, 400 or less for dealer prep on a class A is, really kind of cheap (When you consider they charge close to 100/hr for service)
On a used rig they have no less work to do, in fact they have more as they do a cleaning inside and out, this should include a complete inspection of the water and waste systems, making sure all valves work as advertised and seal properly, making sure there are no leaks. Changing the oil and doing a lube job, And a bunch of other stuff. Again, 400 would be cheap, and then there is the show-around teaching you how to work all the on-board systems.
I'm still learning mine and I've read the manual... Many times
All in all, 400 or less for dealer prep on a class A is, really kind of cheap (When you consider they charge close to 100/hr for service)
On a used rig they have no less work to do, in fact they have more as they do a cleaning inside and out, this should include a complete inspection of the water and waste systems, making sure all valves work as advertised and seal properly, making sure there are no leaks. Changing the oil and doing a lube job, And a bunch of other stuff. Again, 400 would be cheap, and then there is the show-around teaching you how to work all the on-board systems.
I'm still learning mine and I've read the manual... Many times
Things sure must have changed since I was in the Auto/Rv buisness, cuz the factory always allowed X # of $ for new unit get ready and service. About the Time I quit as Sales Mgr dealers found out that they could charge what ever they wanted and people would pay it. Guess now they add it to the price for double payment. Used units would need more work done on them in most cases, so I guess next they will be adding prep to them also. You just can't win.
purduepete said:
Some RV dealers, like most auto dealers nowadays, will add large "dealer prep" and/or "administrative" fees because sound official and they can often get away with it. If you can't argue it away, you just have to consider it as part of the true purchase price when you are making your decision.
