Dealer Prep Items

[eightOsix]

While we are waiting to take delivery of our new 20MRB the dealer wants to sell some extra items. Not a big surprise. Seems like quotes for stuff I plan to do myself (WD hitch, brake controller) are on the high side.
First is the Tyron tire protection system - supposed to keep damage to a minimum in the event of a flat tire. $1500. Not going to go there.
Next was an interior and exterior surface protection. Some sort of sealant for the exterior and I'm guessing Scotchgard on the interior fabric. $1100, mostly labor they say. Anybody had this done? Was it worth it?
Lastly is an extended warranty. Not a believer, but would appreciate any input.
Of course tacking this stuff onto the financing has minimal affect on payments, but it is still money out the door.
Thanks in advance.

[dewey02]

It all depends on whether you are a do it yourselfer or not.
My opinion? No to extended warranty, interior or exterior surface protection, tire protection system. You don't need them, and you can wax your own TT if you want to.

The WD hitch and brake controller - you can install these yourself or have your local mechanic do it, and probably for a lot cheaper. Check with your mechanic and if the dealer can give you a similar price, then have him do it, unless you want to do it yourself.

While your monthly finance payment will be minimally higher, by the time you are done, you will probably have paid way more than the initial up front costs because of interest. Put that money into going camping!

[North of 49°]

Originally Posted by eightOsix

Next was an interior and exterior surface protection. Some sort of sealant for the exterior and I'm guessing Scotchgard on the interior fabric. $1100, mostly labor they say. Anybody had this done? Was it worth it?

I wouldn't do it. Keep the exterior clean and waxed with a quality automotive wax and it will last many years before showing signs of aging. As for the interior, we never had any kind of fabric protection on our 10 year old hybrid and it still looked like new. We cleaned up any spills or stains promptly and never had a problem.

Lastly is an extended warranty. Not a believer, but would appreciate any input.

The way extended warranties were explained to me many years ago is like this: it's a wager between you and the manufacturer that nothing will go wrong with the unit during the life of the warranty. You're betting the price of the warranty, and they're betting the cost of any repairs. You win if the cost of repairs exceeds what you paid for the warranty, and the manufacturer wins if they don't. The odds are greatly in the manufacturer's favor. When we negotiated the price for our new 24FBS, the dealer offered the extended warranty and we turned it down without a second thought. Jayco builds a quality unit, so the chances of a few thousand dollars' worth of warranty work needing to be done in the next few years is pretty minimal, IMHO.

[thebuckeye]

I would also decline on the sealants and extended warranty, etc.

However, I am surprised they are trying to rake you over the coals on the weight distribution and brake controller. Dealers usually give a good discount on the hitch work as a thank you for choosing them for your coach purchase.

I sold my last trailer last fall and let the WDH go with as I wanted to upgrade to trunnion bars with integrated sway control hitch. When I bought my new unit last month they sold me my Equalizer installed for $375.

[slabat]

I would have them install the break controller and the WDH, but the others I would pass on...

[eightOsix]

For the brake controller they want $250. I ordered a P3 with wire harness for $140 on Amazon. Should be plug and play.
The WD hitch is a Eaz-Lift - costs about $240 . They would install it for $450.
I am pretty handy twisting bolts so the install should be easy. Still trying to figure exactly the brand/model of WD hitch to purchase.

[eldermike]

Normally the brake controller is 2 self tapping screws, plug and play harness and a fuse that has a place to be but not installed by vehicle manufacturer. I would install the reciever on my truck but I would purchase the hitch from the camper dealer and let them set it up. Mine would have to be an Equalizer.

[Paintinfool3]

The dealer had told me they would exchange my bars for heavier ones for free but when their bars were different they gave me a great deal on a new w/d hitch and installed it and the sway bar unit i brought in for free .... I would also pass on the other items ...if it ain't gone bad in two years odds are it won't ... Tires I replace every 5 years and interior on my old one never showed wear even with the dogs and the kids on rainy weekends... Wax the exterior and it should be fine also

[Seann45]

sealants and extended warranty.. KA-FLUSH$$$$$$$
Keep your money in your pocket..

[Jagiven]

The brake controller is easy. It is plug and play. The hardest part is finding a spot to mount it.

The wdh, personally unless you have the large torque wrenches let them do it, it is worth the money. If I recall correctly some of the bolts need to be torqued to 600 foot pounds.

The rest of the items, I would skip.

[RedHorse1]

I would pass on all of the options you mention. $450 to install the WDH seems excessive. I bought my own and asked the dealer to install at pickup, as I recall it was around $150.

[eightOsix]

I guess I wasn't clear - dealer would install Eaz-lift for $450, includes the hitch. So that's about $200 in labor.

[Paintinfool3]

well in that case its not a horrible price installed but if they sold you the trailer and the hitch they ought to give you a little more of a break on the hitch install

[mhuntington]

as far as I see it the dealer should make sure you leave safely. with that in mind they should set up your camper/tv properly at no cost considering the coin you just dropped on a new camper.

[norty1]

Agree with all posters so far on extras. BTW, you can buy Scotch Guard in spray cans at Walmart or any store like that and spray your upholstry for a fraction of whatever he quoted you. It does not last long however and will need to be reapplied often.

[klpoppe]

I think they are ripping you off on the WDH especially the labor. My dealer gave me the hitch for free and did the install while I signed the paperwork. It took them maybe a half hour to install. $200 for minimal labor is excessive. I also think they should include it in the purchase price.

[Offspring22]

We had the same experience picking up our unit a couple weeks ago - I'm sure everyone does though. Told them no to the warranty. They wanted $2800, and showed me a price list of "common" repairs such as replacing a fridge for 2k, stove for 600, water heater for 800, slide for 2k etc.... I asked them what kind of lemon they were trying to sell me if all those things are likely to go wrong?

They also said I get $2000 back if I don't end up using the warranty. So I said basically you're trying to make sure I don't bring it in for anything other than a major failure of 2 or more components? Repairs would have to be worth more than 2k for me to fore go the refund. It's quite the scam, those warranties.

We also decided to buy some cans of scotchgard, and make waxing a project for our first weekend out!

[Brownie]

It's my opinion that the "cosmetic" stuff is a rip-off! You could (and should) wax your rig on a regular basis, anyway. As others have said, if your family is messy, you can pick up a few cans of "Scotch-Guard" and spray the upholstery and carpeting yourself for 1/10th the cost. As for the extended warranty, it's the biggest rip-off of all! They are huge money-makers for the dealership! If they weren't, the dealers wouldn't push them so hard! Your Jayco comes with a 2 year bumper-to-bumper warranty, and most of the costly components carry manufacturers' warranties that are even longer. And you should carry insurance on your trailer that will cover just about everything else. That means you're already covered for 99% of the things that might go wrong with your rig. Put a few bucks in a savings account every month, and in no time at all, you'll have enough put aside to cover any other needed repairs.

The hitch, on the other hand, is a different matter. Your dealer's hitch tech is familiar with your rig and their hitches, so he/she can select the one that best matches your needs. Because they've set them up on virtually every TV on the road, they have the tools and experience to do the job in no time at all. And if your set-up needs a little "tweeking" after your trailer/TV is loaded up for camping, most dealers will make those adjustments at no charge. There's no way my knowledge, experience, or tool stock could match the dealer's, so I had them install and set up my WD hitch & sway control. I'm glad I did, and (unless you're a hitch installation expert) would recommend you do the same.

JM2c.

[RedHorse1]

Originally Posted by Offspring22

It's quite the scam, those warranties.

Yeah, if they didn't make money off it they wouldn't sell it.

Enjoy that first outing!