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Old 03-01-2016, 07:01 PM   #1
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Advice for 1st Time Purchaser?

I've been around the RV industry in some capacity for most of my life (my dad was a small dealer MANY years ago). However, I've never purchased an RV from a dealer. Right now, we own a popup that we've used for 10+ years, but are hoping to custom order our first TT in the near future.

We intend to order a Jay Flight 28BHBE with the following options. We will be towing it with our 2013 Chevy Express 3500 and have already installed a Curt V5 receiver and a Prodigy P3 brake controller.

Here is the unit as we currently have it optioned out.

Customer Value Package with 15K AC
Thermal package
Elite package
2nd AC in Bedroom
50 amp service
Cargo Receiver
Aluminum wheels
Sway Command

We've received quotes from several dealers and the best deal that we have received thus far is about 33% off. Unfortunately, the dealer is about a 6 hour drive away. We really tried to work with local dealers, but they were over $2,000 higher for the same unit.

Any advice for the ordering/purchasing process? Thanks!
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Old 03-02-2016, 01:40 PM   #2
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For us, the difference in money between local dealer and remote dealer shrank pretty fast when we factored in fuel to go pick it up, a night or two in a hotel, meals, time away from work, etc. We also worried that when we went to pick it up (5-6 hours away), with our trade in tow, if the PDI wasn't as expected and the dealer had to do additional work/fixes, logistics again became an issue. I have heard of some dealers who offer gas cards, etc to help defray expenses, but the one we were working with didn't offer that.

That, combined with any needed warranty work, leaned us towards our local dealer.
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Old 03-02-2016, 02:55 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by On The Lam View Post
For us, the difference in money between local dealer and remote dealer shrank pretty fast when we factored in fuel to go pick it up, a night or two in a hotel, meals, time away from work, etc. We also worried that when we went to pick it up (5-6 hours away), with our trade in tow, if the PDI wasn't as expected and the dealer had to do additional work/fixes, logistics again became an issue. I have heard of some dealers who offer gas cards, etc to help defray expenses, but the one we were working with didn't offer that.

That, combined with any needed warranty work, leaned us towards our local dealer.
x2, if you find issues, it might take an extra night or two, maybe longer to fix it or to get the parts. Sometimes another dealer does not like to work on a camper that they did not sell, or you will be placed at the bottom of the list.

One more thing to think about is your hitch. I would recommend a Equalizer brand WDH or a Reese Dual Cam WDH. I have used both, and like both. Both have integrated sway control in the hitch design.
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Old 03-02-2016, 04:01 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by glbtrekker View Post
... We've received quotes from several dealers and the best deal that we have received thus far is about 33% off. Unfortunately, the dealer is about a 6 hour drive away. We really tried to work with local dealers, but they were over $2,000 higher for the same unit.

Any advice for the ordering/purchasing process? Thanks!
Did you ask if your local dealer would match the 33% off price you have.

I agree with On The Lam and Jagiven, there's advantages to buying from a local dealer and you have to take into considerations the cost (travel, lodging, etc.) from buying it from a dealer 6 hrs away to figure out what your actual savings are.

Then there's also the warranty work issue, if and when it's needed. How will your local dealer respond to that if you bought it elsewhere?

I also agree with Jagiven on his Equalizer brand WDH or a Reese Dual Cam WDH recommendations. Get yourself a good WDH and it will be happy trails.

Good luck. Keep us posted on what you decide to do.
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Old 03-02-2016, 06:42 PM   #5
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Thanks guys, unfortunately the local dealer doesn't want to play. They wouldn't budge a penny, even after showing the quotes from 4 different out of state dealers. Honestly, they didn't seem interested in doing anything to earn my business. Plus, the other dealer I'm talking to is only an extra 5 hours away ($100 gas and time). It doesn't bother me to buy out of state. In fact, I found my TV used online, negotiated over the phone and booked a one-way flight to pick it up in another state. No problems.

As far as warranty work goes, I'll take it to the local dealer just like I do with my vehicles. After all, it is a manufacturer's warranty and Jayco has a good reputation for keeping the customer happy after the sale. I know that this is something that concerns some, due to the potential of local customers getting preferential treatment, etc., but I'm comfortable with it.

Anyway, at this point, we have selected our dealer. I was actually hoping to get advice on the actual purchasing process (sorry...should have been more clear). Pitfalls to avoid, items to verify, things I need to check for to make sure that we don't get taken advantage of, etc.

Also, I do need advice about a good hitch. Thanks for bringing that up. I've read several threads about the merits of the Reese Dual Cam and Equalizer. Seems that the Reese might be just a smidgen better in sway control, but much more finicky to adjust. Is that a fair assessment? Also, how does the Husky Centerline compare? Thanks everybody!
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Old 03-02-2016, 10:08 PM   #6
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If the local dealer didn't make a real effort to get your business when buying it, I can almost assure you he won't make an effort for u on warranty work...especially if they do a good amount of business. This is nothing like buying a ram truck 1000 miles away from home and taking it to your local ram dealer for service.
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Old 03-02-2016, 11:42 PM   #7
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Pack some groceries map out a Walmart or camp ground and enjoy the trip
2000.00 is an awfully nice first trip somewhere
better in your pocket than theirs
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Old 03-03-2016, 01:02 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by glbtrekker View Post
As far as warranty work goes, I'll take it to the local dealer just like I do with my vehicles. After all, it is a manufacturer's warranty and Jayco has a good reputation for keeping the customer happy after the sale. I know that this is something that concerns some, due to the potential of local customers getting preferential treatment, etc., but I'm comfortable with it.!
Your situation may be different than mine but do not assume the dealer will do warranty work. Our local dealer will not do any warranty work on units not purchased through them even though they did not offer the unit we wanted. I was told that Jayco does not require dealers to do warranty work. Jayco Corporate has been fantastic in providing parts but it has all been small stuff that I could do myself.
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Old 03-03-2016, 05:19 AM   #9
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Advice for 1st Time Purchaser?

Good for u for not being scared into paying more to buy local. I drove a little over two hours to get mine.

As far as hitches, I only have experience with the Blue Ox. It's easy to setup and easy to use. Has been great.
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Old 03-03-2016, 05:47 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glbtrekker View Post
... Anyway, at this point, we have selected our dealer. I was actually hoping to get advice on the actual purchasing process (sorry...should have been more clear). Pitfalls to avoid, items to verify, things I need to check for to make sure that we don't get taken advantage of, etc.

Also, I do need advice about a good hitch. Thanks for bringing that up. I've read several threads about the merits of the Reese Dual Cam and Equalizer. Seems that the Reese might be just a smidgen better in sway control, but much more finicky to adjust. Is that a fair assessment? Also, how does the Husky Centerline compare? Thanks everybody!
glbtrekker,

Sounds like you've got everything set wrt the dealer you'll be doing business with. Good for you.

As far as advice on the purchase process, I'm sure others will chime in here, but here's some basics.
- Make sure you go over the order form very closely to make sure everything you want is clearly identified.
Ask to see the specific order form they'll be sending to Jayco.

- Watch out for extra charges that the dealer tries to add.
You can expect extra charges for Delivery, Prep, & Processing Fees. Other then that, ask the dealership to justify the charges.

- Since you're buying out of state, they should charge you Sales tax, but you'll probably have to pay that to your own state when you register your trailer.
You may want to confirm this.

- Since you're buying out of state you may want to check with your DMV to get transfer plates and to see what the process is to register your trailer.
Not sure if your state requires an inspection or what paper work you'll need.
If you need specific paper work, make sure you get this from the dealership when you take delivery.

- Make sure the Purchase Agreement the dealership provides you has all the options correctly listed and any other work you expect them to perform.
Note: The your Purchase Agreement the dealership gives you is different from the order sheet they send to Jayco - so make sure both agree.

- Not sure if you'll be financing the trailer, but if you are, the dealership will probably offer you financing services. Check around so you have a comparison so you can determine if the dealerships financing is good or not.

- The dealership may also offer you an extended warranty. That's a personal decision and you probably should think about if you want it or not. You could check with the dealership to see what their cost is and it's offered through.
If you are thinking about getting an extended warranty, this is something you could also check with at your local dealer. If you buy an extended warranty through your local dealer, they probably would be more willing to take care of you.
Though I've purchased an extended warranty on our trailer - primarily because of all the electronics on our unit and for peace of mind, but I'm still of the opinion that extended warranties are not worth what you pay for them.

As far as delivery / pick up.
- Get yourself a good PDI list, there's many here on the forum and on-line if you do a Google search.

- I would email the PDI list to the dealer to inform them what you plan to do (i.e., on your own) to inspect the trailer prior to final sale processing.

- Don't finish the sale / give the dealership the final payment / balance for the trailer until you've thoroughly checked out the trailer.
See Fairenatic post on his trailer inspection at the bottom of page 2 of this thread http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f1...i-33788-2.html to get an idea. Fairenatic provided an excellent post on what he did to inspect his new trailer.

- If things need to be fixed, don't pay for the unit and come back when the trailer's in the condition you expect to take delivery.

I'm sure there's a lot more things to consider that others will contribute.

As far as the WDH, a lot of my camping buddies have the Reese Dual Cam and love them. You're correct in the Reese DC is a little more finicky in setup. If you do get a Reese DC and looking for some setup help, PM because I have a camping buddy that is an expert at its setup.

When we had TTs, we had the Hensley Arrow hitch. It's expensive, but the best hitch I ever owned. Now that we have a 5vr, I can honestly say that the Hensley hitch made the TT tow just like a 5vr. Absolutely no sway what so ever.

Hope this is of some help to you.
Good luck with the purchasing process.
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Old 03-03-2016, 02:11 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by ROC-REQS View Post
glbtrekker,

Sounds like you've got everything set wrt the dealer you'll be doing business with. Good for you.

As far as advice on the purchase process, I'm sure others will chime in here, but here's some basics.
- Make sure you go over the order form very closely to make sure everything you want is clearly identified.
Ask to see the specific order form they'll be sending to Jayco.

- Watch out for extra charges that the dealer tries to add.
You can expect extra charges for Delivery, Prep, & Processing Fees. Other then that, ask the dealership to justify the charges.

- Since you're buying out of state, they should charge you Sales tax, but you'll probably have to pay that to your own state when you register your trailer.
You may want to confirm this.

- Since you're buying out of state you may want to check with your DMV to get transfer plates and to see what the process is to register your trailer.
Not sure if your state requires an inspection or what paper work you'll need.
If you need specific paper work, make sure you get this from the dealership when you take delivery.

- Make sure the Purchase Agreement the dealership provides you has all the options correctly listed and any other work you expect them to perform.
Note: The your Purchase Agreement the dealership gives you is different from the order sheet they send to Jayco - so make sure both agree.

- Not sure if you'll be financing the trailer, but if you are, the dealership will probably offer you financing services. Check around so you have a comparison so you can determine if the dealerships financing is good or not.

- The dealership may also offer you an extended warranty. That's a personal decision and you probably should think about if you want it or not. You could check with the dealership to see what their cost is and it's offered through.
If you are thinking about getting an extended warranty, this is something you could also check with at your local dealer. If you buy an extended warranty through your local dealer, they probably would be more willing to take care of you.
Though I've purchased an extended warranty on our trailer - primarily because of all the electronics on our unit and for peace of mind, but I'm still of the opinion that extended warranties are not worth what you pay for them.

As far as delivery / pick up.
- Get yourself a good PDI list, there's many here on the forum and on-line if you do a Google search.

- I would email the PDI list to the dealer to inform them what you plan to do (i.e., on your own) to inspect the trailer prior to final sale processing.

- Don't finish the sale / give the dealership the final payment / balance for the trailer until you've thoroughly checked out the trailer.
See Fairenatic post on his trailer inspection at the bottom of page 2 of this thread http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f1...i-33788-2.html to get an idea. Fairenatic provided an excellent post on what he did to inspect his new trailer.

- If things need to be fixed, don't pay for the unit and come back when the trailer's in the condition you expect to take delivery.

I'm sure there's a lot more things to consider that others will contribute.

As far as the WDH, a lot of my camping buddies have the Reese Dual Cam and love them. You're correct in the Reese DC is a little more finicky in setup. If you do get a Reese DC and looking for some setup help, PM because I have a camping buddy that is an expert at its setup.

When we had TTs, we had the Hensley Arrow hitch. It's expensive, but the best hitch I ever owned. Now that we have a 5vr, I can honestly say that the Hensley hitch made the TT tow just like a 5vr. Absolutely no sway what so ever.

Hope this is of some help to you.
Good luck with the purchasing process.
Thanks! That's exactly what I needed to know. I need to digest the information and may have a few follow up question as well, but thanks for the detailed reply!
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