Newbies - are we crazy??

thearrys · 06-25-2015, 12:03 PM

We've been looking at trailers for some time, and finally felt like we had found 'the one' (26BH elite). There was one sitting at a dealer just a couple of hours away... we were ready to go check it out and buy it... and of course it had sold (the day before) when they had been sitting on it for months.

Anyway... the dealer can order us a new 2016 for a slightly higher price, but still a good deal (36% off MSRP, which based on what I'm reading is a good price). However, the catch is that we would take delivery only a week before a planned 2 week, 3000 mile trip. We are new to travel trailers. We have, however, towed a 24' race car trailer before, so we feel confident on those fronts, but all the bells & whistles related to *living* in the trailer seem like a lot of possible user-error or early-life failure modes. (Two engineers here - we tend to think in worst-case-scenario mode...)

We would have one weekend to do a trial camping session with the trailer before our long trip. And, worst case, we would have some flexibility to move out the dates on our trip - although we're planning to head West to Yellowstone and it will start to get cold there so we wouldn't want to push it out by much.

So - is this a totally crazy plan to think we could have a new trailer ready for a 2 week trip 1 week after taking delivery??

Camper_bob · 06-25-2015, 12:08 PM

Welcome to the club!

No, I don't think you're crazy (at least no more or less than most of the rest of us!). Now that we got that out...

I think I would, however, consider the possibility/probability that the ordered trailer won't ship by the date they promise. Granted, I've never ordered one, but it seems like Jayco is having trouble meeting those delivery dates based on others' experiences.

As far as getting ready for your trip, there is much you can do to prepare before you take delivery, and much to do in a hurry afterwards. A trip to Yellowstone is a once-in-a-lifetime for many of us, so I would do everything in my power to make it happen if I were in your shoes...

TWP723 · 06-25-2015, 12:10 PM

More than enough time!!!

dmward · 06-25-2015, 12:18 PM

Somewhere on this forum is a list of things that you should have for a new trailer. Find the list, do some shopping, and you'll be fine!

mike837go · 06-25-2015, 12:34 PM

New to owning a travel trailer, "You don't have to be crazy, but it helps".

My opinion is ordering a big-ticket item is generally a poor choice. Back in 1979 my parents ordered a new car. Delivery in 8-10 weeks. 5 months later it was delivered.

Delivery schedules can only slip one way. Photographs of the prototype are no match for touching and getting a true feel of the item.

When shopping for cars, I only look at what the dealer has in stock.

My new (May 9) trailer purchase was after looking at what 3 dealers had on their lots. We explained what we wanted to the salesman and looked at the brochures. Once we saw the units it was 3 disappointments (unworkable floor plan, missing appointments, etc.)

On the way back to the showroom was an unlocked unit that was a little bigger than what we KNEW we wanted. It had almost exactly the appliances and appointments we wanted and a great floor plan. That's when the negotiations started....
Never would have considered it on paper.

So, if you have a time constraint, consider buying off the lot. Or specify that if the ordered unit is not delivered by (2 weeks ahead of your trip) the dealer has to supply a free rental unit for your trip.

oldmanAZ · 06-25-2015, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

Welcome to the club!

No, I don't think you're crazy (at least no more or less than most of the rest of us!). Now that we got that out...

I think I would, however, consider the possibility/probability that the ordered trailer won't ship by the date they promise. Granted, I've never ordered one, but it seems like Jayco is having trouble meeting those delivery dates based on others' experiences.

As far as getting ready for your trip, there is much you can do to prepare before you take delivery, and much to do in a hurry afterwards. A trip to Yellowstone is a once-in-a-lifetime for many of us, so I would do everything in my power to make it happen if I were in your shoes...

What he said...

You have a lot to digest with all the mechanical systems on a TT; fresh water, waste water, propane, electrical (AC and DC), hitching, leveling, etc. It's all doable, especially for logical engineers.

I suggest you stay VERY close to home for your 'shake down' trip. That will make it easier to recover from any forgotten items etc.

Be logical, go slowly, and both of you keep your sense of humor.

TWP723 · 06-25-2015, 12:43 PM

Engineers?? I missed that part.

Well heck, you could design and build anything you've forgotten!

PROBLEM SOLVED!

thearrys · 06-25-2015, 01:07 PM

Unfortunately, we seem to be looking at the wrong time, and haven't been able to find another trailer sitting on a dealer lot that would work - at least not within a reasonable driving distance. We're only finding 26BHSs, and although I'm sure the room would be nice we don't really want to spend the additional money, or have the additional complication of the slider. I'm still kicking myself for not moving faster on the one they had sitting there, but it is what it is at this point. There are SLXs with the same floor plan out on dealer lots... but they are wanting the same money as a Flight Elite... just doesn't make sense to us. Our closest local dealer only stocks limited brands, if we're buying new (even if not from them) we want to make sure they can simply handle warranty service, and out of those few brands we really feel pretty strongly about sticking to Jayco.

Our plan for the shakedown trip would be about 1 hr from home and 1 hr from the dealer... just in case it needs to go back there for any issues we find. That's a big concern of mine - that we'll find some major issue on our shakedown trip that can't be fixed in time. Not sure how probable that is, but from reading here it seems like there certainly are sometimes 'quirks' that come along with new trailers.

I am also concerned about delivery. The idea to ask them to give us a rental if delivery is delayed is a good one!

mosquito · 06-25-2015, 01:37 PM

Was that camper at jims trailers service in grafton ?

thearrys · 06-25-2015, 01:46 PM

Nope. Does that mean there might be one there?

33 RLDS · 06-25-2015, 02:02 PM

Additional complications of a slider? Don't you trust your fellow engineers ??

mosquito · 06-25-2015, 02:04 PM

Not anymore i picked it up Saturday. ... i thought i bought your camper. It sounds like your getting a good deal on a 2016 though.

Dgivens · 06-25-2015, 02:11 PM

I agree with everything everyone else has said about delivery. Even if you are buying off the lot there can be items discovered in the walk through that can delay you taking it home. That happened to us. We were there to pick up out 2015 Eagle 30RKS during October (it was really cold and they had turned on the furnace for the walk through) and the furnace simply stopped working. They quickly got the service guy out to look at it, but it turned out to be a switch that they didn't have in stock. During the same walk through we discovered a few other little things that they fixed while waiting for the furnace part. We had to wait two more weeks to pick it up. You just never know what you will find during the walk through that could delay taking it off the lot.

drk98 · 06-25-2015, 02:16 PM

Buying a trailer is a fairly significant investment (at least for a lot of us) and you really should get exactly what you want. We bought our first trailer off the lot not really knowing better but this go around the dealers didn't stock the model we wanted with the options we wanted so we ordered. It did take a couple weeks longer than expected due to the Christmas holiday and snow storms but in the end it was worth it. I'm not sure I'd order a floorplan I'd never seen before but otherwise I'd def order again. It just takes patience... Which is something I rarely have when it comes to "toys".

As others have mentioned... go into the deal with a backup plan but don't settle for something you don't want.

thearrys · 06-25-2015, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33 RLDS

Additional complications of a slider? Don't you trust your fellow engineers ??

Ha, only sometimes.

I'm beginning to feel like we are, indeed, crazy. We have 2, maybe 3 weeks cushion to move the trip before weather in Yellowstone will be unpredictable enough that it doesn't make sense anymore. It's seeming like between delivery and quality issues that has potential to not be enough.

Unfortunately, I don't love any of our 'Plan Bs'.

mike837go · 06-25-2015, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drk98

As others have mentioned... go into the deal with a backup plan but don't settle for something you don't want.

X2, X3 and X4!!

thearrys · 06-25-2015, 02:23 PM

Also, I'll add, we have seen the same exact floorplan in the SLX and spent some time in that at our local dealer. We're as sure as we can be (without actually camping in it) that this is the floor plan that fits our needs the best. I feel like since we have found 'the one' that makes any compromise that much harder to swallow.

There are non-elites out there, so that would probably be our first option other than ordering this one. But if we're buying a new trailer, I really want to get it exactly as we would like. Either way - we have to decide today or tomorrow or the delivery date pushes out a week. Eep.

drk98 · 06-25-2015, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thearrys

Unfortunately, I don't love any of our 'Plan Bs'.

While it's not the same as using your own new trailer.... Do any of the dealers you're working with offer rentals? If so, maybe go that route for this trip. I'd rather take a rental to Yellowstone than miss the trip or buy a trailer you won't be happy with.

thearrys · 06-25-2015, 02:36 PM

None of them offer rentals. The one that had the in stock is who we've been working with on ordering - our closest dealer has been extremely slow to get back to us. My husband is waiting on a call back from them, and is planning to ask their suggestions for a 'plan B'. They said they are 'very certain' on the delivery time, and have otherwise been quite honest and transparent (explaining cost difference to 2016, suggesting we don't actually need accessories we thought be might want, etc). I don't know how much visibility they have to how the line is running at Jayco, though, honestly.

Of course, that furnace switch mentioned above could always go out on Day 5 of use - while we're on the trip - so there's some element of unknown regardless.

drk98 · 06-25-2015, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thearrys

Of course, that furnace switch mentioned above could always go out on Day 5 of use - while we're on the trip - so there's some element of unknown regardless.

Our furnace worked just fine when we picked it up too... Day 2 of our week long trip it stopped working. 2 portable electric heaters later we were fine and the dealer fixed it when we got back. Things happen... It is a house bouncing down the road made with less superior parts than are in a real house.

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