Not so Nube, with questions

[TNTBaker]

WELL! If that is the case (fixing all Redwoods fridges) Then I owe you ANOTHER thank you! LOL! Tell him to watch out for the BAKERS RW... that they are PERFECTIONISTS! Especially THE WIFE! :-)

[ksaltman]

So just got a phone call from my "Delivery Advisor" at Lazydays. She wanted to know what time we would be coming by and said when I do to come into sales so we can take care of all the paperwork. It was clear that they wanted me to sign all the papers before going through the coach. I told her I really wanted to do the walk through before doing any of the paperwork so she said "Ok then when you arrive ask for me".

Also btw ask that she do me a favor and when they move the coach out to the delivery lot Tuesday night that it is plugged in and the fridge is turned on so it will be cold Wednesday when we arrive.

Oh so close.....

[spindrift]

Alan...in the FWIW department, I will echo some of the same things that have already been stated by AA. Prior to picking up our unit I scoured the internet for what I thought was the perfect PDI list. I found it in the form of a document that was close to 357 pages long..., and sent it to the dealer. I didn't get the same response from our dealer that AA received but what was handed to me was the dealer's own checklist; minimal at best. I stilled used the 357 page document for my own checklist but by the time I was finished, the dealer's rep was long gone.

Simply my opinion, but I'm a firm believer in doing business as close to home as possible, even though I was able to purchase for a few thousand less at another dealer much further away. My point here is that you might come out of your PDI with a better relationship with your dealer if you somehow soften the delivery of any monumentally long checklist as an "FYI" of sorts. Maybe, as others have done before you, simply bring it along and let them know you'll be doing your own PDI. My wife criticized me a bit for this but I also prepped for our PDI by presenting a rather decent bottle of bourbon to my service writer at the time. He received another bottle just recently when the coach went back in for major warranty work after the first of the year. I can say I have a great dealer and I always seem to get their attention.

Bottom line...stay in the lot, camp nearby, do whatever it takes to be comfortable BEFORE signing the papers; especially since you're not close.

Best of luck to you. We love our Redwood to death, even with some of the hiccups, and hope you will too. I know jealousy can be an evil thing but in your particular case the word aptly describes my feelings of the journey you're about to begin. If only....

[TNTBaker]

Envious!! Have fun!!

[AlanN]

Originally Posted by spindrift

Alan...in the FWIW department, I will echo some of the same things that have already been stated by AA. Prior to picking up our unit I scoured the internet for what I thought was the perfect PDI list. I found it in the form of a document that was close to 357 pages long..., and sent it to the dealer. I didn't get the same response from our dealer that AA received but what was handed to me was the dealer's own checklist; minimal at best. I stilled used the 357 page document for my own checklist but by the time I was finished, the dealer's rep was long gone.

Simply my opinion, but I'm a firm believer in doing business as close to home as possible, even though I was able to purchase for a few thousand less at another dealer much further away. My point here is that you might come out of your PDI with a better relationship with your dealer if you somehow soften the delivery of any monumentally long checklist as an "FYI" of sorts. Maybe, as others have done before you, simply bring it along and let them know you'll be doing your own PDI. My wife criticized me a bit for this but I also prepped for our PDI by presenting a rather decent bottle of bourbon to my service writer at the time. He received another bottle just recently when the coach went back in for major warranty work after the first of the year. I can say I have a great dealer and I always seem to get their attention.

Bottom line...stay in the lot, camp nearby, do whatever it takes to be comfortable BEFORE signing the papers; especially since you're not close.

Best of luck to you. We love our Redwood to death, even with some of the hiccups, and hope you will too. I know jealousy can be an evil thing but in your particular case the word aptly describes my feelings of the journey you're about to begin. If only....

More sage advise, Todd, thanks! For the record, my "list" for my dealer is only half a page long with eight items, my own PDI list is seven pages long, and my intent was never to try to bully my dealer into compliance. I learned a long time ago that a little honey (or bourbon, or Wild Turkey) ALWAYS works better than vinegar (except when cleaning the coffee maker). And I've changed my mindset regarding what the responsibilities of the dealership are, and they no longer include an extensive inspection to discover what the factory missed. I'll assume that responsibility myself. Hopefully, my dealer won't balk, however, should I come back with a day or two worth of work. It seems that water leaks can be the most devastating, ruining plywood and insulation, causing delaminating, etc., and taking the longest to repair. So I'll concentrate on preventing water leaks, perhaps going so far as to turn the water off at the pedestal whenever we leave for the day. No water, no leaks! Both of our residential home refrigerators have had leaks in the ice maker, and I can't imagine that the track records of bouncing RV units could be much better. Besides, most of the next five years will be spent in southwestern parts of the country and I know what the tap water is like out there - it's unlikely that I'd WANT ice made from that water. I may just pull that from our unit altogether, and have one less thing to be concerned about.
Having said all this, my main goal now is to adjust my attitude so that the PDI process is not, "OMG, what will they find wrong?!?" but rather, "Here's my opportunity to really get to know all about my new home." Cheers!

[AlanN]

Thanks, Dan...

[johnboytoo]

AlanN,
easy fix for your ice maker delete -
redwood was nice enough to put a valve for the ice maker under the sink !
just turn the valve on the clear plastic line and no water to the ice maker! that's what we did...

[AlanN]

Originally Posted by TNTBaker

I will say that if there are major issues to fix during the PDI, I would not pay for the unit until they were addressed. Minor issues are a different matter, but major issues can sometimes fall in two weeks of waiting for them to get the repair done. I have seen this happen. I can guarantee you that if they are waiting for payment they will magically find more time in the service department to get your issues addressed, right Blue Dogs?

Unfortunately, we signed the papers at the RV show in Hershey last Sept, and have been making payments since, so I don't have that leverage. We got a year of free storage and extended warranty, since we didn't want to lose a year's worth of warranty as it sat in storage. I'll just have to trust the dealership to live up to their responsibilities... they always DO, right? :-)

[AlanN]

Originally Posted by johnboytoo

AlanN,
easy fix for your ice maker delete -
redwood was nice enough to put a valve for the ice maker under the sink !
just turn the valve on the clear plastic line and no water to the ice maker! that's what we did...

And as long as there are no leaks on the supply side of that valve, no worries mate! I wish now that I'd installed an easily-accessible shutoff valve on my home fridge. Thanks, John!

[AlanN]

Originally Posted by trfield58

Alan,
I'll let you know how they respond to the PDI process. I actually just purchased the unit right next to yours on the Rochester, NY Redwood Dealer lot. We bought the 39MB. We are scheduled to take delivery on May 6th so we're keeping our fingers crossed for a uneventful process.

Tim

Tim, it's been suggested to me that we make a video of our walk through. Given the trustworthiness of my note taking and my memory, that seems like an excellent idea for me, especially for things I won't be doing often.

[brenkco]

We started doing a video as I too, thought that sounded like a good idea. I started out with 4 specific questions. The poor young man had no idea how to answer so I had Marilyn stop the video. I had him show me the level up and we left. I had 6 weeks to do my own pdi before I brought it back. Far less frustrating and more productive, at least for us.

[johnboytoo]

Sorry to chuckle brenko....
but I can see the deer in the headlights look now

[TNTBaker]

Well, that's just awful...

[brenkco]

johnboytoo,
You got it exactly right! Nice young man that apparently did PDI's from tent trailers to expensive motorhomes. Generic at best, specifics...not a chance!

TNTBaker, not really too bad. We have bought a few RV's over the last number of years. First PDI on first rig was exactly the same. My opinion is that they are going to fix the stuff anyway. Since I'm still working, I can leave it until they get the repairs done. Works for us!

Ken

[TNTBaker]

We feel confident that whatever needs fixing will get fixed. I already know that the pdi will probably be much like what you experienced since I was showing them features of the coach when we looked at it! :-)

[brenkco]

That's a great point. I think that we, as buyers, spend a great deal of time during the purchase & decision process that our knowledge of the specific rig we purchase has been greatly enhanced. Spending the kind of dollars that we do on these rigs, we become very informed consumers before purchase!

[TNTBaker]

Almost without exception, people do, often YEARS of research! There is nothing more frustrating to me as a buyer than to have the salesman showing me the "cup holders" on the RV, while I am on my knees looking at the undercarriage and suspension (ok, I am female, so am used accepting SOME of this!) and have him talk endlessly about the nice cutting board with the cutout... when I WANT to talk about the COOKTOP IS LAME and I want to upgrade it! I was placated and told that "this is the standard cooktop in RV's" (I have owned many expensive RV's) and that I should "go with it". UNACCEPTABLE. So... I am changing it out as soon as I get it with one that the competition puts in theirs STANDARD. People DO know the difference. MOST of this is the dealerships fault, for lack of training, but it's enough to kill a sale if you aren't already sure of what you want.

[TNTBaker]

I would like to add that I believe that it is a testament to Redwoods quality and desirability that has made them successful! People are buying them IN SPITE of *some* of the sales experiences! LOL!

[Blue Dogs]

I've been in sales in the past, I always cherished the opportunity to compete with another sales guy because most had no clue about what they are selling and I believe this has gotten worse.
I love to walk into a car dealership and the sales guy is playing solitaire on the computer or watching a ball game on the TV. Then they pretend to "help you" and you ask a question like can I get a 3.73 axle or is the front axle solid or independent and they reply "I don't know, let me check on that for you." Really? Same applies to RV's maybe worse! Turn off the solitary game and pick up the literature and owners manual of what you are selling, read and know your product!

That said our Salesman Kevin Kotrous @ B.Young RV knows his product very well and could answer any question we threw at him. Also he has been very helpful and involved with our PDI issues and we are extremely grateful he hasn't abandon us after the sale. I will send others to him without hesitation.

[TNTBaker]

You said it Yale (or Tammy?) All sales PEOPLE (yes, former sales here too!) try hard BEFORE the sale. How are they AFTER the sale? There is your company, because that comes from company training and policy. It's extremely easy to tell early on when they live off their commission or if they have a career at that dealership. I did very well because of referral business. People hate the sales process generally (there are exceptions that view it as recreation!) and if they are assured that they are dealing with someone who actually has ears to hear what you want rather than telling YOU what they have to sell, then you have a winner.The best sales person is a GOOD LISTENER in my opinion. They will get my money every time.