I thought a 30 day warranty for a used motorhome was standard?
I am very interested in a 12 yr old Tiffin.
They said no warranty and that if I put down a deposit I had 7 days to come look at it and purchase it. Is 7 days standard?
It is a Camping World out of state.
Can anyone give me guidance?
manycats said
09:55 PM Aug 26, 2014
I would not accept those terms. There are too many rigs on the market with sellers who won't take such a hard line. Even if you buy "as is" you need time to have the unit inspected and make sure everything is all right. There is no "standard" for used vehicle warranties unless it's set by the state's Lemon Law but there are plenty of dealers who will work with you.
mylittledogs said
03:26 AM Aug 27, 2014
I to would not except those terms. They should bring the unit to the closest camping world dealer for you. I to agree there are to many units for sell out there.
Kenny & frances
SnowGypsy said
08:10 AM Aug 27, 2014
We have bought a few used RVs and there is no standard. Also, I doubt you would even get a 30-day unless it went along the lines of 50/50 which is what we have gotten on used autos a couple of times. Also, I was looking at some units online last week and noted that CW prices were significantly above what others were asking for the same units, probably as much as 25% on the used and new units. Generally, in these bigger dealerships, the sales people know nothing about RVs and will say anything to get a sale. Tiffin produces a lot of motor homes so you might get lucky to find something closer and if you can buy from an owner directly, I would not pass up that opportunity. Smaller family owned RV dealerships are usually good and a true find. Often the warranties on the used units mean nothing since what you can find in 30 days, sharing the cost, usually doesn't amount to much and what they cover can be VERY limited in the first place. Warning: When you look at photos on the internet, they can be very misleading as to the real condition of the RV and many units smell bad, they just do as we have looked at many over the years.
If you have any dealerships in your area, go to them and tell them what you are interested in and they might be able to help you out even though they don't have something on their lot that you would be interested in. You could also try owner's groups on the RVs that you are interested in since most have a For Sale by owner section and some are willing to go the extra mile to get their unit sold. We are in KS and our local choices are limited which is frustrating!
With the bigger dealerships, you'll encounter high pressure sales tactics and can easily end up with an RV wondering how in the world it happened and the RV/deal not being what you had intended it to be.
-- Edited by SnowGypsy on Wednesday 27th of August 2014 08:28:00 AM
The Junkman said
08:43 AM Aug 27, 2014
I no there are no warranties in Nevada.. or lemon laws etc.. you buy as is.. even from the dealer..
In NY.. there are laws to protect you.. lemon law.. NYS dmv dealer warranty .. etc..
If concerned.. buy from a state with a lemon law.. It only applies with a dealer.
I imagine some will ship "bad" vehicles to states with as is laws..
PIEERE said
08:49 AM Aug 27, 2014
I would prefer to buy from someone wanting to quit rving uless you have to get financing trough a dealer. If you get something less tha 10 yrs. old and low mileage Good Sam club and maybe some others will sell you an extended warranty. Many of these RV forum have a thread for Rvs for Sale. If I bought from a dealer I would want to have a day or so to get a knowlegable Rv person to inspect it for me. I find that when I buy I tend to get to caught up in the moment and overlook something!
SnowGypsy said
08:56 AM Aug 27, 2014
PIEERE: You are SO right! We always like to "sleep on it" but have had to shake more than one salesman loose from our pant leg to get away! Generally when we were dealing with a high pressure sales person, we did not go back and just felt lucky to get away with our funds intact.
Aurora Borealis said
09:57 AM Aug 27, 2014
No warranty on used is common in other words, right?
Today, when I called about the specifics of the deposit, he said it would hold it 2 wks. I will find a certified RV tech to look at it for me.
Snow Gypsy, yes, CW has high prices, this one is reduced to a normal price. It has a desk/drawers already and I thought I would have to pay to have someone build a desk into whatever I got.
The Junkman said
10:06 AM Aug 27, 2014
Make sure the deposit is refundable.. Get it in writing..
Tom and Mare said
02:30 PM Sep 1, 2014
Get EVERYTHING in writing before committing to a sale. Ask for scans of build sheets, weight info, specs etc. Don't trust the salesman at his word for this info. Don't offer a credit card as a deposit until a final sales agreement is in your hand with everything spelled out. Don't be afraid to ask changes or corrections to the sales agreement.
kb0zke said
08:28 PM Sep 5, 2014
The sales person's job is to get your signature on the paper. Whatever he or she has to say or do to get that done is part of the job. Once you have signed the paper, the sales person's job is over and whatever you bought is your problem.
I've heard enough stories about Camping World that I'd be rather reluctant to buy a coach from them.
Aurora Borealis said
08:37 PM Oct 15, 2014
Thought I'd let everybody know what happened:
The RV that was in 'such good shape' was actually in very poor repair. The pictures looked good because it had few miles on it so was very clean inside, but a number of other problems; furnace, fridge on gas, door entry lock (actually bent out of shape) etc.
It seems Camping World has a policy of taking consignments, but they do not go through and check everything until after it is sold and there is a pick-up date.
They had kept it waiting for me 4+ weeks, so I forfeited my $1,000 deposit. My family told me I should have asked for half of it back since it was not in the shape it was said to be in.
I am going to be much more skeptical in the future :/
If I would have gone with the RV Inspection Connection it would have been $1,200 for the thorough inspection (~$200 travel costs) so I would have been out the same amount of money, but less stressful as I would not have to wait so long for an answer.
In the end the dealer was only going to guarantee that the 'major components' were working, not things such as the awning was in good repair on slides etc. the RV inspection connection did have a $300 option, so $500 including travel. So, maybe the basic is what I should do next time around. Not sure how much mechanical inspection is included.
What I did do was have a certified garage do the motor/chassis for $100, then additionally had a RV Service Center inspect the motorhome part of it. They charged $150 for this, said it would take 2 hours and no reason to take any longer.
Live 'n Learn.
jengle said
09:00 PM Oct 15, 2014
I think that's why many (including Howard & Linda) recommend an extended warranty - especially when you first buy an RV. We recently bought a 2008 Winnebago Journey from La Mesa RV in Davis. There is just no way I could go through every component prior to purchase. But the bones looked good and we decided to go with it. But we purchased a good extended warranty to cover anything missed instead of having an RV inspection. La Mesa offered a 15 day warranty that did not start until we picked up the RV after being 'prepped'. We went camping the next weekend and identified several issues amounting to well over $2000 of work to be done, plus they are replacing the big bedroom window (negotiated during the purchase). They covered virtually everything under their 15 day policy and paid for the deductible on the rest. See http://rvbuiltfortwo.com/2014/10/waiting-for-repairs/ for more details.
We looked at both new and used units and decided on getting used like you did and knew that there would be the potential of higher repair and maintenance bills because of no warranty, but at less than 1/2 the price of a new comparable RV the extended warranty looked like a great deal.
You are right though, even with La Mesa's "Certified RV" there were lots of little things that needed to be fixed and a couple of major items. Also time has a different meaning when it comes to RV repairs. This is not like going down to the Chevy dealer and getting your car worked on. Parts are simply not as easily available and dealerships have smaller staff.
This forum and Howard and Linda's journal have been a great assistance in our 11 month process leading up to the purchase of our RV. Thank you RV-Dreams! We look forward to being able to participate in one of your rallys soon.
Certainly don't give up on your dream.
The Junkman said
09:20 PM Oct 15, 2014
I would check into the deposit thing. I bet it's illegal for someone to charge you for something, and you receive nothing.
It's on them if they want to hold it it for you.. not your deposit.
bjoyce said
06:40 AM Oct 16, 2014
jengle: Glad you had a good experience with La Mesa warranty service. It is not the norm.
Kenny & frances
We have bought a few used RVs and there is no standard. Also, I doubt you would even get a 30-day unless it went along the lines of 50/50 which is what we have gotten on used autos a couple of times. Also, I was looking at some units online last week and noted that CW prices were significantly above what others were asking for the same units, probably as much as 25% on the used and new units. Generally, in these bigger dealerships, the sales people know nothing about RVs and will say anything to get a sale. Tiffin produces a lot of motor homes so you might get lucky to find something closer and if you can buy from an owner directly, I would not pass up that opportunity. Smaller family owned RV dealerships are usually good and a true find. Often the warranties on the used units mean nothing since what you can find in 30 days, sharing the cost, usually doesn't amount to much and what they cover can be VERY limited in the first place. Warning: When you look at photos on the internet, they can be very misleading as to the real condition of the RV and many units smell bad, they just do as we have looked at many over the years.
If you have any dealerships in your area, go to them and tell them what you are interested in and they might be able to help you out even though they don't have something on their lot that you would be interested in. You could also try owner's groups on the RVs that you are interested in since most have a For Sale by owner section and some are willing to go the extra mile to get their unit sold. We are in KS and our local choices are limited which is frustrating!
With the bigger dealerships, you'll encounter high pressure sales tactics and can easily end up with an RV wondering how in the world it happened and the RV/deal not being what you had intended it to be.
-- Edited by SnowGypsy on Wednesday 27th of August 2014 08:28:00 AM
In NY.. there are laws to protect you.. lemon law.. NYS dmv dealer warranty .. etc..
If concerned.. buy from a state with a lemon law.. It only applies with a dealer.
I imagine some will ship "bad" vehicles to states with as is laws..
I've heard enough stories about Camping World that I'd be rather reluctant to buy a coach from them.
The RV that was in 'such good shape' was actually in very poor repair. The pictures looked good because it had few miles on it so was very clean inside, but a number of other problems; furnace, fridge on gas, door entry lock (actually bent out of shape) etc.
It seems Camping World has a policy of taking consignments, but they do not go through and check everything until after it is sold and there is a pick-up date.
They had kept it waiting for me 4+ weeks, so I forfeited my $1,000 deposit. My family told me I should have asked for half of it back since it was not in the shape it was said to be in.
I am going to be much more skeptical in the future :/
If I would have gone with the RV Inspection Connection it would have been $1,200 for the thorough inspection (~$200 travel costs) so I would have been out the same amount of money, but less stressful as I would not have to wait so long for an answer.
In the end the dealer was only going to guarantee that the 'major components' were working, not things such as the awning was in good repair on slides etc. the RV inspection connection did have a $300 option, so $500 including travel. So, maybe the basic is what I should do next time around. Not sure how much mechanical inspection is included.
What I did do was have a certified garage do the motor/chassis for $100, then additionally had a RV Service Center inspect the motorhome part of it. They charged $150 for this, said it would take 2 hours and no reason to take any longer.
Live 'n Learn.
I think that's why many (including Howard & Linda) recommend an extended warranty - especially when you first buy an RV. We recently bought a 2008 Winnebago Journey from La Mesa RV in Davis. There is just no way I could go through every component prior to purchase. But the bones looked good and we decided to go with it. But we purchased a good extended warranty to cover anything missed instead of having an RV inspection. La Mesa offered a 15 day warranty that did not start until we picked up the RV after being 'prepped'. We went camping the next weekend and identified several issues amounting to well over $2000 of work to be done, plus they are replacing the big bedroom window (negotiated during the purchase). They covered virtually everything under their 15 day policy and paid for the deductible on the rest. See http://rvbuiltfortwo.com/2014/10/waiting-for-repairs/ for more details.
We looked at both new and used units and decided on getting used like you did and knew that there would be the potential of higher repair and maintenance bills because of no warranty, but at less than 1/2 the price of a new comparable RV the extended warranty looked like a great deal.
You are right though, even with La Mesa's "Certified RV" there were lots of little things that needed to be fixed and a couple of major items. Also time has a different meaning when it comes to RV repairs. This is not like going down to the Chevy dealer and getting your car worked on. Parts are simply not as easily available and dealerships have smaller staff.
This forum and Howard and Linda's journal have been a great assistance in our 11 month process leading up to the purchase of our RV. Thank you RV-Dreams! We look forward to being able to participate in one of your rallys soon.
Certainly don't give up on your dream.
It's on them if they want to hold it it for you.. not your deposit.