About to be new RV owners help please

[Hoopy Frood]

So, the challenge is, finding a dealer who doesn't get offended that I didn't purchase from them. That sounds disheartening to say the least.

Well, you won't know until you actually start talking to nearby dealers. We had no trouble having some warranty work done on our last SOB trailer at a dealer we didn't buy from. But we had talked to him before we bought to see if there would be an issue with him working on a trailer we didn't buy from him. He said "Work is work".

Don't forget, most of what you read on forums have to do with problems. You'll rarely read of someone praising a dealer. So what you're reading is skewed in favor of bad news.

[scampb37]

That's pretty much the deal with RVs. We bought ours out of State (170 miles one way) from a Grand Design Dealer. Fortunately, we have not been back for service. Two things helps with this. First is the luck of the draw. If your trailer comes off the line in pretty good shape, most of your problems will revolve around general service and preventative maintenance. Second, if you good with tools in general, you can handle/repair/service most of what needs to be done. If not, you can try and rely on a mobile service to handle most anything. Higher costs....most likely. Handle warranty work..often yes.

So... you have some options.

Good luck.

Thanks for the reply, it's appreciated. I noticed in your signature you are pulling one of the trailers we are interested in, with a 2018 Silverado 5.3 I have the 2019 Silverado, same engine, 4x4 with factory tow package. I'm assuming the truck is satisfactory for that weight. I noticed you have a sway bar listed. Is that something I need for my truck? Also, do I need anything else to level the truck when its hitched? I'm new to towing rv, but used to tow a 20ft bow rider with the truck regularly.

[scampb37]

Well, you won't know until you actually start talking to nearby dealers. We had no trouble having some warranty work done on our last SOB trailer at a dealer we didn't buy from. But we had talked to him before we bought to see if there would be an issue with him working on a trailer we didn't buy from him. He said "Work is work".

Don't forget, most of what you read on forums have to do with problems. You'll rarely read of someone praising a dealer. So what you're reading is skewed in favor of bad news.

Very good advice, thank you.

[WhittleBurner]

We first took it to a General RV for some warranty work and it was a bad experience and we swore we'd never go back. When I asked Camping World and Camper's Inn why they wouldn't work on a GD, they both said that GD was horrible to deal with and took forever to pay them back for work so they stopped doing business with them. I asked what about if I was going to pay out of pocket and not warranty work, they then both said they still won't touch a GD as they are a pain to deal with to get parts. I've even asked different people at different locations. After the General RV debacle, I called GD and they actually sent me some parts directly under warranty after I submitted some pictures. Once out of warranty, I did find a mobile repair guy who was willing to work on it, but I ended up just buying the part I needed off Amazon and told him I'd use him next time if I couldn't fix things myself.

I have no idea what the real reason is to be honest. I'm sure someone else will post if they know why.

I can't reply to camper's inn but camping world was never allowed to carry Grand Design products so ordered by Grand Design. Camping World has the worst reputation possible for workmanship and customer service. In fact Grand Design will pay for independent shops or even other dealerships other than they're own. Except for Caping World they will pay nothing if you go to them.

[FT4NOW]

+1 Stay away from Camping World. My wife's cousin lives in their TT. One of their kids flooded it, and Camping World was the only dealer in our area who had availability for an insurance claim. The quote said they would replace a bunch of subfloor, vinyl floor and other damaged wood spots. All they did was dry it out, put down new vinyl and a bunch of quarter round trim, it looked awful and they charged insurance about $10k. I wouldn't have accepted the repair, but thats a differnent issue.

When we look for purchasing dealers, i focus on price, planning to never come back for service anyway. If a repair is outside my skill set, ill search around for an RV repair shop or mobile tech.

[Gronk1]

Like FT4NOW said, rv repair or mobile. The nearest GD dealer to me is 100 miles away. Didn't buy from them, they would take my 5th in but would put me behind all that were bought from them. The other dealer is 140 miles away. They took it in for warranty & botched the repair. GD approved the local mom & pop rv repair for the repair of the "repair"...yup three repairs in the same sentence.
Your better off finding a facility that does not sell trailers.

[Capt Bob]

Thanks for the reply, it's appreciated. I noticed in your signature you are pulling one of the trailers we are interested in, with a 2018 Silverado 5.3 I have the 2019 Silverado, same engine, 4x4 with factory tow package. I'm assuming the truck is satisfactory for that weight. I noticed you have a sway bar listed. Is that something I need for my truck? Also, do I need anything else to level the truck when its hitched? I'm new to towing rv, but used to tow a 20ft bow rider with the truck regularly.

Well we pack light (more or less) and the truck does fine. The "sway bar" is the name of the weight distribution hitch (Blue Ox Sway Pro) that we use. I do have air bags on my truck but I had them there prior to getting the trailer. I use them at work but they seem to help with the ride. You will need a good WDH. The brand is up to you. The Sway Pro works for us. You also need to spend some time "fine tuning" the hitch. This will be worth the time spent in trailer towing comfort. Our truck rides level but I add about 20PSI to the bags. That has helped with the ride but isn't a deal breaker. We haven't pulled in the Rocky Mountains but so far, the truck has pulled very well. The MLE is a good size for this 1/2 ton.

[dbphillips]

So, the challenge is, finding a dealer who doesn't get offended that I didn't purchase from them. That sounds disheartening to say the least.

For the $10k I saved over the thieving dealers in the PNW, I'll deal with fixing it myself or planning a stop in SLC at the dealer or at the factory.

[Xlsmle]

Go with the dealer who gives you the best price with the accessories u want. Dont worry about repairs. You can get repairs done by most rv repair places once you get authorized by Grand Design for warranty work. I live in Lake Havasu city, AZ and I have several places that do work on my 22mle. I bought in las vegas but searched all over the west for the best price. Las vegas at Blue Dog had the best price at the time. In my experience GD pays the repairs based on what they feel the costs should be. If your repair place charges more u cover the difference. I had an extended warranty and just got a total schwintek slide replaced for $200. The total cost would have been $2000. This was done in LHC. IMO i would avoid camping world for any repairs. Bad reputation.

[jimonalog]

Thanks for the reply, it's appreciated. I noticed in your signature you are pulling one of the trailers we are interested in, with a 2018 Silverado 5.3 I have the 2019 Silverado, same engine, 4x4 with factory tow package. I'm assuming the truck is satisfactory for that weight. I noticed you have a sway bar listed. Is that something I need for my truck? Also, do I need anything else to level the truck when its hitched? I'm new to towing rv, but used to tow a 20ft bow rider with the truck regularly.

It doesn't appear that anyone has replied to you. I am trading in my 31' trailer for 34' Monday. I have a great sway bar hitch. I didn't use it once taking the trailer to be repaired just up the road. The difference in hauling with or without is immense, especially in the wind. Well worth the $ in my opinion.