If you didn’t buy your RV from a dealer, then please skip this poll. But if you did, we’d like to know about the quality of the walk-through that you received. Was it very informative, with a knowledgeable person showing you how everything worked? Did he or she take the time to answer your questions to your satisfaction?
Some dealers will take the time to provide such an introduction, realizing that the more the buyer knows, the better their experience as an RVer. And, the buyer will make fewer phone calls to the dealer, wasting employees’ time, asking basic questions.
But some dealers spend little, even no time, showing a new buyer how to use their new RV. Or the employee who leads the tour may be inexperienced and not even know how to work many of the systems himself or herself.
So what about you? How was your walk-through? Your comments are welcomed, of course.
We forced an extensive walk through and was really glad we did. We are experienced RVers and knew what to look for. Our salesperson knew a lot less than we did and had to keep asking others questions. The best thing is that we did not accept the motorhome until everything was fixed. It took another month to pick up but that was ok. The dealer works better with an incentive- no fix – no money.
There’s a big difference, “experience”. Totally naive, uninformed, lack of or no knowledge on buying an RV/TT. What to look for and what to ask? Well, my YouTube searches gave me some insights but not enough. However, should we decide on an upgrade, I’ll be better prepared. Yes, that dealer or salesperson better know what the heck he/she is talking about and be prepared to answer my questions. Not a know it all, just won’t be my first rodeo! “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.”
We were pretty new to RV’ng so not really sure what to look for or how to look. We relied a lot on the salesman who had been recommended to us by a close friend. Fortunately for us we purchased a good rig with very little problems. We’ve been very happy!
Now, when or if. We purchase again. I pity the dealer and salesperson! After 3 years of owning and 2 of full-timing we aren’t rookies. I’ve also completed the home study course from the NRVTA. Needless to say we know what to look for and how to look. Our next PDI could be a 2-day’er 😉
We bought our 1yr old TT from a wholesale dealer so his employee walked through and pointed to the bed and shower etc.
Purchased used from original factory. Excellent walk through. Nothing wrong or defective. Original owner purchased a new one, same model.
First walk through was with someone new who, I guess knew a little it more than us. Being impulsive, we sold this and had our second walkthrough in a very nice unit. Since we complained about the first walkthrough they gave us their “best tech” to do the job. Yes it was more technical but really the actual walkthrough left much to be desired.
Dealers should put a comprehensive DVD,thumdrive video to give to new owners.
It was our first purchase of a motorhome after getting back into RV’ing after 25 years, so we were close to being first timers. At the time, I thought we had a thorough walk-through. Three things became evident after we got the unit home. First, we hadn’t adequately prepared ourselves with a list of questions to ask. Second, we couldn’t possibly remember everything that we were told during the walk-through. And third, we wished we could have a do-over of the walk-through, about two weeks to a month later. Unfortunately, the dealer was far enough away that we chose not to go back just for a do-over. Regardless, we love our unit and on the Internet you can find out just about everything you need to know.
We purchasesd from a dealer who has 26 Service Bays so we expected a thorough walk through since it was apparant the Dealer was also focused on service after the sale. We were prepared with a complete walk through list gathered from the Forum and our own questions we prepared because this was our first TT. The tech was great, he even let us record specific things.
Our walkthrough was less than expected. While the technician did attempt to cover everything he was not knowledgable on the Tiffin brand. Many questions were only partially answered or incorrectly answered. While he understood the basic functions well he lacked the in-depth systems knowledge. We found ourselves getting most of our knowledge from the web and calling the factory.
I brought a friend with me and he laughed as I kept correcting the “the Knowledgable” person demonstrating my rig. He was wrong so often it was a joke. This was my first RV and I had really done my homework and knew a lot about the vehicle from the brochures and general information from this newsletter. The only good thing: he took the water hose that drains from inside the fridge and routed it through the grate so it would drain outside. The motorhome (Newmar Bay Star Sport) worked great from the getgo and 7 years later I still love it.
My first RV was waaay back in April ’87 due to divorce. I was active duty Air Force and couldn’t afford even an unfurnished apartment, so I talked with the base credit union and bought a new $9,500, 26′ travel trailer. An efficiency apartment on 4 wheels. That I remember, the RV dealer went over pretty much everything showing me how to light the water heater, how and when to empty the holding tanks, and how to hitch/unhitch/level the trailer. He covered pretty much everything Except black tank pyramids and driving my car (a ’65 Chevrolet Impala SS) with this 26’+ box hanging onto the back. But I learned and, if I could, I would thank him for the information and experience.
We were fortunate as we knew a lot about RVs already but for the newbie, it would have been a joke. The mechanic who put on our tow bar spent more time with us on that than the man who did the walk through. Plus, when we got to the campground there was no electrical cord they said they put in. We called and they said to come out and get one. Dh told them that if we did that, they could have the RV back. They came to the campground with the electrical cord right away.
I will say that the one time we had a walk through with a dealer bought RV we were experienced RVers and as such already knew how most of the systems and stuff worked. We actually cut our tech off a couple of times as it was getting rather boring. BUT for the uninitiated it would have been a very comprehensive walk through.
This is our 3rd rv, the second one we purchased from the same dealer and I guess he figured we knew how everything worked. When we asked questions he would say things like “ just like your other one”. We went from an 31 ft tow behind to a 36 ft 5th wheel. There are many new and different things on a 5th wheel. Most importantly the hitching and unhitching, the automatic leveling system, which we never had before, the residential refrigerator and several other things that were different from what we had before. The original salesman we started with was very friendly but knew absolutely nothing about any of the rvs on the lot. He is an older, retired, gentleman that works there to keep busy. The sales manager saw what was happening and stepped in. He was more concerned with closing the sale than educating us on the rv. Thank goodness for info sites like this, we have learned so much and even been able to pass along some info we have experienced.
The ‘walkthru guy’ is often the newest employee; it’s an opportunity to learn more about RVs by teaching about them. I repeatedly asked questions I knew the answers to and listened to long pauses, made up answers or an occasional honest ‘I don’t know’.
A certain large, national dealer in Michigan said either I could take their “walk-through” inspection or not buy the Class A and possibly lose the deposit. It was only because I wanted a certified RV inspector to join me – on their property. Reason? Because it is new and under warranty, they don’t have the time and they have a crack team that does the prep. I was stuck and I had to do it. I was so irritated, I swore I would never buy from that dealer again and would never buy without an inspection moving forward. So, the unit spent nearly 3-months in the shop for repairs and waiting on parts. I hate buying from dealers and salespeople. I always feel like a lamb being led to slaughter.
This was our 4th RV (1st MH) so we knew a bunch. However, we still asked for them to walk us through everything. This was six years ago so I’m not sure if we’d get the same treatment today.
I have purchased 4 new rv’s in the last 16 yrs, including an all electric expensive diesel pusher coach with lots of bells and whistles. Looking back on all of the walk-thrus, they could have been more detailed and taken more time, especially on the all electric coach.
This was our 3rd motor home, but first new one (2020). The walk through was very comprehensive, but there was so much information that you can’t possibly retain it all.
My problem was that I had no perspective — it was our first RV — and much of the walk-through explanations went in one ear and out the other. I asked few questions and fewer good questions. We spent the night in the RV at tbe dealer, but work obligations compelled our departure before the dealership opened the next day. We tried few of the systems, but our early departure precluded any discovered problems being addressed. We likely will do a factory delivery of our next one, giving us 5 days to find problems AND we are much more knowledgeable after almost 6 years of RVing. So we will know how to check, what to check (i.e., everything), and have time for the factory techs to fix all the discovered problems. We also will record the walk-through on our phones and with both of us present (only me the first/previous time) we should ask lots of good questions.
We lived full time on the road for 20 years and had 7 different motorhomes. We had excellent walk through experiences on all of them. My husband used to be a walk through guy for Lazy Days RV Dealer in Tampa for 6 years so naturally we were spoiled by his knowledge on the motorhomes. My suggestion to all is that make sure you ask as many questions that you can about everything. My husband would always go back and make sure the customer was okay about the walk through.
It was actually the MH we had before this one. What a joke! And when I would ask questions I was told to read the owner’s manual. With Thor that is an even bigger joke! And don’t try to find the information for Thor online because it isn’t there either!
I knew there’d be things we’d forget from the walk through. I brought a video camera to record the walk through. He was very receptive to the video. The guy knew almost everything we asked in addition to what he told/showed us. We got answers before we left. Sadly, 3 years later they went out of business.
This was our 1st travel trailer. My list to check: Is there or was there any Water damage and current water leaks, (loose flooring around toilet and or shower, under master bed where the 40 gallon fresh water tank is located, kitchen , mold, bulging outer skin) how it was maintained, (rust, caulking, old and or mismatched tires) what doesn’t work, what is included, what if anything will I need to purchase. Awning condition. Roof condition. Does it tow straight and break. All relative to age and of course asking price, checked multiple sources for current value. I also looked at the appearance of the outside and inside upholstery, appliances, cabinets, frig, etc. We purchased a 1998 22H ArticFox 9/20/19, we are out approximately 5 nights every 5 weeks. So far I’ve had to purchase 1 tire due to blowout, & 1 outside light fixture ( Amazon for “rv porch light with switch $9.95) it was great to get the maintenance records & receipts. Everything still works
During our walk through we were told the city fill was for the kitchen and the gravity fill was for the bathroom. Total waste of time.
The best info our tech gave us was that our Microwave would make POPCORN.
I voted that it was very comprehensive but it was that way only because I and my wife kept asking questions and insisting on seeing how each thing worked. They were not prepared to hook up water but we said yes you will. I made them get a ladder so I could look at the roof. Turn the fridge on we can wait for it to start getting cold and then switch it to propane and see if it still gets cold. We were ready to leave, where are the keys. They couldn’t find them. They had to change all the locks. When they first gave us a time to pick up the RV it was late in the day. I told them make it another day when it could be early in the morning. Glad I did that because it took most of the day. I could tell they were getting tired of us but we got what we wanted.
The walk thru was great except I have trouble remembering everything that was covered. Alot of the daily stuff is not covered in the manuals and there could be more labeling on switches.
I was not there for the walk through but asked the salesman to video it with Al. It is nice to be able to go back and see it over and over again.
My walk-through orientation was excellent. My dealer had some water in the tanks as well as plugged into shore power. Got to operate everything, with and without shore power. The rep showed me everything, from where the slide controller was “hidden” should I need to reset it, where the water pump was, GFCI plug, etc… We also reviewed the radio, TV, BlueTooth capability, furnace, A/C operation, etc… At the end, he provided me with all the Owner’s Manuals to each system and included his business with his cell number highlighted, said to call if I had any questions. I did, as I had an issue getting the thermostat out of the AUX mode, I called him on a Sunday, he walked me through it and I was back camping again.
Our walk through was comprehensive as much on the part of the person from the dealer doing the walk through as from my having a checklist of things we wanted to know. Between us most things were covered adequately. Always have them show that everything works.
We got lucky with our walkthrough. We knew we wanted a RV repair warranty, and as a part of getting it, the RV needed to be inspected. We had the inspector join us for the walk through, while my son taped it. They showed the inspector things I never would have thought of, and I can go back and review it every spring before we start our adventures.
Our walkthrough was excellent. We were also allowed to stay in CG attached to dealer for 5 days to make sure we got everything under control, questions, etc. Our dealer, Guarantee RV in Junction City, OR was great.
We had a good walkthrough, and our sales guy had everything covered. That said, he led us to believe we had an ‘Artic Pack’ on our Motorhome, but it actually didn’t. I got a lot more info from the lot mechanic and early YouTube videos (in 2009) about how to do things in our RV.
Our walk-through was short and sweet but all we needed or wanted. Stepping up to a larger TT meant we already knew a good deal about how most things worked.
When our family got the walk through for our new RV, it was quite rapid. The salesman did a good job of covering everything. With that said, it took the collective memory of all three of us to fill in the blanks. Even then, I spent hours thumbing through the 4″ thick file folder we received with the coach.
I knew much more about the 5th than the lady that did the walk through so I told her to just forget it. Every other sentence she said was “this is part of the system”. When I asked what system she had no idea. What did I expect since I was at Camping World.
Walk-through was 1/2 day or four hours exclusively for us to get all of our questions answered and make sure that we knew how to operate everything! They even showed us how to winterize and dewinterize as we were on the edge of winter when we took delivery. I felt not only informed but also empowered
The idiot at Bretz in Missoula, MT that did my walk thru didn’t even know where the low point drains were, among other things. The place is very friendly and attentive until you sign on the dotted line and then they hook you up with someone who knows very little about RV’s.
Excellent walkthrough at Colton RV in Niagara Fall NY. We spent about 1/2 a day. This was our third coach, first diesel and we had been RVing for 10 years. The Phaeton was a significant upgrade from our 8 year old Southwind and had enough different features to require the time. Our salesman also took us to a large empty parking lot to show us how the steering was far different from our former gasser (sitting ahead of the steer wheels rather than behind them). We spent 4 days in their 4 space campground moving out of the Southwind into the Phaeton and we had a number of minor fixes done on the spot. They would have been more of an aggravation had we rolled out the day we picked it up. Unfortunately our salesman moved on to another dealer so I have no idea how it is done today. They have been fair to us (in as scheduled and out on time with work completed) the few times we have been in the area and needed service or bodywork.
This being my first (last and only) RV I didn’t know what to expect, what to ask. I had done quite a bit of research and reading but not enough. I did record the walkthrough and watched it later. When I took it in to have some work done before I really went out on the road I had them show me some things they might have gone over and I missed.
Two thumbs up to Rangitsch Bros in Missoula MT. Thought I did my internet research & found the rig I wanted with them. Also thought I was going to fly in from out of state, hand over the down payment, sign a bunch of papers & drive home same day. Wrong! They made sure to walk me through with a tech, several hours’ worth. Even fixed some minor fit & finish stuff on the spot. Very happy with this small family dealer-just wish they were closer.
We recently traded our Motor Home for a fifth wheel at Lazy Days. We stayed for two nights making the changover and the team there was terrific. We were very happy with the whole experience. There was always someone checking on us, walk through was not rushed and any issues were immediately taken care of. We weren’t sure what to expect and were pleasantly surprised. n
we bought a 2020 motorhome at Leo’s in Maryland. They ran all the water and propane systems, checking for leaks and to make sure everything worked. They did not rush us as we walked through and around and climbed up and under. Our guide was honest about what he did and did not know. We videoed the entire thing so we could review it afterwards.
They even called to highly recommend that we take a long trip sooner rather than later because he said “there WILL be things that need to be fixed”. And they did a good job at knocking out that list when we got back.
The gentleman giving the tour was more interested in the motor coach he was doing next.
He could have cared less about a two year old fifth wheel. Fortunately we had previous experience with rv’s, but there was still a lot of info that would have been nice to know.
Check all the appliances to make sure they work. Have them fill with water and propane. Stand in the shower for accessibility, spray head height, sit on the toilet, is it convenient to everything. Do you have room for all your appliances? We have electric slow cooker, pressure cooker, skillet, toaster. My coffee pot, goes in sink. Smaller Dutch oven, skillets, pans, sheet pan. Knife holder, paper towel holder.
Our salesman did ours and we knew more than he did! What a joke!
We had a good experience with the walk-through. Our first trip out we stayed close to home and used everything. It was a great opportunity to find some minor issues – which is all we found on that two day trip. After returning to our home, we contacted our dealer and he made the minor repairs and we’ve had no other trouble with those items. Over the years we’ve had issues but most are from constant use, and traveling the bumpy roads we all have to use. Overall we’ve had little problems with it and we are still quite happy with our rig. Finding a good dealer is the most important decision to make when buying a new or used rig.