having sundance delivered

We are considering having our 2900mk delivered, since we decided driving on the frozen tundra might not be a good idea for us "not used to snow and ice drivers"! The drawbacks are not being able to identify possible major problems that could be fixed at the dealer before taking delivery... I am wondering how thorough the PDI can be with the driver taking us thru the walk-thru?? Are the drivers trained for doing this? Any input from owners that had their new rigs delivered would be much appreciated!

Will they hold it (store for free) for a couple of months? I will pick mine up in about 6-8 weeks and spend the night to see if any problems can be fixed on the spot. I don't see much use picking up my unit now and having it stored (re-winterized) just to have it in my yard. Also, my warranty won't start until I pick it up.

Either way, I'm sure you will have a great time in the new rig!

thanks for the reply! Yes, they will store it... but, living in south Florida, this is prime camping season for us! So we do need to get it one way or another.

Cashb; Where is your dealer located at ?? Adjust your delivery date to the weather. You should really do a real good PDI so you can identify any problems, while at the dealer so repairs can be made.If your handy you can take care of the little things. other wise you will be looking for a dealer who will take care of your warranty work. I could go on and on but a little time at the dealer is well worth it.

Elkhart, Indiana. Risky driving, I would guess. Husband is VERY handy and has done most all the work on current 5th wheel, so we're not worried about anything except MAJOR problems. I guess we can use someone down here for anything like this (finger's crossed!) But we really don't want to wait till spring if we can avoid it.... just curious if the PDI's (or in this case, "delivered inspection" would be very thorough when given by the driver?

The driver does not get paid to do a few hour PDI. His job is to deliver the trailer. Unless he is an employee of the dealership-his concern for your trailer is over as soon as he hits your yard. He may make a comment on his report-but as long as the trailer was not damaged in transit-it is not his concern.

If you are concerned about major problems, you need to do the PDI in person at the dealer before you accept delivery.

o.k., thanks, and that is something to ask the dealership. I believe he said he is an employee and I know he said he would do the PDI upon transfer of vehicle... I will verify that next week! And yes, I know it is not ideal to have it delivered, but weather, and time off work are an issue. Short of it being a total lemon, I would be able to get work done locally, correct?

cashb said:

o.k., thanks, and that is something to ask the dealership. I believe he said he is an employee and I know he said he would do the PDI upon transfer of vehicle... I will verify that next week! And yes, I know it is not ideal to have it delivered, but weather, and time off work are an issue. Short of it being a total lemon, I would be able to get work done locally, correct?

Click to expand...

Well, I had mine delivered from a dealership over 1000 miles away. Even paying for the delivery, I still saved major dollars buying way out of state.
The PDI didnt matter to me-it wasnt going back to a dealership anyway. If I did have a major problem I would take it up the factory. With that said, the only problem I had was the water heater not working when it showed up. As matter of fact, the tech was still working on it when it left the dealers. It showed up with the basement wall down, The water heater wires not connected and gas line disconnected. Guess the tech went to lunch when the delivery guy showed up.

So much for dealers.

Ditto on saving a bunch of money far, far away... and it will likely never go back to the dealer either. Learned a long time ago, it's better to do it yourself if it's possible. So, if we get no instruction, we will still figure it out. This ain't our first parade ;> ) and this forum is a wealth of information! Thanks for the help, and keep the info flowing!

Off topic: Isn't it interesting how our total life experience--our total expertise of electrical, mechanical and analysis toward solving general household problems--seems to be destined towards supporting the intricate nature of recreational vehicles? I guess it's a law of nature that one doesn't instinctively purchase an RV until they have sufficient life experience to support the endeavor. Oh well...

Or, sometimes people DO buy with no background or expertise.... they either view it as an adventure and learning experience, or they are totally frustrated, expecting dealers to repair everything that goes wrong (then feeling that their vehicle is ALWAYS in the shop!) I think mostly the second group finds that rv stands for "ruined vacation", and doesn't stay with the hobby! Glad that we are mostly self-sufficient 'cause we sure do love camping!

I agree with the last comment, I have seen many campers with new units being turn down and returning home after the electric motors on slides failed, Many had small things that other campers offered support. We are a family of nice people and a new camper may not be shy to ask. I am learning so much more here to.

Same here too, We saved thousands and thousands of dollars by buying in Indiana and planned on doing a half-day PDI, but due to a delay with the trailer in paint and need to get back home to Colorado for work, Our PDI was cut to a 45 minute "run through". Because this was in Mid-November and the parking location at the house I had in Colorado we were unable to test the water system until January when we got to Texas. We had a few leaks that a screw driver, end snips, or my hand was able to fix, and like other have said, even if we were 10 miles form the dealer, I would have fixed it myself. When we bought our trailer we did not know where all we would be staying, so location of the dealer was of no real concern. I really love the fact that for all the warranty needs, Heartland has sent the parts to me and I put the new stuff in and send the defective parts back as needed. I did not do much (if any) reading on the forum until after we bought the Landmark, but have found it a great source for any question, concern or idea we have. If I was not handy or able to work on the trailer having a good local dealer would have been much more important, and knowing now what I did not know back in 2008 I would have made arrangement to stay in Elkhart a couple more days just to get a more in depth walk-through and test all the systems out a bit better. We were lucky to have every thing work as well as it did. Now that the little bugs have all been worked out. The Landmark has been great for the past 12 months.

ohh dear, now I have read the thread about rust under the chassis, possibly due to salt on the roads for winter driving! Another concern?? Hope the timing is not bad for having bought. Fingers are crossed now...

Maybe you could fly to Indiana and do your PDI before they deliver it to you in Florida? Just another thought...

thanks HT... had not really thought of that idea! It is a possibility. By the way, really enjoyed your "winterizing thread" and it gave us lots of "food for thought!"