Lots of issues at final walk-thru. Normal?

[Mea_Dow]

We bought a 2013 Big Horn Silverado 37qb and during the dpi the service dept found some issues and are fixing them.

We noticed a scratch in the outdoor kitchen the day we purchased it. They fixed the wood gouge but the plastic wood coating is sloppily repaired but it is realigned, they said they weren't done with it. (Ehh but ok.)

The slide under the outdoor kitchen has big gouged where it scrapes when you open/close the slide, they've ordered parts to fix this and we didn't even know about it until today. (Nice)

We found a few spots where the paint is messed up, there is a 1 1/2" scratch on blue paint that bugs me. They said they weren't sure if they could fix it. Can they?

One of the front hydraulic jacks (sorry tired and I can't think of the word.) The jack seems to be at an angle, the opposing jack doesn't look angled. Is this normal?

They ordered a new dinette table and ours looked perfect, we didn't even know there was a problem. During final walk-thru I tried to set up the dinette bed and the benches wood isn't cut to allow the dinette to fit., they didn't know about this and the guy was embarrassed. They are fixing this. They said the benches might be to close. Seems like a lot is wrong with the dinette.

The master bedroom slide at the base by the carpet seems like it's extended too far and the carpet is slightly angled inwards on the right side. The other side isn't the same. They said it might be normal but they will look at it. Scared about this.

The bedroom overhead night light is like falling off. That's something that I use frequently and he wasn't sure if he could fix it without holes being seen.

Am I being too uptight? We bought a used rv almost 8 months ago and a tree fell on it, so this is my first NEW rv.

I skipped some minor issues I could fix easily such as loud, rattling cabinets, cabinets that have to be only opened straight, saw dust inside several cabinets, short trim/wood in 2 places.

The rear bumper has a bad paint job. It actually looks spray painted in one line over about 18 inches. They are attempting to fix this.

I am concerned about the paint. In all there are 3 paint issues.

Also, a bracket is loose on the skirting on one side. They said they would reinforce it.

The roof had a few spots that needed caulking, I didn't see that.

We don't know a lot about the mechanics to check for leaks with the tanks or around the slides. All these other issues make me worried I missed lots of stuff.

Is it normal to have this many issues with a brand new rv? I know I am forgetting a few.

Any suggestions? They are willing to fix everything but the paint, the walk-thru guy hesitated on that. He's the one that fixes stuff.

I am going to try and compare with another model on a few things: bedroom slide and hydraulic jacks.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Mea_Dow]

Oh... We are going to move our stuff from the old rv to the new tomorrow. We have not signed off on the pdi paperwork yet and they haven't paid off our trade-in and a payment is due Monday. We don't want to have even a 1 day late payment on our credit history. We have a BofA loan.

Also, the insurance company for the trade-in tree damage claim messed up and seems to have issued a check for $4000 less but the dealer needs to fix that issue. The dealer didn't know this until we got a call today and the adjuster mentioned it.

Can we hold back this check until our rv is paid off? The insurance check is still in the mail.

*Exhausted ramblings after a day at the rv dealership.*

 

[arisce]

Hi Mea-Dow,
We have bought 3 new units from 3 different companies and 3 different dealers. During the walk-through we pointed out "things" that we considered unacceptable. Each time they said don't worry we will fix that. On our second unit they never got around to fixing "things". Once you signed off on the unit all bets are off. Our experience seems to be normal. During our many trips many travellers have complained about issues at PDI. If I were you I would pay the loan on the damaged unit. Get the insurance company to issue the right cheque and not sign the PDI until all is settled to your satisfaction. That could be negotiating for a discount on the new unit or replacing the new unit with another. As long as you you are in the driver's seat you can negotiate a deal, compensation and/or have options for leverage. Believe me they want their money and once they have it they get the big end of the stick.
If I were to buy new again I would control the whole deal from beginning to end. And I would ask them to throw in some extra accessories from the parts department for my time. Remember you are the customer. Do not be intimidated. JMHO.

 

[oldmannj]

I had the same issue with the payment on our SOB when I traded in on the Trailrunner. My advice is to send the payment and when the deal is complete the lender will send you a check for any portion that is not legally theirs. At least that's the way it works in NJ.

 

[Wharton]

Once you write them a check for the new trailer you have no power over repairs. This sounds like a "new" unit that has been used in some way(RV show maybe?). Pay off your old unit but don't pay for the new unit until everything is fixed, maybe you should look someplace else and walk away if necessary. I know it may be too late for this so good luck.

 

[Toy1Ton]

walk away and dont look back

 

[TeJay]

You've gotten excellent advice. All you have to do now is accept the advice and do what makes the most sense. As long as you hold most of the cards you are in charge and have the biggest leverage. Good people often don't expect or accept that others are not as good and often don't believe that they can do bad things to you but they are out there and they will do what they can because of the bottom line. Also remember that anything can be fixed and I mean anything. You should be worried about the paint issues. Paint can be a real problem because it takes special talents and a lot of experience to properly repair paint. Your guy may be able to fix a lot of things but paint stuff is really difficult to do it correctly. That's why he is hesitating about saying that he can fix the paint problems. I can fix just about anything mechanical or electrical and I've spray painted several vehicles and a lot of furniture but spot repairs are very, very difficult and using this new water based paint can also be a big issue. Most painters if they are fixing a small dent or scratch on a fender will fix the dent/scratch then paint the entire fender because it's easier than trying to spot repair just a square foot of the fender. A really good experienced painter can do the spot repair without having to paint the entire fender but those quality repairmen are few and far between these days.

That should explain why your guy is hesitant about saying that he can fix those paint issues. He, the dealer could farm the repairs out to an experienced painter but that would cost them more $$$$$$$$ and now we are back to the bottom line. Best of luck with your adventure.

TeJay

 

[kowAlski631]

We did our PDI & settlement mid-October on our special order. We found a few things that needed tweaking which our dealer did before we took posession. If we had found the issues that you've discovered, there's no way we would have concluded the sale. If you have this many questions and are not comfortable with the unit, don't go forward.

 

[GOTTOYS]

There are a lot of dealers and a lot of trailers out there. I would hold off on this deal until they either get it in salable condition or move on. If you accept it the way it is you might be stuck with it. If they want to sell it to anybody they should have addressed these items the day they put it on the lot...Don

 

[danemayer]

Mea_Dow,

All of this stuff can be fixed, BUT, the dealer is sending you a message that you should take seriously. When the dealer guy balks, he's really sending you a signal you shouldn't ignore. Most dealers don't do their own paint work and painting can be expensive. So he knows they're not going to want to send it out and pay the paint shop hundreds of dollars. He also knows that sending the rig to a paint shop, getting in the queue, taking the right time to do a good job, getting the unit back is not a one or two day process.

Once you sign, OR move your stuff into the new rig, your leverage is gone and you may end up with regrets. Either wait until everything is fixed, or find another unit.

 

[MTPockets]

I've been thru this kind of stuff so many times I've become, probably too cynical, to the point I don't trust any dealers. Been jerked around too many times. There may some with good intentions, but it's my money, so don't give them an ounce of room. After you sign the papers, be prepared to live with everything 'as is' and fix it yourself - you'll have a better job and less hassle. Having said that, Heartland has been good to deal with and would go there again when and if I buy another RV.

 

[GOTTOYS]

I almost forgot...Get all the financial matters taken care of before you buy anything. The last thing you need is two trailer payments. Deal with the insurance company and get that all settled, check in hand, go to the bank and make sure the old trailer is paid off and you are released from the loan..then with money in your pocket go trailer shopping...Don

 

[PUG]

Sounds like a new used RV! Run as fast as you can. There are several builders that do a better job.

 

[wdk450]

Don't let any time, campout, or dealer pressure items make you complete the deal BEFORE you are ready.
This makes me think about the old adage about getting married: "Marry in haste, repent in leisure!"

 

[DuaneG]

Our walk through was probably worse than yours. We were charged extra for the PDI which we later determined was not actually done. They had all the items checked off the list and wanted us to sign saying they were checked even though we know they were not. My wife documented everything we found wrong and wrote a few sentences on the paperwork which listed everything they promised to fix. We signed that paper but not the others. They fixed many of the items while we were there, but had to order some others. We still took delivery,.but would do it different if we were to do it again.

The dealer had the unit on the lot for months before we bought it, so there should not have been any excuses for not delivering a trailer in perfect condition. We ultimately were the ones that tested everything and pointed out the problems. Yet they still charged us $900 for the PDI.

 

[danemayer]

$900 for PDI. Reminds me of the late 70's when gasoline was in short supply. Honda Civics were flying off the dealer lots with stickers that included a line item called ADP......$1500. I asked what ADP was - "Additional Dealer Profit." At least they were honest.

 

[Wharton]

If a dealer asked me for money for a job he should be doing(PDI) which he has already been paid for(by Heartland I think) I would walk, report him to Heartland and the BBB. When you buy a new car does the dealer charge you for noting things that aren't right, no he goes ahead and fixes them. Next time you will know better.

 

[dbbls59]

I would never rely on someone else paying off a loan for me. Demand the check at closing.

 

[Mea_Dow]

The service department fixed all my complaints and they are ordering parts for what they couldn't fix today.

They touched up the rear bumper and attempted to fix the other paint scratch chip but decided to have someone come in to re-paint the panels they can't fix.

I looked at other units and the Jack's were ok, the floor board on the slide in my bedroom is supposed to be bent like that. I looked in 2 other units for comparison.

Unfortunately, we made a mistake and looked at a 36tb to compare the bed slide issue and realized we should have bought that model. It's too late for that now our rv was titled on Friday. Doh.

Next time we will know better to not sign on the same day we find a model we like. A little more investigating would have saved us a lot and we'd be a little happier.

Thanks for the advice. I wouldn't have thought to look at other units for comparison otherwise.

 

[Wharton]

You were very lucky that everything worked out the way it did. I still think this was a used unit of some sort, new units generally don't come with so many problems or are fixed by the time the unit is available for purchase.