Our salesman, Bob, called Craig Wednesday morning to ask when we were coming to see the Alfa. I had told him I would be in San Diego thru Wednesday, but I hardly intended to rush from the airport to the dealership.
Craig is involved in something "very interesting" at work this week and didn't want to take time away from his project, so he told Bob we would come up Saturday.
This morning Craig said he would not have a problem saying: "no" to the sale if it wasn't the right one, but that he would have a problem saying "yes" unless we put a condition of having an independent RV inspection done on it.
Using Google, I found a company that had "affiliates" throughout the country for auto, boat, and RV pre-purchase inspections. I talked to their area "affiliate" and got an idea of what he would do. It sounded great, but unfortunately he was not available until the end of September. I don't think La Mesa would go for holding that coach out of inventory for that long.
That guy suggested that I arrange to take it to another dealer to look over. I found one that listed pre-purchase inspections on their web page, and are near-by. I talked to someone in their service department and got their information. They said they could do it next week, but we would have to arrange to bring the Alfa there. I know that although they do sell some used class As, they primarily deal in trailers and fifth wheels, so I wasn't sure if this is who we wanted.
Then I found a guy that is independent, and does RV repairs renovations, an inspections. He said he could go to La Mesa and do a complete body and appliance inspection. He said he would certainly run the engine and give us an opinion, but that he is not a diesel mechanic.
Considering the size of the investment, and our lack of experience, we feel having someone else look it over is a smart move. La Mesa does a "45 point inspection" and a 30 day warrantee, so they shouldn't object to another pair of eyes. If they did we would not walk away, we would RUN!
I think all of this due diligence will serve us well wether we choose this one or another down the way.
Keep your fingers crossed for us, On one hand I'm tired of shopping, and on the other I don't feel like I've seen enough.
I also finished a unicorn order today,
and researched my medicare supplement options!
My head is spinning.
It is a very smart thing to do your due diligence, it's a big investment. Good Luck.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're right on top of things, Merikay! Hope things go well tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI'll be doing the same supplemental medical coverage investigating over the next year. Maybe we can commiserate together. :)
You are doing a great job of making sure you're money is being invested in the right rig. And I hate to tell you this, but you really haven't looked at all that many RV's. We probably looked at 150 motorhomes before we finally settled on the one that we are now trying to sell. And this may be the one for you. We'll all be waiting to hear what you have to say tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThe second most important thing in the purchase is the price. Get the "high and low" book value from your bank. It's easy to make a 10-20 thousand dollar error with the dealer pushing the sale.
ReplyDeleteThere is a reason the dealer is chasing you. The rv market is very slow. You will not be able to re sell it for anything close to what you pay a dealer, so be sure you really love it. Good luck!
acheapguy
A third party inspection is a good thing to do. Also consider a water leak test (don't ask me how I know this... but think delamination...)
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to enjoy the process! And get what you LOVE.
Another thing to consider is an engine oil analysis. A lot of people suggest that for diesels. We didn't do one, but probably should have.
ReplyDeleteAlso snoop through the Alfa and try to find all the owners manuals. There should be a ton of stuff and you might find the previous owners name. You could call them and get lots of good info. We did that on both motto homes. Lazy Days removes the paperwork from the mh's for safe keeping but they missed ours. It is good to talk to the previous owner. You could ask to see the manuals but you don't need to tell the salesman why.
Good luck today. I hope it's the motorhome of your dreams, but if it isn't remember, there are tons more out there.
Good luck today!!!
ReplyDeleteI think you are doing a great job of due diligence. Keep up the good work and you will find that coach that is perfect for you,
ReplyDeletewell I am a bit behind on reading my blogs today..so I know how this one ends!!!
ReplyDelete