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RVing 101:
Taking Delivery of an RV: What to Expect
You’ve decided to purchase an RV!
An RV is a significant investment, a purchase to be considered carefully. Once you have decided on one, you are no-doubt excited about receiving your new unit. Of course, the expectation is that the RV will be ready to go – in appearance as well as in function. Although you may have heard that buying an RV is a lot like buying a car, an RV is more complex and larger than your average daily transportation vehicle. There are more components, more items that can break, and more items to maintain.
That’s why it’s important to be well-informed regarding the purchasing process and when it comes time to take delivery. It’s not just making the sometimes-difficult decisions of which unit to buy and how to finance it, it’s making sure the RV is good to go and you are knowledgeable enough to use it!
MARVAC sat down with Ryan Penny, marketing manager from MARVAC Member Bish’s RV (locations in Coldwater, Ludington, and Grand Rapids), to discuss what a customer should expect when taking possession of their brand-new, or at least new-to- them, RV.
Prior to viewing an RV you’re considering purchasing, you can expect...
• That you can find information from manufacturer websites and YouTube to identify what type of RV you’re most interested in seeing in-person at a dealership. You can go through virtual walkthroughs and get a good idea of whether an RV will fit your anticipated lifestyle before you ever see a physical unit.
• That the RV has gone through an inspection already. A post-delivery inspection (PDI) is conducted by the dealership when they receive a unit from the manufacturer. This inspection searches for missing or broken components as well as runs all the systems and confirms them to be operational. A report is sent back to the manufacturer, which may help
cover the work or cost to fix anything identified during the inspection.
Prior to taking delivery of your chosen RV, you can expect...
• That the RV unit in question has been prepared and reviewed by technicians in preparation for your taking ownership of it, so that the RV is in tip-top shape.
• That the dealership will take you through a comprehensive walkthrough of the unit – time varies by the complexity of the unit – which includes an exterior walk, being shown with exterior connections are located, how appliances and electrical components work, and, for motorized, go on another test drive.
• That you can take video of important details, such as how appliances work, during your walkthrough. They are great for easy reference later!
• That the dealership will help guide you on which accessories to purchase, such as hoses, bike racks, and tow bars (if you’ll be towing a toad).
• That the dealership will help guide you on an appropriate tow vehicle and ensured that an existing vehicle or a vehicle about to be purchased will work well with the towable RV.
• That the dealership will cover manufacturer warranty information if buying new, busi- ness-specific perks, insurance, financing, and extended warranties.
After you take delivery of your RV, you can expect...
• That a dealership is still providing customer service, especially if it has its own service center. You can still get in contact with the dealership if you have any ques- tions once you drive off the lot.
With any new unit, whether you’re experienced or inexperienced, we recommend you start out camping close to home, including the driveway, before you go on your first long distance trip. This gets you acquainted with the RV and you can work out anything when you’re still near the comfort of your home base.
28 2023 MICHIGAN RV & CAMPGROUNDS
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