RV Purchase Pitfall #4: Thinking That The Company That Offers The Lowest Price Is Always The One You Should Buy From Nobody wants to pay "Too Much" for anything, and an RV is a relatively expensive anything. However, one of the biggest mistakes we see people making over and over again is purchasing an RV from the lowest price dealer, without considering the overall cost of the decision!!!! BUT SHOPPING AND COMPARING…ISN'T THAT A GOOD THING? ESPECIALLY WHEN CONSIDERING SUCH A MAJOR PURCHASE?? The answer is yes… and no. Here's why! When looking at the price of an RV, there are three important points to consider! A. Quite simply, ALL RV'S ARE NOT THE SAME!!!! You can't shop and compare them as though they were toothpaste! Some brands have regional differences in their products because they are shipped from different manufacturing plants. There are regional brand RV's that are built for and marketed only in certain portions of the country. There are Canadian products too, which get included in U.S. publications. Different States have different code requirements, just like the provinces of Canada. Most of all dealers order units with different option packages. So, shopping and comparing isn't as easy as you might think. You may drive a few hundred miles to save $500.00, only to discover the unit isn't equipped as you expected, and adding the equipment at aftermarket prices is more costly than the $500.00 you thought you saved!! Or, you may completely fall in love with a brand or floor plan that is not carried by anyone in the area you live. Will you still love it when there is no authorized warranty service center near you? Will you still love it when every little part is a special order item that takes weeks to get from the factory, or having to drop your unit off for repairs some 200 miles away and then having to make another 200 mile trip to pick it up? So, when you compare prices form one dealer to another, be sure you are comparing "Apples to Apples", in other words, compare similar quality units that are equipped the same! Just as if you were shopping for a new automobile. There are huge differences in models produced by the same manufacturer. B. The price you get quoted may not be the price you pay! Too many Rver's have discovered this the hard way! You may have been a victim of this yourself. You may have discovered that some RV dealers quote low prices in their ads or over the phone… and then pressure you into paying a lot more once they get you to the dealership, or they suddenly spring on you all the hidden costs they forgot to tell you about before. Some of them even may break the law by using illegal bait and switch tactics. And if they enticed you to travel or fly some distance with a low price offer, they know chances are good they can pressure you into buying anyway!! After all, you've invested time and money and already told your friends you'd be driving back with you new RV! "THE RV INDUSTRY IS LIKE ANY OTHER" As in all business, the RV industry has its share of bad apples. I take no pleasure in telling you this, but some are unethical. And sadly, a few are downright dishonest. By their misleading advertising and false promises, they cast a dark shadow on our entire industry. Then you'll find other dealers…professionals like myself, who work hard to earn your respect and trust. As a way of improving our industry, I've dedicated my business to educating the public. The only way you can make an intelligent decision is to have all the facts you need. "Leisure Trailer Sales is an excellent organization.  Great people & is a very well run business.  Part of the deal I made included accessories for my new trailer.  Rather than providing cheap product that would barely satisfy the agreement, Leisure Trailer Sales provided excellent items beyond my minimum expectations. Excellent communications on sales & service follow up.  This saved me time which I don't have to spare.  You always live up to your commitments & beyond." Sincerely, Glenn Coates-Manger Tecumseh, ON C. It is possible to pay too much for a lower quality RV! The least expensive trailer, 5th wheel or motor home is not always the best buy. Remember, "The bitter taste of low quality remains long after the sweet smell of low price is gone". If you buy the cheapest RV you can find, that's exactly what you will have. If you are tempted by claims of "lowest price", keep in mind the wisdom of these words from John Ruskin: "THERE IS HARDLY ANYTHING IN THE WORLD THAT SOME MAN CAN NOT MAKE A LITTLE WORSE AND SELL A LITTLE CHEAPER, AND THE PEOPLE WHO CONSIDER PRICE ONLY ARE THIS MAN'S LAWFUL PREY"!! Everyone knows you get what you pay for. If a dealer cuts his prices so low they seem almost too good to be true, they are!! In order to stay in business, he will be forced to cut corners on service and support and may not even give any service whatsoever! Another important aspect is to avoid buying what is referred to as a "GYPSY TRAILER", you may have seen ads in the paper where someone has a new trailer in a campground and a hard luck story about why he must sell, and he is willing to take a big loss on it!! EVER WONDER WHY! These types of off-brand name units are the most inferior built on the road, usually with little or no insulation, sub-standard electrical wiring, sub-standard wall studs and no telling what else! WHY DO YOU THINK REPUTABLE DEALERS WILL NOT CARRY THIS PRODUCT?? If you buy a gypsy trailer, you have no dealer to service it and are definitely headed for a lot of headaches even though you can buy it cheap!! If you buy from a dealer that is in sales only, who is going to service you after the sale? These dealers are ones that create a bad image in our industry, upsetting customers when they are entitled to warranty work and getting it done. I honestly can't believe why someone would invest thousands of dollars with someone who will give them NO support after the sale!!! "We first became customers with Leisure Trailer Sales in the summer of 1997.  Your trailers have always suited us well and service is always willing to fix anything within a very quick time.  Anytime we go into your building your people are so friendly.  They stop what they are doing and come over and say 'Hi'.  They are more than willing to answer any questions we have or get us anything we need.  This was especially true when we thought our warranty was over and yet they helped us anyways.  We have never left without feeling that we did not get a good deal.  We are always happy with the deals we make!" Thank-you, M. Gaus-Teacher Windsor, ON At LEISURE TRAILER SALES we only carry brand name RV's that have proven track records. Such huge Corporations such as Jayco, Starcraft, Montana, Mountaineer, Laredo, Sprinter, Big Horn, Big Country, Sundance and Cyclone have selected us. We avoid "fly by night manufacturers" that have a history of high turnover on their product lines, which can lead to very poor quality control and warranty service. Before you take delivery of a unit from us, we have performed an 85-point pre-delivery inspection, which usually takes 4 to 8 hours. Included are tests on the water pump, water lines, waste tanks, fresh water tank, drain fittings, dump valves, propane gas lines, gas pressure regulator, thermostats on appliances, operation of appliances, running lights and brakes, just to name a few! "Excellent company with friendly helpful people who seem to go the extra mile.  Your honesty was very refreshing and while it did not improve the quality of my life, it was good enough for us to send $40,000 USD to a complete stranger.  Also the ease with which you sold, delivered & managed to get my new 190 Poplar through customs!!" Thank-you, Charles Mills-Retired Pinehurst, NC