RV Service After the Sale

When you buy a recreational vehicle, there is one truth you must never lose sight of - all RVs will require maintenance. Consider the purchase of an RV as a combination of three major investments. You are buying: 1) a home; 2) a vehicle; and 3) a full set of major appliances. Certainly you would never consider buying any one of these alone without some kind of service guarantee. Consequently, an RV is at least three times as likely to require a good warranty.

So how does a prospective RV buyer make sure he is getting the very best service and support for his new investment? Here are a few helpful guidelines:

• Get a copy of the warranty. Read it. Find out what is covered, what is not, and for how long.
• Since the primary purpose of buying recreational vehicles is for travel, the warranty must also assure the buyer that problems will be handled on the road as well as at home.
• Buy from a reputable manufacturer and dealer. No RV is better than the service that backs it up. Learn about the dealer's service facilities, how many years he has been in business, and what lines he carries.
• Demand a pre-delivery inspection and a complete orientation, including systems, appliances, functions, instruction in all operations, warranty explanation, a test drive, and review of the owner's manual, maintenance requirements, and safety issues. An RV owner must also understand the importance of regular maintenance. Many problems can be avoided if the owner knows how to take care of the rig.
• Understand that maintenance requirements will cost from one to 1.5 percent of the purchase price per year.
• Be careful of warranty squabbles between the coach and chassis manufacturers. Buy from manufacturers who are not quick to dump claims on their counterpart. Check the model years of both coach and chassis, as well. Sometimes they are different, and this can affect the length of your warranty.

Also see: RV Extended Warranties and Service Contracts, What to Do if You Think You Bought a Lemon