Tip for RV dealers - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Acheron2010 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Tip for RV dealers

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

I agree with you but RV dealerships just want to sell what's on their lot and want salesman who can sell. A salesman being knowledgeable about RVs is just a nice bonus for them.

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

And keep in mind that most dealerships sell more than one brand as well as pop-ups, travel trailers, fifth wheels and gas and diesel motorhomes. I don't think I've ever seen a salesman(woman) that only sells one brand and model. We would get better information if they did but it's not feasible.

I have a friend that took a class on doing customer PDI's and giving walk throughs of one brand of fifth wheel trailers. He was hoping to add some income to his retirement but soon learned that the only dealer in town only sold one or two of "his" brand of trailers per month, so his new job was very short-lived.

LarryW21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

To ask that an RV salesperson "know" all the details of every RV on the lot is requiring too much. When I visit an RV or vehicle dealer lot I want to be left alone to look....until I'm ready to enter the unit or take a test drive. Besides I until I know the specs I don't visit.

Acheron2010 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just to clarify, this was a large dealership in another state that sells only Winnebago RVs. I drove 400 miles to see one. I did the research, I was familiar with the specifications and models. More than the sales staff. In my humble opinion, it was not too much to ask that at least one of the three people I spoke to know something about what they are attempting to sell.

I discussed this with the Winnebago home office, but I understand the dealers are independent.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we were researching we went to a dealership that was having an Open House with manufacturer's reps present. We were particularly interested in Airstreams, and were directed to one particular salesman. He actually lived full-time in his Airstream and really knew what he was talking about. We visited the same dealership a few months earlier and the sales person knew very little about recreational vehicles. It turned out that, except for the Airstream expert, all of the sales people there take turns selling new cars, used cars, and recreational vehicles on the same lot.

I have heard that there are a few Airstream-only dealerships in the country and that Airstream is wanting to go that route. Don't know how true that is, or how well it will work. Just like at an automobile dealership, though, trade-ins will be all sorts of brands and types, so it would still be likely that the sales person won't have much knowledge about the used rigs on the lot, especially if going from one type of RV to another (a used MH on an Airstream lot, for example).

JanKen · RV-Dreams Family Member

Acheron2010 wrote:
If you are managing an RV dealership, and someone stops by to look at your selection, please have at least one person on site who knows something about your inventory, and knows where the keys are.
PS - antifreeze in the tanks is not a manufacturer winterization package.
rant ends...

Don't be afraid to call that baby ugly...... A well informed buyer is the bane of the sales persons existence. Once you make it common knowledge to the dealership that the baby is, in fact, ugly let them know why your dollars will be going somewhere else. None of us need the "it was only driven on Sundays down hill both ways" speech and shame on them for even trying............