How We Went About Buying A Quality Pre-Owned Motorhome

Marilyn and I decided we wanted a motorhome but were not sure which one to buy. She does not like shopping for cars or RV’s on the lot because she does not like “pushy” sales persons. She does, however enjoy surfing the net and you can obtain quite a bit of information by shopping online. You can get a good idea of what’s out there and begin to narrow down your choices before you even step on a dealer’s lot.

I visited dealer lots, RV shows and the FMCA convention in Perry Georgia looking, evaluating and asking a lot of questions about various brands and models of motorhomes.

Since we are full time RVers we decided that we wanted a 40 foot diesel pusher with a slide or two. We also decided to purchase a quality used motorhome to avoid the instant depreciation once you drive it off the lot and to avoid having to take it in multiple times for warranty work. We purchased our 5th wheel new and spent more time in the repair shop than we did camping the first six months we owned it. A quality used RV will already have the majority of the “bugs” worked out which means you spend more time camping in the great outdoors instead of sitting in the waiting room of the RV service department. A high quality, thorough Pre-Delivery Inspection by a Master Certified RV Technician will resolve many of these problems. Unfortunately many dealerships fail to do this.

While at the FMCA convention in Georgia I met Dudley Hamm who is a salesman at Best Buy RV’s in Richmond, Indiana. Click Here For Best Buy RV’s Dudley and I hit it off because he actually listened to what I wanted and began actively looking for it. I don’t appreciate salesmen who don’t know how to listen to their customers. Before I met Dudley I dealt with many salesmen from well known dealerships who wanted to show me RV’s I didn’t want. They just wanted to sell me a product that brought them the biggest commission. They were thinking more about themselves and that fat juicy commission than they were about me.

Dudley, on the other hand, listened to me and started looking for what I wanted. Once he found a coach he thought would fit my needs he called me immediately to tell me about it. He sent me email photos and a detailed "build sheet" showing all the options installed in this coach.This coach was coming in on a trade and he knew it would go fast so he called me to give me the “first shot” at buying this nice coach. I put $500 dollars deposit using my MasterCard to hold it. I had the right of refusal and they would return my deposit if I changed my mind. A dealership needs to know you are serious, hence the request for a deposit to hold the unit in inventory. I later found out that they had several other prospective buyers lined up looking for a quality used coach like this one. I discovered that these high end coaches don’t last long, so if you find one you like put a deposit on it to hold it. We also negotiated the price at that time. Best Buy RV’s motto is “We’re making customers for life!” and they mean it. They have the best prices you’ll find anywhere and the sales staff is not “pushy” but competent and attentive to what you want in your next RV. Can you tell I like this dealership?

It took us a couple of days to travel from Georgia to Indiana and Dudley met us at the dealership where we camped out until our coach was ready for delivery. They will also “comp” you into a local RV resort while you acclimate to your new RV. I wrote a huge check, which Jenny Gram (the Business Manager) was more than happy to take and we processed the paperwork to complete the purchase. We traded our 5th wheel and paid cash for the remainder. If you don’t have cash, you can finance the RV and Jenny will be happy to assist you in finding the right financing package that fits your budget.

Best Buy RV's treat their customers right all the time. The owners, Dennis and Carolyn Runzer are personable and take an active interest in their customers and their employees. I watched Dennis dealing with customers when he didn't know I was spying - he went out of his way to help them. He really does care about customer satisfaction and you need to know that. I've been around many RV dealerships, and I can say without a doubt that Best Buy RV's is a leader in the industry when it comes to customer satisfaction. This mural is on the entrance to the service bays.I asked most of the RV technicians how they liked working for this company and they all basically said the same thing. This is what Delbert Marcum (a 15 year RV tech that's been with this company 5 years) said, "This is the best place I've ever worked. I've worked for other RV dealerships and they treat you like dirt. This is the best working environment because they really do treat you right."

In my experience, no matter what type of company you're dealing with, if the employees are happy chances are greatly improved that the customers will be happy as well. This is that kind of company! Hospitality is a core value here at Best Buy RV's - something that's getting harder to find nowadays. If you are interested in finding the right coach for you, call Dudley or any of the Best Buy RV sales representatives toll free at (866) 786-0064. They will pick you up at the airport, help you with transportation when you get here or host you if you bring your current RV. Tomorrow I’ll talk about the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) which is one of the most important aspects of purchasing an RV new or used. Jim