Re: Seeking Well-Maintained Country Coach (or Foretravel)
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 115612
We looked for about 16 months, before buying out coach. I drove from San Diego to just South of Sacramento one weekend, to look at a coach. Turned out to have just too many things I was not comfortable about, and I did not get a good vibe from the owner (Only owner of the coach.), when I asked about maintenance items. (Did not have, or more likely would not share, his maintenance folder of receipts. Did not know key items maintenance history, and I finally concluded they had not been done.) A second time, a coach in Texas met all of the DW's and my Must Have Check Lists, and many of our Nice to Have items too. Owner talked good on the phone, sent more pictures for me to look over. Price seemed to be in the appropriate range to start the discussions from. So I took a days vacation on a Friday, with a tentative agreement with my boss that I might also be taking Monday and Tuesday off. Flew to Austin, rented the car, drove to meet the owner and see the coach. Wow! Goes to show you a picture is not worth a 1,000 words:)! I never went into the coach. Walked up to it, and around the passenger side, before the owner came out of his house to greet me. When he did, I told him he'd just cost me a plane ticket, a day's vacation. And that his coach was not what he had represented it to be. Turned around and walked back to the rental car, with him stammering the behind me saying 'Well, we can possibly work on the price...'. Back to the airport, bought a return ticket and was home in San Diego for dinner. My message with this long story, is expect to take your time. You two make a list of the items that are Must Have's and Nice to Have's - so you can both due impartial grading of coaches you walk thru.
I finally asked on two RV boards, for recommendations of Salesman people trusted. One of the three main people recommended, was in teh San Diego area. So I went in and met him, reviewed my short list of make/model/years and price range. He asked a few questions, suggested I add two other coaches to my list (Which I did.). And then I had his help while searching for a coach. About 6-7 weeks later, he called me to say a coach was coming in on consignment, told me the day and time it was coming in, and invited me to come look it over. I was their when it came in the gate. No detail, no prep for sale. Spent 90 mins crawling under, thru, over, around the coach. We took it for a test drive and stopped by our house, for the DW to look over. She took her list, and spent 30 mins by herself reviewing things, while the salesman (Steve Wilson, then of Holland Motors in San Diego (Now in San Marcos) and I sat and had a cup of coffee in our back yard. She gave the OK. Made an agreement with Steve that they would take the coach to Cummins Cal Pacific for an independent mechanical inspection, which I paid for, pulled fluid samples. And, since Holland Motors had sold the coach to the 1st owner, and done all of the service since new, asked him if the owner would allow them to print out copies of all maintenance for me to review. Steve did all of this, I reviewed the history, everything came back good from the chassis and dyno inspection (A few items needed attention, which the Holland authorized Cummins to do on their dime, as well as two recalls were covered at the same time.)
By pure luck on our part, this longer search period for the coach, was taking place as the recession was forcing many to need to get out from under their coaches. This was such a coach, the owner needed it gone. So prices had dropped quite a bit. And we actually saw appreciation over the next 3-4 years, as the recovery kicked in and demand went up again.
Why the long story? Well, IMO, a good salesman can be a valuable asset in the hunt for a coach. They know about units that are never advertised. Like this one coming in on consignment. I saw the coach on Wednesday, got the Cummins inspection and reviewed the maintenance. Placed an offer on Monday, and we tap danced a bit and signed the deal on Tuesday. (Price concessions for new tires, aged out. And house batteries, aged out.). Steve Wilson (Who did pass away from cancer about four years ago.), also mentioned that he'd had times where he'd help a widow sell a coach. Or that he, or others he networked with, would know of a coach coming in on trade in, as someone was changing coaches. These are just examples, of how he said in his opinion - many of the best cared for coaches never even get advertised.
So suggest in addition to posting here, and surfing the internet, that you make contact with a professional salesman, and solicit their help in your search. I've never met him, but Damon Rapozo has been mentioned to me a few times by those that have worked with him. So their is one lead to a salesman. (And an opinion on salesman, they do sometimes get deserved reputations - good, or bad. But a salesman who is in the business along time, understand the value of referrals and repeat business. Do they want to make a commission. Yes. But I sincerely believe that a professional salesman is also interested in making longer term relationships. Steve Wilson and I became good friends, and I miss him. Might work out for you...
(This completes another 'short & crisp' posts of ramblings by Smitty...)
Good luck on your hunt,
Smitty
04 Allure 31017
Topic: Seeking Well-Maintained Country Coach (or Foretravel) (Read 1462 times)
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