# rv purchase usa do's and dont's advice please



## 100397 (Aug 7, 2006)

Hi after may months searching in this country for our ideal rv , either thru dealers and private, we have decided to go to usa in a couple of weeks and buy out there. We know what we want ie layout , length , slides etc. just would l ike some advice about the do's and dont's and just plain advice about buying stateside, thanks in anticipation, jackie


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## 101411 (Oct 15, 2006)

Hi

Its very quite on here isnt it!!

Buying from the USA is great fun but dont get carried away with it!!!

1st thing is to buy from the Florida area as this is the cheapest place to ship from and there are lots of good dealers around Florida.

2nd decide if you want new or used, personally id always buy a used RV that has at least 10000 miles on the clock and is over 12 months old, that way the previous owner will have hopefully had any problems/defects sorted out before you get it home. Remember if you buy new you wont get a warranty and this is s good bargaining tool when discussing prices.

3rd Check the length and most importantly the width. No wider then 100" and no longer than 38 feet. Width included handles, awnings (which can be removed ut is a bit of a pain!!) but not running lights or mirrors.

4th Never EVER pay the asking price. Settle on a price you are happy with and do not get swept along with the whole excitement thing and end up getting a good slapping in the process. They cost a hell of a lot less in the USA than they do over here. Just go onto Ebay USA and check out the prices on there. If you have a laptop take it with you and check prices on the vehicles you like before you shake hands. DO NOT BUY AN RV ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT!!! Go back to the hotel and sleep on it then go back to the dealer and spend some time in it. Is it really the right layout and size?? Could you imagine yourself spending 2 weeks in it and not want to kill each other after just 10 days!!!

5th Watch the weight and take a calculator to convert lbs to KGs. Over 7.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight=HGV license (about another £1100 to take test). Slides really increase the weight so keep it in mind.

6th Try and sort out a good shipping agent before you goto the USA. I have used www.rvexports.com and they have done a good job for me on more than 1 occasion but shop around.

7th Try to work out a good shedule to visit the dealers, they all tend to be grouped together and contact then before you go. Tell them your requirements and budget and let them do the legwork for you, after all your paying them for it!! If you decide to goto Lazydays speak to Jason Cohen he is very familiar with dealing with UK customers and is very easy to deal with. Unless youve got lots of time when you visit Lazydays tell them you just want to see the RVs for sale or you will be taken on the whole "Lazydays Experience" tour which is very nice but takes up a full day!!

8th Be sure you can get the lights and electrics sorted by someone in the UK. Dont ask them in the USA to do it as they dont know what is required.

9th Look at as many dealers as you can manage but dont do it for more than 3 days in a row or your brain will turn to custard!!! Take a camera and a notebook and take notes, they all start to look the same after a while!!!

10 ENJOY YOURSELVES!!!! And rent a satnav system, youll be glad you did!!!

Let us know how you get along and good luck with it!!

Dazzer


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## 100397 (Aug 7, 2006)

*re rv usa purchase*

thanks dazzer you are a star, twice LOL printed it off so i have your advice with me jackie


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## tel999 (Aug 17, 2007)

Hi
Things to consider.......
Every RV you walk into will give you the WOW factor. The difficulty is looking past that and seeing the inbuilt quality. Look inside cupboards,check the quality of framing,is the wiring colour coded,etc.
You will be doing the easy thing and that is parting with your hard earned cash, the quality of the buying decisions you are going to make will become apparent when you live with and later come to sell your RV.I have a friend who purchased a Coachmen in the UK, has had it for 2 years and 5000 mls and would now describe it as JUNK.....
I sent 9 weeks in the US doing my homework prior to importing RV's for myself and friends, and as has already been written, you can become very confused. Talk to the tecs, and bodyshop chaps they will give you the best information you will ever receive, they fix um...
If pushed I would say if you can afford it go for either Winnebago or Tiffin. you wont go wrong, but they will not be the cheapest option or in fact the most flash looking. The more you look at them the more you will hopefully realise what I mean.
Hope this helps
Regards
Tel


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

Many get carried away by the furnishings and fittings before deciding on the basics, think out of the box so to speak.. All good advice so far.

The way I decided was as follows.

1. Chassis make. 
I choose Spartan as it was a designed specifically as an RV chassis and not a truck. Full air ride suspension with air/hydraulic brakes.
http://www.spartanchassis.com/default2.asp

2. Engine, diesel or petrol, puller or pusher.
I wanted a diesel pusher, Cummins or CAT, more economical, long life, and much quieter than a diesel puller.

3. Slides. yes/no 
I chose not to have slides, but that is subjective, there are pros and cons.

4. Max length
Again very subjective, I required a full time RV for a family of four, ours is 36ft and shrinking daily.

5. Budget
Set it and stick to it.

Lazydays have an excellent web site where you can input your choices and see what makes/models are available, then check if it's UK legal re width.

http://www.lazydays.com/

Good luck, ask plenty questions and do your research.

Jim


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## 99270 (May 17, 2006)

Hi Jackie

We have just bought an RV in the US (It's about to sail and it has been a really exciting experience so far. A few things I would consider:

1) Ship from Florida - ours RV is being shipped from California and is over twice the cost to ship and takes 30 days. Next time, if the RV comes from the west coast we will take a family holiday across america in the RV and will take in all the sights and deliver to Florida at the end of our tour.

2) Choose a port with Roll on Roll off ships that is 'unionised'. The union card holding dock workers are really well paid and more professional with much less chance of damage/theft to your beloved RV than from a port with poorly paid immigrant/casual workers

3) Go careful with corrision in Florida. High humidity and salty atmosphere can accelerate corrosion at an alarming rate. Check your RV in the places you can't see from the normal walk around.

4) Double check that the RV's title is clear before you hand over your hard earned cash. US customs will not let the vehicle out of the country if the title is not clear and you could lose all your money!!!!

5) Establish the exact volume (Cubic Meters) when you ask for your shipping quote. The manufactures web site vehicle measurements Height, width and length never take ladders, awnings, cameras, air con units etc into consideration. I was hit with an extra charge for another 16 C.Metres because of this.

6) Keep on top of the shippers - don't assume anything.

Hope this helps

Brizzard


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## 100397 (Aug 7, 2006)

*re rv import*

sorry about delay in thanking everybody for their replies and well received advice, but been up to west coast of scotland for a week, had greast weather believe it or not , of tjo florida on saturday the weather there for the next 10 days very hot and very wet typical but if we get what we wnat it will be worth it anyway tell you all about jit when we get back many thanks jackie


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## 100397 (Aug 7, 2006)

*usa rv purchasing trip*

Hi all back from Florida , had an amazing time. Loved tampa airport so much we went back twice ( got lost) finally made it to where we were staying dont know how. The car we hired had no hand book and after driving for about 30 mins the other half was sweating even with air con on , somehow he had pressed the heated chair button , not a good idea in 92 degs. Had to stop at a motel to ask for directions it was something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie sat in the car with all doors locked until pete eventually came out! Anyway spent 2 days at Lazy days and have bought 2005 Fleetwood Southwind with 2 slides, superb condition and a few bells and whistles ! Absolutely love it all your tips and advice was used am very grateful to all replied. Anyway hope to see some of you once the beast has got here, once again thanks


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