ZuBrew, wow, that was a lot of effort! Thanks for posting the detailed info for others to learn from.
I guess I should add that when I purchased my R-Pod in 2012, I paid a deposit (credit card by phone) shortly before driving to Hamilton OH from Connecticut, and I paid the remainder in full at Couches before pickup. I has insurance purchased before traveling there (bought online at progressive, with the VIN number given to me by Couches).
I did NOT finance, I received all paperwork that afternoon. I was also given an Ohio temp plate (I think it's still in my garage on a window ledge). I took all my paperwork with me to the main DMV branch, only 3 in Connecticut at that time could do an out of state title transfer, so I had to go through an inspection lane because it was purchased out of state.
It was STILL worth it. My local R-Pod dealer (9 miles away) played games, and also they would not budge from a high price (I saved almost $3000 buying from Couchs). I did spend a lot of time waiting in lines, traveling, and also I had an issue with a leak coming from the hot water heater element gasket which was ultimately repaired (new gasket) but took several attempts by a different dealer to repair.
A somewhat similar scenario happened when I was looking for the new toy hauler. I had already decided I wanted a Livin Lite 7X20 or an ATC 7X20, but the problem was finding a dealer locally. I again called around (and email) for pricing, and a dealership in Pennsylvania was the best at $27000, but ultimately I paid more ($$$$) by buying local this time. And thank goodness I did. I had a 3 big problems with the new trailer right away, and it had to be sent back to the factory for modification. If I had purchased out of state again, it would have been colossal issue to get the problem taken care of. As it was, it was just a major inconvenience, I only was able to take one trip last fall because of the issue,
#1- Furnace needed to be replaced, caught during pickup, left the toy hauler there,picked up following weekend #2- Tongue weight in outer space, completely different from what was promised for a dry tongue weight (almost 500 pounds heavier than quoted!! WTF???) It went BACK to the plant for axle modifications to suit my needs. It was SUPPOSED to be a custom trailer. #3- The water system drain 100% blocked by the optional under body foam insulation. A tech spray expanding foam over the drain!! And it was NOT repaired at the factory as requested when it went back!! the dealership spent an afternoon on their backs chopping away a the foam and replacing the hose assemble (and they didn't have the right tools and parts to do it in a timely fashion, which made it hard).
Both of these experiences are simply the roll of the dice, not every trailer will have large issues, and some trailers will have no issues at all. My R-Pod had NO issues after the water leak.
------------- 2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler
2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD)
2013 VW Touareg TDI
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