We just bought a 2019 heartland cyclone 4007
What we learned when purchasing an RV from a dealer.
101
Yep we finally did it. We looked and we scoured the whole entire state of Florida and finally found the RV that we were looking for. It has all the bells and whistles that we thought we needed. It has plenty of room for all the toys in the garage a full-size refrigerator and a huge master bedroom.
It’s made by heartland out of Indiana. It’s a cyclone 4007. This 45 ft triple axle camper weighs in at 16,000 pounds empty. She carries 100 gallons of fresh water has a 12 gallon water heater 3 15,000 BTU air-conditioners and an 18 cubic ft. refrigerator. Its construction is made up of aluminum frame, high density block foam, and back fiberglass skin. The colors aren’t bad either.
Click the pic to see the floor plan.
Things to know
We bought our RV from GENARAL. RV near Tampa. There are a few things that you need to know about the dealer before you get started. The people at the RV place do not camp, travel, and or use RVs in anyway. Almost nothing the dealer says will turn out to be true. If the dealer tells you it’s only going to take an hour to plan on all taking a day and possibly a second. For some odd reason when the dealership orders apart it takes 4 to 6 weeks. I really don’t know why this is but it’s how they operate. So stay cool calm and collective its the nature of the business.
The sales department Is there to do one thing and one thing only. Sell you a camper. They will tell you anything to get you to buy. It’s almost like buying a car in the 80s and 90s. There is a lot of haggling involved. A salesman running back and forth to the main guy seems to be never seen. It’s just a lot of time-consuming nonsense that could simply be avoided if they just paid attention and came into the 21st century. The sales department does not communicate well with the prep team that puts your RV together for you to take home. It’s almost as if sales team finished the job so they don’t care if things are done properly. They tend to help if there commission may be
in jeopardy however not to the extent you would think. Instead you will be stuck with the person that did the walk through with you. Hopefully this person is knowledgeable and has a good rapport with the prep team
The walk-through
This is a very important step especially if you’re a first-time buyer. Ask a lot of questions, take notes and video it if you can. It is impossible to remember everything that there is to know about the RV you just purchased. If an answer doesn’t seem right to you asked the question again. The person that did our walk-through didn’t have a clue about 45% of the bells and whistles that was equipped on our cyclone. If something doesn’t look right most likely it’s not right. There is no manual for your RV there is a packet of manuals for the appliances but nothing on the RV itself. Things will be missing or not quite finished the day of the walk-through. Stay calm, it’s the nature of the business.
Taking delivery
Now this in itself taking delivery sounds pretty simple and technically it is however the nature of the business will take over. As I said before. Some things are going to be missing. Some things are not going to be completed. And then there is the nature of the business. This means that some parts have just not arrived as of yet. The parts will be put on order and you will sign a form stating they have ordered the parts and they will contact you when they come in. Don’t count on this. Call the dealer to verify that the parts have come in starting on the date that they were due. Then continue to call until they come in. We know one couple that is still waiting for all the remotes to the TVs in their RV. The order was placed seven months prior to this posting and they still have not received them. So be diligent in making sure that your dealer stays on top of everything.
Taking your RV out the first time can be a bit frustrating and a bit bewildering. I call this the break-in. If things are going to break or come apart this is the time it’s going to happen. I recommend doing this someplace close to home. I would also recommend not having many family members with you while the break-in process is happening. A short weekend trip for you to get know your unit is best. Bring your tool box you will need it. Spend the time going over everything from front to back pushing buttons, flipping switches, and just getting to know and understand how your RV works. By doing this you will ensure the next trip you take you will have time to see the sights and do the things you want to do while you’re in that area. I’m no expert. However I have done this and I speak from experience. These are just my thoughts and opinions on purchasing a new RV
All in all the process of purchasing the RV wasn’t all that bad depending who you ask myself or Barbara (Barbara has a totally different opinion 🙂 ) I will admit it was frustrating at first and very time-consuming. I do believe that things could’ve been done much smoother and faster had communication been better between sales, prep and delivery. It was our first time purchasing an RV from a dealer. I’m sure it will not be the last. The best advice I can give is to do your research not only on the RV but on the RV dealer as well. Check the reviews see if there’s problems with service. You’ll know right away whether or not they are reputable. Trust your gut!! But don’t let the process stop you from purchasing a unit. A Few days of frustration and headaches is nothing compared to the freedom felt while traveling the country in your new RV.
Below is a few pics from our first time out. We went eight hours hours away from home. I had absolutely no tools with me. My son and his wife came to spend the weekend. My partner and his girlfriend also brought their camper and stayed the weekend with us. I had absolutely no idea of what I was doing or how anything worked in that RV. If it could go wrong it did that weekend.
