# Purchasing



## Pondsideblue (May 30, 2011)

Hello!

My husband and I have are in the process of purchasing the 2011 Outback 312BH. We are to pick it up in a week. I have never camped before and wish I had seen this site before we decided to buy - not that we would have changed our minds but I do feel more well informed now that I have gone through this site!!!!

I also feel better prepared for the pickup and I have printed the Master PDI inspection report - THANKS!

We are trying to decide if we should get the warranty with the trailer. Would appreciate your perspectives!

Thanks


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## OBcanOB (Aug 23, 2007)

You're going to get pro's and con's from lots of peole, and all warranted! There are lots of reasons to say yes and no.

So, read them all and make your mind up.

I'm a 'pro'. Usually I don't buy the extended warranty, but when we were making our deal on our Outback, after we dealt with the trailer, we got them to reduce the price of the warranty by half. Our warranty goes to 2014. This year we had to replace our grey tank. $880.00 That has now paid for the warranty. So, we're expecting something to happen in the next three year, so I think we will come out ahead.

I'm guessing most people never use the extended warranty. It a case of 'sleeping easy'. If you can get the kind of warranty that will give you the money back if you don't use it, the cost is minimal.

Good hunting.


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## duggy (Mar 17, 2010)

I'll give my standard reply. I never buy an extended warranty for anything. I figure between cars and trailers and dvd players, etc. that I've saved enough to spend thousands on repairs, before I'd spend what I would have spent on warranties. This attitude started after I got burned on an extended warranty about 15 years ago. The fine print on an electronic item said the warranty was limited to product value at the time of failure. They said the $150.00 item was worth $50.00. After the cost of the warranty and the shipping, there was nothing left for me. I know that was probably an exception, but I've never regretted avoiding the warranties.

As a footnote, if you do decide to get the warranty, the dealers have huge markup in the warranties. When we were buying our Outback, they offered us a warranty for $1700.00. Naturally, I said no. At the time of delivery, they gave us a last chance to purchase the warranty. I believe the price was in the $700.00 range. It blew me away that the price could change that much, but I still said no. Don't pay full price!


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

Pick up in a week. Great. Welcome to the fun world of camping and bringing your "motel" with you!

Suggestions on the pickup:

1. fax or mail or take over to the dealer the PDI list. Tell them that you really intend to cover everything and they should allow time. Giving them the list prevents surprises. Good dealers will have no objection to a list.

FYI: it takes upwards of 4 hours to do a thorough PDI. The dealer's service guy will probably have a 2-3 hour limit so when we found out our limit was 3 hours, we gladly set up in advance that we would pay him their shop rate ($90 per hour) for time beyond 3 hours that we caused. We ended up paying $50. Wadda deal.

2. wear jeans, sneakers, etc. The DW should definitely wear slacks or jeans etc., so she can scootch around on the ground, climb ladders, etc., without flashing the shop folks.

3. Leave the kids home or with a sitter. They will get bored, and distract both of you from this very critical event.

4. Bring a flashlight, a spiral bound notebook, and three pens. You'll inevitably leave a pen somewhere and this way you'll have spares.

5. Take your time and make sure you understand what you're being told. I was a "newbie" when we picked up our '09 268RL TT in April 2009. Everyone has to learn some time, and it's no sin to admit you're new at this. When the shop took its lunch break about noon, we bopped across the street to the Burger King, and after our lunch, brought back a couple of large coffees for the two guys working on the TT. One was doing the PDI with us, the other installing the weight distribution hitch. $3 or $4 for coffee definitely builds bridges and makes us a little more human rather than just another customer.

5. The propane tanks should be filled by the dealer so you can check out all propane appliances (furnace, reefer, stove and oven). The PDI will cover how to switch appliance over from external power (shore power or portable generator power); it's very important to know how to do it, and how to diagnose simple problems (heat comes on but dies in 10 seconds, etc., etc.)

On this site you'll also find "packing" lists that members have uploaded. They are a real help; it's very easy to pack too much and also pack wrong stuff. We bought a nice set of Corelle dishes, bowls, etc. They were great for 2 days until a cabinet door opened while we were driving. We had no idea that one cereal bowl made of Corelle could shatter into 2 million little slivers!!!! It took over an hour to clean up the Corelle, and I swear that 2 years later, I get little tingles on the soles of my feet walking on the carpet barefoot. My DW says it's all in my mind but I still think there may be slivers imbedded in the carpets.









So we got rid of the Corelle and now have passably decent looking plastic dishes, bowls, etc. The packing list will be a big help as you stock the TT.

Finally, many dealers will give you a discount (we got 25% off) at their store when you buy stuff that day. We got a city water filter, a city water hose, a pressure reducer (to cut down campground water pressure to the max ~40 pounds that the TT handles), plus a black and gray water drain hose, connectors, etc. All at 25% off.

Best wishes for a successful PDI and pickup, and keep us posted on the happenings!


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## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

I've never been a fan of extended warranties, never have bought one, and believe in "self insurance" However I'm a competent DIY'er with a garage full of tools and willing to repair most anything.

here is my take:

Are you:
1) capable diagnosing and troubleshooting problems
2) capable of doing minor and major repair work
3) well equiped and have the equipment to do the repairs, or know enough to determine if a repair shop is giving an accurate assessment of the problem?
4) Financially capable of paying for the cost of hardware and material for repairs and/or labor if something should come up?

If so, IMHO extended warranties probably are going to cost you more than doing repairs yourself, and your probably not a good candidate for one.

However if:
1) really don't or can't diagnose and troubleshoot
2) don't have the equipment, time or capability to do repairs yourself,
3) Peace of mind is more important than cost
4) Afraid that a big repair bill will be a burden, but willing to do an upfront or monthly payment instead

Then an extended warranty may be for you.

Personally I can't think of a single instance where I would have been able to even use an extended warranty on any major appliance or vehicle so far. When repairs did come up they were well past the experation of any warranty anyway.

Remember, just like insurance, extended warranties are a profitable business for the seller(s), both the warranty company and the selling dealer!!


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## Insomniak (Jul 7, 2006)

The dealer has given us half price on our last two extended warranties, so we got them. I can fix just about anything that comes my way, but my time is important as well. It wasn't really too traumatic to fork over another $800, but of course we've never used the warranty. Guaranteed though, if I didn't get the warranty, the fridge or some other big ticket item would have crapped out at 366 days.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Warranties are negotiable, don't pay full price. Don't wait to sit down with the finance/closing person to buy your warranty. Shop around before hand and then let the dealer give you their best price. I've purchased two with our RVs over the years. In the case of our Outback I believe it really helped me to sell the Outback faster (ask Oregon_Camper) and made for an easier sale on his part. With our current RV I negotiated with it in the package, sure enough last year the fridge died a couple days before our big trip. Fridge alone cost about $1400, so in my case it's been worth it. It's important to understand what is and what is not covered, as well as to make sure the policy isn't strictly tied to the dealer itself, also doesn't hurt to call another dealer to see if they accept the warranty company coverage, some will not and then you'll need to front the money and get reimbursed.


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