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Old 12-10-2013, 04:56 PM   #1
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Buying from Lichtsinn Motors

After reading all the glowing reviews of Lichtsinn here, we are considering traveling to their location and buying from them. We live in the Seattle area. I have two questions I hope you can help us with:

1) What airport should we fly into? For Dodge and Mason City are overnight flights from Seattle -take 22 hours and involve spending the night in Denver or Minneapolis. Des Moines is a snap - quick, easy and cheap! Any chance they would pick us up at Des Moines?

2) Does it make a difference price-wise buying off the lot versus special order? Do they charge more or less for special orders or off the lot motorhomes?

Thanks so much, you folks are GREAT
Bill
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Old 12-10-2013, 05:36 PM   #2
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I certainly don't know the answers to your questions, but I would take the less expensive flight and depending on how far you have to travel, rent a car or take the bus or train as close as you can and get them to pick you up there.

My thought is, they won't be privy to your personal conversation and can't pick up on unspoken desires and therefor will show you things in your range and not way above budget ... also you will be able to talk privately about what you can and cannot really live without... needs vs wants... anyhow it is not my business but I would not want to be driving back with the dealer in case I gave away something that took away MY edge in the negotiations... and believe me, in my excitement, I would open mouth and insert foot!! ()
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Old 12-10-2013, 06:12 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Cruizer Bill View Post
After reading all the glowing reviews of Lichtsinn here, we are considering traveling to their location and buying from them. We live in the Seattle area. I have two questions I hope you can help us with:

1) What airport should we fly into? For Dodge and Mason City are overnight flights from Seattle -take 22 hours and involve spending the night in Denver or Minneapolis. Des Moines is a snap - quick, easy and cheap! Any chance they would pick us up at Des Moines?

2) Does it make a difference price-wise buying off the lot versus special order? Do they charge more or less for special orders or off the lot motorhomes?

Thanks so much, you folks are GREAT
Bill
If it were me making the trip, I would fly into Des Moines, rent a car and take it up to Forest City. Upon buying the motorhome I'd have my wife drive the car back to Des Moines and I'd follow in the motorhome. You'd be saving a lot of extra travel time and saving money on motel and meals.

I was up to the Winnebago factory the first of October and dropped past Lichtsinn and saw that they are building a huge new addition to their dealership (maybe the whole thing is new). Looks like to me that Winnebago is making them their premiere dealership.

I've never bought from Lichtsinn but I have heard good things about their sales and service. I watch their inventory in case just the exact motor home that I want shows up.
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Old 12-10-2013, 06:45 PM   #4
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It seems as if distance is not a problem so for what it is worth I would get the names of a number of Winnebago dealers nation wide, give them your desires and give you a price and availability. Ynless your spec sheet is unique I would say that just about all of the rigs are pretty similar. One may have a washer dryer and another a dishwasher but all pretty close. A delivery fee is attatched to all the motorhomes so you do not get a discount. One major advantage is if there is warranty work to be done no one does it better than the factory. Another thought is when warranty work needs to be done some dealerships put you at the back of the line if you did not purchase from them, very petty in my opinion but it is their store.

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Old 12-10-2013, 08:53 PM   #5
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Before you actually travel to Iowa download the brochures for the models you're interested in from the Winnebago website. Then call the factory and get the retail price lists for the basic coach and all the options available on those models.

When you call the factory ask if there have been any changes to the models your considering since the brochures were printed. They don't reprint the brochures for changes made through the model year but they'll give you a detailed list. If you don't find all the amenities you're looking for in a particular model ask if they can be added. We added several options that weren't listed in the brochures or price lists, but were available on other models.

By the time you either talk to or travel to Lichstinn Motors you should already know what the list prices are for the coach and options. Then you can begin negotiating. You may find there are other dealers closer to home that offer the same or better prices, and it won't cost you the time, price of airfare, hotels, meals and rental cars.

We purchased our current motorhome without ever setting a foot in the dealership we bought it from. All the negotiating was done either over the phone or by e mail.
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Old 12-10-2013, 09:17 PM   #6
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Bill, Have you considered Roy Robinson in Marysville? When we were in the market for ours, a factory order, we solicited prices from a number of dealers and Robinson came in a good $10,000 under all others. Initial contact and price response was via email before making any phone calls to complete the deal. We have never gone back to the dealer for work but have been to the factory for warranty work twice and have had other warranty work done locally by authorized service centers. If you haven't checked them out, it might save you a good bit of travel expenses. No, I have no business affiliation with them other than being a customer.
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Old 12-12-2013, 02:18 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cruizer Bill View Post
After reading all the glowing reviews of Lichtsinn here, we are considering traveling to their location and buying from them. We live in the Seattle area. I have two questions I hope you can help us with:

1) What airport should we fly into? For Dodge and Mason City are overnight flights from Seattle -take 22 hours and involve spending the night in Denver or Minneapolis. Des Moines is a snap - quick, easy and cheap! Any chance they would pick us up at Des Moines?

2) Does it make a difference price-wise buying off the lot versus special order? Do they charge more or less for special orders or off the lot motorhomes?

Thanks so much, you folks are GREAT
Bill
Bill, when do you plan on doing this? If you wait till Spring you can go to Pamela Park and do your shakedown testing.

You are caught between a rock and a hardplace. Forest City is halfway between open space and no place. Getting the car back and getting the new coach bugs fixed is a problem.

Are you going to tow a car? What if you bought a car that you could tow 4 down when you arrive and have the dealer set it up for you? (I think we are going to get a Honda Fit, to replace the Scion, in the near future. Very tired of the tow dolly.) You could then stay around for a week or so and develop a punch list. Between the dealer and the factory service center you could leave with a near trouble free rig! That would be noval. New coaches ALL have issues.

Hope all works out smoothly for you. Happy trails and have a very merry Christmas.

Rick
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Old 12-12-2013, 04:57 PM   #8
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Forest City is halfway between open space and no place.

Rick
I just looked on Google Maps and you're not kidding. There's is nothing near there and the population is only about 4000.
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Old 12-12-2013, 06:34 PM   #9
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I bought from them in 2010...say Hi! to Stacey for me(she's the sales manager). I flew from Calgary to Seattle to Minneapolis to Mason City...about a 45 minute wait to catch the Mason City connecter.
My ticket was actually cheaper to fly to Mason City than Minneapolis...something about a subsidy to support the Mason City airport.
They'll come pick you up in Minneapolis for I think a hundred bucks.
I talked Lichsinn into leaving a car for me at the airport which I used for 3 days as the purchase of my Ellipse progressed.
They had the best price for me at that time and I liked that some guy didnt drive,sleep.tow and other things in the coach for a few days to deliver it.
Any dealer will do warranty work, if your local guy balks since you didnt buy it there give Winny a call...they'll make sure you get fixed up.
Good Luck!
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Old 12-12-2013, 07:08 PM   #10
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We picked up our 2014 Adventurer 35P on Nov 4 at Lichtsinn's. We ordered it using the retail price list (be sure you have the Latest). We sent our list to 4 other dealers and Lichtsinn was the lowest.
We had two custom items, which the salesman said would not be a problem but took a few days and $$ to work out.
I don't think there is much difference in off the lot and special order until late in the model year.
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Old 12-12-2013, 09:02 PM   #11
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We flew into Mason City and They also left us a car at the airport to use. You won't go wrong going there. All great down to earth family folks that will not steer you wrong.


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Old 12-13-2013, 05:58 AM   #12
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Good morning Bill. However you get there I strongly urge you not to leave before your punch list is satisfied. The new Winnebago coaches are suffering from quality control issues by what I am reading on irv2. The best place to get them corrected with satisfaction and expedience is right there in Forest City.

I, personally, have has some real issues with Winne dealers and their inability to fix it right. Good service centers are few and far between. The factory service center is of the highest quality. The folks know how to interpret what is going on correctly and the tech WILL fix it or tell you the real reason why. If you can avoid being one of those 'it took me 16 weeks to get my floor fixed' stories I am certain you will be much happier.

I am telling you these things because I know just getting there is going to be stressful enough. Winnebago/Itasca are potentially wonderful coaches. When built in problems are not addressed correctly, and in a timely manner, the 'wonderful' turns into 'horrible'.

Because the systems in the rig are so many and so complex (at first) to understand correctly, spending some time near the dealer doing real life camping is a good idea in my opinion. When we bought this 'new to us' coach in late May we camped at a park not far from the dealer and had issues resolved before we left. It helped us adjust to our new environment more quickly and we had a great opportunity to test things that were new to us. One thing I now regret is that I did not go on the roof to examine it. It seems that some of the coaches are experiencing a bubble in the fiberglass. I have one of these. But that is my problem and not for here.

What I love about irv2 is that WE ask for advice. Some is good and some is ... I hope mine is among the more valuable. I look forward to hearing the rest of your story as it progresses.

Rick
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Old 12-13-2013, 06:19 AM   #13
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As far as Winnebago (Forest Iowa) being between NOWHERE AND NOWHERE! I can attest to that. I have been there twice for service. Great people and very knowledgable. I visited Lictsinns, wish I would have purchased mine there. I had a lousy dealer, and every other one I went to, was lousy. If you are going any time soon, keep in mine camping is non-existant in that north country cold.
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Old 12-13-2013, 09:27 AM   #14
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As an Air Traffic Supervisor that used to be my area of expertise. There are several smaller airports in the area. Mason City is the closest.

There is also an airport at Forest City but its used mainly for smaller aircraft and has no regular service. Winnebago keeps their corporate jets there.

If Mason City is not available, you can use Rochester, Mn., Fort Dodge, Iowa, and even Waterloo, Ia as well as Des Moine, (which is the furtherest away.

When I used to travel for the FAA I would often rent a car in one place and return it in another. The larger rental companies will do that.

Anyway, good luck.
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Old 12-13-2013, 09:50 AM   #15
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WE have owned 7 Motorhomes. Here are some Facts. You will not get a better price . anywhere Every dealer has the same flexability. .. I have had some people tell me. WELL I DON"T want anyone driving my new coach.. Wake up.. The drivers are Professional .That is there job. If your job was to assembly some parts. well maybe we shouldn't buy that part.. HELLO:::: Another thing ,we spent a lot of time back at the factory. Personally my wife and I had many Lunchs with the founders John & Louise Hanson.. Intertained at GNR, Know the folks back there;; You will get a better deal Right here at Roy Robinson then you will back at the factory; And should you Buy it from another dealer. When any warrenty work needs to be done You will probaley have a harder time to get the work done.. ( if someone would do that to me, buy there coach elsewhere and come to me for work They would be at the end of the line). We bought a Vectra form RR. they beat anyones price by over $10,000. 00, These are just the facts. The factory sent us to Passadina CA. from SEattle to buy our last coach... I think the delivery charge/prep will be the same Here or there considering Fuel and time Involved. I am not affileated with any one Just me and our facts.. Life is good,
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Old 12-13-2013, 10:17 AM   #16
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I have to agree with "bachler". You are going to spend a lot of time and money traveling to Iowa to buy a Winnebago from a dealer. Where is the advantage that they have over Roy Robinson or even Uhlmann RV in Centralia. I have dealt with both and found them to be excellent dealers. I wound up dealing with Uhlmann for a couple of reasons. The sales tax (which you will have to pay to the State of WA when you go to license it) in Centralia is 8.3%. The second reason is that I was taken on a tour of their shop, met the manager, several of the mechanics as well as the finance department. There was a few things that I wanted fixed. On the day of delivery one of the major fuses had burnt out and it was replaced quickly and quietly with no mention of additional costs.
Now that is my 2 cents. I am not sure that I would want to drive a MH back from Iowa for the first time. Shake down cruises are really not any fun.
If you want I can give you the name and number of an excellent salesman at Uhlmann.
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Old 12-13-2013, 10:59 AM   #17
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I have a friend that lives in Apple Valley, CA. Her family has always bought from Lichtsinn, but on her last motor home she bought it in California and took delivery in Forest City. Lichtsinn was quite a bit higher than her local dealer in Redlands I believe. The transportation charge was the same even though she took delivery in Forest city. In fact she had to go to the transportation company to pick it up.

I personally wouldn't want to take delivery in Forest City during the winter. Wait until April. I think it would be great to take delivery in Forest City and then drive around Iowa and southern Minnesota for a couple of weeks and then back to the factory to get every thing fixed.

I will be stopping by the factory in January on my way to Arizona to get a leak in the black tank plumbing fixed.
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Old 12-13-2013, 01:43 PM   #18
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When we decided we were going to purchase a new motorhome earlier this year we visited both the factory and Lichtsinn Motors. At the time we weren't sure if we wanted an Itasca Suncruiser or a Winnebago Adventurer.

We spent some time at the dealership looking through units on the lot and trying to make decisions on interior and exterior amenities and colors. When we finally decided on a Suncruiser we started negotiating. The first price they gave us seemed ridiculously high, so we asked the price of a similarly equipped Adventurer. They came back with the exact same price even though the list price on the Adventurer was over $2,000.00 less than the list price of a Suncruiser.

After another couple go rounds at attempting to get a realistic price we decided to try another dealer. We talked to the people at Pleasureland RV in Ramsey MN. Their initial price was $5000.00 less than the best we could do at Lichtsinn. After more negotiating we were able to get an additional $5000.00 more for our trade in than Lichtsinn would offer. In total the final price from Pleasureland was over $10,000 less than the final price from Lichtsinn.

Before making the final deal we talked to the people at Lichtsinn and told them the offer we had from their competitor. We even offered to buy it from them if they would match the price. Their answer was that they had given us their best price and that if we wanted to buy from them that was the price we would have to pay. Needless to say we went with the lower price.
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Old 12-13-2013, 02:15 PM   #19
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Pleasureland is a good dealer. They have extensive repair facilities at their St Cloud, MN site.
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Old 12-14-2013, 05:20 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by Cooperhawk View Post
As an Air Traffic Supervisor that used to be my area of expertise. There are several smaller airports in the area. Mason City is the closest.

There is also an airport at Forest City but its used mainly for smaller aircraft and has no regular service. Winnebago keeps their corporate jets there.

If Mason City is not available, you can use Rochester, Mn., Fort Dodge, Iowa, and even Waterloo, Ia as well as Des Moine, (which is the furtherest away.

When I used to travel for the FAA I would often rent a car in one place and return it in another. The larger rental companies will do that.

Anyway, good luck.
Thanks for keeping us flying safely all those years.
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