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Old 07-18-2014, 07:39 PM   #1
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How Long on the Lot is too Long?

We were looking at a Forza and a Solei today, both 2013. The Forza has been on the lot since Aug '13 and the Solei since Jan '14. Should I have any special concerns about this dead time on the lot?

Listed prices are from 24 to 27 off MSRP and probably negotiable.

Nick
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Old 07-18-2014, 08:01 PM   #2
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Look at how the roof has faired being outside most likely without any care or maintenance. The fiberglass finish is one year old or so, thus not shiny as new any more. We bought our TT that had been on the lot for almost a year, and it just wasn't as factory fresh as I would have liked. Mechanically I wouldn't be that worried, just the normal dead batteries and the tires are one year closer to being out of date. I got a good price on our TT, but doing it again, I would have to get a "killer" deal to buy a new RV that had sat up almost a year.
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Old 07-18-2014, 11:38 PM   #3
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You would have to be concerned about brake calipers sticking, tires flat spotted/rotting and potential stale fuel along with battery condition.

You are talking about $200,000 diesels so it would have to be a deal in the $150,000 to $170,000 range on the one sitting for a year now. The tires better ride smooth and I would check the dates on them before taking delivery and if they are over 2 years old even if smooth running I would ask for a new set from current stock. You don't want to spend that amount of money on a set of flat spotted tires with a potential to have a zippered blowout or tread separation event on your first run at highway speeds.
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Old 07-19-2014, 06:19 AM   #4
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Also, look for any signs of rust/corrosion. Especially around bay door openings and where the gas struts attach. The rear electrical bays and sewer bay can also be an issue. We are working on this very issue now with the dealer on the Forza 38R we took delivery of yesterday.
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Old 07-19-2014, 06:24 AM   #5
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Nick,
Our coach sat on the lot 2 years before being sold the first time, Made in April '04, sold new in April '06. At the end of the one year warranty, it was 3 years old. My point is -- the price should be based on the age, not usage. No one will pay you any more if you try to sell it for not being in service that first year. I'd recommend checking used prices to get an idea of the market. I personally would not make a deal for less than 33-35% off list, or more, and insist on all new batteries.
Good luck. I hope it works out for you
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Old 07-19-2014, 06:50 AM   #6
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Nick,
After looking a little further (and on the Winne web site), I don't see any information about a 2013 Forza or Solei. It seems that 2014 model year is the first year of production. They could have been made as early as June of 2013, but they will still be 2014 model year. They will most like price accordingly now that the 2015 models are out.
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Old 07-19-2014, 09:17 AM   #7
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time on lot

You also need to consider the manufacture date not the chassis date. My 2007 is on a 2006 chassis because of the time it takes to build the coach on the chassis after delivery. Point being, it is registered as a 2007 motor home but it is a 2006 chassis. The chassis can be older than the RV.
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Old 07-19-2014, 09:36 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeCastor View Post
Nick,
Our coach sat on the lot 2 years before being sold the first time, Made in April '04, sold new in April '06. At the end of the one year warranty, it was 3 years old. My point is -- the price should be based on the age, not usage. No one will pay you any more if you try to sell it for not being in service that first year. I'd recommend checking used prices to get an idea of the market. I personally would not make a deal for less than 33-35% off list, or more, and insist on all new batteries.
Good luck. I hope it works out for you
X2.

Personally I would ask myself why I would want to buy a m/h that no one else has wanted to buy for the past 12 months... Is it a bad floor plan, design, reputation, handling, underpowered, just plain ugly, etc? You(or your heirs) WILL sell this coach at some point in time, and if it's not a popular model you will take a $$ hit at sale time. Resale value is an important(and difficult to determine) component of the total cost of m/h ownership. A low purchase price now is not necessarily a good deal in the long run. Just my 2¢
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Old 07-20-2014, 02:27 PM   #9
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When you say, dead time on lot, it can mean two things, parked way out back, and never touched, or sitting on the lot, out for test drives, and taken to local shows. I expect it is the latter.

If it is an RV that suits your needs, the price is good, and the rig hasn't suffered any particular weather / parking lot damage, I wouldn't worry about it. You get the full warranty to work out any issues. Tires and batteries will have gotten some use, moving it around and showing it off, but a good price offsets that as well.

An RV, sitting on a dealer's lot for 6 months to a year is not uncommon at all, depending upon when it was first ordered.

These rigs are not fragile, they are meant to be used.

Now, if you are talking about 3 or 4 years on the lot, then I would have more concerns, but still, the correct price accounts for that as well.
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Old 07-20-2014, 09:32 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Journey39n View Post
When you say, dead time on lot, it can mean two things, parked way out back, and never touched, or sitting on the lot, out for test drives, and taken to local shows. I expect it is the latter.

If it is an RV that suits your needs, the price is good, and the rig hasn't suffered any particular weather / parking lot damage, I wouldn't worry about it. You get the full warranty to work out any issues. Tires and batteries will have gotten some use, moving it around and showing it off, but a good price offsets that as well.

An RV, sitting on a dealer's lot for 6 months to a year is not uncommon at all, depending upon when it was first ordered.

These rigs are not fragile, they are meant to be used.

Now, if you are talking about 3 or 4 years on the lot, then I would have more concerns, but still, the correct price accounts for that as well.

Very well said.
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Old 07-20-2014, 11:43 PM   #11
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The miles on the odometer would tell a story. If the odometer only shows a few miles over what Mapquest or GoogleMaps shows for driving the coach from Forest City, Iowa to the dealer then it has sat without being moved sufficiently to maintain the tires and brakes in serviceable condition.

It is a motor vehicle specifically a truck chassis that is designed to be driven and the same maintenance that would have to be applied to taking a car or truck you have not used for a year and putting it back in service will need to be done. With the problems people have with brake fires and such due to taking seldom used motor homes out on the road and blowouts not that uncommon in the news one would want to ensure that more than just a price adjustment was made and the the two front tires are replaced and that the brakes are serviced to ensure they operate freely without sticking.

Trust me it is miserable to be driving a coach with a brake fire especially if its the right front and blocking the entrance door. How able is everyone that would be traveling with you to jump out an emergency window onto pavement without sustaining some form of injury?

A tire failure even if you do not lose control can do thousands of dollars damage to a coach. If the miles on the odometer indicate it was only driven from Forest City to the Dealership then you do not want to trust those tires unless inspected by a competent technician who would have to dismount the tires to do an internal inspection of the carcases however considering the cost of such an inspection your usually better off just putting on fresh tires. Sometimes you can recoup the cost by trading them at a tire dealer who will sell them for use on farm or agricultural trailers that won't see street use.
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Old 07-23-2014, 12:13 AM   #12
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I recommend the one built Jan '14. the other one has to be one of the first batches and usually would have a few things improved after start up. Sole/Forza are going to have continuse iprovments rather than a set model change. The milage, inside/outside condition will tell you a lot. Also find out if any of them had been taken to an RV show. all of these could amount to a fantastic negotiated price.
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Old 07-23-2014, 07:57 AM   #13
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The chassis and Winnebago warranty will start the day you take delivery so I would have no problems buying one of these units

We bought a 08 Winnebago in 09 and all was fine.
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Old 07-23-2014, 08:06 AM   #14
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The decision on which coach should be based on interior layout, how you
think it looks and how practical is it for what you are going to do with it.
And, consider some of the really good info in the previous posts.
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