First RV: 2020 Winnebago Minnie 2401RG

[johneed]

Greetings,

Excited to be part of this community. We just purchased our first RV, a new 2020 Minnie 2401RG travel trailer (rear galley). We rented one similar to this twice, and it seems a good fit for us (newly retired couple who might have kids or friends stay once in a while).

They were all sold out locally (St Paul, Minnesota), so have to travel 350 miles to pick it up on Tuesday. I'm making a list of questions to get answered on Tuesday. The dealer has a great reputation and intends to demonstrate everything and wrap-up with winterizing. We might not be using it until spring, but didn't want to wait to buy.

Can anyone direct me to a decent pick-up checklist I could use on Tuesday? I think I have a decent handle on trying everything, all outlets, electricity and propane, but would like to benefit from collective experience.

Regards,

John

 

[creativepart]

Welcome John! Nice looking rig.

The "pickup" process is known as a PDI and if you do a search on Google for PDI Checklist you will come up with tons of options.

Here are a couple of popular ones:

RV Inspection Checklist

http://www.rvforum.net/miscfiles/PDC_AB.pdf

http://www.angelfire.com/trek/buenavistas/RV_checklists/PDI_V113_2.pdf

These will help, but the key is to "make" the dealer not rush you through and to go over everything - not just the obvious big things but EVERY TINY LITTLE THING.

They will want you to think that they've given the TT a full check out before you arrive. But that's almost never the case. They'll clean it. Maybe spend a little attention to the biggest things and that's it. It is common for dealers to do as little as possible before the sale in the hopes that you'll be long gone before noticing missing or defective items.

It's not like buying a car where everything works as soon as the car is delivered. In fact, it's not like buying a car at all. RVs frequently leave the factory with multiple problems and issues. The buyer is usually the final quality control person.

Be aware that the dealer will try to sell you all manor of useless things to boost his profit. They will tell you that you MUST buy this stuff and everybody does so - but it's not true at all. Things like extended warranties, paint protection, tire insurance, fabric protection, etc are on this list. Since you're getting a travel trailer you can ignore all of these "products."

Also, do not take possession until you've done the PDI and are confident that EVERYTHING is working and nothing is missing. Many times they try to rush you through and get you to accept delivery. They will of course tell you if you have any problems you can count on them to make it right. Unfortunately, it's routine that once you've accepted delivery and paid for the TT the dealer will develop amnesia and forget all about you and your problems.

The last bit of advice is the hardest to accept - be prepared to reject this TT and walk away if during the PDI you find problems or missing items. You probably won't need to do this, but you should be prepared to if needed.

PS. Don't skimp on the hitch - plan to pony up for a good strong weight distribution / Anti-sway hitch - don't buy the cheapest hitch they sell to keep the cost down. You'll end up buying a good hitch in the long run so research and be prepared to spend a couple extra hundred dollars for a good hitch.

 

[johneed]

Wow, that is great! I will be stubborn if needed. I'm retired. I got time! I bought a Reese WD hitch with anti-sway. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive. Had decent reviews.

I won't buy anything extra, as I can't see making the trip down there for warranty items more than once or twice.

 

[Smokeman1]

Hi
Did you get this in Fargo?