Most RV buyers spend weeks comparing floor plans, brands, and prices. That’s understandable. Those are the visible decisions. But after years of watching how ownership actually plays out, one rule matters more than all of that:
Shop the dealer before you shop for the RV.
A great dealer can make a flawed RV manageable. A bad dealer can turn even a solid unit into a long-term headache. The industry has changed. Service is harder to get, warranty work is slower, and your relationship with the dealership matters more than it did a decade ago.
Here’s how to evaluate an RV dealer properly—before you sign anything.
You’re Not Just Buying an RV. You’re Choosing a Service Department.
Most frustration in RV ownership shows up after delivery. Leaks. Electrical issues. Slide problems. Appliances that don’t behave.
Here’s the reality many buyers learn too late:
Dealers prioritize customers who bought from them.
Warranty work doesn’t pay dealers particularly well. As a result, many dealerships:
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Delay service for outside buyers
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Push appointments months out
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Perform minimal “band-aid” fixes
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Deprioritize communication once the sale is done
Buying from the wrong dealer often means fighting for service when you need it most.
Step One: Ignore the Showroom. Inspect the Service Department.
The fastest way to understand a dealership’s priorities is not the sales floor. It’s the service lot.
What to look for:
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Service capacity vs inventory size
Acres of RVs with only a handful of service bays is a red flag. It tells you sales matter more than support.
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Condition of the service lot
Are units stacked bumper-to-bumper? Covered in dust? Clearly sitting for months? Chaos here usually means long waits and poor follow-through.
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Organization and security
A well-run service department protects customer rigs, tracks work clearly, and doesn’t feel neglected.
A busy service department isn’t automatically bad. RVs need work. How that space is managed tells you whether the dealership plans for long-term customers or just short-term sales.
How a Good Salesperson Behaves (And How a Bad One Does)
A competent dealer is not threatened by an informed buyer.
Good signs:
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They don’t dismiss your research.
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They listen to your constraints and explain tradeoffs clearly.
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They acknowledge compromises instead of pretending a unit is perfect.
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They give you time and physical space to inspect the RV properly.
Red flags:
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They belittle your concerns instead of addressing them.
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They override your priorities with opinions (“those campgrounds aren’t worth it anyway”).
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They pretend to know more than you while offering vague explanations.
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They rush you through the unit or refuse to fully deploy slides, storage, or access panels.
A dealer who doesn’t want you opening cabinets or sitting in the RV like you actually camp should not get your money.
Money Signals That Should Make You Walk
Some issues don’t show up in conversation. They show up in paperwork and pricing behavior.
Non-refundable deposits
Deposits are normal. Non-refundable deposits are not. READ EVERYTHING YOU ARE GIVEN!
A confident dealer earns commitment through transparency, not financial traps. Large deposits without clear cancellation terms are especially risky on ordered units or delayed builds.
Monthly-payment obsession
If pricing conversations keep drifting toward “we can make the payment work” instead of:
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Total price
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Interest rate
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Loan term
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Long-term cost
you’re being steered, not advised. Small monthly add-ons become thousands over time.
Inflated prep or inspection fees
Excessive “pre-delivery inspection” charges are often just price padding. You should not be paying thousands for a dealer to correct factory issues.
Resistance to third-party inspections
This one matters! A reputable dealer allows—and often welcomes—independent inspectors. Resistance here usually signals fear of what might be found.
If a dealer says, “We do the inspection for you,” that is not a substitute. That is a conflict of interest.
Delivery Day Tells You Everything
Ask in advance how delivery works.
A proper RV delivery:
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Takes hours, not minutes
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Includes full system walkthroughs
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Allows time to document issues
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Does not feel rushed or transactional
If communication feels sloppy before you buy, it will not improve after the check clears.
The Bottom Line
There is no perfect RV. Every brand has tradeoffs. Floor plans fade. Prices blur over time. What stays with you is the dealer.
A good dealership feels:
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Calm
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Organized
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Informative
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Collaborative
A bad one feels rushed, defensive, and unclear. Treat delivery day as the start of a relationship, not the end of a transaction. That difference alone determines whether RV ownership feels manageable—or exhausting.
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