Sounding off on sloppy RV salesmanship

Here is my response to the story regarding purchasing a toy hauler that was too heavy for the tow vehicle.

I believe that  the dealer  has a big liability issue in not clarifying the tow vehicle capacity.  They should in all  cases sit down with the customer and ask  questions of what  type and year is the tow vehicle.  That information should be looked up in the latest stat book that lists all tow vehicles and their capacity to confirm the trailer will be a safe match.

I believe that the dealer should be responsible and liable for any accidents that should occur due to a mismatch of weight.   There are too many liars out there who will say “Oh yeah, this will work for your truck.  No problem.”  I know from attending  these Mega RV shows that misinformation happens all the time.   I have had so many sales people tell me that the trailer I was looking at would be perfect for me.   I know that was wrong information and told them so, but they just shook their head and walked over to another sucker who would believe what ever they say.  That, to me, is serious liability!

Yes, there are many ignorant buyers out there. Protection for both the buyer and the seller is needed for a safe sale.   Many buyers buy from the heart and not from their intellect.  Sales people sell for the numbers and not for the safety.  There should be a mandatory document signed by both buyer and seller stating that both buyer and seller have agreed that by the  tow information provided for the tow vehicle to be used it is suitable for towing the specific trailer for purchase.

In this case, obviously, the buyers were not thinking and were overwhelmed with the features of the trailer completely forgetting the primary details of what they can safely tow.  The salesman should have guided them through the safety questions   and confirmed this trailer and truck would be a good marriage.

As far as I am concerned the laws are not strict enough.  So many innocent people have been directed wrongly just for a  sale.  Many have been hurt if not killed by incompatible towing abilities.

Oh yeah, another thorn to my article I’d like to mention. I can't believe that anyone can buy and drive off with one of those mega thousand Class A motorhomes without having a commercial drivers license.  There is not even a mini course needed in how to drive those motorhomes.   I am sure that the dealers would love to have me beheaded for that statement.   But, after what I see here in Miami, Florida in the boating industry I am a firm believer that any boat over 14 feet needs a license and a Coast Guard course in safety on how to operate a boat.  I am confirmed that any Class A motorhomes drivers needs a license to say they are educated in how to drive those rigs,


That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Sharon Baron
A daily reader of RVTravel.com

A fake fireplace in your RV? Our readers tell all.

Jana C. on wikimedia commons

Last week, in our RV Daily Tips newsletter, we published a story by Jim Twamley regarding "fake fireplaces" in RVs. Our resident sage opined in his story that, "These are really nice for atmosphere and they actually give off heat." He also noted that they, "Take up space that could be used for storage, and most folks don't use them much." We included a request for comments from readers, thinking we might get a letter or two.

 How wrong could we ever have been.

Within minutes of the newsletter "hitting the streets," e-mail accounts associated with rvtravel.com started popping with commentaries from RVers who have 'faux fireplaces,' and many of the comments were as hot as the heat that comes out of them. We don't have enough space to print all of your comments, but we'd like to share a sampling that we think represents a fair perspective of our readers.
First, a hat tip to the critics. Tom Gutzke writes about his fifth-wheel that came with a fireplace. "It didn't put out very much heat [it was electric] and was, we feel, useless for heat while drawing a lot of electricity.  It did 'dress up' the interior of the RV and added a feeling of warmth. Unfortunately that "feeling of warmth" didn't actually warm us."

 Another reader, Ralph K. Bowen, said there's something he'd rather see in a trailer than a showy fireplace. "I would much rather see the manufacturers put the money into upgraded "G" rated tires instead of the marginal "E" tires most use now. The least they could do is put the "G" tires on their luxury fifth wheels." A couple of others wrote in with similar thinking – suggesting a far more efficient way to get heat would be a good catalytic propane heater.

But while the critics did write, the thunder came from the other side of the street. Typical of the majority of comments were these from Harlan Schafer. "I would absolutely never consider buying another RV WITHOUT a fireplace. We've had two rigs with one. On cool days and cool mornings we use ours daily in our 36ft. 5th wheel and most of the time it is our sole source of heat. It is electric and we are already paying for electricity in most campgrounds so why not? It puts out a considerable amount of heat and has a thermostat if you don't want so much."

Even those who tended to be a bit faux-shy at first rang in with a change of heart. Here's Tom Hudson's view: "When we bought our latest RV, it came with a fireplace. I really thought it was a gimmick. Thought we would rarely use it. Boy was I wrong! We like to camp during the fringe seasons. Keeps fifth wheel toasty in all but coldest weather. As long as we have hookup, it's the best way to go." 

And what about taking up too much space? Says Wendy Wolter, "Our RV did not come with a fireplace, however it did have a pretty useless very skinny cabinet under the TV, this seems to be the place that the dealers install the ‘fake’ fireplaces.  This being said, we decided to install one ourselves, since when you get one from the factory they are quite pricey. We installed ours for under $200 and absolutely love it!! It does put out some heat, it is electric and we figure when we are plugged in at a park that we’re already covered on the electric part . . . That skinny cabinet, was the perfect spot for ours and we really didn’t use it for much storage anyway."

 Other readers had their own "plusses" to add to having a fireplace. Mike Weber chimes in with this thought: "It's not a substitute for an out-door campire, but it's not nearly as affected by a downpour either!" And Jeannine Demers who professes to be, "deadly scared of gas" finds a fireplace to be a safe heater for her use. Finally, Charles Howard describes his RV fireplace, "A nice 'brag' to our non-Rving friends who think we live in a tent."

 As if we needed any more weight on this argument, along comes S. Douglass, who put the question to an RV forum. "Would you want a dishwasher again? A fireplace? Or would you rather have the storage space." As you might guess, the results were rather lopsided. Fireplace: Yes, 39; No 7.  Diswasher: Yes 31, No, 12.

 And just to keep all of this above-board, yes, we too, have had a fireplace in one of our rigs. After all this chatter, we'll answer the same way that some cagey political candidates answer the question, "Did you vote for President Obama?" No comment!