Wildcat RV

[mberry]

I've called Sprad's. The sales lady was way too pushy and they are usually really laid back there.

I've looked at Nash also and I'm not looking for plush so much as quality for our budget. I have wanted an Arctic Fox for a long time, but it's still beyond my means right now. Sprad's is also the local dealer here for them.

Rvwholesalers.com is where we started looking. I don't really mind driving to Ohio to pick it up but I would rather not have to do that. I would have to do the math to figure out the total expenses to get there and back vs a local dealership.

I do not understand the whole East coast/West coast thing. The model we want is only an East coast model, but some of the things that attracted us to the Wildcat are West coast only things. It just doesn't make sense to me why they do that.

Thanks everyone for the info. Please keep it coming.

 

[Ram4Sam]

If it makes you feel any better, I went through the same thing with them, my last post got so long I forgot to mention it. I was looking at the wholesaler's sites, and saw the floor plan we wanted, with a slightly different bathroom setup, which we really liked. Unaware of the different coasts, different models thing, we looked real hard for it out here and couldn't find it. One uninformed salesman actually quoted me on a price on a coach he couldn't ever deliver. :-laf We did run into a young kid saleman who actually figured out the whole mess after a call to the Oregon factory. To The Wildcat's factory credit, a manager actually called me to explain, in detail, the different coast, different model thing. He said they didn't make the east coast model because of a lack of storage issue in the bedroom, which I must admit, hadn't dawned on me. He then told me they were currently engineering a new floor plan, a hybrid of the east and west versions, which sounded great but was a few months out and we didn't want to wait that long. Keep looking, the right one for you is out there, you just have to find it.



Sam

 

[mberry]

It does a little Sam. Thank you. I really don't mind the East coast model. It's got more than enough storage for us. We are going to continue looking at other models and brands in the meantime to really get the one we both like. It's just so darned frustrating.

 

[Grizzly]

I've called Sprad's. The sales lady was way too pushy and they are usually really laid back there.



I've looked at Nash also and I'm not looking for plush so much as quality for our budget. I have wanted an Arctic Fox for a long time, but it's still beyond my means right now. Sprad's is also the local dealer here for them.







PM sent to you.

 

[mberry]

PM replied to.

 

[mberry]

Hmmm... . I just got back from Sprad's RV here in Reno, NV. Unfortunately, the lady I spoke to on the phone met us at the door. Everything was going good and I was actually thinking of purchasing from there until... .

We explained to her about where we were looking to purchase based on price and floorplan availability. She said "Where are you going to get your servicing done?" I said "Here. Why?" She said "Not likely. " So I asked her if this dealership would refuse to perform warranty work on a coach brand they carry? She started to backpedal and said that it's pretty much a given that if you don't buy your coach locally that it won't be serviced locally. Or you were put last in line for service after the local paying customers. She said it was common in the industry. (That smacks of a problem in the industry to me if it's true. )

Now whether that's true or not it surely ****** me and my wife off. I wonder which would be worse for Forest River: Getting timely work done by an authorized dealer tomake their (Forest River) customer happy or the stink a ****** off customer can make? I would image there are numerous groups out there that would listen to us. The news media, BBB, RVIA, Forest River directly, and whatever else I can think of.

Anyone else run into this? I mean, it's not like people are beating down the doors of RV dealerships lately, right? The unit we were looking at had a birds nest built in the hitch and more cob webs than you could imagine around the wheels and underneath. I know that it's the same unit we looked at 3 or 4 months ago.

Whew! Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[chazj]

I can relate to your experience with Sprad's in Reno. Pan Pacific RV in Sacramento gave me the same bunch of nonsense. Also when I offered Sprad's the opportunity to give me their "best price" on a specific Arctic Fox, they refused saying they would only give me a price AFTER I told them what other's were bidding. NOT THE WAY I DO BUSINESS!!



I subsequently bought my Arctic Fox at Thunder RV in La Grande, Ore. Very nice people! The $$$ savings from Pan Pacific paid for my mini roundtrip vacation to Oregon.



BTW... I Love my Fox. Have been fulltiming in it for almost 3 years. While I did have some repair work that needed to be done, the factory had no problem authorizing a local RV (non- Arctic Fox ) dealership to do the work.



Hope this helps.

 

[DValentine]

I had some problems with my Wildcat dealer. Took it out on a 4 month shake down. Came back with a list. They only did a few things. Next time I brought it back with some of the same things on the previous list. They never did do what I wanted done. Left with a bad taste in my mouth. Never took it back. I have done my own fixes. Some guys complain about DC cust. service... . I believe that SOME RV dealers are worse.

Keep shopping. I learned a lot on my first NEW purchase.

Dave

 

[Ram4Sam]

Hmmm... . I just got back from Sprad's RV here in Reno, NV. Unfortunately, the lady I spoke to on the phone met us at the door. Everything was going good and I was actually thinking of purchasing from there until... .



We explained to her about where we were looking to purchase based on price and floorplan availability. She said "Where are you going to get your servicing done?" I said "Here. Why?" She said "Not likely. " So I asked her if this dealership would refuse to perform warranty work on a coach brand they carry? She started to backpedal and said that it's pretty much a given that if you don't buy your coach locally that it won't be serviced locally. Or you were put last in line for service after the local paying customers. She said it was common in the industry. (That smacks of a problem in the industry to me if it's true. )



Now whether that's true or not it surely ****** me and my wife off. I wonder which would be worse for Forest River: Getting timely work done by an authorized dealer tomake their (Forest River) customer happy or the stink a ****** off customer can make? I would image there are numerous groups out there that would listen to us. The news media, BBB, RVIA, Forest River directly, and whatever else I can think of.



Anyone else run into this? I mean, it's not like people are beating down the doors of RV dealerships lately, right? The unit we were looking at had a birds nest built in the hitch and more cob webs than you could imagine around the wheels and underneath. I know that it's the same unit we looked at 3 or 4 months ago.



Whew! Thanks for letting me vent.

Apparently, Forest River supports this bone head position the dealer's are taking. Go to the Forest River website and click on the dealer locator button, here is what pops up. .

Forest River Encourages you to Buy Locally



This attitude helped me move on to another brand. On the other hand, if you really like the floor plan and can dismiss the attitude, there may be an option. In my local area, there are several independant rv repair shops who are approved by Forest River(and other makes) for warranty repairs. One of my camping buddies, who has a Wildcat, which had quite a few issues when new, went this route, instead of taking it back to the dealer. Every warranty issue was handled to his satisfaction(and he is a picky SOB) by the repair shop. The shop has a good reputation in the area and since repair is all they do, they take it seriously.



Also, the bird nest is no big deal, I find them in the same spot in my trailer if it sits for a few months.



Sam

 

[Grizzly]

Hmmm... . I just got back from Sprad's RV here in Reno, NV. Unfortunately, the lady I spoke to on the phone met us at the door. Everything was going good and I was actually thinking of purchasing from there until... .



We explained to her about where we were looking to purchase based on price and floorplan availability. She said "Where are you going to get your servicing done?" I said "Here. Why?" She said "Not likely. " So I asked her if this dealership would refuse to perform warranty work on a coach brand they carry? She started to backpedal and said that it's pretty much a given that if you don't buy your coach locally that it won't be serviced locally. Or you were put last in line for service after the local paying customers. She said it was common in the industry. (That smacks of a problem in the industry to me if it's true. )



Now whether that's true or not it surely ****** me and my wife off. I wonder which would be worse for Forest River: Getting timely work done by an authorized dealer tomake their (Forest River) customer happy or the stink a ****** off customer can make? I would image there are numerous groups out there that would listen to us. The news media, BBB, RVIA, Forest River directly, and whatever else I can think of.



Anyone else run into this? I mean, it's not like people are beating down the doors of RV dealerships lately, right? The unit we were looking at had a birds nest built in the hitch and more cob webs than you could imagine around the wheels and underneath. I know that it's the same unit we looked at 3 or 4 months ago.













Don't pay any attention to that, it's just a sales pitch. When I was shopping for an Arctic Fox at the only dealer in Albuquerque that sells them, they told me the same thing. So I called Northwood Mfg in La Grande, OR. , makers of Arctic Fox, Nash and Desert Fox. They assured me that the shop would be more then willing to take care of warranty work for me since they are being paid by Northwood and they don't care where I purchased my RV. They also said that if the dealer shop refused to do my work or told me that they would get to it when they have completed work for those that purchased their RV from their dealership, to call them and they would authorize any RV shop I choose to do the work, provided they approved of them. They also said that they would place a phone call to the RV dealer owner and straighten them out.



I couldn't deal with my local dealer anyway because they gave me the highest quote of any other dealer. They still wanted my business very bad because they called me every day. I'd tell them to bring their price down to the best price I had. The wouldn't, but they wanted to know who gave me that low ball price. I refuse to tell any dealer what other dealer I talked to because these dealers talk to each other and then decide who going to get my business. Don't reveal what other quotes you have, just tell them you have a much better price. Keep them guessing.



I called Northwood Mfg many times on questions that dealers couldn't answer and got to be good friends with them. They were very friendly and helpful. They encouraged me to call them anytime.

 

[mberry]

Thanks everyone. What a strange day. I did call the dealership after venting and supposedly spoke to an owner. I told him what transpired calmly and he seemed to be very willing to discuss the issue with his sales rep. It was strange to me though, because he didn't seem to want to try to get my business. That's a good thing since I spoke to someone in Michigan about the model we really liked and he gave me an excellent price. It was about $8K less than the "sale" price at Sprad's for their model we didn't really want anyway.

So it looks like a trip East is in my future. I kind of wanted to do that anyway since I've never been up that way before. The guy I spoke to also said Weekend Warrior was out of business and Pilgrim had just laid off all their workforce. True or not I don't know.

 

[Ram4Sam]

Mark, let me add to the confusion, look here... .



wildcat 30loft, eBay Motors items on eBay.com



Sam

 

[mberry]

That's so funny Sam! It's not really confusing. Ebay is where I found the dealer in Muskegon Michigan I spoke to. Thanks for the help. I'll take whatever help I can get.

 

[Axion]

Well, I'm going to add to the negatives as far as a Forest River Wildcat is concerned. Once I get rid of this one, I'll never own another. I've had mine for about a year and half. I work in the oilfield and work a month on then get a month off. When I'm working I live in my unit full time.



The first question I have ever gotten when talking to an authorized Wildcat dealer is "Did you buy your unit here?" What does that have to do with anything? These are travel trailers. What are the odds that something is going to go wrong when its parked in your driveway at home? FunTime RV in Granbury, TX is the only dealer that did not care where I bought it, and they're not even Wildcat dealers.



I will admit that being a first time rv'er, there has been quite the learning curve, but some things are glaring. Indoor and outdoor speakers swapped around, shower stalls that leak (more on this later), rear stabilizer jacks held on with 4 #6 wood screws, enough sawdust to choke a horse, drawers not closing square, and 15" tires that should be outlawed.



I'll expand on my favorites, tires, sawdust and the shower. When I'm at work, I usually move the rv every week or ten days. Every time I arrive at my destination there is sawdust everywhere. It seems to come from the lights and anywhere a wall meets the floor. The only thing I can guess is no one took the time to clean up the sawdust as they were building things. The "no one will ever see this" attitude. Similar to when house builders hide debris in internal partition walls instead of cleaning it up. Not unsafe or illegal, just unprofessional. Now onto the shower stall with no silicone. My shower stall is a three-sided neo angle unit. Only the pieces against the wall were fastened down. You could shift the side with the door about 3/4" from side to side. With zero silicone on any joints it leaked pretty bad. Refuse delivery of your unit if it has anything but 16" Michelin XPS Ribs on it. Mine came with 15" Greenball (made in China) tires. Two blowouts later it had all new Goodyear (made in China) Marathon's. Two blowouts later, I'm finally taking the hit and putting on the Ribs (not sure where they're made). I hope they're as good as I've heard they are.



The sawdust just gets cleaned up, but its still annoying. The shower was fastened with expanding foam and siliconed up by me. And we'll have to see how the Ribs work out over the next year or so. In case anyone wants to chime in about proper tire care, after the first round of blowouts, I bought a custom tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) from Dakota Digital. Its a modified SmarTire system that feeds a real slick 2" gauge. In real time, it monitors pressure and temperature in both the truck and trailer tires. I also carry a compressed CO2 system so I can top up any tires that need it before each trip. I also use CoverCraft SnapRing tire covers on the rv whenever I am unhooked. Being able to see the tire pressure drop as I'm driving saved the trailer from damage when the last two tires gave up the ghost. I am convinced that the tpms has now paid for itself in full.



Thanks for letting me vent. If you do go ahead with the Wildcat, I just hope you have better luck than I did.

 

[DValentine]

Mberry, I looked at the E bay add. One thing stuck out at me. The 5200 pound axles are the same ones that came under my 27 footer. Look at the dry weight, look at the tank capacities. Look at the Gross weight on the trailer. It doesn't add up to me. I know there is a margin on the axles... . but in my work when we rig under a crane we don't go into the margins..... overload the rigging. The axles in my opinion are overloaded now.
With the crap in my trailer I have about 2500 plus pounds. I don't run with tanks full cause I am not dry camping.

These are just my thoughts.

D

 

[Grizzly]

Well, I'm going to add to the negatives as far as a Forest River Wildcat is concerned. Once I get rid of this one, I'll never own another. I've had mine for about a year and half. I work in the oilfield and work a month on then get a month off. When I'm working I live in my unit full time.











Well, you know, Forest River has never been known for quality.



You did the right thing by getting Michelin XPS Rib tires. Keep inflation up to 80 psi.

 

[HBarlow]

Thanks Grizzly, but we can only afford 2 1/2 stars. I understand exactly what you're saying and I always try to spend money for the best quality I can. In this case, I would need to win the lotto to afford your suggested units.

mberry,



It is not my business but I'll make a suggestion in the spirit of helping you make a good decision. Reject it is you please.



I recommend a buyer determines his budget first then buy used from a quality manufacturer instead of a new one by an entry level manufacturer.



There are only a handful of companies who make quality units. Forest River, Keystone, Fleetwood, Heartland, Crossroads, etc. , are not on the list.



After determining your purchase budget search the used market for the newest, well-maintained version of a high quality unit you can find.



A few years ago I bought a seven year old '95 Travel Supreme 33RLSS fiver. It was and still is a great unit. I pulled it some then used it to live in full time in northern Indiana and Oregon winters while I was transporting RVs. It was comfortable, reliable, and well worth what I paid for it. I sold it for nearly what I paid for it. Family members now own it.



A Keystone, Forest River, and other entry level trailers can not be used comfortably in extreme hot or cold weather and won't hold up well to fulltime or even heavy use.



When you buy a new entry level trailer all you get is new. New doesn't last so all you end up with in 3 to 5 years is a mediocre or poor quality used trailer. On the other hand if you buy a clean used but high quality unit in 3 to 5 years you have exactly what you paid for..... a high quality used unit with many more years of life left in it.



Just my opinion. It is worth what you paid for it.

 

[AClayton]

Pay now or pay later..... these guys are 100% right. Nothing spoils an RV trip faster than a poorly manufactured rig that will keep dipping into your rear pocket and quickly exceed the price difference of a superior quality RV. We are all warning you now if you choose to listen,otherwise,we will be conducting classes on this very forum on how to repair your cheaper ... . price was right... . model ! Make the right choice and good luck!!!



Alan

 

[Grizzly]

mberry, I hope you're listening to all this good advice.
If you buy quality now, you won't have to worry about warranty later.
A Wildcat is still a Forest River and a Forest River is not quality.

 

[KBalzuweit]

FYI, price wise, I hit several dealers with a offer at 35% off list, neither would bite, made the deal at 28-29% off list, cash no trade in.



Sam

Should have shopped a bit more. 35-40% is becoming the norm (atleast around here in the midwest).



As far as service thats the norm, by it here we'll fix it. Not here, it will get looked at if there is no pay or bought here service work to be done.