Anyone purchase an 06 from Dave Smith Motors in Idaho?

[LEEH]

fireman717

Can't remember the exact cost of the jake brake but I think it was in the neighborhood of $1550 installed. I was not expecting it to equal the BD exhaust brake that I had on the 01. 5', but now after using it coming down Cabbage Hill in the Blue Mountains of OR, I think the Jake is a little stronger than the BD. All in all, very pleased with it.

 

[JJ Jackson]

Thanks for all the info. I don't know what you guys call a screaming deal, but I will save $1700 over the very best deal I could get in CA. BTW I figured in CA tax and lic.



Now I know what some of you think," hey you still have top get it back to CA". Your right, some of that money will be absorbed in fuel and airline tickets.



But wait there's more, I have a 10ft Lance camper and tow a 25ft trailer behind that. So I will need air bags, Tork lift spring loaded camper tie downs, wiring, Super Hitch double tube hitch and 3ft extension, exhaust brake, power rear sliding window, window tint, bed rail protectors, mud flaps, gauges, and Predator performance chip.



I was quoted prices for all these things to be installed cheaper than I could even buy them myself over the counter! This is the real kicker.



I hope the expirience will be good, so far the salesman and the accessories dept. guy have been very helpful and patient with me as I have not pulled the trigger yet. I've been really busy with work and kids Christmas stuff, so I can't always call him back to go over details with him that he is really excited about.



You guys are right, they are extremely nice at DSM, maybe a little too nice. Then again I am used to the rotten Goons that hang out at the front door of the dealerships here in CA.



I am still undecided on the deal as of today. The problem is, I already have a 99 that is similarily equipped. I test drove the 06 and yes it shifts much better than my NV5600, but I totally love the dependability of my 6spd. It does not have as much power as my 99, but my 99 is bombed.



Do you guys think the Predator would be a good entry level enhancement for the 06? I haven't been paying to much attention to the 3rd gen forums, so I guess I'll do a lot of searching tonight... ... ... ..... Thanks, Jim

 

[GCross]

Had a very good experience with Dave Smith when I bought my 04. 5. I lived in CA at the time and was aware that I would have to pay the full L. A. county tax of 8. 25% + weight fee. Just be sure you have a CA certified vehicle and weight ticket from a CA weighmaster (most truck stops have these). Also, you must present the vehicle to a CA DMV office for inspection, you cannot register through AAA or any other agent.



-George-

 

[wcjp]

I bought a used 96' 12v from DSM. Not knowing anything about CTD's I took their word on the 100pt inspection. The used car inspection is worthless. On the upside I learned alot about maintenance.



Purchased my 06' Megacab from DSM. Truck is 4x4 6spd. I paid 36k +tax. At the time only a few dealers even had a Megacab on the lot. The cheapest was 48k. While I have no problem paying a little extra to help out the locals it's not worth the extra 12k. While I miss the longbed of my old truck I use the additional cab space of the Megacab every day. I only used the longbed 5 or 6 times a year. I can always pack a few things into the Jeep.

 

[Grizzly]

remember take the MSRP or sticker price of the truck and X it by . 895 this will give you invoice price, so hypothetical truck MSRP is 40,000 invoice would be 35,800 minus incentives of say 2500+farm beureau+500 so the 40k truck should be able to be had for no more than 32,800 in the above example.



I have also found in most cases my formula for determing invoice price from MSRP is also effective on other makes of vehicles

Better yet, Get the exact invoice from Kelly Blue Book or many other web sites without second guessing. You can also get the dealer holdback price for any vehicle.

My local dealer came very close to Dave Smith's price when I told what I could get it for. The difference I paid my local dealer was cheeper then the expense of going to Kellogg, ID. from Albuquerque.

 

[jelag]

Over the past few years I've bought 6 trucks and 1 car from either Dave Smith or Dishman Dodge... . I felt I've been treated fairly each time... . My favorite gal at Dave Smith left so I'm now using Rob Crosswhite at Dishman... . the deal is usually 1000 back of invoice, less rebates and than the 500 farm bureau rebate... . Have had no problems with orders or delivery... . and since I'm here in Spokane I have had the guy who does spray in bed liners do them for 250. 00 and the other accessories I do myself...



I've had friends who have had issues with each accessories shop. . what I mean is they have had delays in getting accessories and having them installed correctly... in one case that I know of... one of these dealers pays the tech a flat rate to install. . so the faster he is, the more he does, the more he makes... . a good example is we take almost twice as long as they do to install a PacBrake..... my guy isn't paid by the job, and knock on wood... we don't have comebacks... . or other problems...



Back to the dealers... I'd buy again. . in fact I'm waiting for the 4500 and 5500... I want to order 2 more trucks...

 

[RJOL]

... You guys are right, they are extremely nice at DSM, maybe a little too nice. Then again I am used to the rotten Goons that hang out at the front door of the dealerships here in CA...

Exactly... As I said before, there was no dickering. What I've seen in most of the negative comments about DSM is that people weren't happy about how long it took or the quality of workmanship on adding accessories. All I can say is that they handled mine perfectly.



If you've never been to Kellogg, Idaho, you may not know that DSM is the largest employer in that town. Almost every spare parking lot is used by them and they literally do hundreds of deals in a day. They handle several makes and manufacturers including Jeep, Chevy, and Dodge. If you've owned a CTD you probably will know more about the CTD then the sales guy does, but that is not a problem with me, and you will see this at almost every dealership.



The bottom line was this for me... They had the best deal, by far. The difference more then made up for the trip the Idaho and driving back to Western Washington and I got to breakin my own truck the way I wanted to do it. They did not mess around with trying to "add on" items at the last minute i. e. undercoating, life insurance, hidden document/processing fees (they had a flat rate for this and told me up front), extended warranties, etc). There was no "manager" that they had to talk to in order to give me my deal.



I will give them the first shot again, if and when I'm looking for another truck...

 

[10-9jc]

Travel Distance, and $

1. Tomeygun, Dishman, DSM - all "do" great deals. Ron Tonkin Dodge

in Portland did well too. (Price quotes).



2. Your location - in relation to them should have a lot to

do with where you go. Figure your travel expense/s!



3. You should be able to come very, very, close to their price from

a dealer in your area! But -



4. As one poster mentioned the "goons hanging out the dealership

doors" (etc) - -

never, NEVER, NEVER - deal with a "salesman" as a "walk-in" !!

You are now working from the absolute bottom up!



Talk to the fleet manager. Should be easy to make contact

with him (or her) at any dealership! Call first, get a name.

Make an appointment. Just say "NO" to SALESPERSONS!



5. ALWAYS - do your homework. Apples to apples - don't change

equipment from one quote to the next - you WILL lose track.

ALWAYS get all prices before rebates. Again, it's simply the

apples to apples thing. One guy will quote a price with rebates,

another without, etc. It's up to YOU to know what your State

sales tax (if any) and license fees will be when working with out

of state dealer. [In CA, sales tax can vary by county].



Having said all of the above, I was ready to go out of state. Best deals

in Orange Co. CA, were all too high. [Even the "deals" thru the Credit Union] Thought I would try San Diego County.

Found dealer there at about $200. more than my "benchmark" out of state

prices - came in exact date, correct equipment, exact price as ordered.

[plus - at that time - $3500 in rebates].

Never had been to the dealer before until I picked it up!

Absolutely NO complaints.



Now if I was anywhere close to St. Louis - Tomygun would have my business - and saved a lot of the above effort!

Be an informed buyer - it's YOUR bucks!

JC

 

[RankRam]

I was thinking of purchasing an 06 3500 4x4 Dually Big Horn From DSM, but was curious what happens when I bring it back to CA. It has Ca emissions.



Just wondering if you were taxed on weight or price or what? Can I bring it back to CA right away?





Also wondering if anyone had the truck shipped, and if so how much was it?



TIA... ... . Jim

You live close to Carson Dodge, they are selling their CTD's at 8k (including Mega Cabs) under MSRP and they have about 150 trucks in stock.



Talk to Charlie Gilley, he's a straight shooter with no BS.



Here is a link to their sale add.

http://www.carsondodge.com/Ads/RGJ.htm

 

[jmtandem]

rank ram,



Last year, I bought a truck from Charlie Gillie at Carson Dodge. I had previously received a price from Dave Smith. The first question I asked Charlie was how close to Dave Smith's price would they come. He said he would make it worth my time to buy locally. They did. I bought a $41,000 MSRP '05 4x4 Cummins long bed dually 3500 auto for about $34,000. It was within a few hundred dollars of DS price and saved me two days driving, one motel, and one airplane ticket. One thing that I liked was that I got to drive the truck before buying and not being in a position of being 800 miles from home and finding something I didn't like about the truck or deal.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Dishman Dodge in Spokane WA

Over the past few years I've bought 6 trucks and 1 car from either Dave Smith or Dishman Dodge... . I felt I've been treated fairly each time... .

I would say Dishman is Dave Smith's biggest competitor in the region. Many TDR & NW Bombers have gotten great deals and service there, often the same or better deals. DSM has a huge billboard only a couple blocks from Dishman :-laf

Big Bob had a deal set up with Butch at Dishman Dodge for some time where NW Bombers & TDR members could get great discounts, often more than at Dave Smith. I think it kinda went by the wayside when employee pricing ended and Butch left about the same time. I'm not sure if the special deals resumed or not.



A couple threads https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110679&highlight=Dishman

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111445&highlight=Dishman

 

[BIG BOB]

There is a new contact at Dishman Dodge. Richard Bowman is now handling all of the Big Bob deals. It's a minimum of $1,000 off Dealer Invoice plus you still get all the rebates and discounts. Don't forget to ask for the "Big Bob" deal.



Call Richard at 877-568-3363 if you are interested.

 

[ELK311]

Look around !

I beat Dave Smith Motors quote by $1,000 at DODGE OF BELLEVUE (Bellevue, Washington).

 

[tandersen]

I tried DSM about a year ago. I gave them my Visa card # which they promptly added a $500 charge to for finding the truck I wanted. They could not find the truck I wanted and hit me with very high pressure selling tactics and finally would not talk to me and would not credit my Visa account. I had to call Visa and deny the charge to get it taken off. No one ever called back from DSM. They will not hear from me again.

 

[HBarlow]

I was delivering a trailer to a dealer just west of Spokane a few months ago and my route from Wakarusa, IN to Spokane took me through Kellog, ID. I had heard of Dave Smith Motors via the TDR and was curious. I decided to take an hour off and visit DSM to see if they are what they claim to be.



I walked in and was surprised to observe that the salesmen were all busy at their desks working the phones and computers. There were no vultures sitting on the power lines waiting to swoop down and attack me like some dealerships operate. No one even looked up at me. I had to ask the receptionist if I could speak with a salesman. After I asked, a courteous and professional salesman got up and walked over to me. He introduced himself and invited me to sit at his desk. There were approximately 30 salesmen there, all well-groomed and dressed in slacks, dress shirts, and ties. No white shoes and polyester bell bottoms, no cowboy boots and buckles, no Las Vegas gamblers with gold chains, etc. Everyone was dressed professionally.



I explained that I am an RV transporter (this year at least) putting high miles on my '01 and thinking about a new Ram in a few months, maybe an 07. I advised the salesman I was not interested in a particular truck but wanted to learn how they price all trucks.



The salesman immediately explained their pricing and commission schedule in detail without any hedging. I appreciated his frank manner, factual presentation, and absence of hype. I have sold cars and trucks and was once a dealership finance manager. What he told me was factual and accurate. I was impressed.



The original Jacobs Exhaust Brake installed at the time I purchased my '01 Ram had been sticking closed for awhile and I had been price shopping for a replacement. After I spoke with the salesman I walked over to the aftermarket parts area and priced an exhaust brake. The man I spoke with quoted me the best price I had found so I handed him my credit card and ordered the brake. The new brake was promptly delivered to my home a week or so later.



When I'm ready to buy Dave Smith Motors will be at the top of my list. A vacation to Kellog, ID and that entire beautiful region would not be bad even if I wasn't working in that area.



Harvey

 

[RPotter]

After hearing all the good things about Dave Smith in Kellogg, I gave a friend in Nampa, ID a tip to call them, as he is going to buy a new '06 Dodge Cummins. He called me back and said he had never been treated so poorly over the phone by anyone in his life. They would not even deal at all. Needless to say, I guess I won't recommend them again. It might have just been the person he was talking to, but you know the ol' saying... you have a bad experience and you tell thousands. Oh well.

 

[RJOL]

... They would not even deal at all. Needless to say, I guess I won't recommend them again. It might have just been the person he was talking to, but you know the ol' saying... you have a bad experience and you tell thousands. Oh well.

I don't think they ever "deal" over the phone. They are not like your local dealer. They simply take the invoice price and deduct the rebates. Sometimes they have an extra discount, but it is not determined by the salespeople. If your friend wants all the drama of "deal making" have him go to his local dealer and play the dealer game...

 

[Fyrmen]

I picked up my 05 last December #2 from Dave Smith and I can't say enough good things about them. I have sent several friends to them and they have spoke highly also. I am sure with the volume (800+ - trucks a month) that they move it's bound to happen that a deal or vehicle goes sideways. Their service was very good and treated me great both times I was there. I am sure there are very good dealers out there. Just what works for you. Don't forget the Farm Bureau $500 coupon!

 

[HBarlow]

I don't think they ever "deal" over the phone. They are not like your local dealer. They simply take the invoice price and deduct the rebates. Sometimes they have an extra discount, but it is not determined by the salespeople. If your friend wants all the drama of "deal making" have him go to his local dealer and play the dealer game...

I agree. When I visited DSM and talked to a salesman he told me a story about a call such as this. He said a caller, obviously not an informed caller, listened to his presentation then somewhat sarcastically asked for some named discount. I don't remember what the caller called it. The salesman told me he told his caller, "yes, I'll give you that discount if you're sure that's what you want, but our standard pricing policy will give you the truck for $price and with the discount you're asking for it will cost you $price which was several hundred dollars higher.



Some folks have a hard time understanding MSRP, Factory Invoice, and disounts back of invoice. There are really no mysteries or complicated formulas. They don't claim to give the trucks away. They are in business to make a profit like every other business. Because they sell in very high volume they get a kickback from Dodge for every unit sold. That kickback, a percentage, is their profit. No games, no tricks. Other high volume dealers can offer similar deals but some don't want to. That is their choice.



I like the open, uncomplicated approach offered by DSM, Tomeygun, and, apparently, others. One of those dealers is where my purchase dollars will be spent.



Harvey

 

[Regcabguy]

Anybody have DSM's # and a contact person