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What should I look for after dealer dropped fifth wheel?

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Wife, kids and I went to pick a used 2000 Sandpiper 30' bunkhouse fifth-wheel that we are buying. As we pull in the parking lot our camper in sitting with the nose way down, landing gear bottomed out. A bunch of people gathered around with a panic in there eyes. The salesman was pulling the camper out the lot for us to pick up with a tractor that has a fifth wheel hitch on it and it came unhooked and fell to the ground. Of course it sheared the pins that hold the landing gear in place. They have to bring a floor jack out to jack up the camper enough to get the hitch back under it. They pull it back to the shop and put some new pins in it. After I argue with salesman about how the feet are not supposed to be bent like that they take them off and pound them back into shape. The salesman then says he's got to go and say's thanks as he's heading out. I insist that he lets me look the camper over to be sure nothing was damaged, he's a little peeved but unlocks it for me and he leaves. After looking around inside and finding no damage I looked under the front ,inside the front storage area where the landing gear are attached to the frame and find a busted weld that holds it to the frame and notice that the leg on the right is twisted because of that.

I walked back inside and told the sales manager about it and show it to him. He tells me they have a certified welder on site (wow, I said) and they'd have it fixed within an hour. Well, here comes the tractor with the faulty hitch again to pull the camper back to the shop. Can you guess what happened next. Ding, ding ding you win. They dropped it again. The sales manager is pulling his hair out (he really did) and apologizes and swears they will replace everything up front but he will have to order the parts. He said he would give us a call when it's done and let us look it over and decide if we still want it.



Now the question, what all would you guys/gals recommend that I check to make sure no other damage had been done?



To top the weekend off someone pulled out in front of my wife Sunday and she t-boned him. Wife and daughter are fine, van looks repairable.
 
smote

I would not buy it at full price if at all. Tell them it has been wrecked twice that you know of.

A dealer should know better.



Glad your wife & daughter are ok.



Good Luck

Cliff
 
I would ask them to order another trailer for you or walk away from the deal. Be sure to record the VIN on this trailer to avoid them pulling a fast one. An impact with the ground severe enough to break a weld is severe enought to cause problems that you cannot seel. FWIW.



Casey
 
I believe that I would wal away from the deal and would't look back. Doesn't sound like the kind of people you really want to do business with. There are many more fivers out there - just be patient and keep looking. Good Luck
 
Wow, makes you wonder how many times they have dropped it and all of the other ones they sell. Don't buy it and don't buy anything else from them. Don't even take their calls. Something could be damaged that could put you and your families life at risk pulling it down the road. Glad your wife and family are OK.
 
I agree I would not buy the trailer. Who knows what kind of alignment issues there may be. A small twist of mis-allignment in the front section my over stress other welds in the frame. If it broke the weld you found what if another one only has a small stress crack at this point.



I would find another dealer.



Mike
 
Unless it would be nearly impossible to find another like it ( I know the bunkhouse models can be hard to find) I would walk away. If I took it the dealer would have to give me a 1 yr B to B warranty in writing.



FWIW

Fireman
 
Man and I thought I had a lousy dealer with Wilderness:rolleyes: . I wouldn't walk- I'd run from the deal. Any dealer that doesn't have the ability to safely manouver a coach around their own yard shouldn't even be in business. I would also be contacting Sandpiper to let them know how their products are being represented.



Kev
 
The stress of the fall will damage the interiors of how the inner and outer skin is attached to the side framework, which is normally glued. What about the straightness of the frame? Let's see, drop 8k 4' and NOTHING happens?, right!



What about the roof where the A/C is? A jolt like that will certainly dammage the roof bracing.



IF the dealer gives you LIFETIME, not just a couple of years of end to end full warrantee for parts and labor, then MAYBE if the discount to a new rig is at least 50%, then maybe if you can stand the aggravation.



Bob Weis
 
Run

like everyone has said RUN, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. 00. Even a blown big rig tire in the middle of the road can do a whole bunch of damage to the landing gear. I know.

Run as fast as you can.

Just my opinion
 
Get your deposit back if you gave them one. You have to see how the fifth wheel frames are built. There are stressed places in the frame that will not take to kindly to the treatment they gave it. I seriously doubt they can straighten out the lift tubes like new. You have not lived till you had to crank the landing gear up and down a couple of times because the motor jambed and burned up. :rolleyes:
 
If that is how well/poor they maintain their equipment, what does that say of their ability when it comes to fixing the trailer or any future repairs needed?



RUN,RUN VERY FAST!!
 
As others have said, run, run, run. I would not deal with people like that and would not take that trailer at any price. Good luck.



Dean
 
There is no way I would buy from that dealer period. They showed you not once but TWICE their incompetence. Lord knows what else they could screw up. . They arent the only Camper dealers in the world.





JMHO



Russell
 
This is the first time I have ever seen everyone agree on a thread. I can fix that :) What kind of oil should he use and what vendor should he have modify his transmission? :D
 
Pit bull,

What kind of oil? the kind that RUNS! Ditto for the transmission!



Seriously, I'd leave the deal and shop elsewhere. Find another dealer and order the same as you wanted and try the RV dealer lotto again. That place sounds like a losing ticket... .....



Brian
 
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