Mega-dealer error sinks RVers
Everyone makes mistakes.
But when does an action go beyond making a mistake? When is it an attempt to defraud and not get caught? Laziness and not giving a …? Desperation to make a deal? A group of ignorant, well-intentioned people working together? Excited and ignorant consumers? Like a Greek tragedy, this can lead to disaster.
Follow me on this…
The picture below could be a boat dealer who just sold a boat to an excited customer, who wanted a new boat to go fishing with and tow with the truck they already have. “I can have that one for how much???” What a deal!
Is there a problem? Of course, there is! The truck is only 760 feet long, and there is way too much overhang as the RMS Titanic is 883 feet long.
OK yes, I am joking.
But how about this picture, taken during a dealer walkthrough, recently posted on a Lance Camper Facebook page:
Are there problems here?
Many. This is why I have a job.
Trey Selman from the RV Safety and Education Foundation and I gave a class to technicians at the Hershey RV show this past September about this very topic, and it is a topic that most consumers and few techs and dealers grasp as they should. Matching RVs to trucks is a matter of weight, balance, and the ability to control and stop the vehicle. Of course, there’s also the possibility of property damage, but that is secondary to the safety of those around.
Some people disregard the limits of their tow/haul vehicles; if they’re lucky, it hurts only them. But it can cause much worse than a breakdown! And if your vehicle is overloaded and causes a PI accident (personal injury), you may be criminally liable.
In this particular case, the Lance group members were all over the poster (several different posts) about the weight issues evident in the pics, as well they should have been.
A stripped down, no options dry weight for the 2012 1191 is 3,705 pounds. This model has a lot of storage and is often ordered with extra options, including air conditioners, awnings, etc. Of course, then you add water weight, cargo, and people, as well as a hitch, equipment, etc., built onto the truck, and what you end up with is a lot of weight.
It’s best not to trust salespeople to match a vehicle to an RV. There are many resources online to help you in the process. Dealers are there to sell you an RV, and if the answer to a weight question would be “NO,” some may roll the dice and not give you that answer. The dealer in question should know better than to put a customer on the road like this. You must do your own research. Contact the manufacturer of your vehicle to get the information if you can’t find it online.
Like a boat, captaining an RV takes some learning and care, but it is meant to be fun and can be. please just be diligent and do the right things right.
Travel well!
