As I mentioned in my previous posts, we have started researching
a replacement for our current Keystone Montana which we purchased in 2014 as a
2015 model. This is our second Keystone
Montana, and we have been happy with both units’ layouts and amenities. We were also fortunate that our units were
built decently, with only minor blips when it came to workmanship and warranty
issues. In September, we attended the
Montana Owners Club (MOC) National Rally in Elkhart, IN. As a 2015 model, we were one of the older
units at the rally. Yet, we were
horrified to hear the abundance of problems, many structural, that fellow MOC
members have encountered with spanking-new rigs. And then we did something Mom will never
forgive Dad for—we attended the factory tour to see how the Montana is
manufactured. Had we not done so, we still
may have considered purchasing a new Montana if they came out with a floor plan
that we liked. Instead, we were
mortified to see some shoddy workmanship (Mom, who is not the least bit
technical or mechanical, was able to spot deficiencies) and to learn the
factory pumps out 18-20 units PER DAY!
Like most assembly lines, the unit goes from station to station for
specific tasks to be done. Each station
gets a specified period of time to complete their work duties. When the clock runs out on that period of
time, the proverbial buzzer goes off, sending the unit to its next station—regardless
of whether all the work got completed at the prior station! Mind you, this system is not unique to
Keystone Montana. It is how most RVs are
being manufactured these days to keep up with the high sales volume.
Being in the RV Manufacturing Capital of the World, we
decided to take plant tours of other manufacturers. Taking price point into consideration, we were
very impressed with DRV and its Mobile Suites line upon doing their plant tour. Despite being acquired by Thor, DRV still has
autonomy in its operation. Many of the management team have been with the
company since its inception in 2003.
While bells and whistles are impressive in any unit by any manufacturer,
we care more about our home’s structural integrity, and that is where DRV
shines. The DRV consists of triple steel
tube construction versus the drop forged I-beam of Montana. The insulation R-value is comparable to that
of a sticks and bricks home, and the units have 3 ¼” thick floors, walls and
slides versus 2” in Montana. DRV Mobile
Suites come standard with Mor-Ryde independent suspension, H-rated Goodyear tires, and
disk brakes, which are all after-market add-ons for Montana. The walls in DRV are built similar to an
aircraft wing--clipped, screwed and glued--rather than welded like in a
Montana. Most importantly, DRV does not
mass produce. Remember that 18-20 units PER
DAY at Montana? Well DRV manufactures only
12 units PER WEEK! We also learned that
when ordering a DRV, you can do quite a bit of customization.
Now that we determined DRV Mobile Suites was the brand we
wanted, it was time to decide on floor plan.
We toured the 40KSSB model during our plant visit, but the unit was
still a work in progress. We went on-line,
downloaded a 2019 brochure, and did virtual tours on several models. My Dad, who is creative, conceptual, and
excellent at visualization, knew right away the 40KSSB was the perfect layout
for us. Conversely, Mom is a “hands on”
type. She can look at floor plans and
watch videos until her eyes pop out of her head, and still would be unable to conjure
an image. She needs to see things in person, open every
drawer, cupboard, and closet, and examine every nook and cranny. Hence our efforts to physically get into a
unit.
Due to the lower production output, the network of DRV dealers
is much smaller than those of Montana, as is dealer inventory. But we located two dealers that we could
access within a 2.5 hour drive of Quartzsite, AZ. We apprise the dealerships we
visited personally that 1) We definitely want to purchase a new DRV, we are
just narrowing down which specific model; 2) We would be in the Quartzsite area
for several months, returning again in fall/winter as we have for the last 5
years.
I should also note that prior to visiting any dealerships in
person, we researched on-line pricing.
We also requested pricing for a new 40KSSB with our wish list of options
from Rolling Retreats (OK) and RVs for Less (TN), two dealers whose praises
were sung to high heavens on Facebook by the DRV Owners Group (DOG). Rolling Retreats was very helpful, even
though we did not receive their price quotes until nearly 2 weeks after our
initial request. But they did answer our
countless questions about options, customization, and costs involved. They
offered very competitive pricing, and their knowledge of the DRV product line
is exceptional, which is attributable to the fact that DRV is the ONLY product
line they sell. Hence, they do not accept
trade-ins of RVs by any manufacturer BUT DRV.
As much as we appreciated all their efforts and would have liked to do
business with them, we considered this to be a deal breaker. DOG members advised us to just sell our unit
on our own or put it on consignment--it would be worth it to get the level of
customer service offered by Rolling Retreats.
My parents considered the logistics carefully. But as full-timers, pet-owners, and
out-of-state residents, they determined dealing with Rolling Retreats would be
problematic, creating extra steps to an already cumbersome process. RVs for Less took a week to send a price
quote for a 2019 40KSSB that included our options, which they noted was valid
for only a few days because anything ordered after January 31 would be a 2020
model. Gee, that’s pretty useless since
it doesn’t account for any new model year price increase. They also low-balled
us royally on the trade-in value of our Montana. We never heard another word from them, not
even to confirm that we received the requested quote.
We understand dealerships are busy. But just because we are not standing in front
of them personally, it doesn’t mean we are not serious buyers. Especially in this day and age where people
purchase everything from cars to houses through the internet, sight
unseen.
Anyway, back to our quest to tour DRV units in person. We visited Robert Crist RVs in Mesa, AZ. Our sales rep was supposedly the most
knowledgeable about DRVs among his peers at the dealership. He did not have a 40KSSB in stock. Rats! But we could get into 2 of the 3 other models
he had on the lot (one unit is sold and off-limits for touring). OK, let’s get in those so Mom can see cabinet
finishes, flooring colors, and fabric designs.
We asked the same questions we asked of Rolling Retreats, but this sales
rep could not provide answers. He was
willing to call his regional rep down at the plant, who provided answers to our
questions. It is interesting, however,
that this area plant rep was not agreeable to several of the customizations
that Rolling Retreats said are possible to do. The Sales rep now wanted to talk numbers and
asked which model did we want? Mom still
was not able to make a decision. She asked
for pricing on two models, the 40KSSB and the Memphis, which she didn’t even
consider from just viewing the floor plans (particularly since it is 45 feet in
length!) but fell in love with it after a walk through. (It has a HUGE kitchen with tons of counter
tops for her to do all her cooking and baking!)
The sales rep claimed he couldn’t give us pricing on multiple units, we
would have to pick one. What a bunch of
cheez-whiz that is! Mom explained she could
not make a choice because 1) she had yet to see the interior of a completed 40KSSB
and 2) pricing is a factor in her decision.
Mr. Sales Rep was annoyed, but he complied with her request and provided
pricing on 2 models. However, he claimed
he could not give us any indication of trade-in value for our Montana because
all the computers with licensing rights to NADA were in use. He didn’t even bother to take down our name
and contact info to follow up with us.
Truthfully, we wouldn’t have bought here even if the price was
right. They only allow a customer about 2
hours to do their Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI). Furthermore, all sales are subjected to a
1.75% Mesa city sales tax, even for out-of-state purchasers who can bypass
paying Arizona state sales tax.
We all were disappointed, and Mom was getting more confused
than ever about model preference. So we took
another day trip, visiting Holland RV in Palm City, CA. In addition to 2 other models, they had a
40KSSB on the lot! Its sale was pending,
but they were amicable to letting us inside to view the interior as long as we
took our shoes off. (I think Mom would
have taken ALL her clothes off if they asked just to get into this unit.) Once inside, Mom knew this was the most
functional unit for our family, taking into account the needs of our tabbycat
and fish as well as providing us the most storage. And this model is only a foot longer than our
current Montana. We asked the sales rep
the same questions we asked the prior dealerships. The sales rep did not have
answers for us, but like his counterpart at Robert Crist RVs, he called his area
plant rep to get us answers—the same area plant rep with which we conversed at
Robert Crist. I got a bit turned off by
this plant rep—he noted as he answered the phone that his town was encountering
a major snowstorm and he needed to get to the food store. Now I may only be a stuffed rat, but that
translates to me as “make this call snappy—I’ve got more important
business.” Nice exhibit of customer
service to potential buyers! We did not
indicate that we spoke with him at the other dealership, and we posed the same
questions as we did previously regarding options and customization. Ironically, he gave us some different answers
from what he provided on the call at the last dealership. Hmm, another turnoff—strike 2! Now its numbers time. Long story short, the sales rep proposed MSRP
minus our trade in. What!!!!! Who taught him the art of the deal? Even
this stuffed rat with cotton balls for brains knows NO ONE PAYS MSRP! OK, he throws out another number, which is
still over-priced by $15,000+. Needless
to say, we found this unacceptable and walked out. Wouldn’t you think we’d here back from the
dealer a few days later with another offer?
But no, despite this dealership taking all our contact info, we never
heard a peep from them again.
Now, is it just me or do you see a pattern here? Is the RV industry still so hot that
dealerships don’t need to follow up on potential deals? Here we are serious buyers, we have option
lists all detailed, we are recording answers to our specific questions, and
heck, we are even taking cabinet measurements and actively discussing what
would fit in certain areas. We are a
red, hot, live, lead! No having to
“sell” a product—we are already sold on DRV and stated that at each dealership we
visited. It is my understanding that
most sales reps work strictly on commission.
How do they make a living if they don’t negotiate a sale? In my humble opinion, Rolling Retreats was
the only dealership thus far who had exhibited customer service and
salesmanship.
We departed Quartzsite no closer to ordering a new RV than
where we started back in January. We
routed ourselves home to Livingston through Granbury, TX, home of Bennett’s RV,
in one last effort to finalize a purchase.
Bennett’s scores big in my book:
It is family owned and operated (in fact, you will see a toddler busying
herself with items on the store shelves, representing the 4th
generation of family); It has a good reputation, having conducted business for
nearly 50 years; It has been selling Mobile Suites since DRV’s inception in
2003. Furthermore, Dad has spoken to the area plant
rep that services this dealership, who is much more accommodating and customer
service oriented than his counterpart that we dealt with for the western region
dealerships.
Conveniently, Bennett’s has a small RV Park right behind the
dealership, at which we reserved a site for 2 nights. (We extended our stay for a 3rd
night when Dad’s eagle eye inspection noted we had a broken leafspring on our
Montana. Bennett’s has an extensive
parts/service area too, and it had the correct leafspring in stock. We are all fixed up by Dad within 45 minutes.)
We immediately took a liking to Sales Rep Scott. He was attentive, friendly, and well versed on
the DRV product line, and had unending patience as we toured the 5 models on
the lot (although none of them was a 40KSSB!) and finalized our
options/customization list. Long story
short: Third time is a charm! Offering competitive, all-inclusive pricing AND
fair trade-in value with no haggling required on our part, Bennett’s knows how
to sell RVs, earning themselves a coveted Rambling RV Rat 5-cheese award. Our new (now a 2020 model) 40KSSB Mobile
Suites will be delivered in September.
And since the dealership is located in our home state of TX, they will handle
license, registration, and inspection, eliminating the need for us to perform
these tasks ourselves had we purchased out-of-state. We are confident that Bennett’s will continue
their exceptional service throughout the delivery process, but will keep you
apprised of any issues that arise.
Now that business was out of the way, it was time to do some
exploring! We started our adventure
hiking at the Acton Nature Center. Its
prairie lands were once home to roaming bison, who enjoyed grazing on the four
types of grasses native to this area. My
parents watched stealthily from a blind as cardinals enjoyed their brunch at
bird feeders. Meanwhile, I found no
inhabitants residing in the bat houses. Mom refers to bats as “rats with wings”. As a stuffed rat, I considered this description
quite insulting initially. Then I
learned how important bats are to the environment and how invaluable they are
to farmers. You see, some bats eat 5,000
harmful insects/day, sparing farmers from crop loss and us consumers from
resulting higher prices. Way to go “rats
with wings”! The sweet, fragrant scent
of a Mexican Plum Tree lead me to a butterfly garden. Not many butterflies to be found, but I did enjoy
some colorful blooms.
Granbury is a quaint town with a rich history. Founded in 1887, it is named for Hiram Granbury,
a Confederate General during the Civil War.
Elizabeth Crocket (widow of Davy, one of the heroes of the Alamo and
Texas Independence), settled and farmed in this area on lands granted to her
from the Republic of TX. Descendants of
the Crocketts still reside in the Granbury area. We visited Elizabeth’s gravesite in Acton
Cemetery, which is considered the smallest state park within TX.
Along with taking mini tours at Granbury’s
Railroad Depot Museum and the Yates-Duke 1858 Working Museum, we visited the Hood
County Jail. Built in 1885, it was equipped with indoor
gallows. Back in the day in this neck of
the woods, cattle rustling, horse thievery, and murder all warranted the death
penalty by hanging, and individual counties handled all executions. These gallows never saw action, although the
jail remained in active use until 1978.
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Yours truly acting as ticket master at the train depot |
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Yates-Duke 1858 Working Museum. Check out that quilt! |
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The backyard view from the Yates Duke Museum |
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1885 Jail and Museum |
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Quite a cute criminal, ain't I? |
Granbury’s
town square has its own historic Opera House.
Built in 1886, it received major renovations in 2012. It is now a venue for Broadway productions. We tried to get tickets to Momma Mia during
our short visit, but the show was a sell-out.
At least I was enriched with a history lesson!
We viewed beautiful Granbury Lake, formed by
the damming of the Brazos River, and we watched the water fountains dance as we
traversed the Travel Through Time Bike/Hike Trail.
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Granbury Lake |
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Fountains along the Travel Through Time Hike/Bike Trail |
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Turtles napping on a log |
Our visit to Granbury was a trifecta for me: exciting, productive, and entertaining!
We would like to thank the following organizations for all the great service and support they offer to the RVing community:
Escapees RV Club
RVillage
