Can't always believe salespeople.

[ewkearns]

Originally Posted by Jca3

... The online saleperson had written it could easily be pulled with a new 1500 pickup. I wouldn't try it....

Neither would I. When we started looking for our first RV in 40 years, we really didn't know what we were looking for, but I did know a lot about trucks and towing trailers (and I was SURE I didn't want another slide-on).

Every dealer we went to, and I'm talking about the small fry all the way up to the major megabox RV retailer, tried to sell us the biggest thing on the lot. Without exception, they all asked which size we were interested in and then tried to sell "up" from there.

We made it known our tow vehicle was a 1/2 ton pickup.... true, with a camper package, 6 speed transmission, and big engine, but IMHO, irrespective f tow vehicle, trying to sell a camper with an empty weight that is just ounces under the max towing capacity of the TV is just plain dangerous.

We were assured by all that the "truck would pull the camper... with no problem." Nobody said it would be any fun, though.

We bought a TT that I feel is at the max of our TVs capacity.... but is still going to be probably 4500-6000# less that other TTs that they attempted to shame us into looking at...... SWMBO, still would like that 2 story 38 footer with the six slide outs, masonry chimney, tile floors, and attached tennis court...... that the salesman SWORE we could tow.....

[SAABDOCTOR]

SURE COULDN'T DO WITH A PACER!!! ALL THAT GLASS YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER LOADED

[davidjsimons]

Originally Posted by SAABDOCTOR

SURE COULDN'T DO WITH A PACER!!! ALL THAT GLASS YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER LOADED

Just put some airbags on it and a set of ten ply tires!


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[Randy_K]

[2011 keystone]

Hold on I need to go put on my boots its getting DEEP in here

[davidjsimons]

Originally Posted by Randy_K

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[zuley]

Well Randy, I would never had believed it had I not seen it with my own two eyes. Like salesmen, pictures don't lie. There you go folks!!

[JRTJH]

Davidjsimons,

The picture you posted of the VW with the fifth wheel is from the mid 70's. Shadow Trailer Company in Los Cerritos, CA manufactured them I think they were owned by a corporation in the midwest somewhere. There were several models, the one you posted is one of the smallest and was actually equipped and furnished much like a 9 or 9.5 ft cabover truck camper. They had larger ones that were "matched" to cars as big as the old Impala and Olds 98. They were hitched to a roof mounted "gooseneck" type hitch that was "strapped/bolted" to the rain gutter moldings. Yeah, I know, not a lot of substance to keep it in place in any significant maneuvers.

They were advertised as towing like a fifth wheel but able to be towed with the "family sedan." They were relatively light weight, wood framed, 0.020 aluminum skin, virtually no insulation, small holding tanks and 14" tires. If I remember correctly, the biggest one available was in the 25-26 ft length (rear bumper to hitch ball) and weighed about 2400 lbs with a hitch weight of about 400 lbs. The MSRP of the small one was in the $2000 range fully equipped and the bigger ones sold for about $4-5K.

Seeing that picture sure brought back some old memories.... Thanks for posting

[hankpage]

Now I know why the Beetles always had such low reverse gears. If you can't get up the hill in first .... spin the car around and try reverse.

[davidjsimons]

JRTJH, The video of the maneuverability of that unit was amazing. If you didn't know how to back up, no problem.


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[JRTJH]

Maneuverability was one of their big marketing points. They used to have demonstrations on video casettes in the dealer showrooms with a big Oldsmobile doing a 360 with the trailer connected to the roof. They recommended that if backing into a tight spot was difficult, simply "spin around and drive in with full visibility of where you're going". It wasn't just VW's that "turned around backwards" under a Shadow, full size "family sedans" could do the same thing.

Back then, even the medium price range trailers were pretty sparsely equipped. No forced air furnace, often no converter. Lighting was a "dual system" with a set of 12 volt lights mounted beside a set of 110Volt lights. About the only trailers that had what was called the "univolt" system were the luxury trailers. Airstream, Silver Stream, Silver Streak, Avion, Boles Aero, Holiday Rambler Presidential were the most popular. Even they didn't have a gray holding tank until the late 60's or early 70's.

The owner's manual for our 68 Airstream suggested digging a small trench with a hole at the end to dispose of bath water.

Anyway, back to the Shadow, there was a 3" solid foam mattress laying on the overhead floor, about 30" of headroom, a divan which also served as a step to the overhead area, a 50 lb icebox was standard with an upgrade to a 75 lb box or a 3.5 cu ft Instamatic refrigerator was optional. There was a small gravity furnace mounted under the refrigerator, a short counter with a small double sink and 3 burner range/oven, then the door. Along the back was a sofa that made into a bed. The road side had a small 6' dinette that converted to a 36" bed with a fold out cabinet above that made into a 24" bunk. Ahead of that was the toilet room with a porta-potty type toilet. And there you have the total tour.... They were nothing even close to the comforts we take for granted in today's RV..... Of course, they were light enough to tow with a VW, so you know a lot had to be "uninstalled" that we find necessary in today's trailers..... LOL

[ewkearns]

Originally Posted by SAABDOCTOR

SURE COULDN'T DO WITH A PACER!!! ALL THAT GLASS YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER LOADED

Pacer.... isn't that a Gremlin? They had V-8 engines..... they should be able to pull it.....

[Charli]

You would think that with all the modern technology there would be some formula that could take your trucks spec and the trailers weights and determine what the weight distribution will be to your trucks GAWR.

[ewkearns]

Originally Posted by Charli

You would think that with all the modern technology there would be some formula that could take your trucks spec and the trailers weights and determine what the weight distribution will be to your trucks GAWR.

Yeah.... you'd think, but there is too much smoke and mirrors in the specs that the sales and legal department release....

[CBrownGetsDown]

You guys are tough on us sales peeps!

[Festus2]

Chris -
Like the topic of the thread says.."You can't always trust salespeople". Perhaps many of those who posted, including the OP, have had negative and unpleasant experiences with the dealer and the salesperson.

One of the posters pointed out that "some are better than others". Doesn't this apply to almost every occupation?

Don't take the posts personally.

[CBrownGetsDown]

Fetus,
I am not taking it personally! You know the toughest part of selling RV's is asking enough questions to find a good starting point for the educational part of the sale. I start easy on questions and build a file in my mind on what we need to cover and so forth. Believe me I am with you folks on the poor salespeople topics!

Have a great Monday!

Travel fast & Camp Slow!
C Brown

[bigjr]

Wait the sticker on the side of my cougar says 1/2 TON Towable so you mean the stickers LIE to where will it all end! So much for trading in my 250

[SAABDOCTOR]

Hey Cb brown and down. I fix saabs Talk about getting a bad rap! You and I need to go for a beer and swap stories and to the op the sticker was put there by the factory not the salesman...... I hope. Ok time to

[Jca3]

Originally Posted by CBrownGetsDown

You guys are tough on us sales peeps!

We were lucky our dealer told us we could not pull our Laredo 266RL with a 1/2 ton, plus we had been pulling a lite weight trailer, but the half ton struggled. We knew we could not go heavier. That's why I started this thread.
A trailer sales dealer had "pull it with a 1/2 ton" right on the door at the RV show.
All sales peeps are not the same for sure as we read about the trials others go through. Good on you for reading the complaints listed here so you can be one of the good ones.