Reputable dealer?

[kdenault]

Has anyone ever purchased a trailer from Vintage Campers in Peru, Indiana? The gentleman I spoke with seemed very knowledgeable and invested in the vintage trailers. He provides a very thorough description of the trailers. But, I just escaped getting scammed on Ebay today on an Airstream and I'm a little paranoid now. The Terms and Conditions are clearly marked on the website and a copy of the Purchase Agreement is also posted. My gut tells me that this guy is legit--but, ya know, ya never know--it's such a shame! Any feedback would be helpful.
Thanks,
Kathy

[Chipster]

I don't know about the a/s dealer that you mentioned, however in the same vein about reputable dealers, does anyone have any good or bad feedback[IMG]images/icons/icon4.gif[/IMG] about dave smith auto in kellog idaho? I am in the process of purchasing an 06 ram diesel. I have sent a deposit and have a deadline of 2/28 for the 0 down/0 interest offer from dodge. I am now not receiving return calls etc. and nobody knows whats going on up there. I would like feedback anyone.
Thanks,
chipster

[redeagle313]

Originally Posted by kdenault

Has anyone ever purchased a trailer from Vintage Campers in Peru, Indiana? The gentleman I spoke with seemed very knowledgeable and invested in the vintage trailers. He provides a very thorough description of the trailers. But, I just escaped getting scammed on Ebay today on an Airstream and I'm a little paranoid now. The Terms and Conditions are clearly marked on the website and a copy of the Purchase Agreement is also posted. My gut tells me that this guy is legit--but, ya know, ya never know--it's such a shame! Any feedback would be helpful.
Thanks,
Kathy

Could you list the url for the website?

[Chaplain Kent]

I have never heard of him but that does not make an endorsement good or bad. I Google the name and he does have a web site and some inventory, mostly other brands but a few Airstreams. Is he a member of the forums?-Dan Piper is the owners name.
Kathy I am not certain what part of the country you are from but there is an honest fellow down in Bat's Cave NC. You can do a search here and find RichardT and PM him and see if he has what you want.
By the way welcome to the forums-glad you found us.

[Silvertwinkie]

Not sure on the dealer you posted about but.....

Bill Thomas (St. Louis), Ace Fogdall (Iowa), Paul Sherry (Ohio) are all very reputable dealers, however Ace never really dealt all that well, but has a great service dept from what I've read here as does Bill Thomas.

Paul Sherry was actually VERY good with deals, awesome customer service and fair service (of the coaches). They seem to have a new sales mgr and the deals are NOT to be found at Paul Sherry anymore, particularly if you have a trade in.

Ewald in WI (also a car dealer) seemed nice, tried to deal, but didn't do a good job. Not sure on their service dept. I asked here a bit ago and got a few answers to the effect of, took my car to them and they were the worst.

There is a dealer in Columbus, OH, not sure of the name, but no deals to be had there either and don't know of how their service dept is.

R&R RV sales, when I dealt with them in late 2003, had fair to good deals, fair service department (for small items) and a bit of attitude when I was being honest and shopping around for our Safari. They knew nearly nothing at the time about Airstreams...that may have changed, but I heard a rumor, and it's not been confirmed that they may be gettting out of the Airstream business, which based on my exp with them, might not be a bad thing for Airstream.

There is a new dealer coming in the west/south west Chicago metro area that I know nothing about, but they are much closer than any of the rest and would be great if they had the sales, customer service and service all tied down.

Thats all I know about the midwest dealers. Hope this helps.

[rebel beck]

Kathy,
I have bought 2 big items off the internet. My Airstream and my truck. On the Airstream I found it here under classifieds we spoke to the seller a few times on a Wednesday night and we drove 500 miles that weekend to pick it up with cash in hand. I never send deposits. I want to see the item before I buy it and not from pictures or someone's word. On my truck it was only 100 miles away so I spoke with the dealer and we came up with the price on the phone I just told him to give me the full price and I didn't want any hidden cost. So I picked it up the next morning.
On ebay I only have bought small things and I only buy from folks that have sold many items and have 100% feed back.
As to your guestion I have not heard anything about the dealer you are talking about.

Becky

[xFieldTech]

While they're not a new AS dealer, Arbogast RV in SW Ohio has some nice vintage units on their used lot from time to time. They do ask top dollar for them though and didn't seem willing to deal in regards to a trade-in, though they might for a straight purchase.

We once stopped by Paul Sherry on the way home from the factory to see if they had any later-model used units and were very surprised by their attitude. The salesman greeted us, briefly answered a couple of questions, gave my daughter a balloon, and promptly led us to the door. While we had a good laugh about they're not being used to dealing with customers under 50 or not being impressed with the minivan we drove up in, we're not about to give them any business.

We found RVOnline and RVUSA has a fairly large selection of vintage and not-so-vintage AS on their websites; just keep in mind that these are basically unmoderated classified ads.

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by xFieldTech

We once stopped by Paul Sherry on the way home from the factory to see if they had any later-model used units and were very surprised by their attitude. The salesman greeted us, briefly answered a couple of questions, gave my daughter a balloon, and promptly led us to the door. While we had a good laugh about they're not being used to dealing with customers under 50 or not being impressed with the minivan we drove up in, we're not about to give them any business.

Yea, I agree, they have gone downhill. To put it into perspective, our orig sale rep, quit. Then when I was considering another upgrade, got in touch with another rep, he's now gone. Now on the thrid rep in less than 12 months.

We had a great exp getting out 2004 Safari from Sherry RV, but we most likely won't do business with them again.

I called them to inquire about their 2005 31' Dinette last week. Though it is untitiled, it's been on thier lot now for at least a year, most likely longer. They would not move on the trade in price. They told me my unit wasn't worth it, but if I wanted to pay the full 73k price they'd give me $10k more for my Safari. I asked why they were selling a 2003 28' for about $43k, lowered the price to $36k and asked what they would retail my unit for if I was crazy enough to give it to them for $20k....they simply told me they had bills to pay, which I can appreciate, but not to the tune of about $10,000!

There is a reason that coach is on the lot for a over a year.......

Last October, I had inquired (again at Sherry RV) about a new '25 SS SE and they too would not move one inch from list or trade in price.

I wished them luck selling the 2005 and respectfully walked.

[kdenault]

Thanks, everybody, for the feedback. I'm new to the Airstream market---well, actually, the whole RV market. As a former design student, I'm hooked on Airstreams--nothing else will do! The primary impetus for this pending airstream purchase is to provide myself with a "mobile cabin" during short and numerous residency stays at the University in FL where I'm competing my Doctorate. I don't reside in the Midwest--I actually hail from just north of Philadelphia. The inquiry regarding vintagecampers.com is because I found them on-line after a near-miss with an Ebay scammer on an Airstream. Since that Ebay experience, I think i may've lost my stamina for the auction marketplace (at least for something like an Airstream). My concern is that vintagecampers.com is in Indiana and can't travel out there for inspection. I do plan on traveling out to pick up, learn about it, and travel back after purchase. I hate that, but i really don't see any other option, with that kind of distance. The owner, Dan Piper, seems very knowledgeable--but How good a judge am I? Living in the Mid-Atlantic--it's difficult to find a decent used Airstream. And, as a student and business-owner, budget is IMPORTANT. I'm looking primarily at a 60's model something, with good towing, running gear, A/C, bathroom, and water. I'm handy and can do some work, but do not have the time or the funds for major repairs before it's road/camping ready. Maybe I should check out the gentleman down in Bat Cave. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kathy in PA