Don't buy an RV without listening to this episode and our interview of the week with renowned automotive expert Gary Tilkin, a national sought after speaker, trainer, motivator and consultant for automobile dealerships and sales personel. When Gary started shopping to buy an RV and he and his wife, he was shocked to find an industry far removed from the consumer friendly auto dealerships he has worked with.
In this interview, he reveals insider info from his years of experience in the automobile industry on how the consumer can insure they pick the right RV, the right dealership and get the right – or best – deal possible.
Plus your RVquestions, Jennifer's tip of the week, RV news, a Traveling with Technology report, and an off the beaten path update from fire ravaged Waterton National Park in Alberta, Canada.
Click the player below to Listen Now or scroll down through the show note details. When you see a time code hyperlink, you can click it to jump directly to that segment of the podcast.
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Show Notes for Episode #159 Sept. 27, 2017 of Roadtreking – The RV Podcast:
WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK [spp-timestamp time=”3:16″]
We’re hitting the road as soon as this podcast is recorded, heading first to Asheville, NC where we will be attending the Overland East Expo, Sept. 29-October 1 on the grounds of the beautiful Biltmore Estate. This is the premier overlanding event in the world—no other event offers the scope of classes taught by the world's leading experts, alongside a professional-level trade show that brings together in one place all the camping and vehicle equipment and services of interest to extreme RVers…overlanders, off the beaten path explorers who love rough terrain and rugged wilderness. We’ll have a Facebook Live report Saturday afternoon from the event.
Bo is not going to be with us! He’s attending a six week off leash boarding school that will make him a very Smart Dog. We’ll be following his progress with photos posted on the training school’s Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/Smartdogllc/
This portion of the Podcast is brought to you by Campers Inn, the RVer’s trusted resource for over 50 years, the nation’s largest family-operated RV dealership with 16 locations and growing
JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time=”11:08″]
In Montana this summer, we spent some delightful time with Marilyn Daniel, who showed us the best screens we have ever seen in an RV. Marilyn made them herself and they cover the driver and passenger windows of their Roadtrek Popular 210.
Mike also shot a video of Marilyn’s do-it-yourself screens. See it at https://youtu.be/nNZZH1rSDQM
And be sure to send me your tips and suggestions for the RV lifestyle. You can use the “Leave Voicemail” link at Roadtreking.com. Just click it and then use the built-in microphone on your computer or mobile devise to record a message to me. You can do it over as many times as you want, until you are satisfied. And then you just click a button and it comes right to my email inbox.
I love hearing from you!
Jennifer's tip of the week is brought to you by RadPower Bikes ,an electric bike manufacturer offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping
LISTENER QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time=”18:42″]
Gerhard from Washington State called with information for the Florida caller least week who wanted to be able to use the generator in her RV to power her home refrigerator if they ever lose power again like they recently did with Hurricane Irma.
Kathy wants a hands-free device for her cellphone so she can have access in the car. We like the kind that attach to the air vents. Here’s a link to a whole page of various mounts and cradles that will let you go hands free with your smartphone in your car http://amzn.to/2xsp8Z7 We like the Kenu Airframes – http://amzn.to/2ypDjuX
Lynn wants to travel in her motorhome to Florida or Arizona with “no mountains at all… please.” She hates mountains. She’s leaving either from Canada or Iowa, but to get to Florida from the north, I-65 south to Alabama and then on two lane roads over to I-10 East. That will avoid the little bit of the Smoky Mountains you encounter on I-75 between Corbin, KY and Knoxville, TN. Once you head west on I-10 to where you can pick up I-75 you can then head south right down the middle of Florida.
For Arizona, my best solution is to take I80 to Des Mointes, IA, then I-35 South to Dallas-Ft. Worth, west on I-20 and then pick up I-10 and head north to Phoenix.
I also suggest she post this on our Roadtreking Facebook Group and get input from lots of other RVers. That’s at https://www.facebook.com/groups/roadtreking/
Sponsoring this part of the podcast is Van City RV in St. Louis, and their Partner Dealerships Creston RV in Kalispell, Montana, and Wagon Trail RV in Las Vegas. Bringing You the largest Inventory of class B’s from three locations.
INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time=”29:38″]
Gary Tilkin is a very in-demand Automotive Consultant and Trainer. Through 32 years of experience, he has guided automobile dealerships and sales personnel all across the country into developing successful programs that bring integrity and professionalism to the car-buying procedure.
When he decided he wanted to purchase an RV for he and his wife to travel in, he was shocked to find the RV industry was, in his words, “15 years behind the auto industry.”
In this interview, he shares how his many years of automotive expertise applies to the RV industry. Among topics covered:
- How consumers should research the RV they want to buy
- Is it better to buy from the lot and the dealer’s inventory or wait for a special order?
- What markup do RV dealers add to the RVs they sell?
- Should you buy an extended warranty?
- Why you should never negotiate with a dealer
- What’s more important, the dealership or the price?
- What are the extra fees that some RV dealers may try to charge that you that you should refuse
Resources:
Gary's blog, featuring information including but not limited to the RV industry – http://www.garytilkin.com/automotive-blog/ .
Gary has also created an extensive eLearning tool on How to Buy and RV. The link is: https://garytilkinu.adobeconnect.com/px2160ekdpzy/ (Note: This eLearning program can only be seen on a computer, laptop of any brand. It cannot be seen on an iPhone or iPad.)
The interview of the week is brought to you by SunshinestateRVs.com, where every new or used Roadtrek motorhome is delivered to the customer free, anywhere in the country
RV NEWS OF THE WEEK [spp-timestamp time=”58:54″]
Four stories this week:
Tourist Vehicles Vandalized at Smoky Mountains National Park
Environmental Groups sue over drilling near Yellowstone
Many Florida State Parks Remain Closed or only open for day use following Hurricane Irma
Officials close a Virgina state park after black bear attacks a woman walking her dogs
This portion of the podcast is brought to you by Alde, the only name in heat that you need to know for your RV
TRAVELING TECH TIP [spp-timestamp time=”1:04:36″]
By Steve Van Dinter
Verizon Wireless
If you’re a fan of iOS, then you’re in heaven with the recent release of the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and Apple Watch Series 3!
Featuring a new glass and aluminum design with three beautiful finishes, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are sure to stun! Couple that with wireless charging, retina HD displays and an A11 Bionic chip and you’ve got phones designed for the ultimate augmented reality experience!
And what pairs best with the next generation iPhone but an Apple Watch Series 3 of course! This next generation wearable now comes with a built in LTE connection. That means whether users are out for a run, at the pool or just trying to be more active throughout their day, Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular allows them to stay connected, make calls, receive texts and more, even without their iPhone nearby.
Apple Watch Series 3 comes in two models, one with GPS and cellular, and one with GPS, both featuring a 70 percent faster dual-core processor and new wireless chip.
All are available now both in your local Verizon store or online at verizonwireless.com
This part of the podcast is brought to you by Verizon, which operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 112 million retail connections nationwide.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH REPORT – Update on the fires in Waterton National Park, Aberta, Canada [spp-timestamp time=”1:06:38″]
Tom Burkett updates us from the scene about the devastating effects of the fires that swept through Albert’s Waterton National Park in Canada.
He says: “We've spent the morning driving through Waterton and the park. The scene is one of devastation. The mountainsides are burned as high as the tree line. The park is closed, except for the entrance road and the town. The town and the Prince of Wales hotel were saved, but the fire destroyed the visitor center, just across the road from the POW. we had intended to camp here for a few nights, but no dice. There are some parking areas on the lake by the campground with camper vans pulled in, so it looks like they might be allowing that. It's grim indeed here, but seeing the areas on the east side of Glacier already recovering from the big fire there last year is encouraging.”
This part of the podcast is sponsored by Steinbring Motorcoach, Roadtrek’s newest dealer and a third generation family business in Minnesota’s beautiful Chain of Lakes region built on quality motorhomes and excellent pricing and service.
RV SHOWS THIS WEEKEND [spp-timestamp time=”1:11:14″]
Great American RV Show
September 28-30
Norris Penrose Events Center
Colorado Springs, CO
Austin RV Super Sale
September 29-October 1
Dell Diamond
Round Rock, TX
Evergreen Fall RV Show
September 29-October 1
Evergreen State Fairgrounds
Monroe, WA
New York State RV Show
September 29-October 1
NYS Fairgrounds
Syracuse, NY
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Many listeners are asking how they can subscribe, review and rate the Roadtreking Podcast on iTunes. With a new podcast like this, those reviews and ratings are really important to be able to show well in the iTunes listings. So if you can, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave me your review.
Here’s how:
First, open up the iTunes app on your computer or mobile device. Click on Podcasts up on the top
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5 Responses to “Episode 159: How to shop for and get the absolute best deal on your next RV”
Comments are closed.
October 15, 2017at8:34 am, Gary Tilkin said:
This is Gary Tilkin, On Mike’s last webcast I told everyone I just ORDERED my new Coach that will be in before December 1, 2017. What I did not say was, by ordering and having two months before delivery, I was able to sell my current coach instead of trading it in. The dealer wanted to give me $15,000.00 less then what I just sold my coach for. That is right, did not negotiate, I got a great price on the new coach and I sold my current coach for a $15,000 profit over trading it in. To add to that, it took 3 weeks to sell my current coach and I have another 5 weeks until my new coach comes in. Want to know how I sold my currant coach so quickly, have Mike ask me the question and I will be happy to share it with you. Be well and stay healthy.
September 29, 2017at10:00 am, DeanCHS1980 said:
I caught the RV bug in the Fall, 2014; bought a new to us ’05 Casita 17′ Freedom Deluxe in Fall, ’15; and have been camping since Spring, ’16. I am an RV enthusiast and, as a college professor, I use my love of research to study EVERYTHING related to RVing, camping, and travel. Mike’s interview with Gary Tilkin is probably the single best source of information on buying an RV that I have heard or read about. Exceptional!
Thanks,
Dean
October 07, 2017at12:07 am, Gary Tilkin said:
Dean, you honor me. Thank you so much. Be well and stay health.
October 10, 2017at8:23 pm, Jacob said:
I called Gary. I asked Gary what he would charge for an hour of time. He said he would help me and he spent over 50 minutes on the phone with me and saved me well into thousands of dollars. I really hope Gary can help produce some momentum in the industry. It is terribly sad how some of these dealers take advantage of consumers. His episode was also incredibly informative.
October 10, 2017at8:32 pm, Gary Tilkin said:
Jacob, it was my please helping you. I just want to be an Advocate for RVers. The RV business is 15 years behind the Auto Business. They WILL change because they have to change or not be in the business any more. Again, my pleasure to help.