Who Needs RV Service

Proper servicing of a Recreational Vehicle should be the most important part of an RV purchase. We see people in our Service Department all the time who just bought a unit privately and say "He seemed like an honest fellow". Now don't get me wrong, we should be able to put our kids through college with all the service work that's available. I don't think people realize what a reputable Dealer offers in terms of Service. A used RV is kind of like buying a used car and an old house, with an elaborate 12 volt system and Propane appliances. Used car buyers almost always get the vehicle inspected, but with RV's a pre-inspection is less likely. I'll give you a rundown on what we do to each RV we sell. First we inspect the charging system and batteries. We then move to the Propane system where we not only check for leaks but for appliance operation and ensure its up to current codes. If the Propane System is up to code and operational we apply a BC Propane Gas Inspection Decal, which is mandatory in British Columbia. Next we inspect the roof seams, vents, windows and doors for problems with the sealants. Inside the unit we will check the operation of all lights, switches, breakers and fuses. Now we add water and check pump operation and for leaks in the fixtures, tanks and water heater. If that's not enough, we check to make sure all cabinet catches and drawer guides are functional. Finished? Not yet- we still have to check the wheel bearings, brake operation, tires and exterior lights lights to ensure safety. All of this is performed for a towable unit, what about Motor homes? With Motor homes you can add automotive safety inspection, automotive repairs and servicing. We find our average cost to service towable units to be $1000 to $1500 and $2000 to $3000 for motorized units, if we don't find an appliance issue or leaks/dry rot. Once we have performed all the repairs and testing its now time for the most important part, the instructional demonstration. So many issues can be solved if the customer knows the proper method of operating their unit. To sum it up you should ensure your Dealer is prepared to perform all these tasks on your purchase. If you do buy privately, I highly recommend a RV Dealer inspection and Propane Re-certification.

Why we sell Puma Towables

2011 Puma by Palomino

People often ask us why we sell Puma by Palomino owned by Forest River Inc. Aside from their stunning good looks, stylish decor options and pricing these Travel Trailers and Fifth Wheels are really well built. For example all exterior corners, all cabinet backing points and where furniture screws to the walls are not just one but two 2 X 2's giving you extra strength where its needed. The floor joists are 2 X 2 and spaced on 12'' centers. The sidewalls are 2 X 2 with 16'' centers, can you believe some manufacturers still use 1 X 2's? In order to walk on the roof we have a 4 1/2'' crowned truss roof system with 3/8'' roof decking. In order to build a top quality coach you need to start with a good foundation our rugged, powder coated steel I-beam frame is second to none. Top that off with 5/8 one piece floor decking glued and screwed with a 25 year warranty. These are only a hand full of the features that Puma trailers and fifth wheels have to offer. We encourage you to view the 2011 lineup and to see why point to point you can't beat the Puma towable. To view our in stock Puma's click here.

Trailer Tow Ratings

Choosing the right tow vehicle is very important if considering a travel trailer or fifth wheel. My Dad always said "Don't put the horse before the cart". Meaning don't limit your RV purchase based on the truck you just bought. We often see people purchase too light duty a truck to pull the unit they like. To avoid this we recommend choosing your RV first then matching up the proper tow vehicle. There are a variety of terms you should know like GCWR, GVWR, GAWR. Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) The total allowable weight of the tow vehicle, the trailer, the cargo in each, fluids and occupants. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) The total allowable weight for the vehicle, including occupants, fluids, options, hitch hardware, cargo and trailer-hitch weight. Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) The total allowable weight on an individual axle. This includes the weight of the tires, wheels, brakes and the axle itself. The maximum tow ratings for individual tow vehicles can be hard to determine. The easiest method and the one we use is Trailer Life Magazines Tow Rating Guide. Look up your vehicles tow rating by going to their main page at www.trailerlife.com and finding their Towing Guide.

Cross Border RV Shopping

Now here's a hot issue with customers and dealers alike. There is a common misconception that RV units cost less in the United States. The fact is the invoice cost of each unit is the same North America wide. We regularly scan the Internet to find these so called Wholesale RV Outlets, each time we find we can easily match and usually beat their pricing on like models. In British Columbia we are not allowed to advertise stripped down units cheap unless we have that unit in stock. Fact is very few people want the stripped down unit. So with the Internet you have a global marketplace, but you are subject to many different trade practise laws.There are many other drawbacks to Canadians purchasing in the United States. You have broker fees and duty associated with vehicle import. Lengthy vehicle importation paperwork required by Transport Canada. There are the costs of upgrading to Canadian Standards which are different from U.S. standards.Don't forget travel costs, insurance and dollar exchange. And if you get through all that most Dealers are not contractually obligated to perform warranty repairs on units. In fact there is a sizable cost difference in labour between what the manufacturer will pay and what the actual charge will be. Most Dealers absorb this cost for customers that made their purchase from them. The bottom line is a customer should sit down with their Dealer, provide all competitive information and give them a shot at the deal.

Canadian RV Joke

A light coloured hair Canadian girl walks into a coffee shop. Not an ordinary coffee shop a Canadian one, the one that offers a cup that you can unfold the rim and maybe win a prize. After receiving her coffee the girl starts jumping and shouting, I won a motorhome... I won a motorhome. The manager of the shop approaches the girl to verify her win and the exited girl hands over the cup. The manager looks at her and says "Win a Bagel" not "Winnebago".

Fiberglass VS Aluminum Siding

Today most RV Manufacturers are building Coaches with fiberglass or "Filon" siding. Is it really better? The smooth clean lines are attractive, it resists minor impacts and is easier to clean. The windows and doors may seal better to the smooth surface and if you contact a tree branch at the local campsite you may well get away with no damage. Cleaning an RV is always a chore and black streaks may be easier to remove from the flat surface. Now the drawbacks, filon built coaches have a large potential for leaking at the corner mouldings. Edge mouldings that get removed typically reveal large gaps that can let water inside walls if the seal fails. One method of avoiding this is to take note of top line units, most have a moulded one piece nose cap that covers the problem area. Another issue with fiberglass sided units is delamination; this happens when the siding and core of wall expand at different rates causing the siding to come loose from the wall. Any type of collision or delamination damage is very difficult to repair. In most cases a body shop needs to fill seams and blend color to get any kind of match. Now lets take a look at aluminum siding. First we think that aluminum's ability to breath through tongue and groove is a good idea. In many cases the siding is able to be wrapped around edges before mouldings are installed providing a backup to the silicone seal. When repairs are needed the aluminum siding is much easier to deal with, although color matches to older units are always a problem so avoiding the paint shop may not happen. As far a costs involved in repairing the fiberglass coaches would be much higher. Is fiberglass siding the way to go? We rarely see 20 year old fiberglass coaches in good condition.

Leak Problem

Happy New Year!!! Our resolution at Hub City RV is to pay more attention to our blog. I thought by posting some of the questions we get with our answers it would be quite helpful.

Question:
I was noticing a problem with my trailer. I noticed that my carpet on the right side of the trailer right below the window in the bedroom was wet. I took a look at the gutters to make sure they weren't clogged and they weren't. The window wasn't open and I could see where the water was coming in. I looked outside and there appears to be a depression/dip right over the window so the water pools there and comes down over the window.

Since I could see any water coming in on the inside I assume its leaking through the caulking somewhere and inside the wall. I just noticed it yesterday so I'm not sure how long its been leaking for. My obvious main concern is water in the wall and mould problems etc.

Any suggestions?

Answer:
Hello, we would recommend re-sealing around the window. As time goes by the putty they use oozes due to heat from the sun and breaks the silicone seal. The proper method of re-sealing would be to remove all silicone and putty around window and clean with solvent. Then apply a good quality silicone all the way around the window.