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Delivery Day Recommendations

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Delivery Day Recommendations
« on: November 12, 2009, 12:38:23 pm »
Based on our delivery last month, here are our ideas to make your delivery glitch-free:
•   Wait until Phoenix tells you that your unit is complete before you travel to Elkhart to pick it up. I drove to Elkhart from the Carolinas to arrive on the Monday after the Friday when our 2350 was to be complete. However after I left on my trip early Friday, material availability delayed delivery until the following Tuesday afternoon.
•   Start your delivery process early in the day. I took delivery in the afternoon and did not seem to have enough time to check everything out.
•   Important, know how to and be prepared to check out your unit’s vitals before you take delivery. This includes chassis fuel, engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, tire pressures, and warning indicators and the coach generator oil, tank levels, and propane. (Since the appropriate engine oil for the Sprinter diesel is not available at retailers such as WalMart, get some from a Dodge or Mercedes dealer beforehand.)
In my case after I drove away from the factory I saw that the fuel gage on the Sprinter read 0 (one indicator bar) and there were some lit indicators on the instrument panel, which I did not immediately comprehend.
First problem was to find a diesel station in Elkhart (Karin at the factory was helpful by phone). After I refueled and got back to the motel for the first night, I checked out the owners manual for the warning indicators, which were lit for the SRS (supplemental restraint system – an airbags and seatbelts problem) and lamp out problem.
I returned to the factory on Wednesday to correct the indicator problems, which required a half-day trip to the Dodge dealer in Goshen, IN to reprogram the chassis computer. Note: Phoenix indicated that they would correct this particular reprogramming problem in all subsequent Sprinter chassis they have.
I eventually tested the tire pressures and found the inner tires seriously under inflated. The how and when of this hazardous situation is indeterminate but if I had checked the tires myself before delivery, I would not have driven far on under inflated tires.
•   I assume that the paperwork you get at delivery is what works for Indiana. In North Carolina, it did not meet the bill. If you are not from Indiana, I recommend that you go to your local DMV office and get a list of documents you need to register your unit  (Be specific in telling the DMV that you are getting a “motor house” or whatever they call a motor home in your state). Check with Phoenix to see if they provide the same documentation. If not, bring copies of the required forms with you when you pick up the unit in Elkhart. Phoenix will send you the manufacturers’ certificates of origin (one for the chassis and one for the coach) about a week after you take delivery.
•   You may have negotiated a better price for your unit than the Phoenix MSRP. If so, ask for a bill of sale at delivery that reflects the price you actually paid otherwise, your state my try to collect sales tax on the MSRP rather than the price you paid.
•   I recommend that you negotiate on your insurance. In my case, I made several trips to my home/car insurance agent’s office and kept challenging their proposals. I also told them that I was looking at other options, which I was. In the end, I got a substantial cut from their first offer.
•   I brought a set of Metric and SAE hand tools with me to fix any problems on the way home. Note: I did not use or need any of them! (I would carry a quality 12V tire inflator though.)
•   Any issues I list above could have been avoided with better communication and planning. I found the staff at Phoenix to be friendly and helpful especially Kraig Fisher (Kermit’s son) and Karin in the office. When I presented my issues, everyone at Phoenix quickly and cheerfully worked to resolve them.
•   I’ll write soon about my trip home and outfitting the coach. We are very happy with our purchase and hope to get many years service out of it.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2009, 07:08:16 pm by NC Sailors »
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Re: Delivery Day Recommendations
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2010, 08:32:14 am »
Thanks for the input and I will definitely take your recommendations. Are you happy with the diesel and what type of mileage do you get. thx Hivey sailor