Buying a Phoenix Cruiser from long distance....

Has anyone ever bought a PC sight unseen?  Sounds kind of crazy, although Ive heard that buyers of used Lazy Daze, and
Couch House RV's have done that in the past.   Its become obvious to us that we wont be strolling down to the nearest dealer
to look at them.

We were wondering about some of the experiences members have had in purchasing a used PC from a long distance away.
Did you fly out to see it first?  Did you have a third party do an RV inspection?  I do understand that it would be easier to buy
a used from the mothership.  It seems that Earl and the crew do an outstanding job in getting a unit ready for sale.  My concerns
deal more with a private party sale.

Comments appreciated.

Thanks
Hutch42

I would most definitely NOT buy sight unseen from an unknown private seller (and some dealers for that matter).  Paraphrasing what Forrest Gump said, "...you never know what you're gonna get."  Most are probably OK but. . .  We just dodged a bullet when we bought our 2400 Sprinter from a dealer.    We knew it had an Aerobed in it, but what wasn't disclosed was that the original air mattress was long missing.  The dealer did provide an aftermarket, battery powered, self inflating air mattress still in the package, but it is of less than top quality.  We had no idea anything was amiss until we were closing the deal; and here we were in Sarasota, FL with two dogs and full intentions to buy.   

Hutch, from personal experience I have missed a couple of  Phoenix cruisers because i agonized on flying out to see them.  I had looked at two in person and was sure this particular make/model was the model that I wanted due to fit and finish.  I assume you have made that decision at this point and are not out "shopping" for a motorhome in general.  On the unit that I did purchase I found on Cl, contacted seller, discussed the condition etc., discussed price, established an agreed on price if it was in the condition described by seller.  Seller stated he would hold while I made arrangements to fly in to see it.  Of course if it was not as described I would have walked away.  Most sellers will send additional pictures that you request that don't normally appear in an ad.  My purchase went smoothly and was everything the seller stated.....your milage may differ.  If you find the one that meets your fancy, fly out, close the deal and drive it home.  Good luck with your quest.

Larry

My advice would be limit the amount of dollars that change hands before you have a chance to inspect. Have a plan to recover those dollars if the sale falls through. Inspect or hire an inspector. Be willing to spend the money to travel to see the coach and be prepared to walk away if the coach is not for you. I've had two experiences buying an RV from some distance away. The first was a 1971 Airstream trailer on EBay from a private owner. I was about 125 miles away from the buyer. I won the auction knowing that the buyer wanted  $500 down payment in 24 hours and payment in full in seven days. My work schedule is flexible. After the auction, I sent him a message saying that I would be there in two days, with cash in hand,  to inspect.  I was there. Trailer was as advertised. Title was clear. No cash changed hands until I was certain the trailer was as advertised and title was clear.

Second purchase was a PC from a dealer over 700 miles away. PC was a trade-in from a member of this forum. He was very happy with PC just wanted a  Super C. Luckily I was able to contact the member and he was very kind to fill me in on the condition of his trade. He has become a valuable resource for information. I'm very lucky! I called the dealer, made a $1000 deposit on my credit card ( easy to reverse if the sale didn't occur) and booked a one way flight. I drove, inspected and spent the night in the PC. Next morning we finalized the selling price and I drove the PC home. Had the sale not occurred, I was prepared to just fly home and continue my search. Money well spent if it wasn't the one.

Good morning Hutch42. We scouted  RV Trader for a month or so, and finally found  2011 3100 from a dealer down in Florida. There were lots of photos to look at, and we didn't see anything to scare us off. Spoke to the dealer several times, scouted their Web site and talked some more.  Decided that at worst we would have a trip to Florida.. We flew down from New York, and it was our good fortune that the rig was in excellent shape. Everything as advertised.
We are not new to  rvs, so knew what to look for, but did not have an independent inspector go over it.
Closed the deal that day, and drove it back to New York.  We are very happy campers!
So, this is just one story with a happy ending.  Hope you find yours!
Peace
Nancy G