JoeTrekker Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Hey, Y'All - I hope this is the correct forum to ask my question? I see that LaMesa RV has advertised an RV in which I'm really interested. But before I head over to inspect and possibly buy the RV, I wanted to poll the group on your experiences with LaMesa. Good, honest dealership? Or should I avoid them? I'm pretty sure we've discussed LaMesa RV before on one of the Escapees forums, so I tried to use the search function to locate prior posts that include comments about LaMesa RV. I hoped to avoid posting my question because I fear it's repetitive. Unfortunately, I didn't get any hits when I used the search engine. I'll bet I'm using the search engine wrong though, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to better use this site's search engine to locate posts with comments about LaMesa RV, I'd appreciate the guidance. I don't like to bother you all with repetitive questions if I can avoid it. Thanks much, and Happy Holidays! Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 We bought our motorhome last year from the La Mesa in Tucson. It was a good experience and after-purchase service has been good. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the one in Tucson (I have no experience with the other locations). LindaH 2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K 2011 Kia Soul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 We bought our rig from them 9 years ago in Tampa. Based upon our experience I would not recommend them, but things change so if you really like the rig, do a good job of checking it out, etc. Barb Barb & Dave O'Keeffe 2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net SPK# 90761 FMCA #F337834 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laara Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 I was told that it is good to buy from them but not good to get anything repaired there. I liked experience there when we looked at couple RVs. But we did not buy there. It was one of Phoenix locations, cannot remember which one. 2009 Dynamax Isata 26ft Honda Helix scooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 A major part of any buying experience is the sales person that you deal with. I have learned to let management know if I get a sales person who I just don't click with. Sometimes it is just a matter of the right personalities working. Most dealerships are not inherently bad or good, but have both satisfied and dissatisfied customers. I always advice caution in dealing with any dealership and with the sales people as well, but don't be fearful as they are businessmen much the same as automobile sales or most any other commission sales operation. We have a friend who has worked for La Mesa RV and she simply says that they are a typical dealer in most respects. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeTrekker Posted December 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 Thank you everyone. I see that everyone who has posted so far is someone whose opinion I've come to respect. I'll proceed with caution. The next step is to find a qualified RV inspector in the Tucson area. Onward we march! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie & Jim Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 We bought our travel trailer from the Tucson La Mesa dealer and it was a good experience. However, I would not take it back there for any work to be done. We found their sales department is a lot better than their service department. Sandie & Jim Dixon Traveling with Scooter and Skittlez www.wherearethedixonstoday.blogspot.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDuke Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 We bought our Class C there in Tucson 4 years ago.They took 2 days to prep the 9 year old C. We stayed on the grounds overnight while they preped. What as kind of amazing to us was the number of people that needed some work done and how they came back to get it done instead of going elsewhere. Sure times change, but all we can do is add our comments with our one experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Joyce Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 Don't believe them when they say you can take your RV to another La Mesa for service. My mother-in-law had decent service from her selling La Mesa (Mesa AZ), but had a nightmare taking it to another location (San Diego CA) arranged by her selling location. 2004 40' Newmar Dutch Star DP towing an AWD 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid, Fulltimer July 2003 to October 2018, Parttimer now. Travels through much of 2013 - http://www.sacnoth.com - Bill, Diane and Evita (the cat) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger & Karen Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 We bought our motorhome from the Tucson location last February. Be very careful when closing the deal. They are very good at talking people in to extras. My husband was ready to buy everything they offered, and I stopped him. They weren't very happy with me. I think they are better than some. They were excellent with service after the fact. Just remember, their job is to pocket as much of your money as possible. Your job is to see that they don't. I don't believe anyone working on commission is your friend, they may be nice, but they aren't your friend. Karen Roger & Karen Roger USN Captain (retired) submarine service Karen Captain (retired) pilot 2014 Winnebago Tour 42GD Toad Chevy Avalanche Travel six months At home in coastal Maine six months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeTrekker Posted December 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Sounds like peoples' experiences at LaMesa have been a mixed bag: both good and bad. I agree that sales people are not my close buddies and that I need to proceed with caution. Next step is to find out which location the 2 units in which I'm interested are located and then find a qualified RV inspector to meet me when I go visit. I'm eager to be on the road again!! Thank you everyone who posted; your sharing has been a big help. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted December 25, 2014 Report Share Posted December 25, 2014 I'm eager to be on the road again!! Keep us posted on how things go. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeTrekker Posted December 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2014 Thanks, Kirk. I will be happy to share my RV buying experience. And since there's a "mixed bag" of responses relative to LaMesa RV, I'll be sure to get out there within the next 2 weeks to inspect the two rigs in which I have interest, then share my experiences with the group. Knowledge is power, eh? Merry Christmas to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobsue2 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 La Mesa in Sanford Fl had the best price on the RV we wanted...after that, everything went downhill. Struck a deal with them in the morning,,,said wife & I will come in at 1:00 to sign papers...that'll be fine they said. Show up @ 1 somebody's in the sales office..it'll be just a few minutes... 45 minutes later I look in...now a different couple is in there...I ask whats going on...oh they're traveling a we got the rig repaired earlier than we planned and they're anxious to get back on the road..... Another hour or so passes and I notice a couple drive up and disappear into the backroom...sure enough they're now in the sales office doing paperwork..wife & I are now ready to head for the door We finally get in, execute the papers..walk outside to hook up and leave and there's not a soul around to help with the hook up, make sure everything is ok...help guide me out of the lot since its cramped...not a major deal but to spend that kind of money you'd think they would have least seen me to the gate...the little finance girl did come out after a while and make sure we were happy.... (not her job) Went camping that weekend...discovered a small leak in the air mattress...took it back...thats not a warranty issue...I don't care about a warranty issue...brand new should not have to worry with something like that...they said they would look into it...repeated calls & visits produced nothing... Even though they are located within a couple of miles of our house...I'll never buy or have them service my rig GL on your purchase Cedar Creek 38FB2 '12 Mega Cab 4x4 19.5 Cooper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeTrekker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Wow. Thank you for sharing, Bob & Sue; that's quite a story. If I were to go through an experience like that, I'd be really pissed off and have the same attitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solo18 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I don't know about buying an RV from them, but I recently went to them for service because they were a Fleetwood dealer and will not go back. I was replacing a water pump that was less than a year old. They charged me about 25% more than the other dealer had for the same work a year before. Also, they did not know anything about warranty for the water pump they were putting in and said I had to call the pump factory to find that out. And they also charged me $65 in labor to replace two tail lights (plus parts) and $65 to check the air in my tires. I have been to a lot of dealers and have only once before been charged to check air in the tires when I was having a lot of other work done. No estimate on the tail lights or air in my tires at all--just a final bill. I had better service from La Mesa in Davis, CA, at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moisheh Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 La Mesa makes there $$ in the financing. We tried to buy from them but the sales manager was a jerk. They have a bad reputation! The service depts. are even worse! I would stay away from them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjim Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I wonder if the maint. aspect varies by location? I wonder about maint. at Camping World at different locations or any other chain? I have had some good reports from a few people about the service and maint. at the CW Albquerque location and found that a number of the tech's and service manager had migrated from another large dealer in the area that had a decent reputation in the past. I would have recommended them in the past but don't know. I have to say looked to possibly buy a couple of times in the past and don't think I would give them a high recommendation in sales but obviously that is just based on my experience. In Albq. the CW and La Mesa are nearly in sight of each other. When shopping I almost always get that feeling of I want to sell you something vs I want to let you buy something that you want. That certainly does not generate that happy word of mouth recommendation in me. I guess that sales technique must work more than not or they would do something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAylor Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 We bought our rig from LA Mesa in Tampa and were very pleased. They were very thorough and prompt. Everyone was helpful. They went above and beyond to help us transfer our stuff over to the new rig. Can't say enough about how good they were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 I think that one of the most valuable bits of information that is in this thread is that it demonstrates the fact that any dealer will have both satisfied and unsatisfied customers if you look far enough. The circumstances in an RV experience will bring very different reactions from different observers, even if they happen to be exactly the same, which they never are. To me the most important conclusion that can be drawn from the differing comments are that in every situation you need to be the key person in making sure that you get what you need and expect from the dealer or RV shop. Attitudes and involvement of the customer are critical to any customer experience. We each have a different standard and different levels of expectation and it is up to us as the people who hold the cash to make sure that we receive what we expect in return for that cash. Nobody can or will do this for us, nor is it their responsibility to do so. Sales people are paid by the dealer and so the dealer is their first loyalty, as it should be. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeTrekker Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Indeed, Kirk, I came to the same conclusion, but you expressed it better than I. I really appreciate the feedback from the everyone who shared their experience. This weekend I thought that the feedback simply shows that if LaMesa RV - or any dealer - has a product that I want, then it's my responsibility to state the value I'm willing to pay, assure that I get the treatment I deserve ... or go elsewhere. No matter what RV product it is that I'm looking for, there are NUMEROUS sources out there, and unsatisfactory behavior should never be tolerated. And if I receive less than quality service, it's my responsibility to let the top guy or gal in management know about it. As well as sharing with my friends so that they aren't caught unaware. The information shared by all has been terrific. Thank you all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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