RVtravel.com, Better Business Bureau Join Forces To Produce DVD Guide To Buying An RV

EDMONDS, Wash. —The Better Business Bureau has joined forces with RVtravel.com and RV travel guru Chuck Woodbury to provide a valuable consumer- education program for buyers of recreational vehicles.

Titled "Buying a Recreational Vehicle," the 50-minute DVD recognizes the fact that the purchase of an RV is often the second largest purchase in the life of most Americans, behind a home.

"There are a lot of mistakes a new RVer can make when buying a motorhome or travel trailer," said host Woodbury, who also operates the nation's leading Web site for RV-related book buyers, www.RVbookstore.com. "We spend a lot of time in this DVD addressing all the points an RV buyer needs to know to end up with the right RV at the right price, and avoid making some classic buying mistakes."

Buying a recreational vehicle addresses the $10.4 billion recreational-vehicle industry and focuses on different types, sizes, and floor plans of RVs and the differences between gas and diesel models.

"The information we provide is based on the millions of calls the Better Business Bureau has received through the years about RVs," said Woodbury. "Many of the callers are looking for buying information, but, sadly, many are about deals gone wrong.

"The aim of this BBB video is to educate consumers so they don't end up stuck with the wrong RV or a financing deal that can lead to a financial nightmare down the road."

Woodbury and other experts interviewed on the DVD emphasize that the decision to buy an RV should not be a rush job. "It's important that a buyer avoid being emotional.

"Falling in love with a RV at first sight can lead to big trouble." Woodbury advises consumers to avoid an impulse purchase by sleeping on a purchase decision for at least a day or two.

Among the many consumer tips offered in the DVD is a caution against buying recreational vehicles from parking lots or campgrounds, making certain the previous owner has a verifiable address, not to be rushed by the seller, and spending several hours in an RV acting out a living routine.

"Many 6-foot tall guys have bought an RV without stepping inside the shower first," said Woodbury. "On their first trip, they learn that they can't fit without banging their heads."

Woodbury notes that a buyer of a used RV should check carefully for water damage and "dry rot," as both are deceptively expensive to repair, and to always call the BBB for a reliability report on a dealer before signing a contract.

The DVD is available at www.RVbookstore.com for $19.95. The Washington state-based company has partnered with the Better Business Bureau, which continues in its proud tradition of 100 years of protecting America's consumers, according to Donald Burkholder, BBB Video Series president. Woodbury, whose RV lifestyle and industry knowledge has been showcased in the New York Times, People Magazine, Business Week, NBC's Today Show, and in dozens of leading national publications, is among America's best known RV enthusiasts. Additional information is available by contacting
Chuck Woodbury (425) 744-0415, chuck@rvbookstore.com or Ryan Flynn, (425) 712-0740, edmondspef@yahoo.com.