Buy with Confidence in Ontario
The Hitch House's goal has always been to be the best RV and Motorhome Dealer in Ontario and Canada. To that end, we consider it vitally important to be; an Ontario Motor Vehicle Inspection Station; a registered dealer under the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council; and a contributing member of the Ontario Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association.
Ontario Motor Vehicle Inspection Station
It is very common for a car dealer to be a Motor Vehicle Inspection Station however that is not the case in the RV Industry. The Hitch House has always considered service to be a critical requirement to a dealership's success. Many years ago The Hitch House applied to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to become an Ontario Motor Vehicle Inspection Station. We met and continue to exceed the Ministry's requirements and are one of very few RV / Motorhome dealers that are an Ontario Motor Vehicle Inspection Station.
The Hitch House is classified as a Class P station holding a Type 1 license providing us the authority to inspect and certify trailers and motor vehicles in accordance with the inspection requirements and performance standards set out in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act.
Under the Act, a Motor Vehicle Inspection Station must:
(a) have sufficient internal space or external hard (pavement or concrete) standing area for the inspection of at least one vehicle of the class that the inspection station is licensed to inspect - the Hitch House has 17 service bays and approximately 8 acres of pavement;
(b) be equipped with a mechanic's common hand tools and a hoist or jack suitable for the weight of the vehicle to be inspected - the Hitch House has two hoists, 2 pit bays and a dedicated, comprehensive, secure tool room;
(c) be equipped with devices appropriate to the class or type of vehicle to be inspected for and that equipment is kept in good working order and that measuring devices are properly calibrated the equipment includes,
(i) aiming headlights,
(ii) measuring wear in brake system components,
(iii) measuring tire tread depth,
(iv) measuring play or wear in steering and suspension systems,
(v) detecting leaks in compressed fuel systems,
(vi) measuring the torque of wheel and rim fasteners;
(d) be maintained in a clean and safe condition - every Friday afternoon before closing the service staff do a complete shop clean up and monthly The Hitch House Health and Safety committee inspects the premises to ensure that we meet and exceed the Ministry's requirement;
(e) ensure that all licenced motor vehicle mechanics employed by the Motor Vehicle Inspection Station must be registered with the Station under the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
It is a condition of the licence that the inspection station:
(a) own or lease the premises in which the inspections are carried out - The Hitch House has a 50,000 sq. ft. facility that sits on 14 acres;
(b) display the licence in a conspicuous position in the station;
(c) issue a safety standards certificate, annual inspection certificate or semi-annual inspection certificate only on a form supplied to the inspection station by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation; and
(d) issue a safety standards certificate, annual inspection certificate or semi-annual inspection certificate for a vehicle inspected in accordance with the inspection requirements and complying with the performance standards prescribed by the Ontario Highway Traffic Act.
There are many more requirements of the Act that a Motor Vehicle Inspection Station must abide by to maintain is status. The Hitch House is proud to continually exceed these requirements and be a licenced Motor Vehicle Inspection Station in the Province of Ontario.
Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has implemented additional protection for Ontario's automotive consumers and dealers. The Motor Vehicle Dealers' Act, 2002 (MVDA, 2002) enforced and administrated by the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) regulates the automotive industry.
Under the Act, an Ontario registered automotive dealer and its sales staff are licenced, trained and regulated professionals. The Hitch House as a dealer of motorized RV's (Motorhomes) is a registered licensed dealer under OMVIC . We ensure that every one of our staff that participates in the selling of a motorhome takes the OMVIC certification course offered by Georgian College and passes the examination to be a registered, licenced sales person. As a licenced OMVIC dealer we contribute to the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund, which is a consumer protection fund.
If you buy from someone who is not an Ontario registered dealer you are not protected by consumer protection legislation; you are ineligible for financial compensation and you risk becoming a victim of a curbsider. Private sales are not protected under the legislation.
When you buy from the Hitch House you can "Buy with Confidence " as The Hitch House is an "Ontario Registered Dealer " with the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council.
Ontario Recreational Vehicle Dealers' Association
The goal of the Ontario Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association is to help its members through training and education programs; web site services; newsletters; warnings; industry surveys; conventions and events; RV Shows; government lobbying, etc.
The Hitch House has been an active member of the Ontario Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (ORVDA) for over 30 years. The owners of The Hitch House have committed their time to the association's Board of Directors and of its sub-committees.
The Ontario RVDA has been instrumental in righting some of the wrongs of the provincial government with regard to consumers and dealers. Larry Boyd the Executive Director of the Ontario RVDA and Hitch House founder Dave McKee met with the Ontario Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, early in 2011. Mr. McKee and Mr. Boyd presented the Minister with the issue of motorhome vehicle registration that had been incorrect for over 20 years. The vast majority of motorhomes were being registered one year older than the Motorhome Manufacturer's designation, thus immediately reducing the value of the motorhome to the consumer and the dealer. The Minister, armed with the information provided by Mr. McKee, within weeks of this meeting, corrected the registration of motorhomes in the Province of Ontario.
The Hitch House was recognized by its peers and was voted the 2010 Ontario RV Dealer of the Year. In addition, Dave McKee, founder of The Hitch House was one of the nominees in 2010 for the Canadian Dealer of the Year.