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New RV buyer looking for advice


eddohner

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All,

I am a first time RV buyer who is looking for advice on getting the best deal on a new (or used) Class B RV.

I have spent a lot of time online doing research and watching youtube videos to narrow down my choice of an RV that both fits my needs and meets my budget. I have also gone to a major Rv show to check out RV's and their floorplans. I feel confident in what I want. Still, I feel like I have a lot to learn.

Does anyone have any advice on obtaining the best price on a new RV? I know I don't want to pay MSRP, but I would like to learn how to determine that I am getting a good deal. Is there a way to find the invoice price? Is there a "rule of thumb" on a percentage discount below the MSRP?

I am new to the forum and it seems like a great resource for information. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and I am looking forward to being a part of the RV community!!

Eric

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MSRP is generally a figure that is sometimes double of what a dealer would have paid the factory for an RV unit.  For example, if a brand new 2018 you are looking at has a MSRP of $150,000, the dealer certainly didn't pay more than $80,000 and probably closer to $75,000.  So a dealer can easily come down 30%, and often does but not always.

The whole RV industry is going strong right now so probably 20% to 22% off MSRP may be about as good as it gets this time of year.

Hopes this helps and welcome.

Joe & Cindy

Newmar 4369 Ventana

Pulling 24' enclosed (Mini Cooper, Harley, 2 Kayaks)

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Welcome to the Escapee forums! We are here to help and do all that we can to answer questions, offer advice, and support you in your search.

Determining a fair price is most difficult part of the RV buying experience. The first reason is that dealers are not required to disclose the manufacturer's suggested retail price like the automobile dealers are. While most new RVs on display have some sort of listing of base price plus options, the vast majority of them are created in the dealership office and made to read anything that the sales manager wants there. Then from that fictitious number, the dealer will offer some really big discount. But if you visit enough dealers that sell that same RV you will quickly find that no two of them show the same MSRP and the reason is that in most cases none of those came from the factory but were generated in-house. The best way to know a starting point when pricing a new RV is that a few manufacturers like Winnebago display their base prices on their website so you and at least know what the base should be before options. Since you will seldom find two RVs or the same make and model that are configured exactly alike, true prices are extremely difficult. Also, it is usual for dealers with the same brand of RV to be much farther apart than for cars. 

11 hours ago, eddohner said:

Is there a "rule of thumb" on a percentage discount below the MSRP?

You will find numbers like 20% and 30% commented on RV forums and in discussions on a frequent basis and some will give numbers that are even higher but most of the size of discount has to be determined by the validity of the price you start with and that is rarely very accurate. RV dealers are masters at manipulating the numbers and most can make it appear that you are getting a far better price than is really the case. If the RV is to be financed this becomes even more challenging to determine. If you trade in your previous vehicle then it reaches near impossible levels. I always separate the financing from the sales price. If I finance the RV I arrange a loan before I go to deal for the RV so that I know exactly what interest rate I will pay and what the final cost will be per thousand dollars financed. 

When we bought our full-time class A, I went to the local dealer and went through the order process pricing out the base price plus all options and came up with an order sheet listing a final price. I then went home and called the factory that builds that coach and got a list of all dealers for it in a 3 state area. I then called each one and asked if they would be interested in bidding on the selling of an RV to be ordered to my specifications. There were 9 sales managers who replied affirmatively so I then covered all numbers on the spec sheet from the local dealers and made a copy to fax to each of those 9 so that all were bidding on the exact same RV. Of the 9 dealerships, 7 of them responded with bid prices over the next two days. The list price was about $81,000 (this was 20 years ago) and the prices ranged from $72k to $63k. Our local dealer was the second from the highest of the bids. I then discussed my wish to trade in the previous RV and ultimately bought from the next to lowest bidder since he offered almost $3k more for my trade than the lowest. I drove about 120 miles to get a savings of more than $8,000 for the total deal. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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I recommend you look first at the websites for typical Class B units like RoadTrek, Leisure Travel, Great West Vans, and PleasureWay. Then look at the websites for upgraded RVs like Advanced-RV and Sportsmobile. That will give you a good sense of what you can get new for what type of price. Having that base knowledge you can go from there to see what used units are selling for--sometimes from those same websites--but also from PPL in Houston. One advantage of doing research at PPL is they let you look at what they actually got for the units they have sold. Be aware that latter number is affected by downpayment and/or trade-in, though.

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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You wrote  you are looking for advice on a new or used unit.  If money is any object, look at used units.  Depreciation for a new unit is huge.  New units are not necessarily trouble free.  In fact the opposite is often the case.  New units often have issues that need to be resolved.

When buying used, make sure you go through the RV and get information on any known issues.  Then pay an RV mechanic to do an evaluation.  I was also lucky enough to buy on consignment.  The seller had agreed to fix any issues so the dealer selling on consignment had an additional incentive to find problems and then charge the seller for the repairs.  The dealer and I both went through the unit.  It was in virtually new condition, but he found some minor issues for repair.  The unit was about 4 years old and in like new condition when I bought it.  The cost of a new RV would have been at least double.  Of course I did not get to pick the upholstery colors.

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But, when looking at used units think about how long you might want to keep a rig. One that's already eight years old likely won't hold up as long as a new unit. If you're going to have to replace tires, batteries, and appliances, did you really save money? How soon do you want to spend time in shops having those things done?

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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8 hours ago, sandsys said:

How soon do you want to spend time in shops having those things done?

Linda makes an excellent point. We have bought several new RVs and also several used ones over the years and have never had a major issue with either one. We have experienced appliance failures due to age and have had to replace tires right after purchase due to tire age and many other aspects of used  RVs and we have had a few warranty repairs on new RVs as well. Like most things, an RV and the appliances in them have a limited useful life which can be extended or shortened by the care and use given to it. There is far more risk in buying used because they almost never have any warranty. Buying used can save you money if you get a good one, but there have been more than one who came to these forums to tell of a used RV that turned out to be a disaster. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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We have owned two new RVs and two used RVs.  With the first new RV we visited the dealer/shop 3 times plus I fixed a ton of stuff myself.  With the second new RV (current) we have been back to the dealer 2 times and I have fixed several things myself.  With both used RVs neither one was ever at a dealer/shop for anything except for a few add-ons or modifications I wanted.

Joe & Cindy

Newmar 4369 Ventana

Pulling 24' enclosed (Mini Cooper, Harley, 2 Kayaks)

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26 minutes ago, FL-JOE said:

With both used RVs neither one was ever at a dealer/shop for anything except for a few add-ons or modifications I wanted.

How much warranty was there on your used RVs? None of mine had any warranty so I did all repairs myself. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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22 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

How much warranty was there on your used RVs? None of mine had any warranty so I did all repairs myself. 

The last used one had an extended warranty (2014 model).  I probably should have stated it differently.  Both of my new units had things go wrong that even though were not major, required parts and I was unwilling to fix myself.  Both of my used units seemed to have all the bugs worked out and except for minor adjustments and maintenance along the way, and were repair free.

Also, unlike buying an automobile, sometimes new RVs come with certain items that have to be replaced right away.  This can be especially true if you are a first time buyer.  For example, many new fivers come from the factory with tires that are not rated heavy enough for the new unit once it is loaded for use.  My new fiver had to have the tires upgraded to "G" series, whereas the first used one I purchased the prior owner had already replaced the factory tires with "G" series and saved me almost $1,200.00.

Joe & Cindy

Newmar 4369 Ventana

Pulling 24' enclosed (Mini Cooper, Harley, 2 Kayaks)

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5 minutes ago, Oldav8r said:

Can somebody give a guy a break here?

please decode: 

HDT - 

TT - 

Fiver - 

thanks 

TT is bumper pull travel trailer.

Fiver is fifth wheel travel trailer.

HDT is some kind of ego thing which has it's own category and gets some guys really excited.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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Best bet is a 3 to 5 year old higher end used unit rather than an entry level new unit.  Much better quality and value for the money.

Next is the truck big enough to safely haul the trailer.

Ken

Amateur radio operator, 2023 Cougar 22MLS, 2022 F150 Lariat 4x4 Off Road, Sport trim <br />Travel with 1 miniature schnauzer, 1 standard schnauzer and one African Gray parrot

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  • 2 weeks later...

Since the original poster specifically mentioned Class B I'll address that point.

Rather than work from a mythical MSRP, just use actual asking prices for similar vehicles. You can search rv trader https://www.rvtrader.com/find-rvs-for-sale?sort=featured%3Aasc&layoutView=listView&

for what you are looking for. Prices will vary somewhat, but you ought to be able to figure out what you will have to give fairly quickly. Suggestion: don't search for any specific brand at first, and don't put in any price. Search nationwide and you will get the most hits. If that is too much to deal with you can add filters to reduce the number of hits. You will get some brands that you may not have thought of. Linda mentioned several brands. Airstream also makes a Class B, and Foretravel has also done a couple. I think theirs were more on the order of trials, as they have been experimenting a bit lately, so they may or may not have anything that interests you.

One thing you will find out quickly is that a Class B can easily cost you MORE than a Class A or Class C that will have more room. If you are planning on having only one vehicle and are a minimalist, you can get by with the B. We have friends that are full-timing in a 1973 Dodge van conversion, but they are exceptional people.

You can't just hop in the RV and head to the store - even if the sales person says you can. The sales person won't be there to clean up the mess. You still have to put things away for traveling, whether you are going 300 miles down the road or across the campground to dump.

You might check out PPL, too. A slightly used Class B may be just what you need. Too many people buy a brand-new RV without first taking the time to think about how it will work for them and then find out that it doesn't work. They then trade it in on something closer to what they need and take the depreciation hit. Their loss can be your gain.

David Lininger, kb0zke
1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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  • 1 month later...

Looks like this is another case of someone asking a question and not returning for the answer(s). Eric posted his question on 11 May and hasn't posted anything since.

David Lininger, kb0zke
1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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3 hours ago, kb0zke said:

Looks like this is another case of someone asking a question and not returning for the answer(s). Eric posted his question on 11 May and hasn't posted anything since.

No way to know if he returned for the answer or not.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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1 hour ago, Kirk Wood said:

There is if you hold your mouse over his avatar and just read the date he was last on the forums.

The mouse controls the cursor ( that pointy thing on the screen ) . So , hold the cursor over ... ;)

Goes around , comes around .

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2 hours ago, Kirk Wood said:

There is if you hold your mouse over his avatar and just read the date he was last on the forums.

That only tells you the last time he was on the forums while signed in.  He could have come here 100 times and read the answers without signing in.

Everybody wanna hear the truth, but everybody tell a lie.  Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody want to die.  Albert King

 

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