Where to order a new truck?

[Don_T]

I want to order a new Ram 3500 in the near future. I would like to order from a dealer in the Livingston or Houston area and fly in to take delivery. Does anyone know who in these areas will take a new truck order via email/phone and give me a decent price on the vehicle? I am in Vermont as of now and dealers here don’t want to trouble themselves with Texas registration.

[SWharton]

Why don't you try Sams Club or Costco? AAA and USAA also have car buying programs. Probably others also. May not be the best price you can get but should be a fair price.

[rynosback]

3 hours ago, Don_T said:

I want to order a new Ram 3500 in the near future. I would like to order from a dealer in the Livingston or Houston area and fly in to take delivery. Does anyone know who in these areas will take a new truck order via email/phone and give me a decent price on the vehicle? I am in Vermont as of now and dealers here don’t want to trouble themselves with Texas registration.

So your only issue is that they will not register the truck in TX or is it the price?  I would just keep calling dealers until you find one fairly close to you.  Look in NH and even NY.  As maybe it is a state law in VT that if bought there you have to register there.  I would even think that you could get the point of orgin after buying it and do your own registration, only if you are paying cash.   It is just forms and sending in the point of orgin.  Some states will have you pay them the TT and then they cut you a check made to the state.  I believe this is so they know it is being registered.

As the cost of flying, fuel, food and hotel is a chunk of change.  Have you called all of your local dealers?  I ask because a lot of dealer now use a service to register vehicles.  I bought in MD but registered in SD on my Ram.

I hope that you find a dealer that will work with you.

[Kirk W]

We have a friend from Australia that bought from Patterson Ram in Tyler, TX.

[RV_]

https://www.bing.com/search?q=dodge+ram+houston&pc=MOZI&form=MOZLBR

[Lance A Lott]

Don T where in Vermont are you?  I am in Morrisville. You can buy the truck in NH and then register in Texas. Go to the HDT section there is a lot of info about registration there, especially Texas. If you are registering in Texas to save Vermont tax I think Texas is about the same. And they will honor Vermont tax so if you move there you will not have to pay it twice. 

I flew to Texas last April and  bought a Volvo truck which I drove home in three days. 

[dirtyboots]

Bought my current truck when I lived in Washington State, the dealer issued a temporary registration (30 days I think).  I was able to do the rest of the paperwork myself anywhere I wanted.  South Dakota worked out perfectly for me.

[Don_T]

12 hours ago, Lance A Lott said:

Don T where in Vermont are you?  I am in Morrisville. You can buy the truck in NH and then register in Texas. Go to the HDT section there is a lot of info about registration there, especially Texas. If you are registering in Texas to save Vermont tax I think Texas is about the same. And they will honor Vermont tax so if you move there you will not have to pay it twice. 

I flew to Texas last April and  bought a Volvo truck which I drove home in three days. 

Thanks for the information. I am very near Morrisville at this time. We are Texas residents and plan to stay that way. I will look into NH as an option for ordering a truck.

[Lance A Lott]

Don, my parents winter in Brownsville and have purchased 3 and sold 2 vehicles there in the past 2 years they registered them in Vermont. If you would like to talk with them about the process, I realize it would be reversed, I can get them in touch with you. Lance

[jblo]

Have you checked with Dave Smith Motors in Kellog, ID?  They will pick you up at airport and fix you right up.  Not much further to ID as to Houston/Livingston.  100s of Rams on the ground there.

[bobsallyh]

I was going to suggest like jblo, Dave Smith. They are or were a major dealer for Rams for quite awhile. Although the dealership was sold to an outfit out of Texas several years ago. Another player of late has been Dennis Dillon in Boise, ID. Both of these outfits will pick you up at the airport. Since I assume you are buying "straight sale", no trade, you are in the drivers seat at the dealerships. When we bought our Ram, I ended up buying at Bounds Dodge in Livingston. They did much better price wise than the Houston area dealers.

[whj469]

I would not buy at a small rural dealer. I have tried for years in SE Texas. If you go to the largest Ram dealer(s) website(s) in Houston and find the truck that you want, more then one dealer and a few trucks, and then start negotiation. You should get a clean deal without a trade in? They are expensive! I just got a 2019 F350 XLT, CC, long bed, diesel, 4X4, SRW, about $62,000. Good luck!

[Don_T]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I have some contacts now that I am working with in several areas of the country. I don’t mind a road trip, I am retired and full timing anyway.

[Pappy Yokum]

On 2/1/2019 at 9:07 PM, jblo said:

Have you checked with Dave Smith Motors in Kellog, ID?  They will pick you up at airport and fix you right up.  Not much further to ID as to Houston/Livingston.  100s of Rams on the ground there.

Haven't shopped for a new truck in a while - but last I heard Dave Smith Motors was doing the largest volume of Ram trucks in the US.

Suggest you contact various dealers via internet.  Remember there's several "prices" for ANY truck - MSRP (ignore MSRP), Dealer INVOICE, and Dealer COST.  The last one is what the dealer actually pays the factory for the truck - minus dealer holdback, and any incentives the dealer is receiving for volume, etc. You can find out what the holdback is, but not what incentives the dealer may be  receiving.

Consequently, you should be able to purchase at -or below- dealer INVOICE (you will never know what the actual Dealer Cost is).

Know EXACTLY what you want.  ALWAYS compare apples to apples! IF you are ordering the truck, (and are willing to travel) you should be able to compare prices across the US.  Once you have your "benchmark" price you can "shop" that price closer to home -or- make the trip to "wherever". Your price comparison/s should be without (prior to ) any customer *factory* rebates.  *Dealer*  "rebates" to/for customers are usually just a percentage  off of MSRP - typical sales gimmick.

BTW there were a couple of dealers in Oregon who where very close to Dave Smith's prices - as well as Lou Fusz dealership in O'Fallon, MO..  Unfortunately, the salesman there (who would routinely beat Smith's prices) departed for a different occupation. Lastly, visit one (or more) of the Ram Diesel (or gas) forums - and ask for "best deal" dealer suggestions.

Happy hunting!

 

 

[rynosback]

Another piece of advise.  If you are going to travel to buy a truck.  Have them fax you the buyers order, sales agreement.  Make sure it has:

1. your information

2. the trucks information, including vin

3. all figures totaled so there are no surprizes

4. that it is signed from an authorized person from the dealer.

Anything less then that, let the games begin.

[jamtracy]

5 hours ago, rynosback said:

Another piece of advise.  If you are going to travel to buy a truck.  Have them fax you the buyers order, sales agreement.  Make sure it has:

1. your information

2. the trucks information, including vin

3. all figures totaled so there are no surprizes

4. that it is signed from an authorized person from the dealer.

Anything less then that, let the games begin.

Best advice yet. Especially #2. We bought our first diesel truck of the Chevy variety from Dave Smiths in 2008 and we made the drive from the Seattle area and the truck turned out to be a long bed instead of a short bed. We were not very happy when they played the "we thought this is what you wanted" routine.

[whj469]

The reason I suggested Houston Texas is because 50% of all registrations in Harris County (Houston) are pickup trucks. There are  many of them on the lots so you will find what you want and my experience has been you can get one for less then other places.

When I started looking, September 2019, a small Ford dealer in Cleveland, TX, the closest dealer to me, somehow knew I was looking for a truck and their internet manager called and I told him they didn't have what I was looking for on their lot. I also told him it was price only and not good service etc. that I was interested in and he said let me find what you want at the best price. He called me back after about one hour and emailed me regarding a truck he had located at a big city dealer in Houston. When I told him that truck was at the large city dealer and that they would sell it to me for this price. He responded that he couldn't sell it for that price because he didn't even have the truck and he started telling me about the great service his dealership has. I reminded him that it was price only and he hung up on me! I called back and told their sales manager what had happened and he apologized but he didn't even give me a price on the truck!

I bought that truck at the dealer who had it for the price they had given me from the start. I had also looked at dealers in LA, MI and KY. The truck is made in KY. Not one of the other dealers would even come close to the price that I got it for. I have also been told and it has been my experience that you do better if you take from their lot as opposed to ordering one. Good Luck

 

[whj469]

What a surprise regarding Bounds in Livingston! Mr. Bounds has a pharmacy in Cleveland, TX and I know him and his sales manager. Very hard to believe they had the best price? Maybe they have a new sales plan? I have tried to buy from then and also Martin Chrysler in Cleveland, TX and they have never been in the ball park!

[bobsallyh]

whj469, we stopped at Bounds first thing in the AM, got a price quote on the dually that we wanted. Then continued  on into Houston, thinking that we could probably do better. Stopped at the first dealer coming from Livingston into Houston and he was a "Bait and Switch" stealership. Then stopped at several others and they couldn't or wouldn't match Bounds. The last stop before going back to Bounds was a dealer on the west side of Houston who had 57 Rams on his lot. All sorts of combinations, trannys, etc. He would not even budge from any price.

[whj469]

You done well and researched it very well.

[rynosback]

6 hours ago, whj469 said:

The reason I suggested Houston Texas is because 50% of all registrations in Harris County (Houston) are pickup trucks. There are  many of them on the lots so you will find what you want and my experience has been you can get one for less then other places.

When I started looking, September 2019, a small Ford dealer in Cleveland, TX, the closest dealer to me, somehow knew I was looking for a truck and their internet manager called and I told him they didn't have what I was looking for on their lot. I also told him it was price only and not good service etc. that I was interested in and he said let me find what you want at the best price. He called me back after about one hour and emailed me regarding a truck he had located at a big city dealer in Houston. When I told him that truck was at the large city dealer and that they would sell it to me for this price. He responded that he couldn't sell it for that price because he didn't even have the truck and he started telling me about the great service his dealership has. I reminded him that it was price only and he hung up on me! I called back and told their sales manager what had happened and he apologized but he didn't even give me a price on the truck!

I bought that truck at the dealer who had it for the price they had given me from the start. I had also looked at dealers in LA, MI and KY. The truck is made in KY. Not one of the other dealers would even come close to the price that I got it for. I have also been told and it has been my experience that you do better if you take from their lot as opposed to ordering one. Good Luck

 

Try to ALWAYS deal with the dealership that has the truck you want.  Dealerships can also look at what they have coming in to see what fits your needs.

[KodiakJack]

Best price I found a few years back for a new truck was on eBay.  The Houston area dealers were unable to match the price, and told me to run to the deal I described.  So I did.  The deal came from a big dealer outside Dallas.  The dealer added a couple items I wanted and arrange to have it delivered (driven) to us further south in Texas. Might be worth a check.  Good luck.

Later,

J

[Don_T]

After many phone calls and emails I have decided to order a truck from the same dealer I used the last time, in Indiana. I get a good no-nonsense deal and they handle all the paperwork for Texas. They will even deliver the truck if I want, but I like the raid trip. Maybe I will get back to the Houston area later this year instead of this spring. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

[Pappy Yokum]

4 hours ago, Don_T said:

After many phone calls and emails I have decided to order a truck from the same dealer I used the last time, in Indiana. I get a good no-nonsense deal and they handle all the paperwork for Texas. They will even deliver the truck if I want, but I like the raid trip. Maybe I will get back to the Houston area later this year instead of this spring. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

 

"ORDERED" !!  - (Bingo!)

Caveat to my prior post.  As in the above - you can/will get the best deal if you *Order* the truck you want.

If you wish (or are willing) to purchase from a dealer's inventory - you are in "competition" with other potential buyers.  Hone your negotiating skills!  (Also a good reason to know dealer invoice - and can't hurt to know the Fleet (or Sales) Manager's name before you set foot in the dealership - and ask for him, NOT the salesperson that greets you!)  End-of-the-month may help also (the dealer has to make payments on inventory).

However, If you are willing to *order* the truck, it's very easy to compare prices. As always - EXACTLY - with the same options and equipment. You should be aware of dealer INVOICE for price checking the deal - whether in dealer stock or ordered.

Once you have that "benchmark" price - you can "shop" it to a dealer (any dealer) to see if they will meet that price -or- come reasonably close to it, thus saving any travel expenses to a more distant dealer.  Ultimately, that was the result of my efforts. (A dealer about 50 miles away came within -less than-  a plane ticket price to Dave Smith or Lou Fusz)

BTW - the salesman I previously mentioned at Lou Fusz Dodge regularly beat Dave Smith"s prices - and was offered a job there.  He would even "drop-ship" a truck to a dealer close to you (different state) if you wished.  However, when doing that he would lose certain factory volume incentives  (slight increase in sales price) - and the receiving dealer had to agree to accept the shipment (which could be a : "no" -or- "yes" - either free or for a fee).  Ultimately, he moved on to another less stressful/hectic occupation at Citi Bank  - which saddened many folks on various diesel forums who wished to avail themselves of his "deals"!  Another salesman there did sell via e-bay, and may still be doing same.

Sounds like a lot of effort - but most can be done with your laptop and phone.

Bottom line - it's only $$ ......(how much are you willing to part with?)

.

[jblo]

Glad you got the deal set for the exact truck you want.

Off the subject--back in '09, I went shopping for a new F450, found it at Planet Ford in Houston.   Main office was a zoo, they even have a soda/snack bar and other gimmicks. Tried for about 30 minutes to get hold of a salesman, finally gave up.  About a week later, stopped in a Waxahachie Ford and told them what I was looking for.  After looking at my trade, we worked a deal that was ok to me, but truck was at another dealer.  2 days later, went to pick it up and it was same truck I had looked at  in Houston....