Another price increase?!

[Heavysledz]

Yep, at this point, it is just the factory installed Carefree toppers. We still have Dometic toppers in stock to put on.

@huntr70 : What would be a fair price for a slide topper for a Imagine 2250RK both over the counter and installed prices?

[CMeth54]

@huntr70 : What would be a fair price for a slide topper for a Imagine 2250RK both over the counter and installed prices?

I just looked them up on Amazon and you can buy a Carfree topper for under $200 or a Dometic for under $250. Not sure how difficult the installation is or what it would cost to have one installed. They only weigh about 16lbs.

[geotex1]

I just looked them up on Amazon and you can buy a Carfree topper for under $200 or a Dometic for under $250. Not sure how difficult the installation is or what it would cost to have one installed. They only weigh about 16lbs.

They are not difficult to install. Just requires very astute and attention-to-detail for the best operational performance. Definitely want the fabric track, if not pre-mounted on your camper, and the roller support arms to hit some structure when mounting. Also, if the fabric track is not perfectly parallel with the mounted roller tube, you will get wrinkles and bellowing. Do use a good sealant under the track and arm mounts. Most use a butyl tape but I prefer 3M exterior grade double-sided tape and a dab of caulk before running the screws home.

I let a dealer install one for us once... All the rest were factory or DIY. Connect the dots there as you will.

[Heavysledz]

They are not difficult to install. Just requires very astute and attention-to-detail for the best operational performance. Definitely want the fabric track, if not pre-mounted on your camper, and the roller support arms to hit some structure when mounting. Also, if the fabric track is not perfectly parallel with the mounted roller tube, you will get wrinkles and bellowing. Do use a good sealant under the track and arm mounts. Most use a butyl tape but I prefer 3M exterior grade double-sided tape and a dab of caulk before running the screws home.

I let a dealer install one for us once... All the rest were factory or DIY. Connect the dots there as you will.

I just looked them up on Amazon and you can buy a Carfree topper for under $200 or a Dometic for under $250. Not sure how difficult the installation is or what it would cost to have one installed. They only weigh about 16lbs.

Thanks gents....I take great pleasure in doing things myself and knowing they were done right and if not, I know exactly who to blame and where to find him

The dealer quoted me $650 installed for the topper....I knew that was way over priced for such a small topper and I have no doubt I can do this myself (for the most part) with some patience.

I guess my next question is; Is there a benefit of going with black vs white or vice versa? I assume black doesn't show dirt as easily but would absorb more heat, whereas white would show more dirt but reflect more heat???

[CMeth54]

Thanks gents....I take great pleasure in doing things myself and knowing they were done right and if not, I know exactly who to blame and where to find him

The dealer quoted me $650 installed for the topper....I knew that was way over priced for such a small topper and I have no doubt I can do this myself (for the most part) with some patience.

I guess my next question is; Is there a benefit of going with black vs white or vice versa? I assume black doesn't show dirt as easily but would absorb more heat, whereas white would show more dirt but reflect more heat???

Just watched a YouTube video on the installation and it looks very straight forward. Maybe a couple hour job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPlCt9tsMEs

[Heavysledz]

Just watched a YouTube video on the installation and it looks very straight forward. Maybe a couple hour job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPlCt9tsMEs

Thanks for the video link...It doesn't look to difficult.

[Captcolour]

I think technically or at least ethically, they should be referencing the build sheet that applied to when the unit you are inquiring about was built. They already paid for the units sitting in their inventory and likely got them before the price hikes. So it wouldn't be ethical for them to now produce a build sheet from last week for a unit sitting in their inventory since December. Not saying it doesn't happen daily, but possibly the dealerships referencing the January build sheets are the honest ones....

I look at the build dates on the units in inventory. If a unit has been sitting on the lot awhile, the dealer probably has more room to discount due to incentives to move it. My brand new 2021 was built in July, 2020. Fortunately it was also sitting open on display inside the dealer's very large showroom area, so I didn't care about the build date. I got a better deal on that one since it had been sitting.

[Heavysledz]

I look at the build dates on the units in inventory. If a unit has been sitting on the lot awhile, the dealer probably has more room to discount due to incentives to move it. My brand new 2021 was built in July, 2020. Fortunately it was also sitting open on display inside the dealer's very large showroom area, so I didn't care about the build date. I got a better deal on that one since it had been sitting.

My situation was just the opposite, I saved $3K by ordering a unit vs taking the unit in inventory off of the dealer lot. They didn't want to not have a model on the lot to show so it was worth it to them to give me a bigger discount on a newer unit. We picked it up yesterday...

[Oldcow]

Boy, seems like things are really messed up right now. I'm glad we didn't put off upgrading to a 5th wheel in Feb 2019 and going fulltime Sept 2020 and are not in the market now.

In our 40+ years together this time the stars finally aligned. We fell in love with a 2019 3350RL, negotiated a deal at the Austin RV show for 33% off the then MSRP in Feb 2019, and got a decent trade-in for our Img 2950RL. Now the 3350RL is discontinued. The 3350RL had been setting on the dealership lot for a little while, like it was just waiting for us to come get it! It has been trouble free with only minor issues.

Right before we bought I was looking for a 5th hitch, found a year old Companion Ram puck someone was selling for a quarter of what they sell for new, still in perfect shape. Then right after we got the 5th wheel, wanted to upgrade the pin box to MORryde, again found someone selling a year old one, again in perfect shape from a Jayco for a quarter of the new price.

Prior to purchasing the 5th wheel. We were looking for a Ram 1 Ton DRW, we found a 2018 that someone had ordered then backed out of the deal that had every option we wanted and a whole lot more with over 5000# of payload capacity and paid below the now going rates. Trucks here in Texas, especially 1 tons now are fast selling items.
Then in Sept 2020 we sold our home in 1 day for more than we would ever had believed. In the past 40+ years of marriage we had to sell one of our homes for very little profit and another home for a loss in bad economic times. It just seems like we finally got a break and loving life fulltiming.

This is a great story, good for you guys.

Oldcow

[huntr70]

If a unit has been sitting on the lot awhile, the dealer probably has more room to discount due to incentives to move it.

Let me know where to sign up for those "incentives".....

These are not like cars and trucks where the manufacturer finances them for the dealer until they are sold. We own every unit on our lot. There is no such thing as "rebates" or "incentives" to move aged inventory. Once the manufacturers are paid, they could care less when it is sold.