New buyer cold feet - help!

[IdahoDan]

I certainly understand the dilemma. We purchased a new 2020 Reflection 315RLTS about 4 weeks ago. I shopped used and new, Craigslist, eBay, rvtrader and visited several dealers. I was willing to drive up to 1500 to 2000 miles. Ultimately, we bought from a dealer about 400 miles away. Many dealers have an internet sales person so I simply asked for “best offers, I’m ready to buy”. Once I had offers at what seemed like an irreducible minimum price I told them I would buy the coach if they came down another $2000...they agreed and I purchased. We’re very much enjoying the trailer...already taken multiple trips. I’m sure others paid a little less but we’re very satisfied. Hope the decision doesn’t paralyze your progress. Get camping...not getting younger. No regrets

[Heavy Half Ton]

Great thread.
Every time we start to get close to what we think we need, we start overthinking it; I keep hearing the phrase “Buy your second camper the first time”. This of course induces cold feet.

[WhittleBurner]

With this being your first camper you will never truly know what your ideal camper is until you buy one and use it for awhile. Even after that you still wouldn't know. With all the changes and new things and new designs coming out all the time you will always be saying look at that. That is one reason people upgrade all the time. I have heard that on average people change trailers every 4 to 5 years. The best thing you can do now is to find the one that makes the best sense for you right now and go with it. One way to tell which trailer that is is the one you go in and go wow, this is it.

[GrandRN]

You'll never start RVing if you don't start........

If its taken 3 years you are overthinking this. Step back, take a deep breath, and re-evaluate. Make a list of your wants and needs, and set your budget. Do you research online and visit some locals dealers to look at specific models. Make your choice! It won't be your last RV most likely and you need to get started somewhere.

[mdetwiler]

I have been looking at purchasing a Imagine 2800 BH for over 3 years. My problem is, unlike a car where most pricing is known, it's difficult to know what is a good price for a rig. I hear numbers tossed around like 30 to 35% off list. I see huge differences on RVTrader and most good deals are usually far from where I'm located (burbs of Philly).

And then I get caught in the "new vs used" delimina - do you fight the pricing battle or do you buy a used one which has depreciated and where the first owner has worked out all of the new RV problems ?

So I'm 3 years into this research / purchase and feel like I will never buy one. Can anyone give me any advice on how you made an EDUCATED decision and got a good deal on your first RV.

Thanks - Joe Mac

I just bought a used 2018 private sale and the difference between new and used was $6000. The original owner took the hit for depreciation. Keep in mind the seller also threw in weight distribution hitch and a bunch of other extra stuff worth over $3000. Most private sellers that are getting out will give you a bunch of stuff. Find what you like and buy it. You already wasted 3 years how many more do you want to waste.

[Colonel]

I have bought new twice. Best price I found across the US was General RV in Wayland, Mi. I ordered what I wanted and the price was great ($60k list / rolled out at $40k + ttl). No delivery, prep, or add ons.

Spent 2 nights there getting some items added on and a few fixes.

[geotex1]

Great thread.
Every time we start to get close to what we think we need, we start overthinking it; I keep hearing the phrase “Buy your second camper the first time”. This of course induces cold feet.

With this being your first camper you will never truly know what your ideal camper is until you buy one and use it for awhile. Even after that you still wouldn't know. With all the changes and new things and new designs coming out all the time you will always be saying look at that. That is one reason people upgrade all the time. I have heard that on average people change trailers every 4 to 5 years. The best thing you can do now is to find the one that makes the best sense for you right now and go with it. One way to tell which trailer that is is the one you go in and go wow, this is it.

Heavy Half, great advice from WhittleBurner! Fact of the matter if you maintain a love of camping over your lifetime, your needs around that love change - period. I have literally camped my entire life, and so has my wife. We were both Scouts, and I an Eagle. I criss-crossed this country and rode to Alaska on two wheels in my early 20s with little more than a bed roll and mess set. At the time, I believed I'd need nothing more... Dating, I evolved through various tents. Newlywed, we had a multi-room tent, nice Coleman stove, and get this, an air mattress - what more could we need? It was perfect at the time... First anniversary, first pop-up camper! Off the ground, truly waterproof tenting, hand pump sink, and get this, a propane furnace! What more could we need? Well, let me shorten the saga to larger pop-up with, get this, a cassette toilet and fridge; then the 21' hybrid with a super slide and with, get this, a shower (city living!!!); first hard side TT with couch in a slide and with, get this, air conditioning; then the luxury double slide TT with residential queen bed, an honest shower, ducted heat and air conditioning, 8 cu.ft. fridge, and with, get this, an LED TV inside and out; and, as of September we're now in a 3350RL!

Each step we had everything we needed - for a time. Some upgrades happened faster them expected. Once because a drunk driver totalled our tow vehicle. Once because a blow out totalled our hybrid. My wife and I are not alone in such catalysts for a change... Point being you don't know what may come.

Unless you have a crystal ball, you're not going to know now what will fit you in 5+ years. Seize the day and get camping with what fits you now in every way - what you can comfortably afford, what you can tow with your current vehicle, what you can maintain yourself, and what will fit into where you like to camp now. All these will change in the future, and then you fit those needs at that time.

The best advise I can give you is make careful, calculated purchases and know the value of your camper in the marketplace at all times, especially if you finance. We did on half of our campers. Just like in a vehicle purchase, starting off with a strong deal and good down payment and a credit score fetching best rates are key, and there comes a time where the you reached that right duration of ownership, usually around 5 to 7 years, that you are prime to sell at strong price, pay off the note, and have your down payment for the next one. Keep your camper well-maintained and it rewards you with the best price!

[Timmer]

At the time, I believed I'd need nothing more... Dating, I evolved through various tents. Newlywed, we had a multi-room tent, nice Coleman stove, and get this, an air mattress - what more could we need? It was perfect at the time... First anniversary, first pop-up camper! Off the ground, truly waterproof tenting, hand pump sink, and get this, a propane furnace! What more could we need? Well, let me shorten the saga to larger pop-up with, get this, a cassette toilet and fridge; then the 21' hybrid with a super slide and with, get this, a shower (city living!!!); first hard side TT with couch in a slide and with, get this, air conditioning; then the luxury double slide TT with residential queen bed, an honest shower, ducted heat and air conditioning, 8 cu.ft. fridge, and with, get this, an LED TV inside and out; and, as of September we're now in a 3350RL!

Wow does this sound familiar. I used to pride myself on being able to fit it all in a backpack in order hike or canoe to my destination. Then came a bigger tent for those times we could drive to our site. Then came kids and a bigger tent, with more and more stuff coming along. Then a pop-up. Then a 28 foot travel trailer. And, as of the last couple of weeks, a 31 ft trailer. I totally agree that needs and desires change. I still enjoy canoing and hiking, but we do it during the day and come back to the comforts of the camper.

I will never suggest that someone spends money beyond their means. However, you do only live once. If you can afford it, do it and don't look back.

[lovetorv]

Agree with what has already been said. You don't need to get the absolute best price, just one you're good with. Find a unit you're interested in and jot down the included options. Then you can go to Grand Designs website and input that information ("Shopping Tools" > "Build and Price") to get the factory MSRP. From there, you can negotiate your price. The only unknown is transportation costs from the factory to your location. Since you're on the east coast, shouldn't be too much (Ours was quite a bit being on the west coast for comparison). Your target price should be 25 - 30% off factory MSRP excluding the .gov cut (sales tax). We settled for 27% off on s special order after emailing several dealers within a reasonable driving distance and negotiating with a dealer who's initial counter-offer was in the ballpark.

John

I've been shopping for a while now too, and I have to say this thread is full of constructive advice. I'm afraid I've been on the fence for more than 3 years, but part of that delay been to take a financial pause. I'm on year 5 with our original trailer; however, I wish I hadn't watched so much time go by. There's lots of sage advice and motivation in this thread for those of us who have been shopping for longer than we'd care to admit.

I'd fight for 30% off MSRP, but I'd be happy with anything north of 25% if I were working with a dealer and service department that I trusted. Since you don't have a trade, you don't have to worry about being taken advantage of on that side of the equation. For those that do, know your trade-in and retail value on NADA.

We have a great GD dealer in our area, so I'd be willing to pay a few percentage points to have easy access to reputable mechanics. However, if I were disappointed with my local dealer, I would reach out to every Internet sales contact within a 2-3 day drive and pick the best price. I'd try to do everything by email, to insulate myself from sales tactics. I think you'll get better pricing if they know you're serious, on a timeline, and on a budget. Use those percentages as solid guidelines. I wouldn't accept a price if it weren't at least 25% off MSRP. My local dealer seems to stop around 28%, when I've kicked tires in the past. I hope to make my purchase in the next 6 months, and will start the bidding at 31% or 30% and see where it goes. Mine will be a special order, so I will also check other dealers to see where there threshold is. I think its easier for them to give away more points if they haven't already paid a lot of interest on existing inventory. While I've been shopping for a while, I haven't worked with any salesman, so I'm curious where other dealers come in.

I know someone can always get a better deal. And I think the theme to this thread is to not let time pass you by. But I am curious if folks can shoot back the percentages they've seen or received. It may help push the rest of us to the bargaining table sooner, and to feel more comfortable when we're there.

On a related purchase story -- one reason I've needed to wait for the trailer, is I also wanted to buy a Ram 3500 DRW 4x4 manual. I've been shopping for one of those for 4+ years. I kept waiting for the new cool features I was seeing in the 1500s to be introduced in the 3500s. Ram always introduces new features in the 1500s first, then introduces them in the 2500/3500s the following year. So, I was about to buy several years ago, but then they introduced the air bags in the 1500s, so I waited a year. Then I heard about the 1500 refresh, so I waited to see what that looked like. I heard about the 12 screen, so I waited for that too. Well....I nearly waited too long. Last January I was waiting to watch the new RAM reveal at the Detroit auto show. I was watching the presentation online, and noticed the announcer didn't mention that the new 3500 would be available with a manual transmission. I started googling like crazy to confirm my worst fears. I reached out to several dealers, and they couldn't confirm it yet either. I had to wait about 2 weeks or so before a new order for a 2019 could be placed. When the system opened, my salesman tried to place an order for a manual and discovered that option was no longer there. He didn't have any 2018s with a manual, and no one within a 100-200 miles did either. I found a few in Idaho (largest Ram dealer in US) and a few in NC (second largest dealer). In all, I think there were fewer than a dozen, but of those manuals, only 2-3 had my desired specs. I found one in NC (I'm in VA) and started negotiating. They gave me a pretty fair price out of the gate, but according to my years of research, I knew there was a little more wiggle room...hundreds, not thousands. They offered to pay my airfare down (about $400) so I tried to work that into the deal thinking they could take another $500 off if I rented a car out of pocket to get down there. But then I realized I might lose the chance to buy my dream truck over a few hundred dollars, and once this truck was gone....that was it. So, I decided the alternative wasn't acceptable and finally put the deposit down on my card and made the travel arrangements. When I called in my flight details to get picked up, I learned there was someone else shopping for that same unit, and fortunately my deal closed the same day he was trying to make an offer. If I had had been one day later....I can't tell you how disappointed I'd be to this day. I had become obsessed with that truck, waiting for my perfect purchase, and that day never would have come. What's funny now...is that I've only had the truck for 6 months, and I trying to remember how much I paid for it just the other week. I honestly couldn't remember. I'd have to login to my autoloan site to tell you because I still don't remember. All I know is the truck is in my garage, and I couldn't be happier about that. So, I guess that's why this thread resonates with me. As I said...I can really appreciate all the sage advice others have already mentioned here.

Sorry for the truck story -- to bring this back to trailers -- I've been considering full body paint because I try to be a longterm owner and I think it will wear longer. Not trying to start a debate on finish, but John, I've got to ask, what color paint am I looking at in your profile pic? If you have any larger images, could you send them to me (tomwalker20175 at gmail.com). I've studied all the pics I can find online because I can't find any units with full body paint anywhere near me.

Best of luck to the OP in your search, and to everyone else who finds this thread in the future. Safe travels, Tom

[Flip94ta]

We looked at 2400 and 2800BH’s for three years like you guys and my work situation has kinda been up in the air those three years but we had been saving. As we talked about it for the 100th time this summer my wife just turned to me and said, the money is there and let’s just live our life. Because we waited so many years we realized we are probably past the bunkhouse window. So we really were drawn to the rear living style with pull out couch. I suspect the kids will be in tents next summer.

We started visiting a couple dealers, Rockwood and GD. But the quotes weren’t that good and I felt like maybe we weren’t there yet. So I was discouraged after reading the big 25-30% off MSRP stories on here. While browsing rvtrader one night I opened my filter up to 400 miles. Low and behold I saw four 2019 models on one lot. Everyone else was selling 2020’s. Their advertised price was $4000 lower than the last quote I got and then I wondered if there would be any fees?? Since that last quote also had $4000 worth. So I emailed them, and five other dealers that night. They emailed back in the morning, it was the advertised price plus TTL.

It was a four hour drive, but in the end it was worth the $8000 I saved verses the closer quote. (Paid 10k under msrp+tax) Don’t overpay for a camper right now. The market is soft, sales are down. Many dealerships are just looking for suckers. Use a site like rvtrader and email as many of them as you see fit to drive to. If they don’t respond with a solid quote or aren’t willing to put those numbers on a purchase order move on. Plus when they see you shopping via a tool like rv Trader they know they have to compete, tell them you are cross shopping brands too.

This is the dealer I bought from, no gimmicks, no add ons, sale was done over email and a 3 minute call to make a deposit. The PDI went well and took about two hours. We camped in it that night and the next and drove it home. They are on the opposite side of the state from you.

https://boyerrvsales.com/rvs/GRAND-D...20/IMAGINE/35/