Purchasing Local vs Out of State

[SandMShall]

We've decided on a TT and now we're stepping into the purchasing stage. We plan on purchasing in April or May.

The question I have is what are the benefits of purchasing local vs out of state. I found a price several thousand dollars cheaper then my local dealer is giving me, but before I go back in I want to see what the cons are for ordering out of state so I can weigh the differences.

Also.... How does purchasing a TT out if state affect the loan process? Would I just get a loan from my home state to cover the cost if TT plus the local taxes?

I'm also deciding on picking the TT up in Indiana or having it shipped to Georgia. The dealer quoted $1100 for shipping. I don't mind picking it up to save that cost.

Any additional advice on the subject would be greatly appreciated and welcomed.


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[mikell]

We saved almost $50 a mile by driving then they delivered for free. So it paid for the motel and gas plus over 20k$ in savings. First 400 miles was free and it 402 to our house.

Financing wasn't an issue and if you ask you might not have to pay sales tax.

Holiman RV in Batavia Ohio

http://www.holmanrv.com/

[Javi]

Find a good local RV repairman (not a dealer) that is approved to do warranty work for Keystone and then buy the trailer from whoever has the best price. Rarely is the selling dealer going to give a rat's butt about you once the deal is done and the money is in his pocket. But the local repair guy who makes his living off of REPAIR is going to go out of his way to get and keep your business...

[SandMShall]

Originally Posted by Javi

Find a good local RV repairman (not a dealer) that is approved to do warranty work for Keystone and then buy the trailer from whoever has the best price. Rarely is the selling dealer going to give a rat's butt about you once the deal is done and the money is in his pocket. But the local repair guy who makes his living off of REPAIR is going to go out of his way to get and keep your business...

Good advice. I hadn't thought of that angle.


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[EricLynnAllison]

I could only find the brand and specific RV I wanted 600 miles from home. I bought it over the phone and picked it up. My service work is done by Holman RV is Cincinnati (one of the largest dealers in our area). They are so big that their service dept. is separate from sales and they did all my warranty work. They don't even carry my specific brand, but other keystones.

[superdog404]

Since you are in Georgia this might not make to much difference. Last year we went to a couple rv shows (no help). We are here in So. California. I started looking around but wasn't finding much. Of course the locals said well what about shipping cost? Since we have relatives in Ontario Canada the trip wasn't a problem. Got on the internet and found we could buy a 5th wheel for at least $10,000 less back east. in this case Michigan. We got our new trailer. The dealer was great Since we have relatives in Ontario Canada the trip wasn't a problem. Now if I could just find a decent warranty dealer out here.

[denverpilot]

Originally Posted by SandMShall

Also.... How does purchasing a TT out if state affect the loan process? Would I just get a loan from my home state to cover the cost if TT plus the local taxes?

Most banks aren't local anyway. My loan says I'm paying some nice shareholders of a bank in Wisconsin. ;-) The banks don't care.

Some dealers that don't do a lot of out of State sales might not know how to calculate taxes properly in another State and may over or under collect.

You'll still be responsible for settling up on the taxes one way or the other when you get home, and put plates on it.

[Outbackmel]

1. We bought our 2011 Outback 5er at a show in Louisville, late 2010. No issues. They charged the correct sales tax and when I registered it in Georgia, just paid the plate fees and off I went.

2. Nathan Deal is going to make SURE he gets his Ad Volorem from you up front. As you are aware, there are new tax rules in GA as relates to purchases and you only pay the tax one time versus being taxed each year you re register the unit. The lovely GA DMV will ensure they get every penny. Don't let that bother you.

3. In your area ( we live in Buford) RV World of GA in Dacula is a GREAT family owned top notch dealership. They ONLY sell Fuzion and Raptor in the Keystone line, however, they are excellent providing service EVEN if you did not buy it there and even across ALL Keystone models. I order all needs through them from Keystone.

4. Any licensed qualified RV Repair person will likely be reimbursed or you will, while UNDER WARRANTY AND YOU GET APPROVAL PRIOR TO REPAIR.
Buy what you want where you can. I ALSO have had excellent results from Camping World service in OAKWOOD. Some people HATE them. I smile, even on the phone and seek their counsel and get respect and excellent service in return. We use them often because we keep our 5er in Dahlonega and it's closer to pull it there.

5. We had no way to get our 5er home when we bought it. We had it delivered to Dahlonega ( pre Dodge 2500 purchase). POOR CHOICE. Would have been better off picking it up in Louisville and staying a couple of days and learning, learning and more learning! We did have a 2006 Keystone Hornet 31ft TT. The 5er was a NEW experience. We have been x country and lived in our RV for months at a time. (presently in Florida for 2 months).

6. Forget the notion that RV dealerships work like a car dealership. NOT SO.

7. Finance is finance. It is based upon your qualifications and that is it. Loans are packaged and SOLD my many small banks and some credit unions. No telling where your final payments go ( unless you miss a few and they will let you know by sending "Da Man" to collect or take the unit to auction. DO NOT let that decision drive you. Get the best terms and rate that fit your needs and DO IT. BEAR IN MIND, these toys (RV's) are depreciating assets. Longer terms reduce equity and force you to keep paying for something you may no longer like.

8. PM me anytime for more detailed responses.

FYI, I am a retired automotive finance executive with 40 years of experience.
Ohhhhh, what a ride it was! I apologize in advance for any typos. It's dinner time and Grampy has not even had a nap today!!

[SandMShall]

So I found a dealer Indiana that quoted me a price that a couple other dealers said that they wouldn't even bother trying to match. One said that the quoted price was less than what they pay for the same model for their inventory.

With this being such a long distance purchase I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting a pice that's "too good to be true!"


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[Western Traveler]

Just remember the MSRP of a lot of RV's is thousands more than what many folks are paying regardless what those dealers said.
I personally know of one that sold new for over 35% less and have heard as much as 50% but have no personal knowledge of that.
It seems a search here would reveal something on this topic.
As to dealers knowing what tax to collect you can do your bank deal and carry a check to the dealership after arranging your own registration with your state or a large bank will usually do that for you. In my state just need a vin# and bill of title for a temporary permit. If purchasing in a sales tax state and living in a no sales tax state pay for transport out of state and have delivery notarized at the receiving end. It is not unusual at all.

[bobbecky]

In August 2012, we purchased a new 2012 3402RL that was on the dealer's lot almost a year (don't know why as it was un-blemished), and they advertised the list as a hair under $86K, and the sale price at $53K. We felt blessed that we got this deal, and even when we have the occasional problem, don't let it bother us because of the savings we got. You know they still made a profit, so don't know what the markup is on these rigs, but it has to be a lot.

[Quad]

I purchased a new 5er this past spring from Holman RV in OH. I live in KY. My loan is through my bank in OH. Basically you buy it, they do the sales tax and cut you a check to take to your DMV Or county clerk or however you do it in your state. You pay sales tax then and register it and gets your tags and plate.


2005 Silverado 2500HD D/A
2013 Laredo 321BH

[x96mnn]

In a lot of cases even if you had to pay a repair or two out of pocket the savings are still there depending on where you live.

Lot of post on this that weigh pros and cons but it comes down to the person. I lean more toward buying local as I have a health related business and if I did not, the town is small enough those things get talked about in the community. I have seen small business go under in my town, as the locals put it the owners became to good for the town. If I was retired be a different story, local I have the opertunity to get my money back by it staying local, if I go outside I have no chance on getting any of it back. That thought makes me feel better when I know I just spent more lol.

[summerhummer]

For what it is worth I am doing this same thing and live in Georgia. I prefer to deal locally but the local dealer can't or won't come close to the price 500 miles away. I was not asking for The same deal because I understand there is freight and other things a business closer to the manufacturer can get that the local dealer cannot. I tried 2 offers and no dice. I accept that I won't be first in the service line and was okay with that however based on the vibe I got from the local dealer I may have to go to cw for service or some other authorized rep. Maybe I am being
anal but I don't feel comfortable being serviced there. Perhaps if I didn't try to buy locally first it would be a different vibe and your mileage may vary....

[JRTJH]

Summerhummer,

Based on what you just wrote, I'm not so sure I'd want to do business with anyone who would essentially tell me that they are going to hold me "hostage" if I don't buy from them. I'm just "pigheaded" enough to take that as an invitation to walk away from any deal they might broker. I would, however, be the very first one to drag my new RV (bought at a competetor's lot) into the dealership to show them what they lost.

[summerhummer]

John,
That would be mean to drive the RV there. Anyway this guy knows I am serious as a heart attack and not a tire kicker. It takes me an hour to get to his lot. I was going to do service there but now I am thinking better of it. I wont have to worry about sabotage or always getting pushed to the end of the line for no good reason. They did provide a good idea for a mod which really made me decide on the TT I am purchasing. I was going back and forth between 2 keystone models.

[koko]

We purchased ours over the internet while on vacation. It was exactly what we wanted; and after visiting two dealers in the area we were staying and calling two dealers near where we actually live, we drove 2,000 miles out of our way to make a deal $6,000 under any we could find closer to home. We racked it up as another part of our road trip. We dealt with our local credit union via e-documents with only slight problems but had a terrible time with taxing and tagging laws varying between the two states. In retrospect, we'd do it again for the savings. This wasn't the first time we've purchased a trailer far from home to get what we wanted.

[rschad]

I purchased my trailer fmom a minnesota dealer and brought it back to canada.
One thing I would suggest is picking up the trailer and go to a local campground for a few days and use the trailer. Keep a list of any issues and head back to the dealer and get them fixed before heading home. I told the dealer I was doing this and they were ready for me when I stopped back in on the way home.
The local dealer here has done the warranty work and I send the receipts to the dealer I purchased from for payment. That worked just fine. I believe dealers get a reduced rate from keystone for warranty service and so don't like to do it if they didn't sell the trailer. The arrangement of paying for service and sending the bill to the purchasing dealer worked and seems fair to me. I would talk to the dealer about that at time of purchase as well.

For Canadians on the forum this note: importing a travel trailer into Canada is not difficult and saves a lot of money and taxes as you pay tax on the real purchase price . My purchase price was$10,000. Lower in minnesota so that was another $1000in tax savings (pst plus gst).