RV show deals?

[Pathman]

How do you all feel about waiting for the Hershey PA RV show to get a better deal on a fifth wheel?
Is it worth it to wait for the show rather then buy one from a dealer at this point in the year?

[chuckster57]

JMHO, if you find one you like, buy it, “Show” pricing isn’t always best. If you buy at the show your unit may sit on the sales floor for the duration of the show with who knows how many people walking through it. If you have to order one at the show be ready for a 3-6 months wait. In all my years of working at dealerships I have found “ordered” units come from the factory in worse shape than a “stock” unit.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

JMHO, if you find one you like, buy it, “Show” pricing isn’t always best. If you buy at the show your unit may sit on the sales floor for the duration of the show with who knows how many people walking through it. If you have to order one at the show be ready for a 3-6 months wait. In all my years of working at dealerships I have found “ordered” units come from the factory in worse shape than a “stock” unit.

That's a ray of sunshine... tell me you don't try out those fancy vibrating recliners at an RV show with your feet up on the TP plastic cover on the footrest? Right now isn't RV bargain time. If you got to get one, the only advantage is that the Feds haven't jacked up the prime to high yet and interest is still fairly low although RV prices are outrageous. I personally would wait until the recession rolls in... and pay cash if you can. I think the prices of RVs, especially used will moderate some.

[Pathman]

Thanks for the insight guys.

[Tom1234]

We went to a rv show in Tampa to see what was new this year not intending to buy. We saw one wife really liked and told salesman with keystone rep sitting right there that if we bought that model we wanted a new one not the one sitting there that had thousands of people walking through it plus it had some defects. Talked us into it and picked it up over a week later. Get it home and discover its the same one that was at the show. Salesman admitted that it was the same unit but would not help us other than if we came up with another 3000.00 dollars they would put us in a Jayco. Now 6 months later the roof is bubbling up and they and Keystone won't do anything about it. Not a happy camper

[jasin1]

same deal if you buy new from the dealer lot…i put a deposit on mine and told the salesman i’d only buy if they put “sold” on it and took it around the back of the service area….he did

didn’t want a bunch of families trying out the bed and stomping around in the shower.

that’s why i don’t like leaving a new model rv at the dealer for service …if they don’t have that model on the lot,they may show people the inside of yours to make a sale

[Tom1234]

You would think these companies would take pride in their services and treat their customers right. But they don't care they got their money.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Tom1234

You would think these companies would take pride in their services and treat their customers right. But they don't care they got their money.

You don't go to McDonalds and expect a metradee and candles on the tables. Their concern is getting folks thru the line as quickly as possible. Yes RV sales and service was mostly mediocre for decades and utterly deplorable post Covid -19. With customers lined up to buy campers like the drive thru at McDonalds during lunch hour I don't anticipate it changing soon.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by jasin1

same deal if you buy new from the dealer lot…i put a deposit on mine and told the salesman i’d only buy if they put “sold” on it and took it around the back of the service area….he did

didn’t want a bunch of families trying out the bed and stomping around in the shower.

that’s why i don’t like leaving a new model rv at the dealer for service …if they don’t have that model on the lot,they may show people the inside of yours to make a sale

That was a strict No No at any dealership I worked at. New and getting ready or customer unit in for service. Door was deadbolted and keys in monitored cabinet.

[travelin texans]

Several years back we went to the Ft Worth rv show, there a dealer had 2 Prevost motorhomes at $1,000,000+ each, in order to tour them you had to have an appointment along with proof that you had or could get the funds to purchase one of them. They had steps built so that show goers could look in through the windshield, honestly those things inside look like what I'd think a brothel would look like, too many mirrors.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by jasin1

same deal if you buy new from the dealer lot…i put a deposit on mine and told the salesman i’d only buy if they put “sold” on it and took it around the back of the service area….he did

didn’t want a bunch of families trying out the bed and stomping around in the shower.

that’s why i don’t like leaving a new model rv at the dealer for service …if they don’t have that model on the lot,they may show people the inside of yours to make a sale

On this unit I was negotiating between my regular dealer in TX and one in FL. We got down to the end of the negotiations and I agreed to buy THIS trailer (they had 2 or 3). He had sent me pics/video of most everything on it and I had them send me a pic of the VIN plate on the side which they did. I also asked the GM to do some mods, add Sailuns etc. and then put it in the back in the make ready area then send me another pic - he did that as well. Some of the pics were closeups of the tires. When I arrived to get it the trailer was in the same spot as the pics and the tires were oriented just as the pics of them showed. They said they would lock it up, no one would be going in it and it would be right there when I got there...it was. I do believe some dealers would have used it for showing right up to the time I came to pick it up.

[Scttw]

Originally Posted by Pathman

How do you all feel about waiting for the Hershey PA RV show to get a better deal on a fifth wheel?
Is it worth it to wait for the show rather then buy one from a dealer at this point in the year?

We saved about $15k by buying a show unit. It had plastic floor covering throughout, so I honestly didn't care about the traffic from the show. $69k show price, $85k regular, and 7 years later they are now $130k.

They definitely want to sell trailers at the shows and mark them down as a result.

[slow]

One caution about show units is that the unit may be a prototype or preproduction build. There is good and bad associated with this. Good that there may be more attention to details. Bad in that it may be a one of.

Locally, the best deals at the show are the slow movers. Likely the same deal can be had by doing your research and buying outside the show.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by slow

One caution about show units is that the unit may be a prototype or preproduction build. There is good and bad associated with this. Good that there may be more attention to details. Bad in that it may be a one of.

Locally, the best deals at the show are the slow movers. Likely the same deal can be had by doing your research and buying outside the show.

My neighbor is currently in that position trying to sell a 1 of a kind 5th wheel. Although it's a beautiful coach, well built & well maintained there's no listing for it in any loan publishings so the few that have had interest in buying weren't able to get loans on something that doesn't exist. Anything comparable to it doesn't qualify for the same $$, so he's in a tough spot, lose lots of $$ or keep it.

[flybouy]

In the past I negotiated better deals several weeks after the show. It wasn't unusual, or difficult to negotiate at least 15% to 20% off the "normal ptice". Wasn't unusual to get more than that depending on several factors. Wasn't uncommon for those "flyers on the counter" to have a "list price" a lot higher than the week before the show. A 20% discount on a 15% inflated price is not a good "deal".

That was then, this is now. Now it's a sellers market but who knows the longevity of that. With deisel fuel at an all time high, gas quickly rising, interest rates raising right beside historic inflation (read a negative net income gain and lesss disposable income) there's no way I would think of buying in this market, but that's just me. YMMV

[Pathman]

Thanks all for your comments and insight so far. Was just at a dealer and have a question, but I’ll start a new topic on that.

[wrvond]

Originally Posted by Pathman

How do you all feel about waiting for the Hershey PA RV show to get a better deal on a fifth wheel?
Is it worth it to wait for the show rather then buy one from a dealer at this point in the year?

I would be open to purchasing my RV through any venue that helped me get a better price.
However, the only way to know a better price is being offered is to be very familiar with what the various dealers are offering in their showrooms, etc.

In 2013 I purchased a TT that was ordered from the factory with my choice of fabrics, patterns, colors etc. and delivered in three weeks. The dealer took 30% off the list price when I walked in the door. Then we began negotiating.
In 2016 I purchased another new TT off the lot (different dealer). Again, 30% was taken off before we even started negotiating price.

With this 2022 model, purchased new off the lot, I managed to get it below MSRP (a fictitious number anyway) but not a heck of a lot below. I consider myself lucky that my price was below what all the other dealers I checked with quoted.
These days, that's about the best anybody can do, I think.

[donsantell]

In 2018 I was looking for a new ALPINE 35RD01. I went to the Tampa RV show billed as the largest in the US. I then started started searching on line and found a dealer who has 2 stores one in Longs SC that sells the Alpine among many other brands and another store in VA where they sell the Montanas. The price was about 60% of the MSRP in both places. No added fees or other charges added on. They were the only dealer I found who did not add on some kind of annoying fee. We opted for the Alpine. There was a very similar Montana and it included slide covers. They threw in the slide toppers on the Alpine. Check them out before you buy.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by donsantell

In 2018 I was looking for a new ALPINE 35RD01. I went to the Tampa RV show billed as the largest in the US. I then started started searching on line and found a dealer who has 2 stores one in Longs SC that sells the Alpine among many other brands and another store in VA where they sell the Montanas. The price was about 60% of the MSRP in both places. No added fees or other charges added on. They were the only dealer I found who did not add on some kind of annoying fee. We opted for the Alpine. There was a very similar Montana and it included slide covers. They threw in the slide toppers on the Alpine. Check them out before you buy.

For those currently rv shopping just be aware that you may have some difficulty getting warranty work done anywhere but from the selling dealer if not purchasing locally.
Unlike auto dealers rv dealers are not obligated to do any warranty on any rv they did not sell. If you do happen to find one locally for warranty issues expect yours to always be at the end of the line for repairs after they've caught up with those they sold.