RV show Travel Trailer pricing

[BeerBrewer]

We attended our first two RV shows in Hersey PA and another near Baltimore over last week. As we expected the pricing at the two shows seemed rather similar. We heard from almost every salesmen at both show say that "these prices are rock bottom". As a general rule is that true? Meaning, I'm sure that someone somewhere can haggle a really low price, but overall where the prices that we saw at the show really "rock bottom" or were they business as usual?

I ask this question because we saw a number of TTs that we liked and we were even tempted to make a purchase, but we didn't. Well since we've gotten home we started looking for "new-ish" (2016 and up) used trailers, similar makes and models to the new ones we saw at the show, and the used trailer pricing isn't that much lower than the what we saw at the show.

The really annoying part in all this we both happen to like two brand new TT models, so finding a used model like them isn't possible and we may have want to buy new. If we do how much off of MSRP can we expect to get? For instance we saw a trailer with a MSRP of $30,500 selling for about $24,000, plus almost $2000 for delivery, dealer prep and a battery. Is charging for delivery and dealer prep normal in this industry? Frankly it really really rubs me the wrong way, almost feels like a "scam".

[Walaby]

spoon059 wrote:

Walaby wrote:
All dealers, car dealers or RV dealers, boat dealers etc don't really discuss doc fees etc until you sit down and start talking details. At least that's been my experience.

When Im standing outside talking to the car salesman, he's not telling me 'hey.. we charge 499 doc fee and 2000 delivery charge!

so, don't get upset about it. Negotiate a bottom line price, and tell 'em they can list as big a doc fee as they want.. but you're only paying "x"

Mike

When I am negotiating a price, its out the door. I'm not getting hit with any surprises when I hit the finance managers office. If your salesman won't give you that price, you need a new salesman.

Im talking as one is kicking tires, not sitting down and hashing out the bottom line. Note my last line. Negotiate a bottom line price.

I agree, no surprises when you see the finance guy.

Mike

[spoon059]

Walaby wrote:
All dealers, car dealers or RV dealers, boat dealers etc don't really discuss doc fees etc until you sit down and start talking details. At least that's been my experience.

When Im standing outside talking to the car salesman, he's not telling me 'hey.. we charge 499 doc fee and 2000 delivery charge!

so, don't get upset about it. Negotiate a bottom line price, and tell 'em they can list as big a doc fee as they want.. but you're only paying "x"

Mike

When I am negotiating a price, its out the door. I'm not getting hit with any surprises when I hit the finance managers office. If your salesman won't give you that price, you need a new salesman.

[delwhjr]

I don't care where they list any fees or what they charge. I am looking at the bottom line and what I expect to pay. I bought a unit once with a trade that had little value but the dealer showed the trade at a very high(and unrealistic) value. This reduced my sales tax and saved me even more. The last line on the deal was what I wanted to pay and beat 4 other dealers "best" price.
Don't get hung-up on the way it's listed on the paper, just be aware of the bottom line and if it meets your needs...be happy! :C

[Jayco-noslide]

It seems like the problem is that we are all so gullible and easily fall victim to wanting to think we are special and being given a magically special price. Sales, discounts, end of season, etc. all get our attention. Prices do vary but only the seller knows if the discount is "real".

[Walaby]

All dealers, car dealers or RV dealers, boat dealers etc don't really discuss doc fees etc until you sit down and start talking details. At least that's been my experience.

When Im standing outside talking to the car salesman, he's not telling me 'hey.. we charge 499 doc fee and 2000 delivery charge!

so, don't get upset about it. Negotiate a bottom line price, and tell 'em they can list as big a doc fee as they want.. but you're only paying "x"

Mike

[spoon059]

BeerBrewer wrote:
Look my issue has nothing to do with them charging for delivery or for prep fees. My issue is that they didn't disclose it until we sat down to discuss the details. I'm sure that they were hoping that we'd get caught up in the moment and buy it anyway.

That is exactly what they were doing. Your salesman knows upfront what fees and add-ons will come. An honest dealer will tell you up front your total cost when you are negotiating.

Anyone else is hoping that by the time you hit the finance office, you'll be too eager to complete the sale to back down, or you'll feel compelled to keep moving along. Not a chance, I'd get up and walk away...

[BeerBrewer]

Look my issue has nothing to do with them charging for delivery or for prep fees. My issue is that they didn't disclose it until we sat down to discuss the details. I'm sure that they were hoping that we'd get caught up in the moment and buy it anyway.

Lastly, not all of the dealers operated this way. I don't recall if the others included a statement on their price tag or not, but I do recall some of the other sales people telling us right up front that the price doesn't include delivery, prep and registration. Which is totally fine.

Lets be clear on this, RV dealers and car dealers are in business to make a profit. If they didn't make a profit, there wouldn't be any RV dealers and we wouldn't be able to buy RVs or cars.

[Jay_Coe]

I worked for a very large auto dealer in the late 80's. We made virtually nothing on the sale of new cars. Maybe a little on used cars because we "bought" them so cheap with trade in values. But the dealership made it's money on bonuses from the manufacturers for moving quantity, and primarily on the service bays and body shop. So with that background, when I go to a dealership, I expect them to make virtually no profit off the sale itself.

[spoon059]

SoundGuy wrote:

The real mystery is why any of this, especially the last statement, should be a surprise to anyone with half a brain. :S Plain & simple, dealers are in business to turn a profit and that profit comes from one source - your consumer pocket.

You seem to be forgetting about a growing portion of the population that thinks EVERYTHING is a "civil right" (health care, housing, income, food, happiness, etc) and therefore it should just be supplied to them. Those are the same people who don't believe in capitalism and honestly believe that the car dealer is making enormous profit and should give that profit back to the consumer.

When your view of the world is through that lens, I completely understand how some people could truly be surprised to see associated costs.

For the rest of us, these things are added on after the fact to allow the dealer to advertise the lowest possible sales price. Dealer A advertises $21,995 for the camper, but that price is out the door. Dealer B advertises $21,000 for the camper, but once you agree and get to finance they hit you with all those extra fees.

[Ron3rd]

Lynnmor wrote:

Ron3rd wrote:


Depends on where you live. In California the delivery fee is a legitimate expense the dealer must pay to get the trailers out here from Indiana, where most come from. You also pay a delivery fee when you buy are car in most cases, ie, "transportation fee". We're talking about 2,000 miles or so with a hot shot carrier.

American made cars have standardized delivery fees, no matter if you are next door to the plant or at the other end of the country, the price is the same.

While that may be true, the same is not true for Trailers. The delivery fee is much different in California for trailers from Indiana than if you take delivery in a next-door state. That delivery fee is charged to the dealer, who then passes it on to you.

Having said that, it's very likely the dealer would try to screw you on the delivery fee, ie, the dealer paid $1,000 and tells you the delivery fee is $1,500 or more.

Bottom line is the delivery fee is not BS but can certainly be the source of added profit to the dealer if they try to overcharge or it.

[BeerBrewer]

DownTheAvenue wrote:

BeerBrewer wrote:
For instance we saw a trailer with a MSRP of $30,500 selling for about $24,000, plus almost $2000 for delivery, dealer prep.....Frankly it really really rubs me the wrong way, almost feels like a "scam".

Then you haven't bought a new vehicle in 40 years! Every vehicle will have a delivery charge added on the window sticker. almost every dealer (there are a few exceptions) charge a "documentation fee".

DownTheAvenue ... I'e bought lots vehicles and I've never seen this done before. Yes I'v paid for delivery, but I knew about it right upfront. That said I've never paid for "dealer prep". If the dealer had any prep fees he included it in the price that he gave to me. In my opinion they were being deceptive and they knew it. There was a large yellow label on the side of the trailer that said that the show price is $XX,XXX and there was no mention of any other fees. So we assumed that delivery and setup was included in the price, of course excluding the sales taxes. Only after we sat down and started to talk about pricing did the salesman mention the addition fees. I don't know if this is or isn't a standard practice in the RV industry, but I say, as soon as the salesmen said it my wife and I looked at each other and without saying a word we both got up, thanked the salesman for his time and left.

[SoundGuy]

Ralph Cramden wrote:
Getting worked up because they have $300 listed as a doc fee on a separate line somewhere is senseless just the same as getting all pumped up because a dealer says no doc fee and does not list it. You're still the one paying it because nobody is doing it gratis.

The real mystery is why any of this, especially the last statement, should be a surprise to anyone with half a brain. :S Plain & simple, dealers are in business to turn a profit and that profit comes from one source - your consumer pocket. :W At the end of the day only one thing matters when negotiating the purchase of anything - whether you find the bottom line acceptable, or not. 😉

[Ralph_Cramden]

Jay Coe wrote:

Ralph Cramden wrote:

Ron3rd wrote:

Jay Coe wrote:
Doc fee is BS also. That's part of the dealer's cost of doing business like heat, electric and insurance on his building. Title and registration are the only legitimate documentation fees for a buyer.

I agree doc fee is BS.

At a lot of dealerships the person doing the finance and registration work is essentially a contractor and is paid by the number of transactions. That amount is included in the doc fee over and above the actual fees related to financing and gubmint. B&M till your head explodes but if a dealer has no separate line item shown as a doc fee you're still paying it just the same. I can guarantee no dealer anywhere is footing the bill for doc fees or anything else, the buyer is.

Well of course they are. Just like their utilities, insurance and the wage they pay the janitor. What I'm saying is they need to cover these expenses with the profits they earn, not tag it on to a sale. Those profits are the TOTAL the dealership makes off all their business, not just sales of units. Service, parts, whatever makes them money needs to cover that "business expense". It's overhead.

Which is exactly why one needs to look at the total out the door price, or if trading look at the "difference", when shopping price between dealers. Not at the individual line items on the sales order. Everything is overhead including the trailer before you sign the agreement.

Getting worked up because they have $300 listed as a doc fee on a separate line somewhere is senseless just the same as getting all pumped up because a dealer says no doc fee and does not list it. You're still the one paying it because nobody is doing it gratis.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

Got laid off in 98 and got a job selling motorcycles, quads, jet skis, etc. for a year......hated it.
The dealer charged tax, title-license-DOC, freight, and prep "fees".
The freight and prep were pretty much pure profit.
I used to tell people on the first pencil that the freight charge....Well the quad didnt swim itself here from Japan you know.....and the prep....You know it came in a box and we had to pay the tech to build it (somewhat true).