Hello all, I'm shopping for a Class B and am learning from all the posts. So far I have been on the Net comparing floor plans, lengths, and of course, price! And that leads me to my question.....several sites quote "dealer invoice".....does that mean there is no room for dealing OR is that still an option? Also on several sites I have seen "make an offer". That leaves me so in the dark. I have noticed that used units are approaching the cost of new 2007s and even 2008s, especially if it is possible to bring down from "dealer invoice"! ANY insight will be very much appreciated! Di
Di dealer invoice really tells little with autos because there are other programs going on. In vehicles there is always usually room for dealing. You do not have to worry about them selling you something too cheap. Many 2007 models sold for thousands more new than the same 2009 version.
Over well below their price if you are not wanting them to say yes on your first offer. Best of luck and do not rush into deals because the prices will trend down for a year or two I am reading.
Do your homework. If you come across a model that you want to make an offer on, do some searching around and find out what others are selling that unit for. Ebay and RVtraderonline.com are very helpful resources for this. Finally, you are in a better position than the dealerships. You don't need them, but they NEED YOU!! Don't be afraid to low ball them.
When I came across the TT we have now on the internet, we were not looking to buy. I tried to convince my wife that we should look into it but she insisted the HTT that we had at the time was just fine. The clearance price was $5K less than the original asking price and they also were taking offers. I decided there's no harm in throwing out a number and I offered them $3K less than there clearance price. They counter-offered with a number $400 higher and showed me that I was paying what they paid for it...(which i'm not sure if I beleive). To make up for the good deal they screwed me on my trade in....Then they put $1K in upgrades on it and tried to resell it for more than what I payed them for it 3 years ago....last I saw, it was still sitting on their lot a year later.
The conventional wisdom has been to start bargaining at 20% less than dealer price. That was in the good times. I would go lower today. We offered 20% lower on our 05 PW and the dealer accepted it with no hassle. I should have gone lower. On our last class A I started at 20% and after an hour we agreed on 18%. I have had dealers that would not bargain at all, shop around. Good luck.
Wayne, the old curmudgeon
I think the percentages you offer should usually be different for new and used, but also tempered by a little research. We had a dealer down 35% from asking on a used 2005 Roadtrek, but it was still too high for us. When we did buy, it was one model year old, but new, 2007 Roadtrek for 25% off MSRP. On new, it gets pretty easy, as you have MSRP as your reference, but on used, you have no idea how they priced it. Some may price at double what they will take, others may price much closer to what they would take, so it is up to you to know what the unit is worth TO YOU. The NADA info is useful, but definitely not gospel, especially in these times.
I would toss out any price a dealer tosses out to me and start where I thought someone somewhere would take for the unit after some research. As mentioned this is ESPECIALLY true for used units.
Don't be afraid (or ashamed )to make a low offer. You can always go up, but you'll usually have to walk away & go to another dealer to decrease your offer.
Jim, "A penny saved is a government oversight."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
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Best of luck and do not rush into deals because the prices will trend down for a year or two I am reading.
)to make a low offer. You can always go up, but you'll usually have to walk away & go to another dealer to decrease your offer.
