# Is buying an rv like buying a car...



## ktmrder (Sep 24, 2004)

Is buying an rv like buying a car? Do you refuse the first price offered and make a counteroffer? They told us the trailer is 19,679. So do we come back at 18,000? If picking out wasn't difficult enough, now I have to figure out how much we should pay!!

We are looking at a 2005 28bhs. We are in Oklahoma City, OK. Any info will be helpful!

Thanks so much for all of your help!
Cami


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## Mgonzo2u (Aug 3, 2004)

Welcome ktmrder.

This forum will be more than helpful to you in answering your question(s).

I would suggest you provide the forumites the YR/MAKE/MODEL of the Outback you are considering and also where you reside.

Then and only then, will the masses able to share what is a good and not so good value for your area.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Cami welcome to the Outbackers.

Yes buying an RV can be like buying a car or worse, it all depends on the dealer and how you approach it. When I started shopping I had done my home work as best I could so when I asked for their best price I told them don't even bother to quote the MSRP since I would walk away if they did. I wasn't rude but I don't want to play games if I can avoid it. The search function on this site and rv.net will allow you get some idea of what people have paid in the past. Spring and Fall are very busy buying times, so just on this site alone we've probably seen half dozen price questions in the past couple of days. Most of us are more than willing to help out, but you'll miss out on a lot of other posts if you don't search.

One of the best places I recommend people check for Outback prices is Lakeshore RV they post the lowest prices I've found. You can beat the prices in person sometimes, but I've never found any place on the net that is consistently lower in their prices.

Before you can judge a fair price you need to consider a few things; Year of the trailer and how close to the next model year it is, how close to the winter down time it is, what options they are including and if they are quality (thinks like Weight Distribution Hitch, Brake Controller, etc.) and even your distance from the factory. So if you get price A and its in California with everything and price B and its from Illinois with nothing you can see several thousand dollars difference.

Do take your time, do a search and find 3-4 Outback dealers with a few hours drive, call them and get quotes. Then you can decide how good your deal is in your area.

When I look at your camper on Lakeshore's website they have it listed for $17,495.

Most of all don't hesitate to drop in and ask a question!

Happy Shopping & Camping!


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## jallen58 (Oct 27, 2003)

It all depends on how bad they want to sell. My first 28BHS that was stolen I paid 20,000 for. The second one a year later and a year newer was 17,000 for the exact same model. So push for the best price you can get. Don't forget about the wd hitch and sway control. For sway don't settle for any thing sort of Reese
Hp Dual cam.

Jim


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## Central Mass Outbackers (Jun 13, 2004)

Actually, I think buying an RV is a lot harder than buying a car. With an auto, there's lots of information available about dealer cost through consumer reports, edmunds, kelly blue book, etc... With a new RV, it's a lot harder to pin down a fair price, and a lot of dealers just quote you MSRP.

As Y-Guy mentioned, finding a price at a dealer through the web is a good place to start. Many dealers who list there realize that buyers on the web are very price conscious, and will travel the distance only if the deal is very good. In our case, when shopping for our 21rs last winter, we had looked a lot and had been quoted prices in the $16K-$17K range from the dealers in our area (New England). My husband was surfing the net one day and found a new 2004 21rs listed on e-bay for $14,250 (the "Buy it Now" price). We were reluctant to bid on something sight unseen, and we had a trade to consider too, so I e-mailed the seller (a dealer on Long Island) to ask a question about a trade. When he responded, I then had his e-mail address. I didn't bid in the auction, and neither did anyone else, so after it lapsed, I e-mailed him again. I told him that if I could go to NY and see the unit and talk about a trade, I'd be happy to buy from him at the e-bay price. He agreed, and we made the trip to NY (about 4 hours from home). He agreed to give us wholesale on our old camper (available at the NADA website). I did call my local dealers, and while some of them came down a little in price, none of them would match the deal (I think the closest was still $1K higher). Although they had already sold the trailer from the auction- at a much higher price to someone local ($17K- he showed me the P&S), he agreed to order another one for us at the e-bay price, knowing that the only reason we would buy from him was if the price was good. After all, we were from out of the area, so he wasn't cannabalizing any of his local sales customers. It took 10 weeks for the new trailer to arrive, but that was OK (it arrived late in May), because it turned out to be a 2005 model!

Overall, we would have preferred to buy from a local dealer, but being price conscious, we were willing to drive a little to save some dough.


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## Travelers Rest (Feb 27, 2004)

Yes...the "game" is the same...offer...counter offer and so forth. Y-Guys advice on Bonners Lakeshore RV is dead on the mark. I live two hours north of you and I bought mine from Lakeshore and had it delivered. They were able to obliterate local pricing even with taxes, WD hitch and brake controller included. At the very minimum you should give Adam (@ Lakeshore) a call (231) 788-2040 and get a baseline for what you COULD do if you local folks are not willing to negotiate price.

Remember, this is not about getting a camper...any dealer can get you a camper. THis is about finding the best balance between price, value and your checkbook. There are many intangibles to think of.... service, expertise, support structure and so forth.

Fortunately, this forum will provide you with absolutely invaluable info after the sale as well. So...go forth and conquer!! Good luck!

Congrats and welcome

Steve


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## ktmrder (Sep 24, 2004)

Thanks everyone. All the information was great. We have now become official outback owners! This is our first rv and it is a little scary! But thanks to this board and all the helpful info we will visit a lot! Thanks again!

Cami


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## Travelers Rest (Feb 27, 2004)

...not so fast!!! You have to share the details of the purchase experience....how did the price work out? How did your PDI go? Have you done the inagural driveway campout yet? etc.....


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## ktmrder (Sep 24, 2004)

We did get a good price compared to the other dealers around us. One in Tulsa and in Texas. We will take delivery next week. We do plan to campout by the house. We are on an acre. Jeff and Logan will camp, baby and I will stay in the house. I would rather her be in the house and have her sleep well and it will be fun for dad and daughter. Our dealer is great . We have been talking with them since January. Very nice people and sounds like great service dept.

thanks again!
sunny


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## rennerbee (Jul 25, 2004)

CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome to the Wonderful World of Outbacking! Hope your PDI goes well. Remember to look over EveryThing! It it doesn't look right, tell them and make them fix it. If it doesn't work instantly, tell them and make them fix it. Don't forget to try the little stuff too. Scrutinize every inch. Trust me, if you don't you'll inevitably find things somewhere that will drive you nuts!

Also, for the baby, there was a great idea on the board (don't remember who did it) but they used a baby gate on the bottom bunk to create a crib of sorts for their little one. I thought that was a great idea and maybe you'd want to look into something like that. Do you think my "Tween" daughter would mind being put in one???


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