RV dealers not budging on prices

[atltrafficisterrible]

I cannot get any RV dealer to budge more than $1k on listed prices. They all have been telling me every story up and down they cannot budget. I find it interesting since they made record profits 2020-2023 but sales are now down 50% and rates are 9-11%. From my googling rv prices over the past 3 years the overall price is still not at precovid prices.

How can they continue to sell at these prices? Is this a ticking market collapse that hasn't caught up to them yet or am i being unreasonable with hoping to get around $5k off their listed price.

 

[BeerThirty]

I have no clue about the RV market, but just like everything else these days, costs have gone up and profit margins have gone down. I think there's probably some truth in that if you're getting the same story from multiple dealers.

 

[atltrafficisterrible]

Yea, you could be right. I guess i was holding on to the slightest bit of optimism.

 

[RedHills]

We were needing to waiste a few hrs yesterday in town....ended up at a Camping World. No desire whatsoever to even entertain a deal to downsize or upgrade, currently own a '21 246 model. Just me and the wife. She has had the urge to see inside of a class C, get an idea of its roominess or lack of, so to even do that your required to go the full Salesman route....short version. There are lots of 2-3 yr old rv's where we were. New units are being used to drive sales to those. 15% discounted from MSRP at new.

 

[atltrafficisterrible]

Ok well i guess they are just trying to push older and used models then if you are also seeing that.

Im seeing new 2023s for 38% off but not much off for the <= 2022. For example i'm looking at a 2023 travel trailer and MSRP they have listed is $53k, discount of $21k(38%) for a listing price of $31k.

The previous year used is 27k.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

wait a bit. I was at a meeting last week where one of the member companies sell the bearings for the slide outs to the RV manufacturers. They have seen a slow down in the past 3 months in purchases, and the RV industries are stockpiling inventory. He said historically the RV industries will build up their inventory, then lay off people and not really build many units for 2 or 3 years.

He is seeing that ramp up to layoffs right now.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

RV sales may be following the same resistance/denial trends that are present in the general retail auto markets. I DON'T know that they are behaving the same, but if they are;

Retail auto, especially SUV and Pickup sales, have only begun to decline from the increased sales volume that occurred as inventory began to move from factories after the covid lockdowns. All of the projections are for total sales to decline significantly going into the fall and sales to remain slow until inflation stabilizes and the economy shows improvement.

Dealers are seeing a significant increase in inventory as new vehicles arrive from regional wholesalers. Auto manufacturers have completed and shipped all "waiting parts" inventory. SUVs and PU plants completed all 2023 builds in May and '24 builds began moving off the lines in late June. Because the supply chain just got moving at pre covid levels again earlier this year, management has NOT slowed production even though sales are clearly slowing.

The bottom line at dealerships is that they see an expensive glut of inventory in their near future. They will (generally) still hold to the prices the were getting last winter even at the risk of losing sales. They are already looking at significant inventory finance costs, reduced manufacturer incentives to them, and slowing sales volume that will hurt come fall; so they need ever penny of profit on every sale now and one more vehicle on the lot is not going to make much difference.

That should change at car dealerships sometime in October, or possibly as late as November. By then dealers will have their full allotments of initial new '24 deliveries and car makers will start subsidizing sales of left-over '23s. With the expected economic slow down knocking 20% or more off of sales volume and inventory finance rates going WAY up, dealers will be looking to move vehicles off their lots at any price. They know the problem is coming, but they also know if they don't get profit in the bank now, they won't survive the winter.

If the same thing is happening in the RV world - dealers WILL be more "flexible" this fall!

 

[transfixer]

I would imagine their costs for the units has increased from pre-covid prices, as much of everything else has, but I personally would be very leary of buying a new RV made since Covid, many employees did not return to the same job after the shutdowns, newer employees had to learn their job, mistakes were made, may still be being made,

A Good friend of mine bought a 5th wheel toy hauler about a year ago, went to Florida to buy it cause couldn't find one they wanted here, of course it has gone back for issues under warranty within a very short time of having it,

My Sister and brother in law just bought a new pull behind 24 or 25 foot , just the two of them using it, took it out one weekend and discovered a half dozen things that didn't work, or leaked, or didn't work right, so its been back at the dealer for a month for warranty work.

I don't understand how they sell new RV's without making sure everything works right on them ? especially for the prices they get !

I'd personally rather buy one someone has owned for a little while and already figured out and fixed whatever issues they've had

 

[WayneB]

Been looking at a new 5h wheel for awhile, usually prices drop after July 4th. This year not so much, a 1/10 of a percent maybe. Labor day is coming up, so new model year rigs will be hitting the lots. Prices will either come down, or many dealers will be sitting on the inventory and making those payments...

 

[MudDucker]

Give it time and the prices will fall. Fuel prices and interest rates always hit the RV market hard.

 

[atltrafficisterrible]

Been looking at a new 5h wheel for awhile, usually prices drop after July 4th. This year not so much, a 1/10 of a percent maybe. Labor day is coming up, so new model year rigs will be hitting the lots. Prices will either come down, or many dealers will be sitting on the inventory and making those payments...

Dealer gave me a call and is offering a 5k drop in price for a different 2024 now. The new 2024 msrp are significantly lower than what I saw for the 2023s. The models look very similar or do you think they are just trying to slip one by?

I would imagine their costs for the units has increased from pre-covid prices, as much of everything else has, but I personally would be very leary of buying a new RV made since Covid, many employees did not return to the same job after the shutdowns, newer employees had to learn their job, mistakes were made, may still be being made,

A Good friend of mine bought a 5th wheel toy hauler about a year ago, went to Florida to buy it cause couldn't find one they wanted here, of course it has gone back for issues under warranty within a very short time of having it,

My Sister and brother in law just bought a new pull behind 24 or 25 foot , just the two of them using it, took it out one weekend and discovered a half dozen things that didn't work, or leaked, or didn't work right, so its been back at the dealer for a month for warranty work.

I don't understand how they sell new RV's without making sure everything works right on them ? especially for the prices they get !

I'd personally rather buy one someone has owned for a little while and already figured out and fixed whatever issues they've had

Yea I'm really afraid of this. I've seen everywhere that quality is degraded across the board. I really don't want to camp in this heat right now.

I'm going to try and put it through the ringer before signing. Any tops on specific items I should check besides the obvious faucets, toilets, lights, etc..?

 

[basshappy]

@atltrafficisterrible if I were looking at a new or used RV I would run through everything in the house, leaving no stone unturned. Faucets, showers, toilets - how is water pressure, did hot water come on, any leaks, any issues with gre or black water tanks and valves, etc. If slide outs I would test them. All appliances I would test. Bring thermometer for fridge. The infotainment system I would test. Heating, cooling, every outlet does it have power, check all fuses, etc.

 

[transfixer]

What basshappy said ^^^^^

I didn't ask specifics on what problems my sister and brother in law had with theirs , they just said about a half dozen things needed to be fixed, and they had only taken it out the one time !

 

[basshappy]

One of my mates ðropped a significant bag of coin for a then new fifth wheel. Within 6 months the fireplace was replaced, work done on A/C, work done on fridge, and work done on slide out. For a new product. You really need to test anything and everything. He didn't test fireplace because he picked it up in Summer. He didn't test slide outs because he presumed everything would work since it was all brand new.

I enjoy old school tech and simplicity. I can't see giving up my 2003 Class B for anything new because I would lose my rainbows, teddy bears, and unicorns if a new 100k product had issues. I love working on my old tech van. Lol

 

[660griz]

I took mine on a "shake down" camping trip very near the dealer the same day I bought it. Any issues, the dealer was right down the street. Bought mine in Florida too. Very difficult to test everything on the lot. Refrigerators take a little time to come to temp.

If you can hold off a little, do it. I believe prices will come down.

Also, depending on your tow vehicle, check your tow vehicle bed clearance with a 5th wheel. New trucks have increased the height of the bed side. This wreaks havoc with 5th wheel clearance navigating anything other than a pretty smooth road.

 

[atltrafficisterrible]

I took mine on a "shake down" camping trip very near the dealer the same day I bought it. Any issues, the dealer was right down the street. Bought mine in Florida too. Very difficult to test everything on the lot. Refrigerators take a little time to come to temp.

If you can hold off a little, do it. I believe prices will come down.

Also, depending on your tow vehicle, check your tow vehicle bed clearance with a 5th wheel. New trucks have increased the height of the bed side. This wreaks havoc with 5th wheel clearance navigating anything other than a pretty smooth road.

I will try to hold off but I believe the economy will continue to get worse, rates will increase and prices will only slightly budge. At this rate I will be priced out for the rv just like the house.

Fun times.

 

[ssramage]

I bought a unit last Fall from a dealer in WI...had it delivered for about 40% cheaper than any Southeast dealer had.

They're sitting on inventory. Just like car dealers, they got fat during COVID when the market was booming and debt was cheap. They're like addicts trying to pull the needle now. It'll happen but the withdrawals will be painful.

I'm opportunistically looking to upgrade I think, but only when/if it make sense.

 

[atltrafficisterrible]

I bought a unit last Fall from a dealer in WI...had it delivered for about 40% cheaper than any Southeast dealer had.

They're sitting on inventory. Just like car dealers, they got fat during COVID when the market was booming and debt was cheap. They're like addicts trying to pull the needle now. It'll happen but the withdrawals will be painful.

I'm opportunistically looking to upgrade I think, but only when/if it make sense.

I will try and look further out of state then. Did you get a RV inspection first? I got my truck shipped from another state but I would be concerned with getting a RV unseen. Especially with all the reviews i hear about things breaking, not working, etc..

Did everything end up ok?

 

[ssramage]

I will try and look further out of state then. Did you get a RV inspection first? I got my truck shipped from another state but I would be concerned with getting a RV unseen. Especially with all the reviews i hear about things breaking, not working, etc..

Did everything end up ok?

I was worried about it too, but so far everything has been ok (mostly).

I went online and new what make/model I wanted. Found it at the Owatanna, MN camping world location and arranged everything remotely. I didn't have it inspected although I seriously thought about it and probably should have. It was new, and I had the right to inspect upon arrival so I took the risk.

The only issue I've had has been this summer with a rooftop gutter dripping above the slide and leaking into the inside... I've got an appointment booked for service, but that's not something that I think would have been caught even if I bought locally.

 

[basshappy]

The used RV market is one used market I would seriously consider. Sure there is the financial hit the original owner picked up buying new, but I am inclined to think all of the issues will have been identified and rectified in a 2-4 year old model. Let someone else pay top dollar and then deal with the issues as they arise, and deal with service centers for repairs, and then you swoop in and purchase the working used model.