New or used 5th wheel?

newk wrote:
I've bought used, barely used, and new. I don't know what the next one will be.

One thing that can be very misleading is the amount that's "saved" by buying slightly used. "New it was $50K and we got it three years old for only $30K!" Sound familiar? That's a 40% savings. You can usually get a 35% to 40% discount off the sticker price on a brand new model. So was that $50K the new sticker price, the price the dealer used when offering a great trade-in price on someone's tired old rv, or was it actually the (discounted) cash value when new?

Some people will actually pay more for a year-old rv (or car, truck, etc.) than they will for the same thing brand new. My late father-in-law, a fanatic about caring for his "good car," traded for a new one every year for $500. The dealer sold his year-old trade-ins for more than they'd sell the same thing new. Weird but true. Buyers wanted that year-old car because it was in pristine condition and was priced a little less than a new one... but they could have gotten a bigger discount on the new one.

Wow!! Who knew???!!! But, I can believe it, because the 2011 Keystone Outback that we saw today was priced at $31,900, which seemed rather high...not much depreciation for a 3 year old model, so I was perplexed....and disappointed.

What you say could very well be the case. I just looked up 2014 models and although they do not have the exact model any longer, they range from upper 20s to mid 50s. So, even if it were 45,000 new, that would come to 31,500 at 30% off.

I've bought used, barely used, and new. I don't know what the next one will be.

One thing that can be very misleading is the amount that's "saved" by buying slightly used. "New it was $50K and we got it three years old for only $30K!" Sound familiar? That's a 40% savings. You can usually get a 35% to 40% discount off the sticker price on a brand new model. So was that $50K the new sticker price, the price the dealer used when offering a great trade-in price on someone's tired old rv, or was it actually the (discounted) cash value when new?

Some people will actually pay more for a year-old rv (or car, truck, etc.) than they will for the same thing brand new. My late father-in-law, a fanatic about caring for his "good car," traded for a new one every year for $500. The dealer sold his year-old trade-ins for more than they'd sell the same thing new. Weird but true. Buyers wanted that year-old car because it was in pristine condition and was priced a little less than a new one... but they could have gotten a bigger discount on the new one.

Another good reason to buy used, about 5 yrs old or whatever, is the better chance of finding a mfgr that builds their own frames or uses a GOOD frame mfgr like Young, Venture or Dexter. A few that come to mind are HH, Jayco, Carriage, Sunnybrook, Newmar and I know there must be others. The 3 low end units we owned, had very flimsy frames and everything around them either worked loose or came apart. After a few trips with our 92 Sunlite hybrid, I thought my feet were going to go thru the thin floor. Our 94 Shadow Cruiser 5er only had a 2 x 4 frame and the entry door wouldn't open/close if I put too much weight on the back jacks. The siding was popping off of our 98 FR Wildwood 5er from the front end flexing. When it comes to Rvs its... pay now or pay later! Craig

I am also looking and trying to educate myself on purchasing a nice hopefully used 5th wheel. We now have a 1992 lance 24 foot. Yes, I bought this lance used and it seems that it isn't the highest quality. The biggest complaint I have is the plumbing on it. The manufacturer seems to stretch the hoses as tight as a banjo string. It is very hard to get at anything for repairs. I am looking for something that I can actually work on and that won't fall apart on me.

I am not rich and not poor. I have heard Alpenlite 5th wheels are good quality. Is it worth the extra cost for a Hitchhiker, Dutchman, or higher end trailers? I don't need fancy stuff or big flatscreen TV. I want about a 24-29 foot trailer.

Right now I store the trailer outside and I know this is hard on it. I would like to build something to store it in, but I don't want to spend the money. Give me your suggestions and help. I plan on keeping the new one for many years.

As far as doing your homework, I think you are. You've looked at more 5th wheels than I ever did, and you are asking the right questions and getting a feel for what you want and the prices you will have to pay. You are learning all the time, with every 5er you walk thru. At some point, you're going to step inside a unit and know THIS IS THE ONE!, like we did. The price will be right, the floor plan will be what you want, and it will feel like home. You will know this, because you "did your homework". Don't agonize, just keep looking and learning, knowledge is power. You'll know it when you find it.

MookieKat wrote:

Which Heartland Model did you buy and who was your dealer??? Is this typical? Did you ask for this discount or did they just offer it to you?

Greystone 32RE (in my signature down there)

I don't know if this kind of deal is typical.
Where we bought just cuts prices down to low book when they dump older end of year models.
I asked for quotes by e-mail they were all very low.
The dealer stuck by their quoted prices.
We just figured over $17000.00 off was fair for the coach we got.

Didn't feel ripped off, didn't even have buyers remorse.
We just go out and have a good time relaxing in this thing.
DW loves the kitchen.
We both love the hideaway television and fireplace.
We both really like the triple slides.
...and at 6 foot 1 inch I can standup in the bedroom.

This is a link to the trailer we bought.
The dealer hasn't removed the pics from their website yet.
Please click here
Click on "more pictures" to have a look inside.
We've been out in this coach 5 times since buying it (April 9 2013).
Heartland stopped building Greystones this year.

Our last outing can be seen here:
Please click here

The Glendale Titanium Tour was a disappointment. I could hardly get around the bed on one side. that was too bad, because we liked everything else about it, but it was dangerously tight on the one side, so that if I had to get up very quickly out of bed, I could stumble and fall and/or twist an ankle on the multiple levels on that side.

FordDiesel250 wrote:
We bought a used Alpenlite after doing our homework upfront. That is the key, do your homework before hand and that will help you to make a uniformed decision before you buy.

I hear this a lot...."Do your homework." Can someone please give a detailed explanation of HOW to do my homework? Thanks!

BTW...the dealer that we saw today. There was one 5er that was a maybe possibility, not a certainty, and the man wanted to sit us down and do a credit check before he could give us the best price. Is this normal practice? This was at Boat N RV.

Thats_Ok wrote:
Bought a new 2012 model in April 2013.
Discounted from $49998.00 > $31669.00 (no haggling.)

Happy with the price and the fiver and the manufacturer (Heartland RVs)
We have always bought new.

Which Heartland Model did you buy and who was your dealer??? Is this typical? Did you ask for this discount or did they just offer it to you?