What is the buying procedure?

It's pretty much like buying a car. The seller will typically price the RV much higher than they are willing to sell it for. If it's new many feel that a dealer will often sell it for around 80% of the sticker price so make an offer way less than the posted price and see what happens. If it's used, look up the value in the Kelly blue book or Edmunds as a rough guide and offer much less. Don't worry about offending the seller.

Jandsa wrote:

bob34787 wrote:
1.expect that you are being lied to
2.expect to find many little problems and a few major problems.
3.expect it to lose 1/2 its value the minute you sign the papers
4.do not sign loan documents until unit is prepped and you are happy
5.buy the biggest RV you can find, if not you can expect to trade in a few months
6.after you buy it expect the dealer to ignore your requests for service
7.expect to never get the RV site you want unless you plan your trips well in advance.

expect it to lose 1/2 its value the minute you sign the papers

That is why I posted to buy used. After much haggling back and forth between the dealership sales staff and hubby and me, we finally got to a reasonable level over 1/2 value.

and #5.....what you buy is going to be contingent upon your tow vehicle and what you feel comfortable towing.

#6. The dealership service has been excellent...and the only lies is by omission, which is the price the dealership pays for a unit. One can find those prices on the internet.

does not matter what your tow vehicle is, I had my 5th wheel delivered to site 706 at fort wilderness than bought the F350 DRW to tow it when it was time to leave. the point I was making was I have bought 6 in the past 5 years due to not buying big enough to start with. as far a service yes since yours is used and has no factory warranty, service will be great, they do not get 120/hr from the manufacturer. As far as lies somewhere in the course of the sale you were lied to , its just part of the sale, one of the most honest sales people I have ever met and the one who sold me 4 of those 6 RV's has lied to me and others.

bob34787 wrote:
1.expect that you are being lied to
2.expect to find many little problems and a few major problems.
3.expect it to lose 1/2 its value the minute you sign the papers
4.do not sign loan documents until unit is prepped and you are happy
5.buy the biggest RV you can find, if not you can expect to trade in a few months
6.after you buy it expect the dealer to ignore your requests for service
7.expect to never get the RV site you want unless you plan your trips well in advance.

expect it to lose 1/2 its value the minute you sign the papers

That is why I posted to buy used. After much haggling back and forth between the dealership sales staff and hubby and me, we finally got to a reasonable level over 1/2 value.

and #5.....what you buy is going to be contingent upon your tow vehicle and what you feel comfortable towing.

#6. The dealership service has been excellent...and the only lies is by omission, which is the price the dealership pays for a unit. One can find those prices on the internet.

1.expect that you are being lied to
2.expect to find many little problems and a few major problems.
3.expect it to lose 1/2 its value the minute you sign the papers
4.do not sign loan documents until unit is prepped and you are happy
5.buy the biggest RV you can find, if not you can expect to trade in a few months
6.after you buy it expect the dealer to ignore your requests for service
7.expect to never get the RV site you want unless you plan your trips well in advance.

If you're looking at a pre-owned unit, find a good RV inspector local to you and get a written report on the condition of it. It will be worth what you pay for it if there's any hidden issues.

Lyle

After purchase don't get upset if something is not right. Just expect that something won't be right. However I don't suggest buying the extended warranty. It seldom is worth the expense and hassle.

Just like buying a car, make an offer. Once is accepted be sure everything you want is written down. Give then a down payment. Once it is ready for delivery, go back with check or financing in hand. Go through inspection. Do not hand them or sign on the bottom line until everything is completed to your satisfaction. Sign, hitch up and go. There are lots of PDI check sheets online. If you have a friend familiar with RV's have them go with you for PDI

Jane,

I would have a thorough inspection on the 2nd trip: lights, fridg, plumbing, stove, and check for leaks. Then, if everything checks out and agreed price, and if you want, put down a deposit with the stipulation of "pending loan approval." This will all be in writing with the agree price, the model, vin #, year of the unit, the deposit down, and dated with the seller's and buyer's signature and date.

On the third trip, pay the remaining amount and on the sales agreement, the seller writes, "Paid in Full" and signs it with a date. You take possession of the camping unit, hook up and tow it back to your house.

Thanks everyone. I guess I did not make myself clear. After we decide that we like a particular unit, I meant "steps" like:

1. Return to do an inspection (do we ask them to hook it all up to see if everything works at this time, or do we just do a visual inspection on the second trip and if we approve, return on a third trip to have them hook it up to check all systems?

2. And then, do we make an offer after checking everything out? I suppose we need to be pre-approved for a loan after we find something we like and before we go back to inspect?

If buying from private party, how does the procedure go?

Start at the beginning with something this big.
Do you have enough truck to pull it? You'll need a special hitch.
Does someone feel comfortable driving/backing the truck hitched to the fifth wheel?
Do you have a spot to store it when not in use?
Know what you can spend. Count the truck, maintenance, fuel, storage, insurance, etc.