Been looking for about 3 weeks now for a class C to replace my sold TT and truck. It seems like every RV lot I go to is crowded and RVs I am considering are sold quickly. It appears that I am going to miss this camping season and have to continue my search in the fall. IMHO that is better than paying too much for an inferior RV. I didn't think it would be so hard to find a clean, well priced Class C.

The supply may not get any better, or at least not cheaper with all of the baby boomers retiring that want to go travel.Bill

Strange. because my trailer has been at a dealers for two weeks waiting on parts and they have dozens of nice used units in stock. May not be what your willing to pay, but they are there. Must be a Seattle thing, because Portland is still in the toilet.

It is their busy season but CW and other local dealers in our neck of the woods have plenty of units to chose from in every RV classification. Waiting until winter will more than likely give you the best chance at a deal if you can wait that long. Good luck on your search and enjoy your new rig.

I don't know what the deal is, but the CW we bought our class c from, gave us a good deal. We traded in a TT and a pop up. They gave us what we owed on TT and what we paid for on the pop up we had just bought from a private seller. I just knew that with the significant cut on the price of the motorhome, that they were making it up some on the trade ins. I looked on their site and they have the pop up priced at $1500 more than they gave it to us for. They have the TT priced at $200 below what the pay off was. So, they may break even on the trade ins combined. I'm really feeling good now about the deal!

Ah you may not have noticed that the local dealerships are all expanding:Fife RV just re-opened the Fife location:Poulsbo RV just opened a new location:Sumner RV just opened a new location:The list goes on and on.Sales of RVs are growing stronger.

I Thought The Economy Was Depressed | Good Sam Community

32 Replies

wbwood
Explorer
Jun 18, 2013
You may need to look in other areas. Perhaps willing to drive or fly to check one out. If you find an area where prices tend to be lower than your local area.
Gale_Hawkins
Explorer
Jun 18, 2013
Another article said their SUV sales highest since 2008. Perhaps a good TV?

It is a depressing time for some but not all. Nephew just got an entry level job at a local RV center and he said they are selling well at this time.
Supercharged
Explorer
Jun 18, 2013
People think they have money now. Slow down, it works.
ginaseven
Explorer
Jun 17, 2013
I also purchased mine going into winter. Late October last year. I was able to camp once before winter really hit. The dealer got it on trade on friday, I looked at it saturday before it was prepped and actually on the lot and bought it monday. They were closed sunday :)
I had to act fast as I had missed several others by waiting.
ol__yeller
Explorer II
Jun 17, 2013
I'm ready with cash in hand. Just gotta find a good one. I am pretty resigned to losing this year's camping season but it is a sacrifice worth making to get a good MH.

I have spoken with several dealers. Some are slimey and some are pretty honest. The honest ones suggest to keep looking but target prime hunting for late winter (around February) to find the best inventory.

I just don't see parting with that much cash right now for an inferior MH that has been abused during its short lifespan. I don't want to buy something I'll regret just to have an RV now.
wbwood
Explorer
Jun 17, 2013
I can tell you that whne I was looking for a pop up a couple months, that you had to jump on the good ones the day they were put on craigslist. I'm talking about money in hand and ready to buy. There were a few that were in bad shape and overpriced and they remained on craigslist. I knew I got a good deal on ours. The dealer gave us what we paid for it and has it for sale at $1500 above that price.

The same thing may be for Class C's in your area. You may not be able to really shop around too much. You may need to pull the trigger quickly.
ginaseven
Explorer
Jun 17, 2013
OP-I encountered the same situation. I ended up looking for over a year and finally found exactly what I was looking for. I looked at many C's in terrible shape and the good ones were gone very fast. For example...I looked at a C that seemed perfect but it was getting dark, I went back the very next morning to test drive and it was already sold. It does get depressing but don't give up. I did miss last year camping but I'm not missing this year!
wbwood
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
ol' yeller wrote:
OP here. I can't afford a new or newer RV at this time, regardless of how much better they may be. (My personal Economy is still in a depressed state). In a couple years, that may change. It appears that I am looking for something that is difficult to find so I guess it is going to take longer to find it. I'll keep looking but I am about to write off camping this summer.

Well you have a couple options which you probably aren't going to like.

1) Don't buy because of your personal economical reasons.
2) purchase what you can afford. It may be a beat up old motorhome or it might be a travel trailer or even a pop up camper in decent shape. You may not want any of that and choose to do without completely.
Holiday27
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
Try to broaden your Craigslist search. I found our first class C in the tri-city's. Search all over the NW you will find one. Deals are out there. I hear you on the junk out there. Be careful. Good luck!!
jdog
Explorer
Jun 13, 2013
When looking in Feb. and March, all we found on lots were well used rentals with very little on them. Craigslist had a few now and then. I almost gave up until we found one on Craigslist. We were ready to buy and the seller was anxious to sell. Worked out good for us. On Craigslist, you have to be ready to buy or someone else will when you find a good one!