When to buy...when to sell

The time to buy is when you have cash and aren't desperate to get a unit. If you can walk away, you can negotiate great deals any time of the year.

There is some seasonality but it depends where you are.
- In most of the country, prices are slightly lower in the fall and higher in spring/early summer.
- In snowbird areas, it's the reverse.

But being able to walk away will easily outweigh any minor seasonality issue.

Think about it, if you could save 20% by buying in the fall, dealers would just sit on units until spring and make drastically higher profits. 2-3% and an argument can be made that it costs them to hold the stock for 3-5months, so it's worth take a lower price.

LazyDays RV sales, in Arizona and Florida, sells new and used RV's year round. It doesn't seem to matter what month or season it is.

But end up even further upside down. Eventually, you have to pay the piper.

Bumpyroad wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:

Well selling, it's really a gamble. Remember, the value of your camper has more value to you than it does to the potential buyer.

many folks are upside down and try to get their debt paid off.
bumpy

This is also why so many have new RV's. If they sell outright they're upside down. If they trade it in they get a brand new RV, and keep the same payment.

The best time to buy and sell

Based on my accounting background and the economics classes that I had my opinion is that while it might not make a big difference you can buy at lower prices in the fall after families have used their RV during the summer and the kids are back in school and the weather is getting colder and they don't want to store it all winter. The best time to sell is probably in the Spring when families get the camping bug and that means more buyers are bidding up the prices.

There are always some people on these forums who want to impress others that they are the greatest wheeler-dealers and they can sell whatever they want whenever they want at the price they want. Color me skeptical - VERY skeptical. Some people really need to massage their egos a lot. To get a good deal you need to do your home work and be willing to wait for a good deal.

DutchmenSport wrote:

Well selling, it's really a gamble. Remember, the value of your camper has more value to you than it does to the potential buyer.

many folks are upside down and try to get their debt paid off.
bumpy

I have found that with RV's and any other vehicles, the best time to buy, if price is your guiding factor, is not when people are waiting around for a salesperson to get to them like at an RV show.

I buy when I want and sell when I want.

RV show prices are rarely the best deal you can make.

For a new unit buy in winter when demand is at its least.
For used sell in spring when demand is greatest.
When buying used condition and prior maintenance are more important than price.

jerseyjim wrote:
Many believe that the best prices (buying) is at RV shows.

For new, Fall or Winter, especially if it is a "last year" model.