Just about anything Camping World sells online can be found cheaper elsewhere on the internet, even when they have it on sale, for the same thing. When I say cheaper, I mean a LOT cheaper. I could show links to all kinds of examples, but here is just one typical example. Ultra-Fab Eliminator braces. CW is $359.99 (on sale) + $40 for shipping. One well-known online RV vendor has it for $259.80 (regular price) with free shipping. It goes on and on like this.Access to products and pricing is so readily available nowadays because of the internet. Who is CW trying to fool with their inflated prices? Once in a while, you can find a good price from CW, but it's the exception. We just bought an Adco cover from them because they had the best price we could find.Even their website layout is time-consuming and awkward to navigate through. If you want to do a quick scan to find any potential deals, you've got to go through pages and pages of items. Personally, I can't be bothered. Often times as well, the item description is lacking adequate technical info.And then they have seemingly endless sales with a deadline of only days away making it *seem* like you better buy stuff PDQ or you'll lose out.All I can say is RV-ers, pay attention and shop around for better deals. Use google.... Camping World, smarten up.

I don't do much buying from CW but they have actual storefronts that need to be paid for. Does your well known online RV vendor have an actual building? I'm not defending CW's prices, but knowing they have a physical storefront to support can help explain their higher prices. I've been known to buy something from the local RV dealer, which is much higher than online resources, just because I can see it, handle it, and have it when I need it, not in 3-5 days.

Your making it sound like CW is the only retailer with inflated Internet pricing. I can understand that CW has many stores to support while others operate with less overhead. I use CW when its convenientfor me. While their in-store pricing may not always be the cheapest, they do keep a pretty good stock on hand. I do agree about surfing or searching on their website that it is not very user friendly.

One thing you can do - Join Good Sam.Among other things that will give you free shipping on purchases over $99.There are other benefits - 10% discount at lots of campgrounds, etc. Take a look at their website for the whole enchilada.Now I will not try and defend CW BUT, they need to pay for those stick and brick stores they have scattered all over. It's a huge convenience for me to be able to walk into a store and be able to walk out with what I need RIGHT NOW. And I like to look at and fondle things before I buy them and you sure can't do that on-line. It's real easy for someone to hang out a shingle on-line and sell a narrow range of products or really just act as a storefront for a million other vendors. It's kind of an unfair comparison. And yes, I do know there are several on-line retailers that do a great job. It's all good - I use both.But I will also say that I regularly contribute to Amazon's bottom line. Disclaimer - No connection to CW or Good Sam. I joined up because it saves me saves money !Tim

rr2254545 wrote:You opinion not mineX2

Why is Camping World so EXPENSIVE? | Good Sam Community

83 Replies

coolbreeze01
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
CW sent me a $10.00 off coupon just for looking at RV's on their lot. 2 thumbs-up :)
Bucky_Badger
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
pnichols wrote:
Here's what Camping World is really good for: Going into to look at and hold an item that you finally decide to buy ... then going home and ordering that item over the Internet if you can find it with free shipping and no sales tax.

I do that a lot with CW and lots of other brick and mortar stores. For instance, I just bought an item over the Internet from a supplier that was not only way below brick and mortar stores (as well as other Internet sources) ... but ALSO with free shipping and no sales tax. I usually can even beat Walmart prices when ordering shipping-free and tax-free over the Internet.

Why waste time, real money, and gas money when you can just walk out on the front porch and pick up the box it's in?

it took TIME and GAS to go to CW:S
Dog_Folks
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
et2 wrote:
So what I gather from this conversation is its perfectly acceptable for corporations decades ago to completely change the work environment and decimate good paying jobs ( outsourced).

Those same jobs which provided taxes "we" paid all the while the profiteers established trade agreements and offshore tax havens to screw this country over. It is they that have caused the problems we now face. Why should one feel obligated to support them ( some would propose we are screwing your fellow co-workers out of a job.) ?

They have forced us into buying at the best possible price point and the very reason on-line sales have skyrocketed. People don't have the money they've had in the past not worry about what costs are.

As Ross Perot said in 1992 at the inception of NAFTA: "That giant sucking sound you will hear is the sound of jobs leaving this country."

I guess no one wanted to listen to him then. Ready to listen now?
RVUSA
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
Well before they shut the thread I just wan ted to wish everyone a happy Turkey Day tomorrow, and to thank the mods for all the hard work they do to allow us to rant endlessly at times.

Yes, I have been drinking but I mean it, I love you guys!!!! :B
et2
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
So what I gather from this conversation is its perfectly acceptable for corporations decades ago to completely change the work environment and decimate good paying jobs ( outsourced).

Those same jobs which provided taxes "we" paid all the while the profiteers established trade agreements and offshore tax havens to screw this country over. It is they that have caused the problems we now face. Why should one feel obligated to support them ( some would propose we are screwing your fellow co-workers out of a job.) ?

They have forced us into buying at the best possible price point and the very reason on-line sales have skyrocketed. People don't have the money they've had in the past not worry about what costs are.
mr__ed
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
Camping World is not the only supplier with high prices. Other, smaller RV parts suppliers are pretty high-priced as well. I do like CW for the large selection they carry and if I really need an item I'll buy it there. Last year, while encamped in Albuquerque I nearly lost a vent cover due to extremely high winds. The local Camping World was practically within walking distance. I purchased Maxx Air covers at a price not too far above prices I've seen elsewhere. It was a matter of convenience and I'm glad CW was there.

On a different note, I'm not pleased with the quality of many items sold for RV's. Many products are not worth the asking price, IMO but if you need/want it you have to pay the asking price.
Community Alumni
Nov 27, 2013
"The was an earlier post where some guy claimed to have been in a Camping World store and told someone making a fairly large purchase how they could save $15 by going elsewhere. That guy, and others like him, just cut the wages of someone at Camping World. Somewhere, there is a guy like him steering business away from your employer, cutting into your wages. Out of each 100 sellers of a service or product only one can be the lowest. Thankfully for the other 99, there is still a huge percentage of customers who appreciate more than price."

Oh, please! Look how many people in this forum drive hundreds of miles or more to save money on their RV purchases.

Let's face it, most of the products sold in CW are not unique nor unique to CW, they are mostly commodity items that are sold in other places, usually for less.
Dakzuki
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2013
xPIXx wrote:
Dog Folks wrote:
I am not going through life doing hours of research to save $10.00. My time is worth more than that.

95% of the time Amazon has the best price so you don't have to spend hours doing research. To me shopping on the net is convenient I don't have to spend $4.00 a gallon on diesel to go to the store, the price is usually better and then I get free shipping and no sales tax. When I am buying a product I know what I want I don't have to compare. I'm not saying my way is better for everybody but it works for me. I have been to CW one time and was not impressed, I was actually disappointed as I thought it was going to be the Bass Pro of camping.

That's pretty much my feelings. I still work for a living and my time is worth money. I factor that in when shopping. If I can get it on the web for a reasonable price, that's usually where I get it.

I finding CW mostly full of impulse buy stuff. When they have things on sale they do pretty good but I'm not impressed with their pricing in general. I haven't found the people in the one near me to be particularly knowledgeable about RV stuff.
Dakzuki
Explorer II
Nov 27, 2013
I have to admit the search engine on their web site sucks big time. You can't find a thing with it...unless it's something unrelated to what you want.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 27, 2013
84 post now! this one make 85! Somehow I think this thread is going to get closed soon. It seems to have turned "South".

Edit: Boy am I slow... my count is way off already!