Assessing RV Value

klutchdust wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
Never trade in an RV. Unlike the auto industry there is no reliable "book" price. For new or used. The only way to know what you are really paying for an RV is to pay cash. And the only way to know what you are recieving for your old RV is to sell it for cash.

I will not knock the RV dealers much for this, as they deal with the same uncertainties in a trade in situation as well. If they misjudge what they can sell for your trade, then they stand to lose money on the deal. Obviously if that happens too often, they can't stay in buisiness.

When you trade in and then buy a new vehicle, the dealer is making a bunch of dough. If he has a trailer for 30k you most likely could bargain that down 3 grand. If you trade and he says Ill give you 6000 grand for your trade he is deducting that 6 G from the 30, not the 27k number, so you are getting 3K for your trade. Trades are deducted from the sticker price, not a negotiated price.

6000 grand? I'll take that in a heartbeat. LOL.

Where are you finding accurate "sticker price" The only RV I've ever seen that comes with a sticker is Forest Rivers Rockwood/Flagstaff divisions line of trailers. Not much of a sticker, but an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet that lists all options itemized by cost, and shows an MSRP with a line at the bottom that says "not to be removed until sold". Most dealers remove that document as soon as the unit is delivered to them. Even if they had a sticker, you have no way of knowing the deal between the dealer and the manufacturer. Hold backs, volume incentives, kickbacks, etc. Talking about stickers and MSRPs when it comes to the RV Industry is mental masturbation.