First TT purchase ?? about Dealer discounts & any advice

For a first ever RV buy used. Start small and used. The cheaper the better. Its not likely you will keep it long enough to pay it off. Most people sell or trade for a number of reasons within the first three years of ownership. So why eat 20% or more in depreciation. Find a floor plan you think you will like and buy it. Go camping and have fun. In a couple of years you will have a better idea of what you want.

somfas wrote:
TIA for any advice. I plan to purchase a TT soon. I have looked at our only local dealer (CW) and their discounts are incredible. Is that typical? We are looking in the 24' range and the "sales price" is usually around $10,000 off the sticker price.For example, most of the ones we have been looking at are approximately $26k-$28k on sale for $16k-$18k. Since we haven't looked before we don't know if thats something they always do or is it just a really good time to buy. I don't want to rush into the purchase just to "get the good deal" but would also hate to be paying full price on one if we wait and miss the sale.

Also, a few other questions if you don't mind:

1. Are any of the brands known to be cheaply made and are any known to be higher quality?

2. What length and weight limit would you consider for a 2013 F150 FX4?

3. Thoughts on buying 1-2yr old versus new from dealer? Would like it to be very newish, but could do without all of the extra dealer fees and would appreciate any savings.

4. Any other buying tips would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Usually you can get 25% to 35% off MSRP anywhere. Of course you can't tell if that MSRP is legit or just a made up number. If you are dealing with CW, just for grins let them run the numbers and get the out the door price, you might be surprised after all the add-ons. Proceed with utmost caution. There is no such thing as a "sale."

1. They are all cheaply made and of low quality, just some worse than others.

2. My opinion without knowing the options or tires, stay below 24 foot and 5,000 lbs. Give full particulars for better advice.

3. Buying used can save a lot of money, but have it inspected and know that many have been mistreated. That mistreatment might be from a novice just doing improper jacking or service.

4. Do a lot of homework before buying, this is just the first baby step.

First, most manufacturers build multiple lines, with varying levels of amenities. That said they all use similar internal fixtures and appliances. Appliances, pumps, converter, etc will be of similar quality, the pricing differences will show up in materials and methods. Like a house, cabinets made of pressboard with a shelfpaper type of visual surface is the cheapest, and will deteriorate the fastest, Plywood is better, and hardwood frames
are better still. Screwed and glued are better than stapeled.
Generally metal sided units are cheaper than glass or Azdel, and are claimed to be better insulated as well as less likely to sustain water damage issues.
Cheaper lines will usually have smaller water and waste tanks, not only to save on the tanks, but also to lower the overall weight so they can then use cheaper axles, frames, and tires.

Best suggestion is to find a floorplan that you like, then look at several versions of that floorplan, from different lines and determine at what price point you achieve a quality level you desire.

Truck, look at the sticker in the door pillar, all your weights should be listed there for your truck. When you look at the trailers, go by the GVWR NOT the empty weight. And then expect the tongue weight to be 12-15% of that GVWR.
As to pricing have camping world give you their real price for a starter. The affiliate store here list decent pricing, but then, on a $20,000 unit added a few things Shipping $1700 Dealer Prep $700 PDI $350 Documentation $399 Several local mom and pop dealers had similar prices to CW, but didn't add all the horse hockey fees at the last minute. Most that offer straight up pricing say so on their websites, check them. Check around, you may find that another dealer is actually a better deal. Or you may find that CW overall is the best for you.
Hope this helps,
Good luck.

30% off "MSRP" is normal in the RV world, any less and the dealer isn't trying very hard (certain brands like Airstream excepted). I agree on buying new unless you're willing to put a lot of time into research and shopping.

As far as length and weight for a half ton, general rule of thumb is under 30' and under 6k pounds dry weight at the high end. The first big question is how much payload capacity does your truck have, it's on the yellow sticker on the drivers door jamb. Also how many people will you be hauling with the trailer? My truck has just under 1,700 pounds of payload and with 5 of us in the truck and my little 3k pound trailer and supplies for 3 weeks we're pretty much maxed out but that's 4 adult sized people and a tween.

Welcome to the Forum....some really good advice above already.

I'll add: It really helps if you have some tools and are handy with them..
I think you'll understand this much better after you own an RV for awhile....a short while.

Good luck with your choice..

All good advice. Get a grasp on what your truck can tow and not just what the max towing capacity is, that number is useless. Really think about how you you are going to use it. Shower vs tub, outdoor kitchen, access to bathroom when slides closed, storage, outside storage access. Ask around, RV folks are not short on opinions or what they like and dislike. Walk the campground and if you see something you like stop and ask. 15 minutes later you will have first hand experience on that model and any other topics that come up.

Look on the internet for the cheapest price and go in lower. CW will up-sell a bunch of stuff, you dont need any of it.
If you get a good deal on the front end selling a 5 years down the road is not gonna kill you.

The towing and payload capacity of a 2013 F150 FX4 will depended on how it is configured and equipped. I saw payload numbers from 1,570 lbs up to 2,810 lbs and maximum towing numbers from 7.500 lbs to 9,700 lbs depending on equipment and configuration. You need to KNOW what those numbers are before getting to far into looking for a trailer unless you're also considering getting a new tow vehicle.

If you are handy and willing to work on things electric, mechanical and plumbing then you might want to considered a used unit. A travel trailer is part house and part vehicle so if you're confident in your ability to inspect/find issues in these realms and willing to fix what you don't initially find then you can save a lot of money buying used.

If not, and you're going to buy new, then try to settle on a unit your tow vehicle can handle with a margin of comfort, check out dealers within a reasonable driving distance that have it and get as many reviews as you can about the dealer and their service as possible.

You're going to hear all kinds of stuff about the quality of this or that brand or model. Take those into consideration but in my opinion the dealer plays a huge role in the perception of quality, is an important link in the quality assurance process (catching issues before the customer every sees them) and will play a major role in whether or not you are satisfied with your purchase.

Also check closely on your finance terms if you will be taking out a loan. Decades ago a type of loan became popular with unscrupulous banks and lenders. It charges all the interest for a loan up front and causes a massive hit to anyone looking to close out a loan before it goes full term. They were made illegal for terms under 84 months to protect the public from being charged thousands in interest.
Some RV dealers are putting these programs back into play. They will hand you a loan package over the 84 month thresh hold and apply that method. A unit you may have thought you bought for $14k a year later could have a balance owed of nearly $20k. If they are pushing long loan terms, read carefully.

There are online web sites that will tell you MSRP and dealer invoice prices. CW is not known for selling RVs at significant discounts, sometimes locking you into an expensive financing deal or adding other initially hidden charges.

That price is probably good only if you finance thru them.