I don't even discuss fees and other dealer add ons. I just cut to the chase.... what is it going to take for me to take the RV off the lot. Just one number. Not playing around with a stack of different numbers and playing head games. There are many good dealers that will quote a total for a trailer or RV, one complete number to take the trailer or RV off the lot. All this tacking on fees and other nonsense is just that.... nonsense. it is playing Three Card Monty by unscrupulous salesmen and getting the customer all bound and confused on details as to throw them off balance and fall for a poor deal. Dealers that want to play like that, I walk away and go elsewhere. I do the same thing with my other major purchases. We may negotiate the number, but it is one number, not a stack of numbers like fees and other garbage. I have walked away from dealers before and I have no problem walking away from shoddy dealers again.
And financing is never part of the price off the lot negotiation for the new RV or trailer. That will come later if needed. Same thing for a trade in. Trade in negotiation should be kept separate from negotiation on price of the new trailer. Never combine the two or you will likely get shorted. I always start negotiations for anything from the standpoint of out right buy, no trade in. Once we get that price locked down, then I may bring up using a trade in. And we can haggle over that as a separate deal. And regardless of how that negotiation goes, the original trailer deal is still settled already, so no monkey business and such can be played at that point by the dealer. No pressure on my part. I can walk away at any time and will be out nothing. Then another dealer will get the shot to earn my business.
I have no problem with a dealership earning a fair markup. They have bills to pay and families to feed. But they don't get to throw different things into the mix to mess things up to their advantage. Negotiation is an equal thing. We settle on a final price and that is that.
