In the process of buying my first trailer, any advice?

And don't trust the salesman on what you can tow. You don't mention yow vehicle but a half ton can actually tow a lot less than folks think because of cargo limitations and tongue weight.

We just bought a new 2016 TT and were able to buy at better than 30% off MSRP when all was said and done, but it took us 2 weeks from our first point of negotiqtion to get there. An often overlooked point of leverage is the "end of the month". Salesman and dealers oftentimes will give that little extra to the customer to make the deal happen in order to meet an individual or company sales goal and that is what happened in our case. The dealer actually called us to re-open negotiations on what we thought was a dead deal and it turned out to be an additional $1200 swing in our favor on an MSRP of $34.5k and a new TT in our driveway. Ironically, this was our 2nd attempt at a purchase as the first dealer wasn't very receptive to the RVtrader lowest price starting point. After asking for a price on the unit in stock, the salesman asked me to make him an offer. I did...at the lowest price I found online and the salesman said he'd get back to me shortly with a counter-offer. He left me a voice mail later that evening to say "We're not close. I'll call you again tomorrow". I'm not sure what kind of counter-offer "we're not close" is, but I never heard from him again.

Some dealers play these games and it is really uncalled for. Go ahead and give them the lowest price you found on the internet and work from there. Can be tricky as they might appear to match it or get close, but you will find the out the door price to be quite a bit higher when signing the paperwork, plus they will badger you to get the extended warranty or other upsells.

Whether it is a car, truck, or RV, we always demand the out the door price and most dealers are OK with this while others want to play games. If you are truly decided on a particular model and brand it will be more difficult to bargain as there is rarely more than one dealership selling the exact same model and brand within the same area.

As for warranty work that may be required during the first year, some dealers have a quality service department while others simply don't have the qualified service personnel or really care much about customer service after the sale. This can be an issue many don't think about, there are posts here on the forum that deal with this scenario all the time.

Good luck and here's hoping your first new rig is all you expected and more. When first entering the RVing world, we all think we know what we do or don't want in a rig. Which is why some suggested going the used route first since many trade in nearly new rigs because the floorplan doesn't truly agree with their lifestyle. Obviously this can get expensive, but everyone has the right to spend their money how they see fit.

Need to go into this process well informed—read, read, read! You have to convince the salesman that you are informed to get a good price. Assume everything the salesman tells you is a lie, and confirm everything yourself. DO NOT trust the salesman to tell you how much your vehicle will tow. MSRP is not standardized like it is for autos, and generally will be more the further you are from the factory (85% are made in northern IN). To get a good idea as whether the MSRP being quoted is reasonable, check out the same model nationwide on rvtrader.com. Google for your model and see what pops up for other dealer offers. Ask what the dealer’s doc fee, title fee, inspection fee, transportation fee, set up fees, etc. are before getting serious on price because they will spring them on you after you have agreed. If you can’t get 30% off MSRP you’re not trying, but you might have to travel a little to get it. I wouldn’t buy a 2015 model for less than 35% off because the 2016 models started coming out of the factory last April.

If you post what you are looking at, you’ll get suggestions of dealers. There are some wholesale dealers on line that you can use to see bottom prices.

Try to buy local considering warranty service. And there will be. Go to the dealer with your best on line price and ask how close he can come to match. Depreciation on a new unit is cosiderable. Flip side is you get the factory warranty. Shop carefully. You are entering the off season. You may get a good deal.

Anyway it seems to be far less transparent than buying a car,

Your right. Some things in this vid might help you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP_u2JR51_Y

STOP!!!
Never ever buy new as your first ever RV. Depreciation the second you pull it off the lot could cost you more than a decent used trailer. There is about a 80% chance you will not keep it long enough to break even, so why not start small and used. That way when you decide either the RV life is not for you, or the one you pick just is just not suited to your wants you won't lose your shirt.

Georgio1955 wrote:
...One guy I talked to wanted me to put down a refundable down payment to make an offer on a trailer.

That's ridiculous. No money leaves the pocket before you have a written price - including all the dealer fees such as "prep" and "title fees".