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Walaby's avatar
Walaby
Explorer II
Jan 25, 2015

RV Show

Went to my first RV show. I've been doing research for about 6 months on travel trailers, tow vehicles, etc... Decided to go to the RV Show in Atlanta. Not to buy, but to look at what kind of deals could be had etc... Man, that place was a crazy madhouse.

Im probably just reiterating stuff that everyone here already knows. The show was a great opportunity to try to narrow down what we are looking for. We pretty much decided we are in the 24-28 foot range, with at least one slide out. Prices and models were all over the place.

I kept record of which models we liked, as well as price. Came home and did more research. It's not easy with all the different brands. Figured I'd check out rvwholesalers for price comparisons. Only found one of trailers that we were interested. RV Wholesalers was about 1200 less than the show price.

Did some other comparisons at other dealer websites. Interestingly, as others have stated here, prices are all over the board. There were some good deals I think, several thousand below same trailer at other normal websites, such as campingworld, Campers inn, etc...Some were a bit higher too.

Bottom line.. I can confirm as others have posted, prices are all over the board. My wife and I got overwhelmed with all the options, etc... It's a good opportunity to see lots of options, and narrow down what you are looking for.

I think good deals can be had at the shows, but you really have to know what you want and have done the research up front. Good news is, there is an rv show every month at this place, so over the next couple of shows, I can narrow down, and MAYBE find a decent deal, or at least use it to my advantage with a local dealer.

Just thought I'd share my observations for maybe another newbie who is going to experience the same.

Mike

14 Replies

  • My experience is that although RV show prices are discounted, better deals can be had, and many times for several thousands less. Since many sales at RV shows are from impulse buyers that may have been overwhelmed by something they have never seen, dealers find that most won't bargain as much as they would if they seen the unit on the dealer's lot.

    I get a kick when RV show salespeople state you won't get a better deal only to find the very same rig still on their lot unsold many months after the show. We go to all the area RV shows including those in neighboring states, but have never been compelled to purchase knowing we could always negotiate a better deal from the dealer's lot. Here's hoping you find the perfect rig for your specific camping needs.
  • wannavolunteerFT, taking pictures is an excellent idea. I carry a digital camera with me where every I go. More convenient and efficient than jotting down notes. Easier to store for a reference and all can be deleted when no longer useful.
  • Next time you go, make pictures not just of the stuff you like, but make your first picture of the sign with the model name/number price and that kind of stuff... and be sure you make a picture of the yellow weight sticker. I was looking at a show a little over a year ago, and like you mentioned I was overwhelmed. The second day, I made a picture of the sign... and marked the model in the brochure and then anything else that really caught my attention. It helped to know which pictures were which trailer.

    FYI, be sure and look at yellow stickers closely. when I was looking, I found a big difference between the estimated dry weights on manufacturers websites/brochures and what the sticker said the actual weight was. Often there was much less weight available for loading stuff that the estimates suggested.