Thinking of buying a brand new Lance due to high used prices
Forgive me if this is a bit long, but I want to share my situation.
I used to have a loaded 2002 Lance 1030 which I bought from the original owner. It was a beautiful camper that had been stored inside. The generator only had a few hours on it and the interior looked almost new. I bought it for around $9k in 2011. I was working so much overtime and playing golf in a club on the weekends that I barely got to use it as I wanted, and I ended up selling it and also my restored 1992 Cummins dually that it sat on. Boy do I regret selling both of those as prices exploded to the upside on both.
The market was weak when I sold the camper in 2013, and the fact that the air conditioner was malfunctioning and wouldn't come on caused me to discount it that much more. Suffice it to say I made a huge mistake not only selling it but with the price I sold it for. I had already purchased my 5th wheel and another truck, so I needed both of those others gone for logistical reasons since I was moving out of state. In hindsight I should have just taken an extra trip and driven the old Dodge with the Lance to my new state and parked them under cover. It would have been a plane ride and another 750 miles of work for me. Live and learn, but I digress.
That brings me to today and the fact that I'm considering going back to a truck camper and full-timing in it for the next year at least (including a trip to Alaska this summer), then using it on weekends, etc. after that. I have used my 5th wheel exclusively for the past 5 years (a very nice 2004 NuWa Hitchhiker Premier), and while I do love it for the creature comforts, I really don't like the size and having to utilize RV parks, etc. Boondocking appeals to me much more. And there's no way in Hades I'd haul it all the way to Alaska. After having the truck camper I never liked the size of the 5th wheel when out on the road, but I use it as a home base and parked for longer periods which is perfect.
My plan is to sell the 5th wheel after I buy another truck camper (or find a long term situation where I can leave it), so I have been looking at used campers. The prices, in my opinion, are absurd. People are asking DOUBLE the price I sold mine for 5 years ago, and for an inferior camper which is beat up, leaking, etc. I'm not even remotely interested after what I had. I have always sworn I would never buy a new RV, but at this point I am seriously reconsidering that because of what I see happening in the resale market.
So, I'm now looking at either a Lance 850 or a 995, and what I'm wondering is what percentage discount off of MSRP can I realistically expect to attain? Any recommended dealers? I am in WA state. I don't want or need financing which sometimes puts me at a disadvantage since everything seems geared towards debt junkies, with the end result being discounts only available if you use such and such lender, etc. (at least in the automobile biz).
The 850 seems more attractive to me from a weight perspective, but the 995 seems better from a full time angle. I plan on the camper being loaded with most options. It's going to be hauled by my beautiful, bulletproof 1997 12 valve Cummins dually, which doesn't have the capacity of the newer trucks. My gvwr is 11,000, which I may go over with the 995. I am not opposed to upgrading the rear leaf springs.
I'm somebody who hates depreciation, so I'm a little scared to buy new, but if I can get a swinging deal and keep the depreciation palatable, it might not be such a horrible thing. Based upon NADA's average retail price, I've eaten about $6k in depreciation on this 5th wheel in 5 years. There have been repairs, too, but it's more than paid for itself in the rent/mortgage payments I've saved (I own the property I keep it on).
This is something I've been ruminating over for months, and am starting to experience paralysis by analysis. The more I consider, the more difficult it becomes. Also, my time frame to buy is in June. That seems a terrible time to get a discount. I'm not opposed to waiting until fall/winter if it means saving money.
This is a big decision, so any help from people who have gone through this is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
I used to have a loaded 2002 Lance 1030 which I bought from the original owner. It was a beautiful camper that had been stored inside. The generator only had a few hours on it and the interior looked almost new. I bought it for around $9k in 2011. I was working so much overtime and playing golf in a club on the weekends that I barely got to use it as I wanted, and I ended up selling it and also my restored 1992 Cummins dually that it sat on. Boy do I regret selling both of those as prices exploded to the upside on both.
The market was weak when I sold the camper in 2013, and the fact that the air conditioner was malfunctioning and wouldn't come on caused me to discount it that much more. Suffice it to say I made a huge mistake not only selling it but with the price I sold it for. I had already purchased my 5th wheel and another truck, so I needed both of those others gone for logistical reasons since I was moving out of state. In hindsight I should have just taken an extra trip and driven the old Dodge with the Lance to my new state and parked them under cover. It would have been a plane ride and another 750 miles of work for me. Live and learn, but I digress.
That brings me to today and the fact that I'm considering going back to a truck camper and full-timing in it for the next year at least (including a trip to Alaska this summer), then using it on weekends, etc. after that. I have used my 5th wheel exclusively for the past 5 years (a very nice 2004 NuWa Hitchhiker Premier), and while I do love it for the creature comforts, I really don't like the size and having to utilize RV parks, etc. Boondocking appeals to me much more. And there's no way in Hades I'd haul it all the way to Alaska. After having the truck camper I never liked the size of the 5th wheel when out on the road, but I use it as a home base and parked for longer periods which is perfect.
My plan is to sell the 5th wheel after I buy another truck camper (or find a long term situation where I can leave it), so I have been looking at used campers. The prices, in my opinion, are absurd. People are asking DOUBLE the price I sold mine for 5 years ago, and for an inferior camper which is beat up, leaking, etc. I'm not even remotely interested after what I had. I have always sworn I would never buy a new RV, but at this point I am seriously reconsidering that because of what I see happening in the resale market.
So, I'm now looking at either a Lance 850 or a 995, and what I'm wondering is what percentage discount off of MSRP can I realistically expect to attain? Any recommended dealers? I am in WA state. I don't want or need financing which sometimes puts me at a disadvantage since everything seems geared towards debt junkies, with the end result being discounts only available if you use such and such lender, etc. (at least in the automobile biz).
The 850 seems more attractive to me from a weight perspective, but the 995 seems better from a full time angle. I plan on the camper being loaded with most options. It's going to be hauled by my beautiful, bulletproof 1997 12 valve Cummins dually, which doesn't have the capacity of the newer trucks. My gvwr is 11,000, which I may go over with the 995. I am not opposed to upgrading the rear leaf springs.
I'm somebody who hates depreciation, so I'm a little scared to buy new, but if I can get a swinging deal and keep the depreciation palatable, it might not be such a horrible thing. Based upon NADA's average retail price, I've eaten about $6k in depreciation on this 5th wheel in 5 years. There have been repairs, too, but it's more than paid for itself in the rent/mortgage payments I've saved (I own the property I keep it on).
This is something I've been ruminating over for months, and am starting to experience paralysis by analysis. The more I consider, the more difficult it becomes. Also, my time frame to buy is in June. That seems a terrible time to get a discount. I'm not opposed to waiting until fall/winter if it means saving money.
This is a big decision, so any help from people who have gone through this is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
