Variations in price

Transport costs contribute to the higher price. The closer the dealer is to the factory, the lower the transport costs. That's one thing which contribute to higher price, the other is how greedy the dealer is (how much profit to they want to make)

An RV from Northwood Manufacturing or Outdoors RV (both in LaGrande, OR) will have a much better price from one of nearby dealers as opopsed to one on the sat half of the US.

There's two local dealers that have very good prices and ge buyers from all over the US. One is probably 2 miles (or less) from Outdoors RV and about 6 miles from Northwood. The other is over the hill in Pendleton. Both dealers pick up their own units from the factory, so there is no "middle man" transport company involved.

An example of dealer markup is very obvious for several dealers on the above brands. Sumner RV (in Sumner, WA) is always higher than RVs Northwest in Spokane, and Apache Camping Center in Tacoma, Portland and Everett - and not just minimally higher to make up the slightly higher transport costs, I'm talking like thousands more.

goducks10 wrote:
I have 3 Grand Design dealers near me.
The MSRP for an Imagine 2150RB off of Grand Designs website is $33,830
The dealer 60 miles south has one listed at $38,077
The local dealer has one listed at $40,538
The dealer 45 miles north has 3 listed at $33,049-$33,894
Same exact trailers.

My town is a one horse town. The city to the north is very large and the city to the south is also a one horse town.
The two smaller towns don't have competition from other dealers of the same make.

There can be a difference based on what options are on a given model. Exactly why you shop around, compare price & options. I can drive a long way to save several thousand.

I have 3 Grand Design dealers near me.
The MSRP for an Imagine 2150RB off of Grand Designs website is $33,830
The dealer 60 miles south has one listed at $38,077
The local dealer has one listed at $40,538
The dealer 45 miles north has 3 listed at $33,049-$33,894
Same exact trailers.

My town is a one horse town. The city to the north is very large and the city to the south is also a one horse town.
The two smaller towns don't have competition from other dealers of the same make.

I hate to see everyone painted with the same brush. There are some very good mom/pop dealers out there that not only want to sell you a RV, but want to sell you your next one as well. Years ago when we were looking for our first TT, we were >50miles away from home and a nice couple who were also shopping told us to "go to such and such dealer- they are worth the drive". Turns out that dealer is our hometown dealer not 5 miles from our house. And yes, they still get our business.

Compare that to my locl CW where we were treated worse than the sleaziest used car dealer you have ever heard about. And when reported, that behavior was ignored by CW upper mgmt.


Tip: always ask if the salesman is on commission. It matters AND tells you how much more you can negotiate downward.

Jim and Susie wrote:
I am looking for a used Trailor bumper pull and Utah by far has the best prices . I have seen listing for models from 1997 to 2003 for under 2000. That much different in price from one state to another got me wondering if there is some hidden Cost or fees if you will. Anybody heard of such a thing?

Your post is confusing - what difference? :h As written it reads as though you're looking at travel trailers priced around $2000, if so about all you'll get for 2 grand is a junker regardless of where you buy it. :( Are you talking about buying from a dealer, or privately? :@

hire a rv tech to look the rv over and suggest its value. some sales people are not your best friend.

As already said, it depends on how much the local market can pay. In a high wage / high cost area like CA prices are going to be higher than in a lower cost area, such as Utah.
One thing to watch out for with used units that have really good prices (besides the usual shady dealer tricks) is units with salvage titles or that have been used as rentals or temporary housing in that they will have a lot of use in a short amount of time resulting in more wear than their age.

Thanks, for the feedback but to expand a little, I am looking for a used Trailor bumper pull and Utah by far has the best prices . I have seen listing for models from 1997 to 2003 for under 2000. That much different in price from one state to another got me wondering if there is some hidden Cost or fees if you will. Anybody heard of such a thing? Thanks again.

A huge part of the difference is the disappearance of the local dealer. Mega chains buying out the local mom & pop locations and then putting in place all the bad things from the old jokes about used car sales.
Pricing based on you being gouged in the financing, thousands of dollars in hidden fees and mandatory upgrades, and the pressure to buy now or the price will go up next week. All spouted to you by someone that likely has never used the products they are selling as experts.
Use the megastores and rv shows to decide on size and floor plan, and then narrow the field of possible lines according to your wants/needs/budget. (ie; metal or glass sided, interior finishes etc)
And then use the advanced search feature from an online sales program such as
RV Trader
or
RVT.com
And search for specifically what you want, visit the dealers websites, see which ones price their units straight up, no fees. And then compare apples to apples , out the door for what your price is.

The dealer is free to price units how they wish, as an example some may require you to use their "preferred" financing to get a sale price. Or they may add fees such as
Shipping ,,,,,,,,, $1700.00
Dealer prep ,,,,,,,,$750.00
Pre delivery insp
or walkthrough,,,,,$700.00
documentation ,,,,,$399.00

Dealers that price their units straight up are usually proud of it and say so on their websites, those that have the add on fees generally say nothing. Yes, all dealers have to make a profit to stay in business, but as the buyer, make sure you are comparing deals, Apples === Apples.

Local dealer may be convenient sometimes, but many have months long lines for poor service. And if you are using your rig when something breaks, there is a good chance you wont be close to home anyway, so "local" becomes an irrelevant term.

The dealers set the price at whatever they think the traffic will bear. Some models are in high demand in certain areas. There would have to be a significant difference to make a trip from Missouri to Utah worthwhile but that is up to you. How are your negotiating skills?