buying at RV shows

[scrapperlila]

My husband and I are are going to the RV show in Hershey next week. How many of you have purchased your 5th wheels from a show? I'm concerned that in case we need service, the dealer will be too far from our home .

Also are the deals that good or should we just go to narrow down our search.

[wkswenson]

Well we purchased a Cedar Creek at Hershey in 2012. We purchased through the CW dealer knowing we would never use them for service work (we live in MA)....

Warranty work - we had a few minor items, called Cedar Creek and our local Service provider (who is not a dealer) and they worked out the $ and details for parts. All work was completed quickly and quality.

We talked with 5 different dealers weeks before the show (already investigated the floor plans we were interested in) and had a pretty good idea what we could do for price and used that the negotiate.

We paid 50% at the show and picked up the rig 2 weeks later - did a reasonable inspection at the show (we bought the show unit) and took pictures. Then did a full inspection of the rig on Friday leaving them with a list of issues to resolve and then picked up the rig Sat afternoon.

Overall a good experience. (sales guy was not overly knowledgeable)

[2008Wildcat]

spadoctor wrote:
The Hershey show is NOT a factory show. The dealer owns the rigs after the show. The dealer get an incentive price on the rigs delivered to the show and in many cases free freight to the show. Many times a better deal can be had IF you buy the one that is at the show because of the wear and tear. In the 6 rigs we have bought we found you can deal better on an ordered unit rather than a stock one because of floor plan costs. As for service...a dealer DOES NOT have to service a rig he did not sell...that applys to the auto industry NOT the rv industry.

Not true...in a few aspects.

As a selling dealer at the Hershey Show, we do not get free freight on Show units. We have no say in what will be at the Show. Yes, it is true that the pieces not sold at the Show will become stock pieces.

That said, I can sell a unit off our lot for the same price as I can at the Show.

Good luck buying from non-local dealers at Hershey. You get the privilege of taking delivery from a hotel parking lot nearby....

[ol_Bombero-JC]

ed6713 wrote:
Shows are a great place to look, gather literature and compare.
There will always be "show specials". Don't bite. If you really like that unit make note of the price. A month later there is a good chance you can beat that price.
We went to a show in Denver a few months ago. There was a rig we were semi-interested in. The "show special" price was X, the sales guy handed me his business card and whispered so the boss would not hear, that he could make me a deal at X minus $1,000 "today only". What a bunch of bull.
Buying local is best if at all possible. While any brand dealer, say Winabago, is obligated to honor the warranty, the selling dealer most likely will be more responsive to your needs. Plus it's always nice to do business with the local folks if at all possible.

Have fun.

Just remember the old saying. "How can you tell if the salesman is lying? If his lips are moving".

Good advice.

Shows:
*NOT* all the dealers for any given brand will be there.
(Show sponsors can pick and choose - and/or select the "high bidder" to display their wares).
Consequently - some or a lot- of the competition is eliminated.
"Gotta have it now" - emotions rule.
Never saw or found a "show special" I couldn't (easily) beat.

The show salespersons:
Some *may* be knowledgeable - a lot are clueless!
Many dealers "saturate" their sales force with "newbies" for the show.
Their job is simply to "hook you up" and bring in the "closer".
*YOU* may know more about their product than they do!

"Local" Dealer:
Will a "local" dealer do you any good when you're 3K miles away somewhere across the country?

IMO - use the show to see lots of brands and floor plans.
Narrow your choices - decide *exactly* what you want - including options.
"Shop" your choice far and wide, including out-of-state (Internet is your friend) for the best price - apples to apples.
You should now have a 'benchmark' price. Go back to your local dealer/s. See if they will...beat, meet, or come close to that price.

Now it's up to you to decide - buy local or travel for the best deal.

BTW - *If* you are NOT willing to *order* the RV you want, you *are* in competition with all the other "gotta have it now" buyers who may want the same one you do.

Then - "Happy Negotiating" applies..:W

Enjoy the show!..:W

~

[bigdon68]

Have been going to the Hershey RV Show for years and will be there this year.
In 2006 we saw the 5th wheel we wanted to buy and it was being presented by a WVA dealer. We walked through it, got the literature and left for home. Did my research on the internet and ended up ordering a new 2007 model from a dealer in Shipshewanna, IND. about 3 miles from the factory where it was built. We got it for about $4,000 less.
Here we are 8 years later and still enjoy the trailer. The show is just that -- a show. Look, shop, get the brochures and then do your research and get the best deal you can from whereever.
Good luck. Enjoy the show. We will.

bigdon68

[avvidclif1]

Ever hear of a smartphone? Go to the show do your pricing and then stand there and go to the web and start pricing there. Let the salesman watch if he wants. You don't have to figure it out beforehand. If one really strikes your fancy then price check right there.

I've only bought one RV at a show. Actually all we did at the show is put down a deposit and 3 days later went to the dealer, did the PDI, and finished the paperwork and left with the trailer. He gave us back our deposit check. YMMV

[spadoctor]

The Hershey show is NOT a factory show. The dealer owns the rigs after the show. The dealer get an incentive price on the rigs delivered to the show and in many cases free freight to the show. Many times a better deal can be had IF you buy the one that is at the show because of the wear and tear. In the 6 rigs we have bought we found you can deal better on an ordered unit rather than a stock one because of floor plan costs. As for service...a dealer DOES NOT have to service a rig he did not sell...that applys to the auto industry NOT the rv industry.

[Sandia_Man]

Been to so many RV shows over the years although have never attended the Hershey event, by and large show prices can be easily beat by most reputable dealers. Know what you really want and research as much as possible, the effort could save you thousands of dollars.

[MNtundraRet]

Just a comment about purchasing an RV from shows, or anywhere for that matter.

You really need a chance to check out everything in the RV you wish to purchase before signing any contract. Not likely to happen at any show.

RV's are delivered with some defects from manufactures. They might be damaged when shipped to a show, or later when shipped to a dealer for delivery. As most of us on "Open Roads" already know it is much better to get everything fixed and working before you sign the contract and make it yours.

Once it is yours the dealer has no incentive to get all things fixed under "warranty" work. With the economy picking up most dealer service departments are loaded with RV's requiring service this year and they are careful in how many people are hired for the additional load.

They will always try to accommodate their loyal customer base quickly which means newcomers may take longer to get serviced. Getting parts for repairs takes longer this year since manufacturers are experiencing unexpected demand.

[ford_truck_guy]

MC9 wrote:
Show Special price turned out to be higher than MSRP. just sayin..

That happens most of the time... That's why you need to do homework , and have a figure in your head...

It cracks me up every time I see a couple at a dealer or a show saying that they need to buy it because it's the one time low price.....

[MC9]

Show Special price turned out to be higher than MSRP. just sayin..

[dblr]

We have bought twice at the Hershey show but managed to deal with LOCAL dealers both times. The 2nd time worked out all the numbers with a Camping World location then went to the local dealer and got them to match the price.

[bdecker]

The best time to buy an RV is when you find the one that you fall in love with. Odds are you won't find that exact one again on anyone's lot. It doesn't take too much time to research the price and not get totally screwed in the buying process. Local service is nice but odds are you will have problems while on the road. not at home.

[K_Charles]

I think most breakdowns happen away from home so if you buy local your dealer won't be where you are when you need warranty work. If you find what you like and you know the price before you go to the show you will know if it's a deal or not.

[mileshuff]

Really depends on your local dealers. We bought our 5'er 300 miles from home because of large savings and better selection. We had no trouble taking it in for warranty service to our local dealer. They were awesome.