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.

[vjstangelo]

It sounds like none of the people that responded had actually been to the Hershey show. We went last year and it appeared that CW had the exclusive rights to write sales at the show. That tells me that warranty work would be honored at any CW. We are heading back again this year, best place to see any RV on the market. I will say, when compared to online wholesalers like RV Direct, prices at the show were comparable.

Have fun, we will!

[ford_truck_guy]

The Hershey show is a manufacturers show...what that means is that all the rv's are supplied by the manufacturers... Not the dealers... All the units that are not sold at the show go to the local dealers... The manufacturers reps are there and can and will make the final call on pricing... And in some cases the owners are there.. Bob Tiffen will always jump in on pricing with a serious buyer...do your homework , know what you should pay , wheel and deal... Nothing bad will happen. ( except possibly a rather large monthly payment)...

[GrumpyandGrandm]

Get the show price for the unit you like and then talk to your local dealer. Unless they are an extreme low volume dealer they will probably meet it. As was said above, stay as close to home as possible with your purchase.

[motorcycle_jack]

Like any deal on an RV, the dealer (let me repeat that - DEALER) sets the price on a unit at the show. A local dealer had the unit we wanted at the show and had it discounted at $108K. We shopped around and found it for 20% less at another dealer about 600 miles away. Since we full time, the unit is a high end MFG and has a good reputation, we didn't need a local "service" place. Shop around and you might save considerably.

[DutchmenSport]

Sometime you can find a good deal at shows. Before going (if you are serious about purchasing at the show), do your homework first (not at the show), and get a VERY good feel what the "non-show" price is vs the show price.

About servicing your RV after you purchase it ... Only you can decide how far is "too far" of a distance from home to the dealership if you run into issues. If you settle on a specific camper, you'll probably find "distance" is not such a factor.

[ed6713]

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".