Buying a Roadtrek CS - any advice?

[bobbermac]

We haven't started to negotiate a price yet, so looking for suggestions please.

[NCWriter]

Just want to wish you a successful negotiation and lots of good times ahead. We bought used, so unfortunately I can't give you any relevant info on your original question. Hope some others who bought your model can weigh in.

There are quite a few Sprinter owners who are highly satisfied and have not experienced problems or high costs with servicing, parts, etc. (Including us after three years and almost 36,000 miles.) Keep us posted - always glad to have another class B forum voice.

[My_Roadtrek]

10 to 15% maybe up to 18% depending on time of year, and if it's one dealers want to move because newer models are coming in.

[BudJ]

bobbermac wrote:
Thanks for the responses, and to clarify . . . I am wondering what is a reasonable percentage discount to negotiate for on a brand new Roadtrek CS.

Hey, quit trying to change the subject!

Bud

[bobbermac]

Thanks for the responses, and to clarify . . . I am wondering what is a reasonable percentage discount to negotiate for on a brand new Roadtrek CS.

[mlts22]

There has been a lot of discussion about the Sprinter's pros and cons.

-edited to be relevant to this discussion-

I've found discounts vary by the time of the year. When RT gets new models in, one might be able to get a little bit of a better deal on last year's rigs, or if something like the solar array is tossed in, the discount may still be not much.

The other thing I've found is that these few months (February, March, April) in northern areas tend to be the worst for prices. It is spring, people are de-winterizing, looking to unload their old rigs and find something new, so discounts on RTs may be hard to find. In Texas, the seasons are different, especially with the "B" market, so the best time to buy is probably around the model year change, come summer.

[Fastpaddler]

I believe the OP question concerned price not the relative qualities of any particular RV:Roadtrek or others. Commercial use Sprinters have incredible reliabily records in the hundreds of thousands of miles. Rvs are another story re exterior size, interior features, driveability(subjective) and value for money. I find the Sprinter MB drivetrain to be just right for my driving style--it does not wander all over the road like my Ford(gas) rvs did. Mine is more like a car, on the road. So, the RS price should best be decided by comparative shopping. Resale value of the unit later can often be pre-determined.If OP is buying new, which is inference here, then warrantee is highly relevant. You folks in US can give the OP more idea of prices for fully equipped CS. Nice rig too.

[jrobe]

I certainly agree with the above comments about service of a Sprinter vs a Chevy model but there isn't a $30,000-$40,000 price difference.

If I build a Roadtrek CS on the Roadtrek website the way I would buy it and compare it to a Roadtrek 210 (which is the closest Chevy model size wise), it would be about a $6000 difference. The Roadtrek 190 would be about a $20,000 difference but it is a smaller RV also.

I have also owned enough GM vehicles that I could argue the statement about the Chevy being "far more reliable" than a Mercedes Sprinter chassis. I have also sat in all of these vehicles and the driving view in the Sprinter is amazing compared to the Chevy RV's. I suspect the Ford Transit will have a similar driving experience.

[overbrook]

bobbermac wrote:
We haven't started to negotiate a price yet, so looking for suggestions please.

Going in, know that you will be paying a $30,000 to $40,000 premium for the Sprinter chassis over the nearly same floor plan in a Chevy chassis.

Also be aware that with the new Ford Transit van becoming available, it is likely that next year's new RoadTrek will be on the Ford Transit, and not the Sprinter.

Also note that you could save $30,000 to $50,000 buying a two or three year old Roadtrek 190 or 170 Popular on the Chevy chassis instead of the CS on the Sprinter chassis.

And finally, note the exterior height of the CS on the Sprinter chassis is 9' 7", while the exterior height of the Popular on the Chevy chassis is 8'4". This extra foot of height might be a problem depending on where you park it.

The interior height of the Sprinter is about 6' 8" while the interior height of the Chevy is about 6'2". The Sprinter wins there.

I've owned two different Class B's on the Sprinter chassis, and after seeing both of them spend weeks in the shop, I upgraded to a Roadtrek on the Chevy chassis.

The Chevy is far more reliable, a lot less expensive to repair (when repairs are needed), and service for the Chevy will be available everywhere - while trying to find an authorized Sprinter repair facility can be a real pain.

Be sure you want to pay the $30,000 premium for the Sprinter before you start negotiating price. Knowing that there are alternatives that cost a whole lot less will give you some leverage.

Bill

[1492]

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