Buying opportunity?

[bob_nestor]

The Canadian dollar today was running $0.77 to the US. I wonder how that's affecting purchase prices for the Class B's for US customers lately since the main manufacturers are Canadian.

I'm not a financial whizz, so would this drive prices up or down here in the US for a new Class B? Or is it all washed out with financial wizardry during the export/import process?

[cameronpatentla]

We just purchased a 2016 Winnebago ERA 70x and am documenting all the little annoyances I am discovering at my blog www.era70x.com. Clearly there are little fit and finish deficiencies, don't know how it compares to RT or PW though. Maybe I need to visit RT or PA dealer to do some comparisons. It we are really enjoying the Winnebago Class B. Cheers, Mike

[avanti]

jjson775 wrote:
My observation has been that Winnebago Class B conversions are not up to the same quality and finish as the Canadians, i.e., Pleasure Way and Roadtrek but I'm sure someone will disagree.

Quality and finishes are two different things. Winnebago is definitely building to a price-point, and this necessarily implies lower-level finishes than their higher-priced competitors. But, in my judgement (admittedly based on a limited sample size), they are doing a much better job than RT at keeping build quality up. As such, I think they have been delivering better value for the money than RT, whose build quality seems to be pretty mediocre. Pleasure Way appears to do better.

[jjson775]

My observation has been that Winnebago Class B conversions are not up to the same quality and finish as the Canadians, i.e., Pleasure Way and Roadtrek but I'm sure someone will disagree.

[gerrym51]

booster wrote:
Apparently Roadtrek hasn't checked the exchange rate lately. MSRP on a C190P over $108K US dollars at local dealer! They were $77K in 2007 when we got ours.

Booster-not to quibble but 77,000 to 108,000 in eight years is 5 percent a year. not unreasonable compared to price rises on other things.

[Davydd]

Why is an American company, Winnebago,apparently still way underselling the Canadians?

[stan909]

Offer to buy the Canadian rigs from US dealer at 30% off. See how it goes. The worst they can say is no.

[jjson775]

This may be less-true than it would seem. I have been told (by an insider of a Canadian upfitter) that a very high percentage of the material costs of these vans is paid in US dollars.

No doubt you are right. The main saving would be the shop labor and management overhead and profit component that I'm guessing might be about 25% of the total cost, so if you discount that by 23% you might get about a 6% cost advantage a lot less than you would think at first blush.

[jjson775]

avanti wrote:

jjson775 wrote:
It will certainly give a competitive advantage to the Canadian converters like Pleasure Way and Roadtrek over U.S. firms such as Sportsmobile and Winnebago. The Canadians can offer a better product for the same money or a similar product for less money.

This may be less-true than it would seem. I have been told (by an insider of a Canadian upfitter) that a very high percentage of the material costs of these vans is paid in US dollars.

[avanti]

jjson775 wrote:
It will certainly give a competitive advantage to the Canadian converters like Pleasure Way and Roadtrek over U.S. firms such as Sportsmobile and Winnebago. The Canadians can offer a better product for the same money or a similar product for less money.

This may be less-true than it would seem. I have been told (by an insider of a Canadian upfitter) that a very high percentage of the material costs of these vans is paid in US dollars.

[jjson775]

It will certainly give a competitive advantage to the Canadian converters like Pleasure Way and Roadtrek over U.S. firms such as Sportsmobile and Winnebago. The Canadians can offer a better product for the same money or a similar product for less money.

[booster]

Apparently Roadtrek hasn't checked the exchange rate lately. MSRP on a C190P over $108K US dollars at local dealer! They were $77K in 2007 when we got ours.

[Sebtown]

On an exchange rate basis it would be a 23% discount. If it were $100,000 CDN and you use Canadian $$ you would give them the money and take the van. If you give them $100,000 US you would give them the money, they would give you the van plus $23,000 CDN in change. There is a lot more about the value of money, so please understand this is an elementary explanation. Plan on using some or all of that $23,000 CDN getting it back home to the US.