What to watch for when buying new from dealer

[SFVdave]

Looking thru the RV Trader at some discounted prices with a friend. He commented that if looks to good to be true, it is. He commented that they tack on prep fees, transportation fees and PDI fees which can mount to $1,000's and then try to get you to buy a extended warranty.
True? What to look for?

[SFVdave]

Thanks for all the infomation and suggestions.

[rgatijnet1]

As mentioned do your homework first and settle on what you will pay out the door maximum and then let them adjust their paperwork to match your payment.
I did the same thing on two houses I sold and a piece of property. I told the buyers and their agent exactly what I wanted as my check at closing. Any other fees, etc, they could juggle as they wanted to as long as I got MY amount in a check at closing. There was some grumbling from the agents and title companies but they all figured out a way to make it happen. If a dealer really wants to make a sale, they will make it happen also. Once you settle on the amount you are comfortable with, don't agonize over it. Just pay it and enjoy your new RV.

[DAS26miles]

zman-az, so the prep and PDI fee were hidden in the doc fee? I only paid $45 and they said that was to cover the cost of their employee doing the DMV paper work and filing it. It seemed reasonable at the time. Now, forget it, NO ADDED FEES. OTD is OTD.

[et2]

The smartest thing to do is research what you want ahead of time. " Know what you want and the product your buying". The Internet and forums like this are a super valuable resource. Ask question from everyone you can.

This is so helpful in many ways. You'll know way more than most of the sales people and will immediate be weary when they start telling you things that aren't true. You can then decide if you wish to continue the game with that person or dealer.

You will get a good idea of what a "good price to look for". Never give them what they ask for unless you know it's what your expecting, after your research of course? Everything we've bought was 25 - 35% of MSRP and in line with our findings.

Once you know the price point your willing to pay just add tax and license fees and any extras you added. Now your in the drivers seat. As other have told you - tell them your price out the door and let them squirm. And yes do tell them if they come looking for more the deal is over ( they tried pulling that on us the day we were signing). Filing fees, PDI, etc.

[DAS26miles]

When I bought my 2004 winnebago from Altman's RV, I didn't pay any extra fees like dealer prep and PD, only a $45 doc fee. Now, I've run across at least 3 which add $450 to $800. So they give a sale price and tack it on with their fees.
There is a dealer I found in Texas that has excellent prices and says there are no added fees. they wash and clean the vehicle, 200 point inspection, fill the gas and propane, PDI, give you a free night at their RV park and will pick you up at the airport. All FREE!
So when we do find what we want locally here in Southern Calif, I am going to take their sale price, take off at least $1500, add on tax license and doc fee. That will be my offer out the door. Out the door is out the door and NO more.
I can go online and get the exact tax, license and other fees that DMV wants for any vehicle.
That helps with prep of my OTD offer.

[mike_brez]

"What to watch for when buying new from dealer"

If his of her lips are moving they are lying. :E

[zman-az]

Last year I was looking for our Journey 34B. Winnie discontinued the model for 2015 and selection was limited. I did find one that ended up 35K less that the 6 others that I had found online. I did get quotes from 3 of the 6 dealers and ended up getting the one that was 35K less. Yes they do throw on fees for this and that, the biggest discrepancy I found was the Doc Fee. I think CW was around $399 and I had quotes from others as high as $795. That is a in-house fee that I would watch for. If you know what RV you are interested in, email and ask for a quote. You will probably end up having to pick up the phone, call and ask about the one you saw online as I had little success with my first initial contact via e-mail. Once I talked to someone they were able to send me the rest via e-mail. I ended up using Excel to track all the quotes I worked on to see the difference. Keep in mind the higher the price you pay the higher the sales tax you pay, just another reason to get the best price.

I ended up driving around 1000 miles from home to pickup our RV, well worth the 35K in savings. So yes, those deals are out there.

[mccsix]

Get in line for an airbag replacement....it's everywhere!!!!!!!!!!!

[phillyg]

Just learned this morning that my selling dealer can sell them, but getting in for servicing in a timely manner is nearly impossible. You might want to investigate their service facility, too. Being told a month out for an appointment. Last time they "squeezed" me in in two weeks but had the RV for three weeks. This time their excuse is no parking space for the rigs and lack of technicians, and they're "working" on that. Doesn't help me; I want to use my RV.

[Effy]

midnightsadie wrote:
watch the dealer ,99% of them have one thing in mind,how to get your money.

I would say it's 100%. Why else would they be in business? Vehicle sales, or any sales for that matter aren't in it for charity. Your best bet to get the best deal is to do your homework.

[midnightsadie]

watch the dealer ,99% of them have one thing in mind,how to get your money.

[rgatijnet1]

Wander around the entire dealership and look the place over. Do they have a lot of coaches just sitting and waiting for service? Does the service area look like it is run by professionals or are the mechanics there people that are not qualified to work in a decent shop?
Buying from a local dealer is only worthwhile IF you intend to use them for service or warranty work. In most cases, service can be found with a higher quality and quicker service at a truck facility that will also work on RV's.
Naturally with warranty work you are stuck with an authorized service facility that can do warranty work BUT if it is an engine/chassis issue, you still can take it to a truck shop and avoid the dealership.
Don't be afraid to buy from another dealer, even if it is hundreds of miles away.

[Effy]

The biggest favor you can do yourself is comparison shop. Find a MH you want and shop it from dealers everywhere to arrive at best price. That is your largest bargaining chip. If you can get it somewhere else cheaper and are prepared to do that dealers will think twice before letting you leave and will usually match. They all know what everyone else is selling for, probably more than you. Heck I shopped dealers 1,000 miles away. I figured if I could take a $300 one way plane ticket and a few hundred in gas to save a few thousand I would. And I told them so. Homework is the key to a good deal. All that said, it's also important to find a place that will offer good service. This again takes research. Some will tell you a dealer won't service your rig if you didn't buy it there and I call BS. I bought my last MH 3 hours away because of the deal I got. I get it serviced local and get stellar and quick service. I mean what crazy dealer wants to turn away warranty work?

[Halmfamily]

When we purchased our current fiver I emailed several dealers asking for their out the door price and negotiated from there. That way there are no surprises at the end.