Buying new TT

[wiiman3893]

Hi everyone,

me and my wife are taking the plunge and plan on living full time in an RV in a few months, making our purchase in December. I know the model to shoot for and have spent months examining dealers and their inventory. But as I approach the actual purchase, I'm trying to get as much information as possible on pricing. I know that there are no good guidelines, that the negotiations can knock off 5%-35% and all kind of crazy numbers, but I want to see if I can get some real data.

I am looking to buy the 2016 Forest River Wildwood 241QBXL, the dealers are asking $22,888 and I believe based on previous years and used rates with depreciation I could get it for $18,000. But What I'm really wondering is what did you pay for your RV?

If you post your make and model, where you bought it, the asking price (including any sales) and finally, what your final negotiated price was I think this would be very helpful to anyone looking to buy. This information just isn't out there!

Also, I'm planning on buying at camping world and want to get a few extras "thrown in" to sweeten the deal, if you have any experiences like that please let me know as well!

[krobbe]

wiiman3893 wrote:
As we need stability due to my being tied to one area for years at a time, we want something cheap with a good layout.

So we're not the typical full time RVers, who will travel park to park around the continent when we want, we are very tied down. But buying an rv makes more sense than a house in this area. After 4 years of rent I could have bought this RV and 4 years of RV park rent, but I'd have something to show for it.

If buying something cheap(lower cost) to live in full time, then you may not have much to show for it in 4years. The lower cost units are made for limited use and require repairs and upkeep. I'm constantly making improvements to mine to make it more reliable.
Look at a well made unit like Northwoods Manufacturing's Arctic Fox, Nash, Snow River or OutdoorsRv's BlackRock, Creekside, TimberRidge. These rigs will stand up to full time use and you will have something left to show for it in 4 years.
Northwoods and OutdoorRv are at the top of my list when I go full time.

[Lantley]

Beware ss others have mentioned you have selected a basic entry level unit that is typically not substantial enough for full time use.

[FrankShore]

For full timing you might need to consider these options and are they available on the trailer that you're looking at:

1) Dual Pane Windows (that are tinted)
2) Heated Enclosed Holding Tanks (Fresh, Grey & Black)
3) A Fantastic Fan To Pull Old Air Out of the unit
4) Winter bypass valve
5) The use of PEX Plumbing lines. Pex is a better material used on higher end trailers (very important)
6) Enclosed underbelly
7) Vent & hatch snapping covers

These are all important and VERY NECESSARY in colder climates, even in Northern California!!

You might want to look at Lance Travel Trailers, as they're all 4 Season Trailers (except for their baby trailer, the 1575) You might be able to find a previously owned Lance and that would help out with the depreciation, etc.

Here is a Link:
Lance Travel Trailers

[temccarthy1]

They were asking 24,000 for the 2014 and 29,000 for the 2015. My limit was 19,900. MSRP on the 2014 was 33,000.

[wiiman3893]

Thanks for the tip! But what was the asking price of that RV?

[temccarthy1]

If you are set on buying a TT and your budget is important than do NOT buy a 2016 now-- they just came out and are premium priced! Buy a new 2015 leftover or even new 2014 leftover if your local dealers have one that you love! Im sure they have a good selection left. We did that last year and saved $5000 by just buying the new leftover 2014 that was parked right next to an identical 2015. No different then what you save on a new car at the end of the model year. We also got the dealer to throw in extras at no cost to seal the deal.. I got him to give us a power tongue jack which was worth about $250, and an Equalizer E2 WD hitch and brake controller for my truck... a $750 value at no cost. Then he turned to my wife and said " And do you want something too?" kind of sarcastically and she said.. yeah.. Give me the Aluminum mag wheels off the 2015 to replace the plain steel wheels on the 2014... and he said OK! So we bought the 2014 new, saved 5K and love it! Made me laugh! a year later, they still have the 2015 for sale with our 2014's steel wheels on it and they are still asking 5K more than we paid... So my point is, you can really deal on a left over, not nearly as much on a brand new 2016. By the way.. You might really like the layout. It is a Keystone Bullet 285 RLS which is perfect for 2 people. It has a big 11 ft deep slide with sofa and dinette and 2 big rocker recliners at the rear instead of bunk beds. We have had ZERO problems with it in our first year of use and it is very luxurious inside and out with a multitude of great features for an Ultralite! There are a lot of happy Bullet owners on this forum! So far, I think it is a top quality model and we got it for 19,995. It is 30 ft long but only weighs 5500 lbs. Check it out!

[wiiman3893]

Actually, we are a very unique case.

I am 22 and active duty military stationed in California with my 20 year old wife. We have no tow vehicle yet and intend to live in RV parks for months or years at a time without moving. Should we get stationed in an area with harsh winters, we don't intend to spend winters living in the RV. However in northern California this makes financial sense and we have always had a dream to do something like this. As we need stability due to my being tied to one area for years at a time, we want something cheap with a good layout. We enjoy the lack of space and purposely chose under 30 feet and love most 26 feet like this.

So we're not the typical full time RVers, who will travel park to park around the continent when we want, we are very tied down. But buying an rv makes more sense than a house in this area. After 4 years of rent I could have bought this RV and 4 years of RV park rent, but I'd have something to show for it.

I appreciate all of your advice though. Another thing we like about RVs is the community, we have met so many great people who love to help us out.

[rbpru]

My advice to the first timer is to decide what you think you want, then rent a simlar unit for a week or ten days of travel.

There is a big big difference about being told about gas milage, acceleration, truck wind, cross winds,distances traveled per day, stopping distance and floor plan and doing it.

It is not cheap but it beats buyers remorse.

[westend]

jmtandem wrote:
I know you have your mind made up as to the trailer. My suggestion would be to carefully revisit that issue and be sure you are getting a four season coach that is designed for full time living. Arctic Fox and others make coaches that fit that description. For a few dollars more and another few pounds weight you might enjoy the full time life style better than in a coach that is made purely for recreational weekend use. Look at the windows, tank sizes, etc. It is more than just how much something costs or how much off the price you can get.

This information is more important than any you will receive about pricing.

FWIW, my situation and use dictated that I would need a trailer that could endure harsh Winter climates. I soon realized that a typical factory built TT could not meet that grade. My decision then became how to accomplish my goal and what to use for a base as a starting point. I ended up buying an older TT with good bones and excellent running gear. The whole interior was removed, insulated. and reconfigured to meet my needs. I know most folks wouldn't even try this but the point is a buyer needs to consider the function and use of what they're purchasing instead of cosmetics and price.

If I had to guess, I'd assume the OP has a smallish tow vehicle and is bound by weight restrictions limiting his choices. Maybe he'd like to share what he will be using to pull this new house on wheels to get some more ideas about livable TT's?

[coolbreeze01]

Did you search 2016 Forest River Wildwood 241QBXL? Looks like $14K or so is easy to find.

For full-timing, I would look at more trailers.

[RavensFan24]

I researched other dealers all across the country for the same make/model/year. I took that price and used it to negotiate with the dealer. Also had them throw in a 2nd battery. I should've gotten a new WDH too, but didn't think about it at the time. From lots of posts on this forum, if you get 30-35% off MSRP you should be happy with the deal.

[jmtandem]

I know you have your mind made up as to the trailer. My suggestion would be to carefully revisit that issue and be sure you are getting a four season coach that is designed for full time living. Arctic Fox and others make coaches that fit that description. For a few dollars more and another few pounds weight you might enjoy the full time life style better than in a coach that is made purely for recreational weekend use. Look at the windows, tank sizes, etc. It is more than just how much something costs or how much off the price you can get.

I purchased a new 30 foot Tango by Pacific Coachwoks that had a MSRP of slightly over $30,000 for about $21,500. That is about normal for what I would expect to get off the MSRP. Of course, the dealer can make up about any MSRP and then give you a huge discount and you still are paying more than you might have gotten it somewhere else. Dont let them play games with you on the cost of the PDI, starter kit, paperwork, etc. All is profit to the dealer, and a cost to you. Do your due diligence. Good luck!

[wiiman3893]

This is perfect! It's hard to get a source for this info and I really appreciate all of your help. I've found one in Alabama on rv trader who wants $15000 for this model, so if may be worth going out of state to get it.

Please, keep posting numbers!

[dahkota]

When we decided on which make and model of class A we wanted, we sent an inquiry to the six closest dealers who had one on their lot. We ended up taking the second lowest quote - the lowest was from a dealer with a shoddy warranty repair record.

Our class A was listed at 146,000 (sticker price). Because it was a 2014 and the 2015s were beginning to ship, the manufacturer was offering a buying incentive. The price we were given was $98,990 before taxes and tags.

A previous tt was listed at 22K. We offered 15K cash out the door, with a second battery and a WDH hitch thrown in. The offer was accepted.