How far would you drive for new TT?

[mtofell1]

I'm amazed at the price variation by area of the country for RVs. I asked my local dealer who had a unit I was interested in why I could buy the same unit he had @ 33K for 25K if I was willing to drive a long ways. He said a big part was the shipping they pay to get the unit to them (Oregon from Indiana). But then I know they make a lot of RVs in Oregon so I'm not sure what to believe.

In looking on RV Trader at new units the exact same model is often times 5-10K cheaper if I'm willing to drive. The specific one I'm looking at currently can be had for 24K in North Dakota (1200 miles away) or for 27K in Washington (200 miles away). Locally, I can't find it for under about 32K.

I know there is a lot of value in having a good dealer for service but not $8,000 worth. And I know getting warranty work can be difficult at a dealer you didn't purchase from.

Has anyone driven a long ways to save a chunk of money? Would you do it again?

[kirkl]

Russ Dean RV in the TriCities WA has alot of Cougars. I almost bought one but went with the cheaper springfield west coast which is a great trailer. If you buy from them talk to the salesman Ryan M. Maybe ill get a referral lol

[rbpru]

I suppose I should elaborate on my comments regarding the cost to pick up a trailer.

I am retired, so if my wife and I ever decided to pick up a trailer, we would make a vacation out of it sightseeing both ways. Time is not all that important.

What would be important is proper dealer prep, a complete walk through and proper hitch alignment and installation prior to leaving for home.

Also, when you get it home, knowing where are you going to get any warranty work done? Subtract your cost to pick up the unit from the assumed cost savings and see if the dealer will come down that much.

Last summer we drove from our home near Elkhart, IN for a vacation in Glacier National Park in western MT, by way of northern MN. We followed the Lewis and Clark trail along Route #2. It was a great trip except for the oil boom construction near Williston, ND.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[rbpru]

The math is easy; wages lost, food, lodging to get there, gas. Then food based on 300 miles a day, gas at 10 mpg commuting home.

Finally, will you local dealer service it.

[sushidog]

I wouldn't buy a new TT, only a used one. But if I could savea bundle to make it worthwhile I would drive across the country if the savings justified the trip on the exact unit I was looking for.

I was lucky with my last purchase - a barely used, less than 1 yr. old Aliner for about 60% of the price it sold for new. It was the exact model I was looking for and I only had to drive about 150 miles (one way) to get it. I've never been back to that dealer since, as I do my own work. I would have driven over 1,000 miles to save that much though.

Chip

[mtofell1]

How have you folks buying far away done getting warranty service and repairs? Are local dealers/shops willing to work on your trailers? My local dealer told me I'd be at the bottom of their list and they may have to charge me more if things take longer than the factory allowance for a given repair.

Of course, I can pay for a lot of repairs and still come out way ahead. I'm just trying to get the whole picture before I decide if/what to do. Thanks!

[colliehauler]

How far would I drive for a new TT?

Until I got there.

[RDMueller]

I drove from Charlotte to just north of Atlanta (about 4 hours one way) to save $9000. The local Wildwood dealer started at MSRP and then added "extra" charges from there (like a document preparation fee among others). I suggested to him that other dealers were selling the exact same unit for much less. His response - Well, they'll nickel and dime you to death, you'll pay for a spare tire, battery, propane, etc, etc. Also, the guy just oozed "shady used car salesman." So I walked out and he didn't even really seem to care.

Found the exact same model via an Internet search just outside Atlanta. One phone call and I immediately knew this dealership would be the exact opposite experience. Salesperson was awesome, very knowledgable, not at all pushy, offered me a price $9000 below MSRP, no fees at all, and yes, it included a spare tire, battery, and propane! So yes, very, very worth it! Frankly I wouldn't have bought from the first guy if he had matched the price.

[dadmomh]

West TN to Lakeview, OH on 2 trailers. Saved over $4000, after travel costs, on the first and even more on the second. Around 600 miles (??) each way. Simple....figure how many miles, whatever mileage you get GOING only - you'll be happy with 10 mpg on the return trip, I always estimate on the high side for the per gallon price. What'll food cost you will you have and do you have motel? Add it all up and there is what it'll cost you. Strongly suggest you find a nearby campground for the first night to give everything a good look. If you find anything amiss, you're still closeby and can get it fixed before you head home. Turn it into a little vacation with a really big souvenir. That's assuming you have the time. If you don't have the time, it just may not work for you.

There is a post somewhere on here recently from a driver who hauls trailers, etc and he gave the current info on what they're paid, fuel and so on. It was actually more than I'd have thought for delivery. If one dealer tells you he's paying $X for delivery and the guy down the street is paying a bunch more, somebody isn't quite accurate. Suggest you try to find his post to get numbers so you can come close to what delivery should be.

Also strongly suggest you do not have the trailer delivered to you. The driver delivers only....no PDI, no questions answered, no demo...just delivery.

Agree with randallb on the T & L. RVW charged us something like $15 for a 30 day temp Ohio tag to get home on. Then when we registered here in TN we paid the taxes and license fee.

[Dog_Folks]

If the deal will save a considerable amount over the costs of making the trip, then I will be on the road.

[1Longbow]

I drove from Arizona to Indiana for our first TT (Sunset Trail) to save $10,000 over what the dealer out here wanted and we got the features and interior colors that we wanted. Last year we drove from Arizona to Utah to pick up a new TT (Outdoors Rv) and saved about the same on this trailer. When it money in my pocket,whats not to like, plus you get to see some beautiful country along the way

[randallb]

It is a simple math problem. What is the hourly value of your time multiplied by the round trip hours + fuel costs + room and board. If you can save more than the total of the math problem then the out of state purchase is a no brainer. Remember that the out of state dealer might not be quoting you tax and license while your in state dealer most likely is quoting T&L. Make sure because this can be a big chunk of the purchase price depending on your state.
Randy

[3oaks]

korbe wrote:
I'd drive where ever I needed to if the price made the trip financially worth it. And make the return trip a campin' trip. Perfect

That's exactly what we have done in the past and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Some people are debating about traveling several hundred miles. Our combined purchase/camping trip was 2100 miles away! Of course, I had just retired so time wasn't an issue.

[DocnAK]

My situation was a little different. Living in Alaska we have limited choices for new RV's and TT. The local dealer wanted the sky and the moon for the TT we wanted. So with the help of the internet we found what we wanted in the Seattle area for $15500 LESS than buying local. I like to buy local as much as possible but thats a huge chunk of change. It cost about $4000 to barge up here and a 250 mile round trip to go pick it up at the dock. Well worth it IMHO.

[qtla9111]

Save time and money. I had our TT delivered from Indiana to Texas for less than $850. Do a search for transport bidding sites. Post your rv, and the bids will pour in. Then you start negociating, checking credentials and insurance. In two days I had the TT in my driveway in San Antonio safe and sound.

[Blue_Hill]

From near Moose Jaw Saskatchewan to Fargo ND. Back when Canadian money was worth a little more that the American dinero. :B Around a 1200 mile round trip, but saved a whack of cash.