Truck camper trade-in at dealer question.

[bighatnohorse]

Basically, I want to know a little about TC trade-ins on new a truck camper.
I traded in a TC a few years back and the dealer didn't look at anything on it. They just had me park it in their back lot and that was it.

Have you purchased a new truck camper and traded in a used TC for it and how did that event proceed for you?

[mellow]

I got tired of all the yahoo's showing up in small trucks wanting to tire kick my TC. Towards the end I would only show it if they showed up in a truck capable of hauling it and never got anymore responses so I traded it in.

I sent pictures of my Shadow Cruiser to the dealer and they gave me what I was asking for my TC in trade in for a used 1191 so I was a happy camper.

I had basically the same thing happen to me, pulled in and the sales person frantically ran out to get a look at it to make sure it was legit like he was sweating that I had lied to him about the condition, he told me to drive around back and unload it once he was happy to see it was in good condition in and out. Went in and did the paperwork and loaded up the 1191 and off I went.

They had that Shadow Cruiser listed for sale about a month but eventually they sold it.

[deltabravo]

brholt wrote:
Probably a bit dealer dependent.

Ditto on the above.

A reputable dealer would want to inspect it if they plan to keep it and resell it. I don't think there's a "wholesale buy/sell" network for RVs like there is for cars and trucks, i.e., dealer auction houses, for lease returns / dealers cast-offs

Most of last year I kept getting the bug for various new AFs. By late July I was looking at AFs again after already deciding to keep my 10 year old 811. (that scenario happened several times last year)

While on a trip to Colorado from WA, I stopped at an AF dealer. I talked to the salesman I'd been dealing with via email off and on all year. He looked up retail book value (NADA) on my 2010 811. It showed $12,xxx. He said that if they had my camper on their lot, they'd list it for $17k. He said they typically always list stuff for $5k above book value.

Book value vs. actual values for RVs, especially Arctic Fox campers, is way different. I've seen this a lot in the PNW, where AFs tend to sell for a lot more than book value.
Book value is mainly only used by banks for the amount of what they will loan for a used RV. Dealers use it to determine low-ball trade value as well (for the uneducated RV customer).

The dealer never told me what they'd give me for trade, because I told him I'd sell it outright. Even before I told him that he said I was better selling it myself. That was why we had the discussion about book values and what they would list it at: to give me an idea of what I should ask for it.

Further along in that trip I decided to keep my 811, then on my way home I changed my mind again.

After getting home from that trip (mid august), I listed my 811 for $22k ($5k more than what the dealer said he'd list it for, $10k more than book value!). I sold it for $20k to the first guy that looked at it. He paid for it with a brown paper bag full of $20,000.


In the current RV market, there's no way I'd consider trading in a rig if I had time to sell it. I wasn't in a hurry to sell my 811.

Part of what prompted me to sell it and upgrade was:
1. I knew at some point I'd want a newer / different camper.
2. Hot RV market meant I could make a mint on selling my 811
3. I don't like the new gray AFs or the frameless windows

[obgraham]

They said they probably wouldn’t make much on it but they were going to honor the deal.

I think I've heard this on every vehicle I've ever purchased!

[brholt]

Probably a bit dealer dependent.

We ordered out new camper in February 20. We also negotiated a pretty fair price for our trade in (subject to inspection). It wasn’t the full retail value but probably 80% of what I could have got selling it myself without the hassle of doing it myself and saving me the 10% sales tax on the new one.

COVID hit and the new camper didn’t come out until the end of September. We used the old camper for extensive travel over the summer. When it was time to pick up the new one the dealer inspected the old camper and gave us what they promised. They said they probably wouldn’t make much on it but they were going to honor the deal.

[Kayteg1]

Trade-in usually offers about 50% of market value.
Doesn't make much sense if you can sell it yourself.
Dealers have some kind of tax break on trade-ins as seldom they will inspect older item and put it back on their lots.
Most of older trade-ins end at auctions.
So the question you should ask, did the salesman give you good price on the trade-in, or did he "forget" to give you discount on new unit?

[Lwiddis]

Seems to me the dealer was very happy with the numbers and didn’t care about resale of the old TC.

[Grit_dog]

Trading in is the easy button for sure. However if one is money conscious, it’s not often that trading is more financially advantageous, even including the tax break, than selling outright.
But it does take a little effort sometimes to sell outright.

[billtex]

We did and were treated very well. Between what we were offered for our trade in (which was in very good condition with everything working) and the discount on our new camper, we were very pleased. However, that was several years ago. These are very different times. With the current high demand for RV’s of all kinds, you may de even better than we did on the trade, but will likely pay full retail on the new camper.
Good luck,
Bill

[KD4UPL]

I'd start by using NADA to determine a basic value of the camper.
Used RVs are still extremely scarce and thus the prices are still elevated. You should be getting good money for a new one whether you sell it yourself or trade it in. Most of the lots I look at have very low used inventory and the prices are inflated over what they were a year ago.

[fpoole]

Yah, curious too.
I was thinking of doing the same thing, trading in for a tow trailer, less climbing around with spinal krap going on, and they pretty much said the same thing via email.
They gave me an approximate amount and said unless there's some major damage, I could rely on the quote.
Now don't know if I was low balled or not, but it didn't sound unreasonable for a trade in..
So wondering the same thing. Is there like a blue book for truck campers?
Standing by, thanks for asking...
Good luck on the trade in..