Atlee wrote:
First, thanks to all the replies.
Now slightly related question. The floor plan I want is a 24.5' long Coachman Freedom Express 20SE. It's the exact floor plan as the now discontinued Ultra Lite 204RD. Coachmen and stripped some stuff, and will present it at a lower price point.
Thing is, it's not to be shipped for several more months. This dealer said he had one because Coachmen built a "prototype" ahead of schedule for use at a regional Super Show.
At least that was the story told to me. In any case, it's the only one I can find anywhere. From the "original" price I can get it for 24% under that price, OTD, excluding state tax.
If I am not mistaken, that Travel Trailer should have a list price around $30,000 plus or minus a few thousand. Even if you were to achieve the maximum discount most of the keyboard negotiation warriors post they have received (35%) you would save another $1500 to $2000. Is the wait, plus the possibility that rig you want could end up being priced higher than the one the dealer has in stock (after all the dealers are not the only ones who want to take advantage of the hot market, manufacturers are likely to push up pricing.) worth that to you?
Are you perhaps putting too much emphasis on the "discount"? Would you be happy if you got a 40% discount instead of the 24% discount if the rig had an MSRP of $40,000 instead of $30,000 even though you would be paying $24,000 instead of $22,800?
Remember, the MSRP is based on nothing but the whim of the manufacturer. There is no law or guideline that regulates what the MSRP is or what amount of markup there is between the dealer's cost and that MSRP. Competitive pressures are what drives those decisions.
If you like the rig and are happy with the actual cash dollars you have to spend to buy it I wouldn't care at all about the "discount" percentage. I would buy it and start enjoying it, because that is worth way more and a thousand or so dollars of discount I may never ever actually receive.
