Which purchase makes more sense?

[rebel1965]

I'm looking at the following:

2015 Wilderness 2775RB Dual Slide. Used but looks like new and is mint condition. Out the door price (after trade) $5,600

2017 North Trail 28DBSS Single Slide. New.
Out the door price (after trade) $11,500

Similar trailers but 2015 is used, mint condition and has dual slides and kitchen island.

2017 is new, single slide and has rear bunks.

$5,900 difference. Would love advice on which one makes more sense? HELP!! 🙂

[BubbaChris]

You don't mention if the North Trail is one with the "Caliber Edition" upgrades. Ours is, and we love the better countertops in the kitchen, underhung sink, and some of the other upgrades.

We bought used, and invested some of the savings into other upgrades (like LED lights, power tongue jack, etc).

We spent 58 nights in ours last year, won't be quite so good this year. Not much we'd change, and definitely not looking to trade/sell for at least another few years.

We had 2 Used-Specific problems with ours. First, the unit was not likely winterized properly, so the shower diverter was bad. Second the consignment dealer's RV tech who did the inspection did not go up on the roof, so missed the fact a tree branch had messed up the transition from front cap to roof. Just a speed bump to get everything right, and definitely worth the $$$ saved in purchase price.

Best regards,
Chris

[boosTT]

Used is the better option price wise. 8 nights of use for $6k...

[Calicajun]

Check the axle rating on both units. I have a Wilderness 2775RB (2014) and have found the axles to be under rated for the size of the TT. I'm in the process now of having the axles replaced with heavier axles. The axle bend on our 2775RB TT from backing in while turning to sharp. We find that (IMO) the Wilderness is not a well built TT, which is why we are looking into a different unit.

Best of luck and happy camping,
Craig

[dadmomh]

Is this a purchase you plan to keep for several years or making a change 2 or 3 years down the road? Have you spent some time just sitting, opening cabinets, thinking about stowing your stuff, things you have to have vs maybes? Color preference? Windows + or -? Little details you love or not so much? Both safely towable with your vehicle?

If your gut feeling is the new, go with it if you're going to have it for some time. If everything truly is equal, you can pay for a lot of minor repairs for $6000. That depreciation the first 2 or 3 years is a stinker.

BTW, check the manufacture date on the tires...if they're actually manufactured 4+ years ago, you'll have to think replacement in short order. Probably not that old, but you never know if they've been sitting in a warehouse.

I'd be leaning toward the gently used.

[Need-A-Vacation]

Without taking the trade into consideration, what is the price of each compare to the full msrp, before adding in any tax (you stated no tax in your state), title, license, dealer prep, etc.... Just how good of a price are you receiving vs the msrp? I know that can be a tough way to look at it, to me it is how I look at things (right or wrong! Lol).

If one is considerably a better price vs the msrp, and you can live wth the floor plan as stated, go that route! I know the used should be considerably less, but if it's only say 40% off vs a new msrp and the new one is 30%+ off, what is the better "value"? Used is 50% or more off the new comparable, only 25% off the new one....

Do you need a new wdh, or will your current system work? The wd bars rated for the new tt tw?

Tough decision, but wishing you the best of luck deciding!!!

[drmopar]

Used RV's can be just like buying new, well new to you. I own a large Marina and RV Facility. Here is what we look at on used units. Check AC and Heater filters, they should look like new or close to it. If they are plugged, good bet the unit is really dirty. Most people replace the bed anyhow, even with a new RV. Most are not comfortable. Check under sinks for water damage. Crawl under unit with flashlight and look at EVERYTHING. Most well kept used units have had most or all items repaired already. Time is on your side here. New units may be perfect, but reading these forums, a lot of new units spend time back at the dealer, just when you want to enjoy it in the first place. You can find very nice used RV's. Most times, an original owner will baby his new unit. Bottom line, get the RV you want and deal with any issues that may pop up. Good Luck and Happy Camping.

[98coachman]

If its just the two of you most of the time, I would definitely get the used one!! No need for the bunks, if the kids come along they will be happy to just have a roof and free dinner! 5000 plus difference will buy a lot of fuel and camping spots! SAVE your money!!:S Happy camping!
Bill

[rebel1965]

Here's the particulars:

Selling my 2014 Forest River outright.

"DEAL" #1
NEW 2017 Heart Land North Trail 28DBSS - Well loaded with options. One slide, rear bunks.
$11,400 Difference after selling my trailer outright

"DEAL" #2
USED 2015 Heart Land Wilderness 2775RB - Well loaded with options, I have throughly checked it out everything is in perfect condition, works fine and it also looks immaculate. Two slides and island kitchen, no rear bunks and second door. It's from a dealer but have spoken with previous owners, They used it for about 10 nights, too big and traded it for something smaller. They loved it, no problems issues or complaints. Obviously no warranty.
$5,600 Difference after selling my trailer.

I realize there's floor plan differences but we like and can live with and afford both. We can adapt to having or not having the rear bunks. We have a home in a stae with no sales tax so that's not making a difference.

My question is for pure advice. Does one stand out as a great deal and make more sense financially or other wise? We're really on the fence and torn!! HELP!!

[Acdii]

Just did something similar. It was a toss up between a new Coleman 274BH or a 2 year old 274BH. The new one was the same price as the used, but not an apples to apples comparison as the used has the winter package (Kodiak I think) where the floor and walls are insulated, along with heated tanks. I looked it up on NADA, and the asking price was right in the middle of the low to high range, and I negotiated it down $1000.

Trade off, no factory warranty, but got an extended warranty that covers all mechanicals for the next 4 years, and those are the important things. Since it is used, there is also no transportation fee, which saves another $1000. Since it is purchased out of state, the book price is lower than new MSRP, so I will owe fewer taxes in my lousy state.

On the plus side, everything works as it should, there is practically no wear at all on it, well kept, only the tires show that it is used, it was kept indoors when not used. It has extras that would have cost much more on a new one, which saves me even more in the end.

So think about more than just the OTD price, you also have added fees on the new one, higher taxes on the new one, etc. They have to list book value for tax reasons(stupid taxes) and this one came out to over $20K, the new one listed at just over $17K, so I got $3k in options on the used one, that I wouldn't get on the new one. If warranty is a concern, get the extended warranty for 4 years on it, at least get the peace of mind that if something breaks in the next 4 years, you wont have huge out of pocket expenses, such as having to replace the Refer or AC, or furnace. Any one of those is a big ticket item. Is it worth it? Some say yes, some say no. I personally have had them both pay off, or go to waste, but you buy car insurance and never use it(hopefully) right? It's basically the same thing.

[westend]

I'd suggest the one with two slides.

[hohenwald48]

I don't think I have ever in my life returned an RV to the dealer for repair. You can get all the components covered under warranty from the manufacturer of the component. I never saw an RV warranty as having any value at all.

[toedtoes]

rebel1965 wrote:
Update - The dealer DID have the previous owner call me. They spent all of 8 nights in it,... absolutely no problems, they raved (good) about it, kept it covered over the winter and merely wanted something smaller.

Two years old and only 8 nights of use. That means that any "manufacturing issues" likely haven't been noticed yet and fixed. So, now the choice is:

Buy a new trailer for $11,500 with warranty to cover manufacturing issues; or

Buy a new trailer for $5,600 without warranty knowing all manufacturing issues will be paid for by you.

[wanderingbob]

Take the $6,000 and take month off work .

[camp-n-family]

The $6k question is "which one does your wife like better"? That's usually the best decision to go with, no matter the cost.