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Can I Get 50% Off The Price Of A New RV Right Now?

by RVing Al
(USA)

Special Note: This question was originally submitted to us through our Contact Us page. I tried to respond to this question by e-mailing the answer to the sender, however, the e-mail address they provided to contact them was incorrect.

I have posted this question here in the hopes that the person that asked it will come across this page and find the answer. I also think that the answer to this question is worth sharing with our other visitors.

Just a reminder!!! The best way to submit a question to Everything About RVing is through our Ask An RV Question
Page.


01/15/2009 I have dated this question because, the RV deals this person is asking about will not be offered forever.

QUESTION: Great website-thanks for the info! I am in the market for a new Class A motor home. I'm debating between an Itasca and a Four Winds. Prices on 2008 models are slashed up to 40%. We haven't made an offer yet but some advice would be greatly appreciated!


Do you have any idea how low dealers are willing to go? Would 50% off be an unreasonable request (maybe even more if I see that they have 5 of the same model RV on their lot)?

As far as reliability and safety, would you say that Winnebago's or Thors have a better record?

Thank you very much for your time as well as your informative website!

ANSWER: To answer the first part of your question, YES!! You can expect some unbelievable deals on any new RV you are looking at. To say that right now is a "buyers market" for RVs would be an understatement.

Due to the terrible economy and volatile fuel prices the RV Industry is in a major crisis. In the last 2 years more RV Manufacturers and RV Dealers have permanently closed their doors than ever before in the history of the RV Industry. Depending who you ask 2008 RV sales were down by 30% to 40% compared to 2007. 2007 was also a bad year for RV sales, so the situation has gone from bad to worse.

Is expecting 50% off a new RV unreasonable? No, it is not, in fact some RV Dealerships still have some brand new 2006 RVs sitting on their lots. All RV dealerships are motivated to move out these RVs and will make some extraordinary deals, shy of giving the RV away for free.

If you want an even better deal, go to an RV Show. This time of year there are lots of RV Shows going on. In fact, even if an RV Show is not close to you, it would be worth the trip to go to one. At RV Shows, dealers compete with other dealers to sell you
an RV.

All RV Dealers are desperate to sell RVs right now, so when you have desperate RV Dealers competing with other desperate RV Dealers to sell you an RV, you are bound to get a better deal than you would by only going to one dealership.

Here are some things to consider when looking for a new RV.

1. Remember, because of the current economic conditions, now more than ever you are in the "Driver's Seat" when it comes to buying an RV.

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2. You are still going to have to negotiate to get the best deal for you. In the Buying An RV section of our website is an article you should read it is called My Wife's Negotiation Tips For Buying An RV and yes my wife uses these techniques with great success, whenever we have purchased a new RV.

3. During your RV hunting you will come across some brand new RVs that are known as "Orphan RVs". These are brand new RVs that were manufactured by RV makers that have since gone out of business. There are issues with the warranties on these RVs. Here are a couple of pages on our website that you should look at before you start your RV hunt. What RV Manufacturers are out of business? and Is The RV Dealer Responsible For Warranty When The Manufacturer Goes Bankrupt? These are questions that have been asked by our visitors in the past.

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In response to your question "As far as reliability and safety, would you say that Winnebago's or Thors have a better record?". I am not qualified to answer this question; I do not have enough information on either of these brands. If I had the opportunity to visit their factories and test drive both of these motorhomes, I would be able to give you my honest opinion on both of them, but since I have not had the opportunity, I cannot give you an answer. Let me refer you to JR Consumer Resources, they have RV Comparison Books that should answer these questions for you.

I am sure that some of our visitors have their own opinions on the two brands you mentioned and they can easily share their opinions with you by clicking the add comments link at the bottom of this page.

I wish you the best of luck on your RV search. I know one thing you will never regret becoming an RVer.

Do you have any suggestions or comments on this topic? You can add them to this page by clicking on the "Click Here To Post Comments" link located near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

Comments for Can I Get 50% Off The Price Of A New RV Right Now?

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Great website
by: Dave & Steph

This is an amazing website and we love all your articles. We are going to buy an RV later this year and have learned more from your site articles than I could imagine.

Thanks so much. I look forward to each newsletter
Dave & Steph

Comment From RVing Dave and Steph thanks for your kind words. Awwww shucks now you got me blushing :-)

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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