Buying a used Allegro

[dipdip]

Greetings , I am new to this site ..have been reading for awhile you are all so helpful ! I am now ready to buy my first Motorhome and have settled on an Allegro 2006. Have been watching it on-line for a period ..( at a dealer's site) My questions deal with the purchase ...I plan to check it out in the next week or so , but the ''special ,hot price " is 10 thousand $$ more than NADA retail ..I realize that the asking figure is a starting point , and I do not want to be insulting when I ( if I find the rig is ok ) make an offer , but I certainly want a fair deal ... There are ''market realities "' here in Northern Calif. Your advice on how to proceed with this would be appreciated .Thank you

[Lindafell]

At the tiffinrvnetwork.com there are a few threads about this going on right now. One member posted a link to an article about used RV pricing RV Value -- Buying a Used RV . Hope this helps. I am a Phaeton owner myself

[Midniteoyl]

Personally, in this market, I wouldnt pay more than 80% of NADA..

[tncruiser]

i never understood "i dont want to insult the dealer" remember he is in it for the maximum profit if you offer him 10 grand less than nada and he says ok ,all it means is you should have offered 12k less ,i always tell sales people i dont want to be your friend so if i "insult"you just tell me to leave and you dont want my business
there is no moral position in either extreme profit or extreme savings
its your money spend it wisely
brianj

[edgray]

tncruiser: Exactly!
It doesn't have to get "nasty", but "we" have to do our job (trying to not overpay) , because HIS job is to do just that (get us to over pay) -for himself and the dealership's owner. Anybody who thinks otherwise is being nieve, IMO.

[tomwalt]

A year ago I paid a little over NADA (5%) for an Allegro in decent shape (lots of scrapes and dings but all major components working). I feel it was a fair deal. IMHO $10K over is not a good deal.

[dipdip]

Thanks ..all your comments helped give me backbone ..I am psyched to do battle ..any other advice gladly accepted ..

[tomwalt]

I thought I posted this, but found it in my spell checker - oh well - senior moment I guess:
I researched then searched for a couple years. I was ready to purchase a Class C when just out of curiosity my DW and I looked at a nice Class A for sale by a private owner. The seller offered NADA (base-no options selected) and subtracted $2,000 to cover a repair allowance to fixing anything an inspection found wrong (and after the RV passed state inspection). Very fair - I actually spent way more than double the $2,000 fixing things, but sent him a check for some of the maintenance allowance just because he was so honest. A few thoughts I discovered:
1) private sellers that have been trying to sell for a period of time can tell if you are a serious buyer and if you have $$ (a lot of lookers without $$).
2) private sellers really want to make the deal. They don't want a low ball, but a fair deal. (vs. commercial who needs to make a profit).
3) Don't jump on a deal - look around a lot without commitment, be truthful (don't leave sellers with false hope).
4) You will know when you find the right RV for you.
5) Fall/Winter prices are significantly lower than summer prices - but make sure the unit is winterized and no roof leaks (the 2 mistakes I made).
6) A man with $$ is rare these days and in high demand (competition) - be fair but be willing to walk away.
Keep telling yourself that spending this much $$ should be fun - good luck.

[dipdip]

Good advice , All.Thanks ..The unit is on a dealer's web site and has been for a few weeks . 2012 models are coming out , and so I hope to do well. The last one I looked at had tape all along the seams in the roof and around the ladder mounts ..Saleman said that was completely normal -Yeah ! Right !

[edgray]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomwalt I thought I posted this, but found it in my spell checker - oh well - senior moment I guess:...........

Looks like it got posted here: New to camping and need advice!
Ed

[anderson2624]

Dealer paid $32 + change at auction. I am buying 6 new 19.5 Michelins from Sams Club. ($100 - $200 less per tire than everyone). Camper World did inspection. Minor problems dealer to fix.

While doing research I reached a conclusion that most RV's (all brands) were selling for 25% less than asking price. Best bargains are the diesels but I did not want to make that kind of investment on my first RV.

Look at NADA and figure out low retail. Take 25% off that and you will be a winner but with RV there are no winners or losers because the value is what you personally get out of your RV.

[ralphie]

I wouldn't hesitate to make an "insulting" offer, even if it were to a private seller. After all, you don't know what the dealer paid for the unit on trade unless they're willing to divulge it to you, and you don't know how much a private seller has to get based on a loan balance, if there is one, I'm not mean about it and will often explain why I believe the product is worth "x," to me. When you take a moment to think about it, the actual value of any product is what a buyer is willing to spend. In this economy many people just don't have money available to buy RVs. Don't know about your particular area, but if you see a unit sit on a dealer's lot (especially a Tiffin product) for a long time, there is either something wrong with the unit, or more likely, it is simply priced too high for market conditions.

To me, NADA and other valuing products are merely a starting point and more of a way to compare prices between brands. When someone tells me the NADA price is "x" I nicely tell them I don't care. Then I make my offer which is based on my understanding of the market and what I consider the value of the product to be, to me. The seller can take the offer, tell me to jump in the lake, or make a counter offer. It's a negotiation, after all.

At this time, I think a buyer with cash or financing in hand controls the market. I hope you get a nice Tiffin product for the right price.