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Rook · 09-05-2012, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

I don't know of any way to guarantee the 'best price.' Shop around and factor in dealer service and reputation, location, and other factors important to you. Rather than becoming paralyzed by always seeking the lowest price, try to keep emotions out of the equation and be satisfied that you bought what you wanted at a price you could afford. My father in law used to second guess every purchase, thus destroying the joy of owning something new. I try to beer, cautious but don't look back on a bunch of 'coulda shoulda woulda' that spoils what your hard earned money has provided for you.

Bob offers some good advice........However, I understand your desire to not overpay. A good ball-park reference is the NADA book, the average retail and average wholesale prices will give you a reference point. If you buy much lower than the NADA book references, then you likely have gotten a good price if you bought a clean, well-cared for coach. Rook

Retiredcop20 · 09-05-2012, 05:10 PM

Thanks a lot for the input. I really appreciate it.

timarti · 09-05-2012, 05:52 PM

Re hunting for the best deal. Don't underestimate the convenience of having your dealer close by, if you can find a good one near you. There are always small issues to be dealt with (and sometimes large) even with a new trailer.

If your dealer is hours away, you might not spend as much time camping as you anticipated!

Otherwise you could be

Worth it to pay a bit more to the local guy if you can get some references from other customers who have dealt with them. We have not had any major issues, but are glad our dealer is 10 minutes away for all the small stuff.

DrOcean · 09-05-2012, 09:45 PM

We just bought a TT last month. I have 2003 Silverado with 8 cyl. And tow package. The TT is 17ft and is in great condition. We bought from a friend and he was the second owner. But he only had it for a short time and hardly used it. Our first trip last weekend was a learning experience. But all went well.

Retiredcop20 · 09-06-2012, 07:08 AM

DrOcean congrats on a successful first outing. It sure helps when you know the person you buy from. By the way I'm only a couple of hours a little NW of San Antonio, where did you go for the first outing? I have plans to visit the Big Bend area but I hear there aren't a whole lot of good places for a TT. I understand there are mostly primitive campsites. Hope you enjoy your TT and have many more fun trips.

Mike

cekkk · 09-06-2012, 07:51 AM

You may have mentioned your DW's thoughts and I missed that post. Chances are, if you don't get a lot of input from her beforehand, you sure will after your first campout!

On the other hand, you could ignore her and just make sure the 2nd mattress is comfy.

Wire Wrat · 09-06-2012, 10:02 AM

CEKKK, You have a very good point. When we went looking, What I thought was a good deal My wife said that she would prefer the cabinets over here and the bed over there and the bath moved to another location. Kind let me know that what we were looking at just was not the one. When we did find the unit she liked, I found that It too was comfortable and acceptable to me as well. Now, both wife and I are happy and the rig handles just fine. saved looking for the second wife.....just sayen..Y'all be safe..

Retiredcop20 · 09-06-2012, 10:36 AM

Ahh, the DW!! Yeppers she is in the loop totally. She knows when time comes to buy who is the boss. (Her of course) However, very good point, the both of us must be happy. I’m pretty much easy to please, she has allowed me to do all the research and then I guess I'll give her a presentation.

Actually she was beginning to get a little apprehensive about the whole thing since reading about issues with TTs. I think I convinced her that I can tinker and make enough small repairs to make this venture enjoyable. Thanks to all for sharing your experiences.

Mike

Lizzielou · 09-21-2012, 09:40 PM

We recently bought an 08 Fleetwood Orbit Sport. Yes, sellers can be very deceiving. Ours said they were selling for health reasons. Because of what they called health reasons I am stuck with a defective tt. This was our first major tt purchase. It looked perfect, just what we were looking for. No signs of water damage or leaks. Bought it, got it home, it had rained, discovered the whole front 4X8 section was soft, rotted out under the linoleum. No signs on the inside of tt except the linoleum in that area was discolored. Looked like someone had used a harsh cleaner. It was where the dampness underneath was affecting the linoleum. We think we have found and fixed the leak coming from the outside, running up under the floor, but I'm not sure there's a way to know for sure. I have made the comment since this purchase that I wish we had put out a little more money and bought a new one. We are currently in the process of replacing the front section of the floor. Not a fun job, especially when there are so many other things we need to be doing in the fall of the year. This is a 16 ft. tt and we are going to pull it with a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Don't think our cruiser could handle much more than this. We are hoping to get everything put back in place, go over all the outside caulking, give it a good bath on the outside and enjoy a few days of camping in October. Good luck with your decision!

Retiredcop20 · 09-21-2012, 11:51 PM

Lizzielou,

Sorry to hear about the problems you are having with your TT. It's really a shame people sell stuff that they know has a defect. I hope you guys get it repaired so you can get on with your new adventure.

Mike

cekkk · 09-22-2012, 12:44 PM

Lizzielou, Sorry to hear you got lied to. Still, buying used even with a problem can pay off if your savings are sufficient to pay for the fixes while finishing with a total "investment" that's unreasonable. Hope you got a steal.

Just have in mind how much worse you'd feel if you bought new and still had big problems and different sides denying their warranty covered the problem.