Buying to avoid major depreciation?

[altrego52]

Hello from a newbie,
My husband and I are seriously considering joining the RV world...he's about to retire and I have friends who are full timers.

He likes new things, and we really like the Tiffin 31SA, gas (he's diesel adverse, I realize the pro's & cons)...that said, we are looking for the best way to get the best deal on what we want.

We've heard that if you drive to Red Bay you can get a much better deal and in so doing lose less at initial purchase. We are eager to take the drive cross country.

Suggestions very welcome. Wishing you all the best.

[CLIFFTALL]

Welcome to IRV2. Good luck with your purchase. Glad you're here.

Cliff

[beenthere]

i dont htink you are going to save anything except maybe the delivery charge as those manufaturures dont want to mess with any bodys dealer satus...jeff

[JohnRR]

[jzick]

You will have difficulty buying any vehicle direct from the manufacturer. Normally even a factory pick up purchase involves a dealer. Some state laws used to (and I assume still do) not allow vehicles to be bought directly and bypass a dealer network. Dealers typically would not be at all happy with a manufacturer that went direct.

When I was in college, I worked in the factory for one of the big three auto manufacturers. There was a lottery that allowed employees to buy executive cars, show cars, etc. at reduced cost when they were no longer needed. There was a dealer involved in that sale - area dealers rotated.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi folks! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Hope you find the rig you want and the deal you want!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[Go Dawgs]

I wouldn't worry too much about depreciation if you are going to keep the rig for more then 5 or 6 years. By then you have enjoyed it enough to recoup that money. If you are worried about depreciation then maybe you might want to rethink the RV thing. JMHO

[Medico]

Welcome and glad to meet you!

X2, how long do you plan on keeping the rig. 5 or 6 years and depreciation will be over. Just look at an MSRP and offer 25 to 40 % less and see what happens.

[DGBPokes]

In terms of value and depreciation, my experience has been a motorhome is about the worst depreciating major asset I have ever owned. I have had one "miracle" deal when I bought a 5 year old coach with only 2,000 miles on it. Even with it, when I sold it 4 years later, I had a lot of depreciation. From my point of view, the only way to minimize the expense is to buy slightly used, and let some one else suffer the first couple of years of depreciation, when the curve is the steepest.


Try as I might, unless you are full time there is no way to financially justify a motorhome. For me, I don't own a boat, don't play golf, and have spent way too many nights in hotels all over the world. So my indulgence is my motorhome. And we just love it .

[TXiceman]

Welcome to iRV2. RVs depreciate like mad the first 4 or 5 years then they tend to stop dropping so fast. The ONLY way you will avoid the big depreciation is to buy use around 4 to 5 years old. There was a post earlier about the additional cost per month in addition to the monthly payment. The fellow has a 2002 Monaco Windsor and figures it has averaged a deepreciate value that averages $16,000 per year....times 13 years....WOW.

We bought out 4 year old Cameo 5th wheel that had seen very little use for about 40% of the original sales price.

Going to pick it up at the factory will only save you the transportation cost.

Ken

[cj23andout]

Welcome,

Tiffin does not sell factory direct. They don't even offer factory pick-up like some manufacturers.

You will most likely get the best price from a dealer in the Southeast. Delivery charges can effect price.

Tiffin will welcome you at the factory while your coach is being built. You can follow it all the way through the build. When it is done, you have to say goodbye to it and wait to pick it up at the selling dealer.

[vsheetz]

Buy used. Lots of good coaches out there.