Community Forums

Richard2003 · 06-14-2013, 02:49 PM

We live 20 minutes from the Tampa Florida Fairgrounds where a huge RV show is on every January. We were thinking of trading in our older class C and upgrading but I was wondering if the best deals are at those shows.
They advertise discounts there but I'm wondering if you could get those discounts at the RV place when you're buying there or is it really true that you get a better deal at the show?

road dogs · 06-14-2013, 03:04 PM

Not that I've ever seen. But I think you should be able to haggle the same deal as you would get at the stealership, if you're up to haggling....

az bound · 06-14-2013, 03:12 PM

I would not put too much faith in the statements made in advertisements.
Negotiating a lower price is always possible.
No different than dealing on a car. The salesman/dealership wants to sell at the highest price they can get.
It is not unheard of to purchase at 25% below MSRP.
My last purchase was listed at $115,000. and we settled at $86,000. $29,000 less than when we began negotiating.

Mr_D · 06-14-2013, 03:25 PM

Should be able to get the same or even more direct from a dealer.

Route 66 · 06-14-2013, 03:26 PM

The "Show Special" price is rarely the lowest price.

R2Home · 06-14-2013, 03:29 PM

I have not been to an RV show, but if they are anything like gun shows, NO their prices will more then likely be not as good.
However there can be a good deal to be had as long as you do your home work.

Brockx · 06-14-2013, 03:34 PM

I have seen some threads on here that maintain "list" prices are raised for the shows.

lllkrob · 06-14-2013, 04:49 PM

No, a coach like my current unit was on display at the Baltimore RV show and I made the dealer an offer $10,000 more than I ultimately paid after the show at another dealer. The dealer at the RV show wanted $18,000 more than I paid elsewhere as his bottom line "SHOW SPECIAL DISCOUNT" price.

Scarab0088 · 06-14-2013, 05:11 PM

I found that there may be one RV that has a crazy good price at a dealers booth at a show, but guess what...it's often already "sale pending" once I found it. It's called "bait and switch" in many circles.

The best deals can be had at the end of the model year, but those will be the models with the least options...leftovers.

If you want current model year and want to have some particular options/colors/materials, then you can get the dealers to fight over you by getting quotes for the identical rig from different dealers. This will require that you do a bunch of homework and the dealer becomes not much more than a drop ship location, so they will make offers to get the purchase. Downside to that is you may have to travel to the dealership and so, that dealer may not be close for service as needed.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could buy factory direct?

Safe travels

jabird56 · 06-14-2013, 05:21 PM

We were offered close to 40% off invoice as the dealer was way over stocked, since they had a number of new units inbound and their lot expansion was taking long than expected. Mother nature was causing the construction delays.

Alan_Hepburn · 06-14-2013, 05:47 PM

There is a local dealer in our area that has a display board by their front door - it details how much it costs for them to go to a show, and the numbers were pretty staggering. They pay anywhere from $2 to $10 per square foot of display space - so parking a single unit at a show can cost them up to $2500 for a 30 foot rig. Then they have to pay for a few more square feet for a table and a couple of chairs. And then there's the setup and teardown fees that most shows charge - up to $20K depending on the size of the show. Then factor in the cost of moving the rigs from the dealership to the show and back, and it soon becomes apparent that dealers won't want to discount the units too much - they still want to make a profit!

Selah · 06-14-2013, 05:54 PM

It is worth going to the show with intent to buy. You can deal more aggressively if your ready to sign the paper work. You also get a chance to look at many different models and manufactures. If there are two dealers that have what you want or carry what you want you can deal one against the other. You need to be polite but they are not your friend, it's just business. Do not be afraid to walk away and go back the next day. Took us two days at the FMCA rally in Indy to make a deal on our coach.
Rember to not fall in love with a coach that is not yours yet. Impulse buying will cost you money.

D in Davie · 06-14-2013, 06:00 PM

Its not where you buy (show vs. showroom) that matters but when you buy. You will get a good deal on a unit that has been sitting on the dealers lot for 9-12 months or is still on his lot in September October or November. Most dealers have web sites with their inventory. Find a couple of units you like and see if any are still there after several months. Those are ones you can get a deal on. In September the manufacturer will also offer the dealers spifs or cash bonuses to get rid of last years models that are used to reduce the price of the unit. If you can negotiate a deal that is 25 - 33% under the list price that you are doing great.

Dmorgan6375 · 06-14-2013, 06:11 PM

We followed our very first "New" rig to several Rv Shows (wrote down the vin#) and at the very lasy show we went to, the new model year came out, so we jumped, Saved about 20k from the very first time of seeing it. It pays to shop around too, make the seller work for you, they want that sale, they'll give you tons of stuff to get it. Anything big offered, get it in writing before you sign on the dotted line. Goood Luck Y'all.