Going to Indiana to buy a new Travel Trailer

[Highway 4x4]

On a 2200 mile trip it won't take much to wipe out a $3000 savings. Most is gone in fuel and vehicle wear.

[Itchytoe]

Originally Posted by Persistent

Driving an average automobile cost in the neighborhood of $0.55 per mile with all costs included. It is going to cost substantially more per mile to tow the trailer back home.

USA IRS says: Business expense is $0.55. Charity mileage is $.30.

I don't mean to single you out, but that's a common myth. It makes assumptions that simply aren't true for RVers. It's based on only driving 15,000 miles a year, trading in your vehicle every 5 years, getting a new one every time, paying MSRP, financing with a 5 year loan and almost no down payment, and it even rolls insurance costs into the cost of the vehicle.


If you buy used vehicles, or do you own maintenance, or drive more than 15,000 miles a year, or don't finance, or don't trade in at 5 years, or just got a good deal on your vehicle, that number goes way down. Cost per mile driven in the real world is nothing close to $0.55. If you didn't finance your vehicle, paid less than MSRP, or purchased used instead of new, you can start by cutting that number in half, maybe in a third.



Realistically, a single trip costs you fuel and maybe an oil change if it's a really long trip. In the real world, he's talking about a $700 trip, including stopping somewhere overnight both ways.

[Miamicamper]

I posted this a few months ago, but to me it was well worth it:
I recently made a purchase near Chicago (northern Indiana) last September and I live all the way here in Miami, over 1300 miles away. But I was saving nearly 6,000 dollars and so I was able to talk a buddy of mine to go with me. We left here Saturday night and drove 28 hours straight pulling my trailer I was trading in. The first night we slept in a Walmart parking lot for a few hours and then we drove straight and arrived at a campground after midnight on the Sunday. On Monday I traded in my trailer and bought the new one and then we made our way back down, not stopping to sleep and we arrived Tuesday night. To me it was worth it, a little crazy trip but fun nonetheless. This summer I was able to take it to a Keystone dealership down here and they did warranty work no problem. I too had the same fears that you do but so far nothing would dissuade me from doing it again. I searched for months ands tried to get dealerships down here to lower their price but they still couldn't beat the 6,000 dollars less than the dealerships up there. I was told that the lot I bought it from was right near the factory so they can sell them for a lot cheaper. My advice is to do it, if you think you will save in the long run. I figured after the expense of trip I still came out 4,000 dollars or so ahead so for me it was worth it

[Highway 4x4]

Fuel, tires, brakes, insurance, registration, depreciation, regular maintenance, is easily going to be more than $700 for a 2200 mile trip. Pulling a TT 1100 of it.

[Itchytoe]

Insurance and registration aren't factors at all because neither of them change by driving another 2200 miles. They are literally unchanged therefore not a factor. Depreciation is also not a factor. Nobody passes on a vehicle sale, or tries to negotiate lower because a vehicle has an additional 2200 miles on it. Even KBB/NADA's values don't drop because of 2200 miles. Tires and brakes are also negligibly impacted. Seriously, the wear to both of those items on a tow vehicle is practically nothing over 2,200 miles of interstate travel.

Regular maintenance also won't change, except maybe pushing you over the threshold for an oil change. I just changed my oil, filters, and fuel filters on my truck. Less than $100 and I used synthetic oil. Fuel is definitely an expense. Assuming 18 mpg there and 9 back, that's an average of 13.5 mpg over 2200 miles, which is 163 gallons of fuel. At $3.00 per gallon, that's $489.00 for fuel. Let's make it an even $500. Let's say a cheap hotel on the way over ($75) and a typical RV spot for 1 night ($50) on the way back. Food doesn't really matter because you'd have to eat no matter where you are, but let's just say you spend $50 more for those 3 days than you would have at home. You also happen to pass the world's biggest ball of yarn and just have to go see it on your trip so that's another $25, for a grand total of $800. That's $0.36 per mile, and you averaged an absolutely abysmal 13.5 MPG which is the vast majority of the expense.


Honestly, if you actually do the math, making an extra trip somewhere doesn't cost you $0.55 per mile.

[Yosemite77]

Originally Posted by Solo_RV_Guy

The text in bold in not correct. Forest River has a specific warranty disclaimer on their brochures, in fact. I found it while looking up a specification for another user here and was rather surprised at the frankness (in an industry where obfuscation is common) of it.


They specifically state that non-selling dealers have NO OBLIGATION to provide warranty service and if they choose to do so, may prioritize their own customers.


Lori, *NLOVNIT* put it 100%.

Thanks for the correction. FWIW, I contacted numerous dealers and didn’t find any that weren’t willing to do the work. By going to a dealer where I didn’t purchase the RV, I would expect to be near the bottom of their priority list. Many were up front with me and stated that it would best if I took it back to the dealer due to the time it would take to get to it. This was in early winter, a time when everyone wants things fixed. Apparently it takes time for Forest River approve the work. If they need to order parts that can also cause delays. At that time of year dealers didn’t have much room on their lot to store the 5er until they could get to it. Some had a huge backlog of repairs, and I didn’t want to wait that long, which is why I took it back to my dealer.
Now if a dealer refused to do the warranty work, I’m pretty sure I’d refuse do any shopping there in the future.

[NomadBD]

Thank you all for your responses. I understand the issues with doing warranty work at a dealership you didn't buy it. In fact, in all the time I've owned to my previous travel trailer I never once took it to the dealer as I did all my own work.

As for the math:

Flagstaff Microlite 21DS at local dealership here in california- $25,999 (best deal before taxes, licensing, freight, and prep fees

Same trailer in indiana- $23,459 out the door with $2280 down. This leaves plenty of cash from the sale of my old travel trailer for the trip.

FYI- dealer invoice is approx. 20,500.00. So, I think I'm getting a pretty good deal.

[Persistent]

Originally Posted by Itchytoe

I don't mean to single you out, but that's a common myth. It makes assumptions that simply aren't true for RVers. It's based on only driving 15,000 miles a year, trading in your vehicle every 5 years, getting a new one every time, paying MSRP, financing with a 5 year loan and almost no down payment, and it even rolls insurance costs into the cost of the vehicle.


If you buy used vehicles, or do you own maintenance, or drive more than 15,000 miles a year, or don't finance, or don't trade in at 5 years, or just got a good deal on your vehicle, that number goes way down. Cost per mile driven in the real world is nothing close to $0.55. If you didn't finance your vehicle, paid less than MSRP, or purchased used instead of new, you can start by cutting that number in half, maybe in a third.



Realistically, a single trip costs you fuel and maybe an oil change if it's a really long trip. In the real world, he's talking about a $700 trip, including stopping somewhere overnight both ways.

Thanks for your comment. I don't feel singled out at all. All good comments.

Actually the 55 cents is a team of IRS economists analysis of the average cost to businesses assuming buy new and selling after a number of years. It includes servicing, repairing, driving, insurance, other costs.

I never looked up why driving for charity purposes was set at 30 cents.

[Highway 4x4]

Originally Posted by Persistent

Thanks for your comment. I don't feel singled out at all. All good comments.

Actually the 55 cents is a team of IRS economists analysis of the average cost to businesses assuming buy new and selling after a number of years. It includes servicing, repairing, driving, insurance, other costs.

I never looked up why driving for charity purposes was set at 30 cents.

If you get paid the 55 you pay taxes on it. To do it for charity it's a tax deduction so they only give you 30. The IRS would make the charity 10 cents if they could. The IRS doesn't want all your money, just most of it.

[Persistent]

Originally Posted by Highway 4x4

If you get paid the 55 you pay taxes on it. To do it for charity it's a tax deduction so they only give you 30. The IRS would make the charity 10 cents if they could. The IRS doesn't want all your money, just most of it.

Business expenses are not taxable. Your employer can pay you 55 per mile to use your personal vehicle. That is not included in your taxable income.

[Snomas1]

Originally Posted by NomadBD

After 9 years, my wife and I are selling our very first travel trailer. We are seriously considering traveling 2200 miles to Indiana to buy a flagstaff micro lite 21ds to save about $3000.

Anyone else done anything like this?

I traveled from Denver to Maine in 2004 to buy my 02 DSDP. I bought my F150 in Peoria ILL in 2018 and lived in Denver. I bought my new 2019 TT in CA and drove it home to Sedona. I saved about $40K on the purchases. Isn't the internet great to find good deals around the country,

[Snomas1]

Originally Posted by Highway 4x4

Will you be taking it back to the factory for any warranty work?

I have taken my F150, DSDP, and new TT to other states for warranty and have had great service respectively.

[Howard Burger]

We logged 2500 miles from Anchorage to RVsNorthwest in Spokane (took six days, but we're retired). Saved a few bucks, got excellent service and proceeded to put 7000 miles on our new trailer. Knew we'd have several PNW dealers to go to if something major fell off. Nothing did.

[TIME2CAMP]

If the dealer won't service then the manufacturer should either warn a buyer or not sell directly to customers. Auto manufacturers would never be able to do this, can't understand why an RV dealer can think it is OK.

Ran into this when we almost bought a new trailer years ago. Salesman told me they would not do warranty work unless we bought from them. They had no stock on the model I wanted but someone else a few hundred miles away did. Called the factory and they said any dealer must do warranty work on the trailer. We decided not to buy that trailer or go to that dealer again.