Any other newbies overwhelmed by the shear numbers . . .

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NCSU Dad

NCSU Dad

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of models offered by manufacturers? If this link works scroll down the page to see what is offered for 2017 for just travel trailers. Add in motorhomes.

http://www.rvguide.com/specs/travel-trailer.html

It is no wonder RV's are so expensive. Imagine how much it costs a manufacturer to keep all this in-motion and profitable.
 
RVs are built by hand on a very slow moving assembly line. Virtually all of them are custom orders. Very few people walk in and pick one off a lot. You really don't need to look at every model being made. An RV is a basic shape that can't be modified much (like adding a second story), so therefore most RVs of similar length and price tend to have very similar floor plans. Shopping for my next RV generally takes me three to six months. You gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. Just keep shopping and something will call out to you eventually.
 
Virtually all of them are custom orders. Very few people walk in and pick one off a lot.
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I have a different view. Unlike cars, just about all RVs are indeed built to order. However, most orders are placed by dealers for their sales lot inventory, built to parameters they believe will sell in their area.  Only a small percentage of builds are for units made to a particular buyer's order. A very small percentage for smaller or low end trailers. The typical buyer for those shops the sales lots and the internet and buys what looks good and prices out low enough.

As you move up the price scale, custom orders for buyers become more numerous.
 
Gary - When I toured the Winnie factory in Iowa one of the things I was told by the tour guide was that something like 90% of all the RVs they build are custom orders
 
And that would be correct. But those orders mostly come from dealers, configured for their inventory. RV manufacturers build very few units on spec, mostly just enough to demonstrate at shows, press briefings, etc. Dealers, on the other hand, place orders all the time and guesstimate what will sell. Many of the complaints about "all RVs look alike" are because the dealers order the same old tried & true configurations. They don't order much that is innovative in color or layout, for fear that they might get tuck with an expensive white elephant.

Look at the size of the inventory at many RV dealers, and I don't just mean giants like Lazydays or General RV. Bill Plemmons RV here in central NC (Winston Salem) has 239 new RVS in stock today. Buyers come in, look around, and take one home.
 
Even at the "old" (pre-bankruptcy) Monaco our semi-custom motorhome was ordered through a dealer.  We had all the specs and knew exactly what we wanted and whether Monaco would do it.  We gave that list to several dealers across the country and they told us how much they would charge us.  Once we chose the dealer it was the dealer who ordered the coach because Monaco at the time had a dealer network and all ordering was through one of those dealers.  The high-end motorhomes like Marathons tend to be ordered directly from the factory and there are a few factory-direct places like Lazy Daze of Montclair Calif. but most RVs are ordered by dealers.

ArdraF
 
It might be prudent to point out that though there are hundreds of models, way more than 90% of RV sales are by 3 companies. Thor which owns Jayco, Forest River which has Coachmen, and Winnebago which has Grand Design. About 85% of new RVs are towable, split between popups, travel trailers and fifth wheels.
 
My personal opinion is that they are so expensive because they are "luxury" items. You are essentially purchasing a studio apartment, sometimes with an engine, to haul/drive around with you. No one NEEDS an RV...but people want them for fun and/or convenience. And where there is a want, there is someone charging major dollars for it.

There are lots of manufacturers but as mentioned its basically three main companies making all of them. Most of the floor plans are similar across brands as well, so it's not like there is tons of innovation going on.
 
My personal opinion is that they are so expensive because they are "luxury" items.
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While there is some truth in that, especially for higher end coaches, the fact that they are essentially hand built is also a major factor in the price. Also the fact that (in a motorhome) you have a vehicle AND a house.
 
While an RV is indeed a luxury, or at least a discretionary purchase, the industry is actually extremely price competitive, especially toward the lower end.  With so many makes and models, including many smaller or regional competitors to the Big Three, cost & price are pared to the bone regardless of the level of function and amenities.  Price-wise, most Rvs are actually bargain-basement for what they provide.

The cost is high largely because of the two factors already mentioned:
1. It's a fully furnished cottage on wheels, complete with multiple and self contained power systems and its own water and sewage plant.
2. Hand built in small volumes using mostly off-the-shelf components. Almost no economy of scale as there is with cars and light trucks.
 
I agree with Gary that RV's are a bargain considering what they offer and how they're built. I'm reminded of a good friend that visited us at an RV park a few years ago with her NY City realtor daughter in tow. After the obligatory tour of our coach, the daughter was amazed, and said if it was an apartment on the lower east side it would rent for at least $3500-$4000/month. And probably more if she listed the steering wheel and dashboard as "modern art", she said.  :eek: ;D
 
SeilerBird said:
Gary - When I toured the Winnie factory in Iowa one of the things I was told by the tour guide was that something like 90% of all the RVs they build are custom orders
Click to expand...

I certainly don't know for sure.... but I thought "custom" in this case, really just means build to order.... as opposed to the manufacturer just building 1,000 of them for future orders...
and end user wants to order 1.....or dealership wants to order 10....so the order goes in for those units to be built

It's not like they will generally customize the things....
you can get floor plan A or B
you can get A in either color scheme D or E
and you can get B in either color D or F
and you get get with the standard oven or optional convection microwave instead....
I understand that you might do a few non-standard things that aren't really too big of a deal.... but that are not listed as options.....such as perhaps doing the two reclining chairs from floor plan C instead of the sofa that is supposed to go in floorplan A that I'm ordering....
 
I know some on this forum have homes in more than one city. I know that works for some, but like time shares I am not into it. That is one of the great things about owning an RV. Go where you want, when you want. We don't have to stop at restaurants and hotels when we travel. Just find a nice spot to stop, fix lunch and enjoy. Even take a nap if you want. Stop for the night and not have to lug bags into and out of a hotel.
 
blw2 said:
I certainly don't know for sure.... but I thought "custom" in this case, really just means build to order.... as opposed to the manufacturer just building 1,000 of them for future orders...
and end user wants to order 1.....or dealership wants to order 10....so the order goes in for those units to be built

It's not like they will generally customize the things....
you can get floor plan A or B
you can get A in either color scheme D or E
and you can get B in either color D or F
and you get get with the standard oven or optional convection microwave instead....
I understand that you might do a few non-standard things that aren't really too big of a deal.... but that are not listed as options.....such as perhaps doing the two reclining chairs from floor plan C instead of the sofa that is supposed to go in floorplan A that I'm ordering....
Click to expand...
No, he was very specific that they were being built for customers not businesses.
 
Oldgator73 said:
We don't have to stop at restaurants and hotels when we travel. Just find a nice spot to stop, fix lunch and enjoy.
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we hit restaurants some...but sometimes finding the spot to stop doesn't even really have to be all that nice.  I'm thinking back to our last trip.  Close to home so DW drove her car, and had run into the office for a bit.  Kids & I were in the MH driving and it was about lunch time.  They saw a pizza place...one of those takeout delivery only ones in a crappy strip mall..... but there was room to park, so I ran in ordered.... went back out to do a bit of reading while the pies baked.... then we had a nice little lunch break right there inside our own little oasis!
 
No, he was very specific that they were being built for customers not businesses.
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All those Winnebagos on sales lot across the country must come from the RV fairy then...  ;)

Besides, how would he know who actually ordered the unit?  You & I cannot order an RV from the factory - only a dealer can. So they are all dealer orders anyway.  He orders what he wants, or he orders what a buyer wants, but it all looks the same on the factory end. There is probably a check box on the order form somewhere that says "customer waiting" or similar, but any dealer would check that if he thought there might be some advantage. Who is to say he is wrong?

When we bought a new NRV Dolphin in 2002, the dealer just modified the order for a rig he already had in the queue at the factory. He changed every thing about it, but as far as the factory was concerned, it was just another production order.
 
Back to my original question. Since we are more focused now on a class C for our first RV. This link takes us to a listing of 2017 class C's. Scroll down to Thor and they show 70 models! Others are showing 20 - 30 models. The shear number of models boggles my mind.


http://www.rvguide.com/specs/class-c.html

 
NCSU Dad said:
Back to my original question. Since we are more focused now on a class C for our first RV. This link takes us to a listing of 2017 class C's. Scroll down to Thor and they show 70 models! Others are showing 20 - 30 models. The shear number of models boggles my mind.


http://www.rvguide.com/specs/class-c.html
Click to expand...
This is why it is best to shop locally and look at RVs that are actually for sale. Finding the right one by looking at photos just doesn't cut it. Way too hard. And if you find the one you want then actually finding one for sale locally is very difficult. IMHO a newby should not buy a new RV. The vast majority of newbies don't get it right the first time and are upgrading in a year or so. The first year depreciation is horrible and you will lose a lot of money. I feel it best to buy one in the $20k price range and use it for a year to figure out what it is exactly that you want and then when you trade up you will be keeping your losses to a minimum. Something like this one would make an excellent first RV:

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale/class-a/2000-itasca-sunflyer_rv-37039
 
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