dealer fees on a used T/C

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Broke Boater

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Posts
286
Location
Brentwood, Northern Kookafonia
I started the beginning wheeling dealing with a dealer in Wash. for a Artic Fox camper. Got the price to where I think is fair for both of us. But then I get a text that there is a 149.00 doc fee, a 30.00 trip fee, and a 20.00 title fee. Any of this sound right to you folks that may know about this stuff. I get there is some paper work involved, but since I'm bringing the camper back to Calif. ,,we don't plate T/C here. What is a trip fee, the rig is on a truck and never touches a road?? Then why it there a Title fee, whats the doc fee's for then. If he feels like I beat him down on the price, and they accepted, then don't try and steal some money back. Or is this normal,,,gregg
 
From what I have read the doc fee varies from state to state. It is supposed to cover the cost of Thevpaperwork associated with the sale.  Never heard of a trip fee. Are you getting a title for the camper? I would guess if so a title fee would be charged. When I purchase a camper or other vehicle I always get an out the door price in writing. These fees are usually included but at least when I'm given the price I know fees won't be added that I didn't know about.
 
http://www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistration/campers.html

WA does require registration and plating of truck campers.
A trip fee usually involves an out of state buyer having permission to operate
a vehicle, or transport a vehicle on roadways in the state purchased from, while enroute to the state
where the vehicle will live and or be registered.

Your an out of state buyer. There is no requirement for you to have to pay for a title and or registration in the state you purchased it from, only to drop that registration once you get back to CA.
Some states require that a bonafide shipping firm be hired to transport a vehicle out of state and provide a bill of lading to the state and dealer.


With no WA DMV work involved, other than obtaining a trip ticket, the doc fee of $149 clams is wildly excessive.
And so is the charge of $20 clams to get titling in WA for a vehicle which is going out of state.

Drill down with this dealer why it's necessary to title a camper in WA, when it won't live in WA and will be transported out of WA as soon as the deal is stuck. Ask them to provide you with WA DMV statutory law that dictates an out of state buyer has to obtain WA plates and title to a vehicle that is destined for another state to live.

Counter with $100 in junk fees, rather than the $200 they are wanting.

 
Prep fees are just extra charges dealers tack on.  ALWAYS negotiate from an "out the door" position.  You will pay "X" dollars and no more.

A car dealer in my state (MD) said that if they charge one person a "fee" they had to charge everyone (which is why their contracts have the fee printed on them) but that is really just a bit of administrivia.  I let them do the math as they see fit on the form so long as the total price is what I've agreed.  Twice "they" miscalculated and I got money back from DMV (directly to me) because they miscalculated the sales tax amount.
 
Those fees are dirt cheap compared to the fees added in Florida. They run hundreds of dollars, sometimes over a thousand. Pay the fees, they aren't worth arguing over.
 
Trip fee= trip permit to allow you to get the camper back to CA.  In WA and OR campers are licensed, so they require a temp license to move on the road.  20 dollars sounds about right for a 10 day permit.
Doc fees= fees the dealer charges for paperwork.  Remember every part of a dealership is now responsible to at least pay their own way.
 
I've never understood states that require license plates on truck campers.  They're just cargo carried by the truck underneath them, which pays all of the weight related licensing fees.

Do they also require sea containers to get a license plate before they're loaded onto a truck and driven on the road?
 
It's possible you just got a boilerplate notice of fees, since those would apply to most RVs (towables and motorhomes). Since a TC is not a vehicle in most states (no wheels or engine), it may not be subject to those fees but the dealer's procedures automatically give a warning notice.  Per the others comments, ask them what fees really apply and why. Any such fees would have to be shown in a sales invoice anyway, so don't sign up until you are satisfied.

A "document fee" is simply a charge for processing paperwork and not mandated by any government. It's just a way for the dealer to recoup some of his sales expense.
 
DOC. Fees ...HAH.. Lot of different thoughts on that. A few years back we visited a dealership a hundred miles north of us. After picking out a unit  going through several of hours salesman 'jabber' the young man told us that in addition to all the other taxes and fees there was a 20% DOC Fee.  We questioned the amount.  He assured us there was a 20% DOC. Fee on total price all RV sales.

Had not signed anything ... told the salesman to rip her up...and left immediately.

Pass that dealership often when heading north ... They ALWAYS get a Giant Raspberry.  JM2 ?
 
I am from Alaska and have bought 2 truck campers from private individuals in OR. I just have the people give me a bill of sale and sign the title. No need to do anything else. Last year I was looking at a TC from a dealer in OR. As someone else said, I always ask for the "out the door price" and negotiate from there. The dealer wanted more than I was willing to pay, so I moved on.

 
Wheeldog said:
I am from Alaska and have bought 2 truck campers from private individuals in OR. I just have the people give me a bill of sale and sign the title. No need to do anything else. Last year I was looking at a TC from a dealer in OR. As someone else said, I always ask for the "out the door price" and negotiate from there. The dealer wanted more than I was willing to pay, so I moved on.

This is the way it works most everywhere. Everybody should ask for the the "out the door price". Too many folks are hung up on the payments. You should have  financing arranged before you start looking. I have never gone to a dealership thinking I had to buy something that day.
 
I have never gone to a dealership thinking I had to buy something that day.

And that's the only way to deal. The seller, especially a dealer, has all the advantages in a negotiation except for one: you have your feet and can walk away.  You MUST always be willing to do that to avoid getting taken on the deal.
 
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