"Real" Dealer price?

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plca123

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Jul 24, 2012
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I think about buying  a travel trailer. What I really think about is what the real dealer price would be.
For instance: the MSRP is $28.000, the dealer offers it for $22.000. how much could I stll negotiate with him? Could I get the trailer for $18.000 or even less?
I'd like to know your experience about getting the prices down...
 
Dealers can list whatever they want to for an MSRP, so best to look at a few dealers for price checking.  It seems that you can get somewhere between 20-30% off their listed msrp, so in a $28K trailer, somewhere between 22400 and 19600 would be expected.  When I purchased last year, i found a model(s) in my price range and had three dealers quote me.
 
2x. Here is some (as far as I can tell) real world numbers to compare.

new coach MSRP 249,000 

dealer one- $220,000

Dealer two- $181,000 (stated that this was invoice on the unit and would provide the invoice to me.

Hope this helps
 
Keep in mind that "invoice" is not what dealers pay.  It is the amount that all the rebates and kickbacks are based on.  And they can be significant based on dealer volume and how long the dealer has owned the unit.  That's why dealers often advertise prices at 40% off.  Such as RVDirect.  Final prices are based on negotiating skills and how badly the dealer wants to sell that unit. 
 
Thats true, you will NEVER know what the dealer paid nor will the salesman selling you the RV.  In dealerships I worked with only 2 people know, the owner and his head accountant.  I was friends with the accountant and she was always getting offers of bribes and such by sales people to try to get the real #.  The sales manager does usually know the very least an RV can be sold for but doesn't know the actual price the dealer paid the manufacturer.
 
I bought a used 1995 Damon Intruder from a sales lot in 2005 (when RVs were selling like hotcakes and prices were high).


I had been watching it for several weeks and it had started out at a $40k asking price, now it was marked down to $25k "clearance".  After inspecting and test driving it, and finding several things that needed replacement, I offered $18k cash and was prepared to walk if it wasn't accepted.


The salesman tsk-tsk'd and "reluctantly" took my offer to the owner in the other end of the single wide trailer that served as the office.  I then heard some jovial discussion (sound travels in those things) followed by "great, we only paid 11 for it".
 
Good story and one to remember when we are making an offer and negotiating.  Too often I hear the salesman claim that my offer is "below our cost" when I know it isn't even close.  Then later, he accepts it and never explains why he was able to sell it now for well below his cost.
 
I worked in retail sales, as far as we were concerned dealer invoice was nobody's business but ours. We knew what we had to make for it to be worth our while. If we couldn't come to an agreement with the customer on price thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to do business with you, here is my card.
 
All this talk here and others is really crazy to me. What does it matter what anyone paid be it a dealer or private party? Pay what you feel is fair to you and if the owners will take it buy it and be happy, it don't matter how much a dealer made on it, any of us who ever bought from a dealer paid more than the dealer paid for it no matter what, they ARE in business to make money!! Look one way of looking at this could be what would you sell this unit for and be honest with your self, that probably is what that unit is worth to you, if the owner will take that for it be done and enjoy!!!!!
 
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