Buying RV at a show

[MarkPW]

Greetings to all,

I've been reading and learning in preparation for purchasing our first RV (couple's coach). We're going to "the world's biggest RV show" in Hershey, PA in September. How does buying an RV at a show 5 hours from home work? I'm sure they have financing available although I'll probably arrange my own, but how does delivery work? Do they deliver via a local authorized dealer? Does that dealer then cooperate if you need warranty service or do they view it as something bought elsewhere? Finally, are there really deals to be had or can I do just as well closer to home? I'd also appreciate any experiences folks have had buying at a show.

Thanks for responses and all the other great information here.

 

[lynnmor]

Welcome.

Been to Hershey many times, it is a great place to look and sometimes buy, but rarely will you save much money over a local dealer.  Go there with a short list of just the models you are interested in, the show is so large that you can waste too much time trying to look at too much.  Do your research on the internet to develop your list.  Expect some pressure from salesmen, so give them minimal personal information until you decide what you want.

I bought at a different show and had some issues with the trailer caused by both the lookers and the transportation. 

 

[darsben]

Show is the worst place to buy.
No dealer is obligated to service a RV bought at another dealer.
This is not like car buying.
You realize that no matter how good a deal you get the  first year depreciation will be astronomical approaching 50% off the List (which is A made up Number by the dealer in most cases)
Most here agree that buying a newer well maintained used RV is a better option.

 

[ArdraF]

When you decide what RV you want, check with various dealers and get bids from several of them.  "Buying local" is nice to support your community businesses but the fact is you usually need service when you're far from home so who gets the purchase seldom makes a difference.  I realize some dealers apparently say they won't service RVs that weren't bought from them, but I don't think we've ever encountered that situation.  We've always been able to find someone to do the needed work.

ArdraF

 

[HappyWanderer]

Show is the worst place to buy.

I can?t agree with that assessment at all. We?ve bought a fifth wheel and two motorhomes at RV shows. It is the ideal setting to do side-by-side comparisons of different manufacturers, floorplans, construction, etc.

Just don?t get caught up in the hype that you need to buy today or the deal will disappear. When we purchased our new Class A in January, the dealer tried to pull that nonsense about signing on the dotted line today. I told him that unless he would honor the deal for at least a month, we would walk.

In the end, we agreed to terms that were 32% off list price and low retail on our trade-in. We ordered our unit built with the options we wanted, and without the stuff we didn?t want. Could we have gotten the same deal elsewhere? Probably, but without the show we never would have seen the model that we decided on.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'll straddle the fence on this question. Sometimes you can get a deal on a particular model at a show, especially if you agree to take delivery there (so they don't have to take it back to their sales lot) or if the manufacturer is running a special promotion (usually a new model).  In general, though, you can do just as well anytime, though it may take some firm negotiation.

Show prices are a come-on and dealers may well advertise prices that they normally give only to those that bargain hard. Only rarely are the prices better than you could have obtained at their sales lot, but you might save some time and stress on the haggling. However, sales people at shows are like hunting hawks, so the stress on shoppers is always high. Usually the best advice is to leave your checkbook home so that you aren't tempted to yield to a sales persons entreaties about once in a lifetime deals.

To answer your question, the deal is whatever you negotiate. If you want delivery at a different place and time, stipulate that.  You are buying from the dealer who is showing the goods, so there is no other dealer to deliver or service it.  RV franchises don't have the same service or warranty obligations as car dealers, so forget everything you thought you knew about what dealers do or don't do.


If there is a local dealer for the brand or model you like, I suggest you talk with them before going to the Hershey show and get at least a sense of what his out-the-door price would be.  Tell him you plan to go to the show and look around. If a dealer at the show makes a better offer, call the local dealer to see if he will match, or at least come close. If so, you can take the local deal rather than remote. It's possible the local dealer won't want to play that game at all, though. Some can be rather hard-nosed about it.  There is at least a fair chance you will be told flat-out "Don't bring it here if you didn't buy it here".

If using a local dealer is important to you, use the RV shows as a place to look and compare features and get a indication of the pricing. Then negotiate at home.

 

[darsben]

I can?t agree with that assessment at all. We?ve bought a fifth wheel and two motorhomes at RV shows. It is the ideal setting to do side-by-side comparisons of different manufacturers, floorplans, construction, etc.

Just don?t get caught up in the hype that you need to buy today or the deal will disappear. When we purchased our new Class A in January, the dealer tried to pull that nonsense about signing on the dotted line today. I told him that unless he would honor the deal for at least a month, we would walk.

In the end, we agreed to terms that were 32% off list price and low retail on our trade-in. We ordered our unit built with the options we wanted, and without the stuff we didn?t want. Could we have gotten the same deal elsewhere? Probably, but without the show we never would have seen the model that we decided on.

So then you did not buy AT THE SHOW.

 

[HappyWanderer]

So then you did not buy AT THE SHOW.

The deal was negotiated at the show and we left a refundable deposit. The actual contract was signed later at the dealership.

 

[DavidM]

I'm planning to go to this show in Hershey also.