Negotiating Price of Used RV

[countryjoe]

From discussions I've seen on the forum, it is possible to get 20-30% off MSRP of a new motorhome from a dealer. I need some guidance on used RV prices. I"m planning to buy a 2002 Country Coach Intrigue. NADA commercial version books show new cost, wholesale or trade-in value, and retail value.

Does anyone have any guidelines as to what price target a used RV shopper should shoot for? I've just had a dealer quote me the retail price, whereas an individual seller is asking about $15,000 over retail for his.

Any advice? Thanks

 

[Jeff]

countryjoe:

Many retail owners are "upside down" in their vehicles and their asking prices reflect that. While NADA is a guide I would tend to lean towards the "wholesale" price but would also do as much browsing as I could to find the pricing of similar equipped coaches that are on the market. Finally while there is no standard discount for used RV's many dealers will have "padded" the price to allow for trades.

There is little doubt that a reputable dealer will add value to the purchase, especially if he will be nearby for support.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

NADA retail values are already high - they generally reflect the dealers pre-trade-in pricing. When dealers report a sale, they generally show the asking price and any "discount" shows as part of the trade-in value. Only in the case of show price discounts or cash discounts (no trade-in) will the reported price actually reflect the disount.  And forget the NADA price uplifts for acessories except on the most basic models that have no frills at all in the base price. The typical extras are expected these days and would be a deduction if not present.

What all this means is that you don't ever want to pay full NADA retail, nor should you even consider a premium over the NADA retail figure, regardless of condition or mileage.  As Jeff mentioned, many owners owe more than their RV is worth and their asking price reflects this. They are in for a rude awakening.  In most cases they will be lucky to get high wholesale value in a private sale and a dealer won't even give them that much, if he is willing to buy the rig at all.

At a dealership you should be able to get 10% off the NADA retail figure just by asking. Hard bargaining may get you another 10% on a used rig.  Don't be afraid to "walk" - odds are they won't even let you get out the door before making a better offer but sometimes they call you the next day and say "let's talk".

 

[Bob Zambenini]

I strongly second Gary's comments. I believe  the NADA wholesale is close to market. As a first offer I would start at 10 to 15 percent below wholesale.  Don't be afraid to walk, because there are lots of used RVs on market so just be patient.

Bob