Practical Buying Tips When Purchasing an RV
From: Jeff Radich
Now that you have
conquered all the important decisions and decided on that one make and model of
your dream vacation home, it’s time to show you how to make a deal that will
save you thousands. But before I share that information with you, I’m going to
show you what not to do.
There are plenty
of little-known secrets and tips that you can use to your advantage if you are
aware. Things like the best and worst times to buy your RV and the number one
mistake that prospective buyers make. By writing this chapter, I hope to
prevent you from making some very costly, though all too common, mistakes.
Because everyone
is an expert these days, you could probably go online and find differing opinions
on some of these tips. For example, I’ve had many people tell me that there is
no best time to buy an RV. While this might be true, in light of the Internet
and the competitive wars, there still can be better times to buy, say from a
local RV dealer who has a year-end clear out sale.
When is the best
time to buy an RV? Is September a better time to buy than June? Is winter
better than summer? Will you get a better deal at the beginning of the month or
at the end of the month?
If you follow the
method I describe in Chapter 10, you can save thousands of dollars, no matter
what time of the month or the year you buy. However, there are certain times
when a dealer might be more, or less, inclined to consider your offer and make
a good deal.
One of the times
when a dealer might be more anxious to deal is in the last 10 days of the
month. That’s because they want to maximize each month’s sales figures. This is
even more the case if they are doing a little under par that month; then, any
last-minute deal, no matter how large or small the profit, will make their
sales figures look better.
August and
September are excellent months to purchase year-end clearance units. As the new
coaches start to arrive in August, the sales staff migrates to the new models
and forgets last year’s models. That’s because even though these units are
brand new, they are also now a year old. Their value is less in the NADA guide,
and you will take a much lower depreciation hit when you drive it off the lot
because some of the depreciation was absorbed by the dealer when it turned a
year old.
Another benefit
to purchasing a current year’s model after the upcoming year’s models have
arrived is that the manufacturer offers customer and dealer incentives to move
these units. These incentives can add up to thousands of dollars in cash
rebates or discount financing.
The months of
December and January are notoriously slow for the RV dealer. One reason for
this is that the public has turned its attention to the holidays and is busy
with gift shopping and family plans. It is also because in most parts of the
country the weather has turned cold and stormy, so people are less likely to be
thinking about traveling around the country in an RV.
For that same
reason, as the weather starts to warm up and people begin to plan their summer
vacations, their attention is more focused on purchasing an RV to travel in. RV
sales pick up in June, July and August; since the dealer’s sales figures are up
these months, they are not as “needy” to take a low offer.
Another good time
to buy is at the end of the year. During that time, the dealer wants to get rid
of old inventory so they don’t have to pay taxes on it, which makes them more
willing to deal.
I’ve seen this
scenario far too many times. For several years, a couple has been dreaming
about buying their first RV, about the freedom of taking off for parts unknown.
They have put a little money aside and finally have enough to realize this
dream.
What’s the first
thing they do? Knowing little about RVs and wanting to get as much information
as possible in one place, they go to an RV show. You seen them advertised on
television and in the newspapers. They are a big dog-and-pony show, complete
with food, entertainment, and activities designed to entice you and your family
to come out for the day.
Of course, the
real reason for an RV show is to sell you on an RV on the spot. One of the ways
that dealers do this is to create a sense of urgency. “These RVs are specially
priced just for the show, and the price will go up as soon as the show is
over,” “we will only sell it as this price so we don’t have to pay to ship it
back to the dealership,” or “you will never find this RV at this price again”
are common, though highly deceptive, claims.
If a dealer pays
thousands of dollars to go into a show and pays to advertise the show, how can
he cut prices? He can’t. Selling from the lot is much more efficient for the
dealer because it reduces the dealer’s overhead.
The bottom line
is to contain your enthusiasm and slow down. You don’t have to buy anything in
a rush. You wouldn’t buy a house on a “bargain day,” so why would you buy an RV
that way? Take your time; follow the advice in this guide, and you will be
rewarded with huge savings when you purchase your dream RV.
Jeff Radich is a
professional research writer and active RV enthusiast. |
