Best Time Of Year To Buy

[Shanks12]

So the wife and I bought our 2005 Roo M232 in June of 2014. Loved getting out and camping.. Even with a 6mo old at the time.

We are now considering moving out of the Hybrid and into a Bunkhouse. We have another "bun in the oven" now that is due to arrive in February. We feel that setting up a hybrid with two small children and 2 dogs will be harder for my Wife and I. Plus some of the amenities that the newer ones have are awesome (Brother in law just bought a 16' Wildwood fully loaded). The idea of pulling in and just putting the slide out sounds great.

Not sure the exact model we are after, but something in the 27-30' range with bells and whistles. 5000-6500lbs range. I don't believe I'll have trouble with that weight. 2005 F150 FX4 SuperCrew with Roush SuperCharger with 3.73 axel shows 9,200 lbs and max combined 15k.

But my question is, is the fall/winter the best time to buy or wait till spring? When do most dealers have their bigger sales?

Need to try and get a value on our camper as well. Only owe $250 on it, so getting loan repaid or paid off before won't be a problem. Would you recommend trade-in? We are going to go look back at the same dealer we bought it from.

Anyway, any thoughts would be appreciated. - Thanks

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by Shanks12

So the wife and I bought our 2005 Roo M232 in June of 2014. Loved getting out and camping.. Even with a 6mo old at the time.

We are now considering moving out of the Hybrid and into a Bunkhouse. We have another "bun in the oven" now that is due to arrive in February. We feel that setting up a hybrid with two small children and 2 dogs will be harder for my Wife and I. Plus some of the amenities that the newer ones have are awesome (Brother in law just bought a 16' Wildwood fully loaded). The idea of pulling in and just putting the slide out sounds great.

Not sure the exact model we are after, but something in the 27-30' range with bells and whistles. 5000-6500lbs range. I don't believe I'll have trouble with that weight. 2005 F150 FX4 SuperCrew with Roush SuperCharger with 3.73 axel shows 9,200 lbs and max combined 15k.

But my question is, is the fall/winter the best time to buy or wait till spring? When do most dealers have their bigger sales?

Need to try and get a value on our camper as well. Only owe $250 on it, so getting loan repaid or paid off before won't be a problem. Would you recommend trade-in? We are going to go look back at the same dealer we bought it from.

Anyway, any thoughts would be appreciated. - Thanks

Here is my opinion: Contact RVWholesalers and get the new one now. Lot's of really good specials as it is the slow season. You also aren't competing against all of the other buyers that wait til Spring (this is what most do). The Wildwood line offers a lot of camper for the money- as long as you don't mind matching the BIL. Get the used one cleaned up and put it on Craigslist. Be prepared to hold it until Spring which is when most people are buying. I predict you'll save ~$3-5K on the new one by going with RVW and make an additional $2-3K over trading in.

[Michael4017]

I went from a hybrid to a TT for the same reason(7 year old/2year old/wife/dog). Setup is way easier. Plus it's a lot quieter inside compared to the tent ends. There's a lot of spammers on Craigslist but seems like you are in a good spot with it basically paid off. I was upside down and traded my hybrid in-didn't want the hassle.

GOOD LUCK

[TURBS]

I'd suggest not selling in the fall/ winter unless you live where u can camp year round.
It's hard for dealers to sell units in the winter months Of the northern parts so they'll likely low ball you on trade.

As far as buying it may be the best time to get a leftover unit or a dealer trying to clear his lot for incoming units.

Good luck!

TURBS
2008 duramax
2015 columbus 320RS
2015 camping "31 nights"

[Shanks12]

Originally Posted by Michael4017

I went from a hybrid to a TT for the same reason(7 year old/2year old/wife/dog). Setup is way easier. Plus it's a lot quieter inside compared to the tent ends. There's a lot of spammers on Craigslist but seems like you are in a good spot with it basically paid off. I was upside down and traded my hybrid in-didn't want the hassle.

GOOD LUCK

Yeah, I just can't imagine (well I can) trying to have my wife wear our daughter, chase a 2 year old and get the dogs to settle while I setup the bunk ends. Plus with the Roo, we are limited on where we can store our stuff. Or whatever went in, was sitting at the front of the trailer instead of being able to balance the load over the trailer. But yeah, we got a fair deal on the Roo and put down a good amount and made double payments. So I hope we are good there.


Thanks guys. That was my initial thought of trying to beat the "rush" in the spring. I guess I'll try and see what kind of offer they would give us on the Roo and go from there. I have the room to keep both, but only one would be in a 3sided shed over the winter. So they hybrid would end up sitting out. Maybe that's not a big deal.

I think we may head to the dealer tonight to see what they have. I've bookmarked one so far. It's a new 2015 Starcraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS. - Hopefully I don't get kicked off F.R. forum if I am looking at other brands

[MilCop4523]

buy now sell in the spring. clean and store the existing. sell privately or use RV consignment... DO NOT TRADE THE UNIT
you will get a pain in the ... u know where if you do.
We looked at trade and the dealer here offered us 14,500 for our 2012 in showroom condition with extras added.
I felt the sharp pain....
took it to local RV Consignment and went through the trailer with the dealer there. he was shocked to see it in such a great condition and actually used it as one of his best trailers in that class on the lot.
It sold to the right owner for 21,800 and i got our $19,500 out of it.
Problem is that Craigs list or Kiiji see so many units of equal, better or worse condition to yours that buyers are often kicking tires, you can't offer financing which RV consignments can and do, and when your unit doesnt sell in a month you do what?
LOWER YOUR PRICE. and the same the next month
and so on because you think you are asking too much when it won't sell

We had the same issue i just described - same guy called us 3 times in 4 months in 2014.
started at 22,000 dropped it to 20,000 and he made excused to not come and look at it.
third time he called he used a fake name but the voice was very notable so i told him i was not willing to sell to him after having set up 2 viewing times in May and June with out showing up.
consignment places are open when you are not, have financing and more that 2 or 3 perspective customers come onto the property looking for what you and they have in stock. plus they have web pages that reach out further into the internet than you can.

[MilCop4523]

Originally Posted by Shanks12

I think we may head to the dealer tonight to see what they have. I've bookmarked one so far. It's a new 2015 Starcraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS. - Hopefully I don't get kicked off F.R. forum if I am looking at other brands

Some of us may be cold but i dont think we are Heartless

[BooBoo23]

You may have the best shot at shopping at the RV Expo in Indianapolis January 9-17. It would give you a chance to see what is out there without going to a lot of different dealers lots, plus you may be able to get a good show special price there.

[Shanks12]

Originally Posted by BooBoo23

You may have the best shot at shopping at the RV Expo in Indianapolis January 9-17. It would give you a chance to see what is out there without going to a lot of different dealers lots, plus you may be able to get a good show special price there.

Never thought of that. Do they generally have better deals?

And I may have to look up information about the RV Consignment. I've never heard of that nor any idea where one would be located.

I suppose with that they have no reserve so could be sold for less than you wanted?

[jgourlie]

Originally Posted by Shanks12

Yeah, I just can't imagine (well I can) trying to have my wife wear our daughter, chase a 2 year old and get the dogs to settle while I setup the bunk ends. Plus with the Roo, we are limited on where we can store our stuff. Or whatever went in, was sitting at the front of the trailer instead of being able to balance the load over the trailer. But yeah, we got a fair deal on the Roo and put down a good amount and made double payments. So I hope we are good there.


Thanks guys. That was my initial thought of trying to beat the "rush" in the spring. I guess I'll try and see what kind of offer they would give us on the Roo and go from there. I have the room to keep both, but only one would be in a 3sided shed over the winter. So they hybrid would end up sitting out. Maybe that's not a big deal.

I think we may head to the dealer tonight to see what they have. I've bookmarked one so far. It's a new 2015 Starcraft Autumn Ridge 289BHS. - Hopefully I don't get kicked off F.R. forum if I am looking at other brands

I just purchased a wildwood Heritage Glen 312qbud it's bigger than what you are looking for at 32 feet, but they have a smaller bunkhouse model...The heritage glen models have lipstick in all the right places, that is what sold my wife...Nice colors, granite like countertop etc. etc... Make sure you compare a Heritage Glen to the Starcraft

[Stovebolt]

Originally Posted by Shanks12

So the wife and I bought our 2005 Roo M232 in June of 2014. Loved getting out and camping.. Even with a 6mo old at the time.

We are now considering moving out of the Hybrid and into a Bunkhouse. We have another "bun in the oven" now that is due to arrive in February. We feel that setting up a hybrid with two small children and 2 dogs will be harder for my Wife and I. Plus some of the amenities that the newer ones have are awesome (Brother in law just bought a 16' Wildwood fully loaded). The idea of pulling in and just putting the slide out sounds great.

Not sure the exact model we are after, but something in the 27-30' range with bells and whistles. 5000-6500lbs range. I don't believe I'll have trouble with that weight. 2005 F150 FX4 SuperCrew with Roush SuperCharger with 3.73 axel shows 9,200 lbs and max combined 15k.

But my question is, is the fall/winter the best time to buy or wait till spring? When do most dealers have their bigger sales?

Need to try and get a value on our camper as well. Only owe $250 on it, so getting loan repaid or paid off before won't be a problem. Would you recommend trade-in? We are going to go look back at the same dealer we bought it from.

Anyway, any thoughts would be appreciated. - Thanks

I live in Michigan, I found that the best time of the year for us to buy is in February because we have a major show in Wixom every year. The deals they give you on floor models is about the best you will find around here. I bought a FR 30 foot TT in 2011, it was a 2012 model that listed for $32,000. I got it taxes plates and all out the door for $22,000. It had all the goodies like electric leveling, electric slide out, electric awning etc. It also had the heated underbelly so you could camp in cold weather. I'm not one bit sorry.

[Shanks12]

Originally Posted by jgourlie

I just purchased a wildwood Heritage Glen 312qbud it's bigger than what you are looking for at 32 feet, but they have a smaller bunkhouse model...The heritage glen models have lipstick in all the right places, that is what sold my wife...Nice colors, granite like countertop etc. etc... Make sure you compare a Heritage Glen to the Starcraft

Thanks for the recommendation. Will have to take a look at one of those.

I think I read somewhere on this forum that you can expect to pay around 30%-40% off of MSRP. - Does that sound about right?

[rmac04401]

I just upgraded. Did not trade in my fleet wood sold it outright on Craigslist. It sold after one week. I had a fair price on it. Had tire kickers calling me, but after 6 days a nice young couple actually came to see it and bought on spot. It was in excellent condition and like you I had it paid off. I did have it priced to sell but I got what I believed a 2000 mallard was worth.

This was in August. I would do your research. I looked around and found a 2016 31' Cherokee Grey wolf 26rr toy hauler with everything I wanted for a great price.

I was thinking of waiting for Hershey RV show but this one had everything I wanted. I looked at the dealers that we're going to be at the show and none really carried in inventory anything close to what I got.

I drove 7 hours for best deal and do not regret it. Bought from Surburban rv in Mansfield Ohio. Tom and his wife were great people it was well below MSRP. I got almost $10,000 dollars off. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Small dealer with small overhead and reasonable margin.

Good luck in your adventure. I would not buy in spring. I believe you would not do wrong staying with a FR product. Can't say enough about corporate customer service.
There she is nice and pretty

[JustB_Rad]

My wife and I bought our new 2016 Grey Wolf 26DBH from a small dealer in June due to our expanding family. We had a 23' Crossover with no slides and definitely needed the extra room. We went to a small dealer that wanted our existing unit for his lot. He basically gave us the extra amount for our trade that we would have gotten off a new one if we would have waited until the show. IMO if you are going to sell outright and not trade in, you would be better off waiting until the shows in the spring, and selling your existing unit in the spring as well.

[rmac04401]

It would haver reduced the overall cash I would have got in a trade in deal to drive my old rig out 7 hours. The gas money alone would not have made it profitable.

[magpi26]

My friend told me a couple years ago that the best time to get a camper deal is December because of year end inventory taxes some dealers face. I was skeptical until I went with him to negotiate the purchase. He ended up getting a new camper at 37% off list.

[moligney]

I just sold my Wolf Pack (In Sept)on Craig's List so maybe a few tips would help. I tend to agree spring would be a good time to sell but now might be a good time to get your ad down pat and set a fair price. I kept adding areas further away from home as time went on (2 a week) and once a week re posted all ad's to keep them at the top of list. Expect a lot of no shows and tire kickers but you will learn to weed them out in a hurry. I doubled the money that the dealer offered on a trade in for a new Grey Wolf so it can be worth it. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures... Once you get your ad down save it for spring.
Good Luck

[Terier]

You often can get a really good price on the previous year's model when the new models come out. Spring/summer is the peak season for camping so many dealers know they can get higher prices.


While considering a new RV I was inquiring about the trade-in value of my TT and got the feeling that having it paid for in full went against me. The salesman gave an extremely low balled price range which was a deal breaker.

[ColoradoRick]

Like buying a car, I think it depends on a lot of things when the best time to get a deal is.

I agree that you should expect to pay 30-50% less than the MSRP BUT be sure you see the MSRP from the manufacturer, not one the dealer may have printed up. (If it's not there, I believe there's a law that says the dealer has to show you the one from the manufacturer.)

You want to only talk about the bottom-line price. Don't let them distract you with monthly payments or interest rates, etc.

I got our new Rocky at the end of last year and, since it was a 2013, the dealer was extra-eager to get it off the lot and so we almost stole it from him. (And since it was going to 2 years old, he ordered a new awning from Forest River and replaced it for me as the old one was already getting faded/worn from the UV rays here.)

Take your time and good luck!

[Maron]

Originally Posted by MilCop4523

buy now sell in the spring. clean and store the existing. sell privately or use RV consignment... DO NOT TRADE THE UNIT
you will get a pain in the ... u know where if you do.
We looked at trade and the dealer here offered us 14,500 for our 2012 in showroom condition with extras added.
I felt the sharp pain....
took it to local RV Consignment and went through the trailer with the dealer there. he was shocked to see it in such a great condition and actually used it as one of his best trailers in that class on the lot.
It sold to the right owner for 21,800 and i got our $19,500 out of it.
Problem is that Craigs list or Kiiji see so many units of equal, better or worse condition to yours that buyers are often kicking tires, you can't offer financing which RV consignments can and do, and when your unit doesnt sell in a month you do what?
LOWER YOUR PRICE. and the same the next month
and so on because you think you are asking too much when it won't sell

We had the same issue i just described - same guy called us 3 times in 4 months in 2014.
started at 22,000 dropped it to 20,000 and he made excused to not come and look at it.
third time he called he used a fake name but the voice was very notable so i told him i was not willing to sell to him after having set up 2 viewing times in May and June with out showing up.
consignment places are open when you are not, have financing and more that 2 or 3 perspective customers come onto the property looking for what you and they have in stock. plus they have web pages that reach out further into the internet than you can.

That sounds like some great advice. Thanks a lot.
We r thinking about moving up to a 5th wheel and I had the dealership give me a trade in price estimate. Bought it for $33m 18 months ago (a loaded Rockwood 35' 2014 model) and the dealer offered $17.