Best time to buy a Travel Trailer

[JBurley]

I just wanted to get some opinions/feedback from other TT owners on when it would be the best time to buy to get the best price. Would it be at the RV shows? Would it be in Dec/Jan when the Dealers are slow and need to make a sale? What does the group think?

[Twisty]

I was at the dealer shortly after a show in the area. They were slammed!
I would avoid that myself.
Maybe late Nov. or early Dec. when they could use some extra holiday cash from a sale!

[Camping Buddys]

After you do your research and due diligence work about price, brand, etc. any day that is good for you. I have got great deals just by walking into a dealer just to "see" and hours later, I am a new camper owner.lol (I'm in my 6 Rv)
Here in central Florida it's always Rv season! In March after the snowbirds leave to get back home, you can find great deals in used rv's and/or overstock dealers. But if the deal is good, any day it's fine!

[bikendan]

we found that Oct.-Nov. was the best time, in our opinion.
because dealers want to get inventory down, before having lots of trailers sitting during the winter and to make room for next year's models, after winter was over.

[JBurley]

Thanks for the responses! We have decided on a 2014 Surveyor SCT 226-new model for this year.

[HarleyBill]

Originally Posted by JBurley

Thanks for the responses! We have decided on a 2014 Surveyor SCT 226-new model for this year.

Sure looks nice! What vehicle will you tow this with?

[JBurley]

We have a Nissan Titan Crew Cab, 4X4

[Camping Buddys]

Originally Posted by JBurley

Thanks for the responses! We have decided on a 2014 Surveyor SCT 226-new model for this year.

Like I said, any day it's a good one!lol

Congrats!

[John4th]

First trailer we bought in fall of '08. Got an excellent deal. Current trailer was bought in June o this year. Again, excellent deal. I guess when it's time for the third trailer, we'll try winter. I find no consistency anymore as to when deals are run on trailers. Yes there are end of model year deals, but also various manufacturers and/or dealers will have a run of promotions.

[avolnek]

X2 for October or November! If you can make it in while there is snow on the ground even Better!

[ependydad]

For those who are buying in the winter months, does that mean that you're losing a good chunk of your warranty period while the camper just sits for the winter?

Maybe it's not a problem/no different than a normal purchase - we bought in July, camped until November, ran south for 2 weeks in December, but then let it sit from January to April.

[Kaadk]

We bought a previous year model at an RV show in the spring. About 1/3 off MSRP due to being the previous year model and a 5 year extended warranty thrown in as part of buying at the show.

But then again, we've been dealing with this dealer for 2 years now waiting for the right trailer to come along to meet our floor plan, weight and price guidelines. If you're willing to wait, a deal will usually come along.

[Prothos]

In Texas you can pretty much use it all year round so i dont think any time is better than the other. i have seen friends get the best deals in jan during or right after the local rv Show. i bought mine the end of june and got a good price

[bob34787]

I would think right after you win the lottery is a real good time, now you might think that is a smart as* response but bear with me here, when we started looking 4 years ago we saw a brand new Airstream 34' with a slide out that was running just about 100,000. Now we would have loved to buy it but 100,000 !! so we bought a 28 safari for 46,000, but after a few outings we decided it was too small, so we traded it in on a $76,000 36 RE touring edition, well now we needed a bigger truck so off to Ford we go and buy a 2008 f250 diesel, have the hitch installed and a set of airbags for good measure, all set! well after driving it around for a few months we said " hey we don't need something this big, We should look at a super C" so off we go to the dealer and bought a $129,000 36' super c motorhome, now i don't need that big diesel pickup so off to the dealer we go and trade it in on a smaller dodge 1500. used the super c for about 6 months and thought gee we really don't like owning a house so lets sell it and move into the RV, so after a few weeks the house is under contract and we are living at Disney's fort wilderness in the super c, now the wife says " we need something bigger" so off to the dealer we go and buy...... ( can you guess?) A $89,000 36 Ckts, but we don't have truck so we have it delivered to fort wilderness, now life is great all the room in the world, no grass to cut, but after 4 months the wife says " I miss a house" so I find a house, we buy it and guess what, now i have to buy a truck to move the 36 CKTS, so off to the ford dealer i go and get a 2012 F350 DRW Diesel. So a few months go by and I struggle with parking the 36 CKTS and the wife thinks, well since we are not living in it any longer we can get something smaller so over to the dealer we go and buy a 2013 Aviator Wright Flyer. So to sum it up its best to buy an Rv right after you have won the lottery so you can but the one you want to start with.

[Camping Buddys]

Originally Posted by bob34787

I would think right after you win the lottery is a real good time, now you might think that is a smart as* response but bear with me here, when we started looking 4 years ago we saw a brand new Airstream 34' with a slide out that was running just about 100,000. Now we would have loved to buy it but 100,000 !! so we bought a 28 safari for 46,000, but after a few outings we decided it was too small, so we traded it in on a $76,000 36 RE touring edition, well now we needed a bigger truck so off to Ford we go and buy a 2008 f250 diesel, have the hitch installed and a set of airbags for good measure, all set! well after driving it around for a few months we said " hey we don't need something this big, We should look at a super C" so off we go to the dealer and bought a $129,000 36' super c motorhome, now i don't need that big diesel pickup so off to the dealer we go and trade it in on a smaller dodge 1500. used the super c for about 6 months and thought gee we really don't like owning a house so lets sell it and move into the RV, so after a few weeks the house is under contract and we are living at Disney's fort wilderness in the super c, now the wife says " we need something bigger" so off to the dealer we go and buy...... ( can you guess?) A $89,000 36 Ckts, but we don't have truck so we have it delivered to fort wilderness, now life is great all the room in the world, no grass to cut, but after 4 months the wife says " I miss a house" so I find a house, we buy it and guess what, now i have to buy a truck to move the 36 CKTS, so off to the ford dealer i go and get a 2012 F350 DRW Diesel. So a few months go by and I struggle with parking the 36 CKTS and the wife thinks, well since we are not living in it any longer we can get something smaller so over to the dealer we go and buy a 2013 Aviator Wright Flyer. So to sum it up its best to buy an Rv right after you have won the lottery so you can but the one you want to start with.

We went to 4 rv's in 2 and 1/2 years! People like us keep the economy moving! And our bank accounts empty!

[Gizmo0706]

Originally Posted by bob34787

I would think right after you win the lottery is a real good time, now you might think that is a smart as* response but bear with me here, when we started looking 4 years ago we saw a brand new Airstream 34' with a slide out that was running just about 100,000. Now we would have loved to buy it but 100,000 !! so we bought a 28 safari for 46,000, but after a few outings we decided it was too small, so we traded it in on a $76,000 36 RE touring edition, well now we needed a bigger truck so off to Ford we go and buy a 2008 f250 diesel, have the hitch installed and a set of airbags for good measure, all set! well after driving it around for a few months we said " hey we don't need something this big, We should look at a super C" so off we go to the dealer and bought a $129,000 36' super c motorhome, now i don't need that big diesel pickup so off to the dealer we go and trade it in on a smaller dodge 1500. used the super c for about 6 months and thought gee we really don't like owning a house so lets sell it and move into the RV, so after a few weeks the house is under contract and we are living at Disney's fort wilderness in the super c, now the wife says " we need something bigger" so off to the dealer we go and buy...... ( can you guess?) A $89,000 36 Ckts, but we don't have truck so we have it delivered to fort wilderness, now life is great all the room in the world, no grass to cut, but after 4 months the wife says " I miss a house" so I find a house, we buy it and guess what, now i have to buy a truck to move the 36 CKTS, so off to the ford dealer i go and get a 2012 F350 DRW Diesel. So a few months go by and I struggle with parking the 36 CKTS and the wife thinks, well since we are not living in it any longer we can get something smaller so over to the dealer we go and buy a 2013 Aviator Wright Flyer. So to sum it up its best to buy an Rv right after you have won the lottery so you can but the one you want to start with.

I'd like to have the option to even think about doing all that! My bank account tells me that I'm happy with what I have!

[bob34787]

Mine tells me I am happy with my Aviator, even though the wife thought i should get something bigger now that she has a 100 lb. huskita ( husky-akita mix) along with the pom. and the american eskimo dog. As far as having the bank account, if I did not spend all the extra funds on RV's she may have gone part time on me or worse, retire.