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Old 02-08-2015, 02:54 PM   #1
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Used 2304s or New 2304

Hi all,
My wife and I had a fruitful (overwhelming) day of shopping for our first TT yesterday. We are really excited to get out with our dogs and enjoy the great outdoors this summer!

We looked at the new 2109s, 2104s, and 2304 models. Then went to another dealer who has a very clean 2012 2304s that we really like over all. I think we've narrowed it down to either a new 2014 2304 or the 2012 2304s. I am not a very negotiator, so could use some advice here, as cost and resale is a big part of the equation for us.

I am a little worried that 2304s is going to be too much for my 2001 GMC C1500 with 4.8L and 3.42 gears, even if I install the tow package that it did not come with. Although, I could probably sell it and upgrade to a K2500 or F250 for a few grand more. The 2304s is 950 lbs heavier (4720 dry) than 2304 we are considering. I like the look of the frame skirt I saw on the 2304s and 2104s (odd the 2109s dose not have it, neither does the 2304). From the brochure it says:


Vacuum-bonded floor with 16” on
center aluminum floor joists
(Std. Ultra Lite, select Roo models)

Enclosed underbelly protects trailer
components as well as increasing
aerodynamics (Ultra Lite models only)

Guessing some of that weight is due to the 'better' construction on the Ultra-lite series? That would be a plus, since I plan on keeping it outside for most of the year, for the next 5 years or so.


Option 1: 2304 - dealer is a well-know volume dealer, 10 hrs away though, has two new 2014 2304 (no-slide) models left, Came down $600 right away over the phone to $13500. I read on this forum that another member got his new 2014 2304, optioned-up, for $11K last fall! Makes me wonder if I could do the same...that 10 hr drive there and back adds about $1000 worth of trouble in my book.

Option 2: 2012 2304s - well-respected local dealer, the salesman is a nice older guy. Priced at $15k, which seems low compared to other used units I found nationally - says he Might be able to give it to me for $14k. $14K for a 3yr old model, does that seem about right? Not sure how to counter that offer.

I am figuring these units are depreciating at about $2-3k a year? Such a tough choice, I guess the one that offers the best value and is still around in a week or two will win in the end.
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Old 02-08-2015, 03:31 PM   #2
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We have 2304S which is a good camper for the 2 of us. The slide gives you the larger booth which has room for up to 6 people. With the bed up and the slide out the camper has a lot of room. The booth makes into a bed that will sleep 2 people quite comfortable. The camper is a bit heavy for a 23 footer but my F150 has no problems towing it. I opted for the Equalizer hitch, which improves the towing considerably. The large bath is really nice also. We have not had any problems with it in the few years we have owned it. Last summer we camped about 25 days.
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Old 02-08-2015, 03:58 PM   #3
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Good to know your F150 does the job, I'm looking at trucks online now. Checking Fargo Craigslist, since they use sand instead of salt! A rust free 99 F250 with a V10 is in the running. I was checking NADA values on the TT, it looks like depreciation is more in line with $1.5-2K per year, and the dealers often give Nada low retail (no options selected) minus 10% for trade-ins. Which would be about the $12,500 for 2012 2304s, maybe I'll start there.
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Old 02-08-2015, 05:19 PM   #4
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If you get an F250 you will not need a weight distribution hitch. The 12,500 sounds like a good starting starting price.
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Old 02-08-2015, 05:36 PM   #5
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I would not buy a TT without a slide (cramped, lower resale), so IMO you're better-off buying the used TT with the slide vs. the new one without, especially since you have dogs.

We were new to camping last year & since we needed to buy a TV & TT within the same year, we decided to buy both used. We purchased the TV first (in 2013) since it would determine our TT choices. After looking at rusty 2006-2008 3/4 tons, we opted for a $14K 2011 Ram 2500 CC ST w/balance of 5 year/100K powertrain warranty. This came in handy because a year later my engine blew & Ram replaced it under warranty...

Yes, it appears that most TTs in this price-range depreciate $2K - $3K per year. This is not enough to make buying a 1 year-old TT worth the risk of losing warranty, etc. just to save $2K. Therefore IMO a 3 year-old TT offers the best value provided it's in pristine condition & you can use online/wholesaler prices of new ones to drive the price down...

Last year we found our 2011 Tracer 3150 w/all upgrades for 25% less than the best online/ wholesale price of 2014 models. The dealer thoroughly inspected & adjusted the TT before our 2.5 hour PDI & we camped for 30 days without a single issue. In comparison, some (if not many) new owners spend their first year having warranty work done...
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