Sad fact today is that you will end up paying a fair bit for a new trailer and it will be full of a lot of junk pieces.
Plastic faucets and fixtures, made in china pex lines that are not really pex lines, shoddy electrical installation, particle board cabinets and countertops, genuine "panaphonic" entertainment systems (IE: junk), etc, etc.
A lot of this is for weight savings, but it's also manufactures trying to maximize their profit margins.
Just about everywhere you go, you will find this type of thing.
Now, that being said, if you're half ways handy, it's all easy fixes when or if it breaks.
We've got a 2011 flagstaff classic and it's already required tweaking and work. IE: plastic faucets had to be replaced, plastic lines replaced with real pex lines, warping countertops replaced with coriander like product, chassis wiring redone in areas, etc.
However, it's also got alot going for it: colors are modern and pleasing, floor plan is just what we like, tows relatively easy with my older 3/4 ton diesel, nice slide outs and an atrium slide, it's feature packed with power jacks/stabs/awnings, etc.
pics:
I'd say pick the best rig for your use and fully expect to spend a bit more on it getting it just right in some areas. By all means warranty what you can, but don't be surprised if your new righ is "some assembly required"
Kind of like buying a new house. No matter how good the builder was, there's always something that needs fixing....
For depreciation, meh. If you plan to keep it for the next ten years or so, does it matter? Get what you like.
For dealer prices, well....that depends on where you are. When we bought our flagstaff, we haggled them down nearly 10 grand. 38,000 asking and got out just under 30,000. Of course, I though 38,000 was ridiculous to start with.
Where we are now though, you'd be lucky to get a dealer to move a couple grand and the prices are still in the ridiculous category.
In your situ, my advice would be to get a price in mind and hold firm to it. Maybe come up a little bit, but hold to it. If you don't get what you want: walk.
You've got 7 years to retirement and you've already got a trailer in the driveway to serve you until you find what you want at the price you want,
Don't let that new trailer fever drag you into something you didn't want....