Start of 2019 model year?

[dieseldodge]

Looking to order a Flagstaff. When do they start making the 2019's? Back in 2005 we ordered a Wildcat in March and when it arrived a couple months later it was branded a 2006.

[raspivey]

Same as then. They'll call it a 2019 any time now, but it'll be the same more or less as the late year 2018. They generally do the major updates towards August.

[dieseldodge]

Understood. They (manufacturer) seem to make changes anytime they feel like it, regardless of calendar. I just like the idea of getting a '2019' instead of a 2018 if I wait maybe a month to order.

[dieseldodge]

According to the dealership we've been working with, anything completed in the month of March (and beyond) will be branded as a 2019. So, since anything ordered now would not even begin to build until March, we ordered our Flagstaff Classic. It will apparently be May before we see it.

[raspivey]

Two months is about right this time of year.

[annam3627]

actual 2019 models will start after the July 4th shutdown.

[raspivey]

Originally Posted by annam3627

actual 2019 models will start after the July 4th shutdown.

Yeah, but the paperwork and vin will show them as 2019 before that.

[rockfordroo]

Ordered my Mini Lite Feb. 28, 2015. Manufacture date on side says 4/7/15. Paperwork/VIN says 2016.

I've attached the FR VIN decoder. Character #10 is the model year. Since mine is a "G," I assume A=2010, B=2011, C=2012, ..... G=2016, H=2017, I=2018, J=2019.

[raspivey]

Mine was the same way. Don’t know what the point of calling them the next model year so early is since they’re no different, but they do.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by raspivey

Mine was the same way. Don’t know what the point of calling them the next model year so early is since they’re no different, but they do.

Marketing.

[Velosprout]

I signed a purchase order for a custom build on February 6th 2014 and expected a 2014 camper. When it was delivered to my Indiana dealer in April 2014 it was labeled and titled as a 2015. I doubt that the roll-over dates have changed.

[Velosprout]

Originally Posted by raspivey

Mine was the same way. Don’t know what the point of calling them the next model year so early is since they’re no different, but they do.

The time a dealer holds a camper before it is sold is much longer than the turn-over of inventory for automobiles and pickup trucks, especially for smaller, rural camper dealers. If a dealership takes delivery of a 2019 camper in March of 2018, they have all year of 2018 and all of 2019 (21 months) that it can still be sold as a current year model, even though it may be inspected by hundreds of potential buyers, hauled to multiple shows, and set outside over-winter. This is why I wouldn't buy from dealer stock, but only order new.


A hold-over popup camper new in a dealership that is a 2017 model and is purchased by the first-time buyer in June 2018 could have been built in March 2016 and already endured two years of snow, ice, and sun on the outside lot. I have seen these "new" campers have rust starting on the frame welds and on the steel wheels along with some cracking in the caulk, but the dealer refuses to do more than make a very minor concession on price.

[dieseldodge]

Exactly. The early changeover to the next year is an attempt to help the dealers. The true info is on the side of the RV for all to see, but the title reads '2019'. That's what we were after.

[GrayghostUSA]

Originally Posted by dieseldodge

Looking to order a Flagstaff. When do they start making the 2019's? Back in 2005 we ordered a Wildcat in March and when it arrived a couple months later it was branded a 2006.

Today we were looking at new trailers and they had both the 2018 and 2019 Flagstaff 26RSWS on the lot. The main difference seemed to be about $1000.

[Tall frog]

Originally Posted by dieseldodge

Exactly. The early changeover to the next year is an attempt to help the dealers. The true info is on the side of the RV for all to see, but the title reads '2019'. That's what we were after.

we picked up our Cedar Creek 36ck2 on March 22, we saw it being built a week and 1/2 before and when we got the paperwork it was a 2019, not a 2018 like we ordered. The factory told us the year is set by the VIN on the frames and we did get the new 2019 updates on our 5th wheel.

[rockfordroo]

As stated above, the model year is based on the VIN. The the actual build date will be on the sticker on the street side of the trailer.