Last Updated on October 31, 2020 by Ted Mosby
No matter what you are planning on to buy, you want the best product and in the best possible deal. It is even essential when you are investing a considerable amount of money. If buying a travel trailer is your dream, this post will share useful tips and explain how to negotiate a travel trailer purchase.
Buying a travel trailer cost you thousands of your hard-earned dollars. That’s why it is critical to building the best negotiating skills and purchase strategies to get the best possible deal.
So, how much can you negotiate while buying a travel trailer?
The answer to the above question greatly depends on what type of travel trailer you want to purchase – new or a used one, as well whether you are buying it from an RV dealer or from a private owner. You can generally save up to 35% on new trailers and up to 20% n used ones when buying from an RV dealer. Similarly, if you are going to buy a trailer from a private owner, chances are you can save up to 25%.
However, there are various aspects that you have to take into consideration to negotiate the cost of a travel trailer. The most out of them is the research. Make sure to research a lot before making an investment to know about the product and its features and the market price. Making an investment without doing research means you are dragging yourself into big trouble. Moreover, while doing research, visit different RV dealers to put yourself in a better position.
So, what are the tips for negotiating a travel trailer purchase?
How to Negotiate a Travel Trailer Purchase? (Useful Tips)
1. Pick the Cheapest State to Buy a Travel Trailer
You should know that travel trailer price varies from state to state. When considering to buy a travel trailer, the cheapest US state is Montana. This is because the state applies a 0% sales tax. However, Montana is not your only option since Indiana is another US state where you can find the best deals on the camper.
While looking at the rate list of different camper’s models in Indiana state, you will find that it is significantly less than your negotiated price at the RV dealerships. So the question arises – why RVs and trailers are cheaper in Indiana? The answer is the state is the hub of RV manufacturing.
Moreover, the transportation cost (from the factory to dealerships) is also lower. All it means that Indiana is among the best US states to buy a travel trailer at the cheapest rates.
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SHOP NOWAdditionally, if you’re looking to buy a second-hand camper in the US, Florida and Arizona are the states that offer used campers at incredibly low rates. These are also the states where seniors think of settling down, which means they will be eager to sell their rigs.
However, it is recommended to negotiate a travel trailer purchase to get the best deal on a camper even if the price is lower.
2. Best Time to Buy a Travel Trailer
The best time if you are looking to buy a used trailer is the beginning of fall. The reason is some RVers are so lazy, and they don’t want to winterize their rigs or budget-efficient to not pay for the storage unit. This means there is a high chance that you might find a cheap camper from fall through winter. Although it will be easy for you to negotiate a used travel trailer price, you have to be extra careful when buying a second-owner camper.
On the flip side, if you are looking to buy a brand new travel trailer, considering the best time could save you a lot. Most RVers, when buying an RV, wait until the RV Trade Shows. During this time, RV dealers willing to offer remarkable incentives. Moreover, at the end of sales season or right before the new model’s release are also the times when you can have the best camper deals.
The worst time that you could choose to buy a travel trailer is spring. People look to buy new or used rigs during the spring season, so the sellers have an edge.
3. Visit All the Dealers in Your Area
Once the best time comes to buy an RV, the next step you should take is to visit all the RV dealers in your area. It will let you inform yourself of prices from all the dealers. Once you have the prices from different dealers, it will be easier to determine which RV dealer is offering the lowest prices for the travel trailer you want to buy.
You can now go to another RV dealer and tell them that you find the same rig for a lower price. The RV dealer will figure out that you can take your business to another dealer; they might start negotiating the cost. Most RV dealers will be ready to sell the camper at a lower price rather than losing the business.
Moreover, this is also a great trick as it can get you the cheapest deal that the one currently cheapest among all. Many people might advise you to go to a dealer offering the cheapest rates, and if you do this, you are restricting yourself in how much you can negotiate a travel trailer cost.
4. Buy your Travel Trailer from a New RV Dealer
Buying a travel trailer from a new business is a great idea as it will give you more power to negotiate a travel trailer purchase. The reason is new businesses are willing to make deals at the lowest prices rather than losing them at all. As a result, they are ready for negotiation to make more deals to increase their sale. Moreover, newer businesses also need a consistent stream of customers to sustain their business.
That said, you can tell them you will take the business to another RV dealer that offers the cheapest rates if they don’t reduce the price. Mostly, newer businesses are too afraid to let their customer go out of their hands.
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SHOP NOW5. Negotiate the Price of a Travel Trailer Based on it Warranty
People do not consider a travel trailer warranty and often overlook it when busing a camper. They consider features and other important things like base pricing to negotiate a travel trailer purchase. You should avoid buying a travel trailer with a shorter warranty, even if the price is incredibly low. Most of the time, it saves you a serious amount of money.
Telling the RV dealer that you are ready to accept a shorter warranty if it suits the price is not wise. You might run yourself in a situation where your rig gets damaged after its warranty is expired. However, it is a beneficial way if you really want to save some cost.
6. Compare the Maintenance Fee
Comparing the maintenance fee is something you cannot directly negotiate with the RV dealer. Maintenance costs are usually fixed for an entire dealership. So, you might not likely be able to negotiate these costs. However, it would be wise to still investigate if there are any dealers who offer low-cost maintenance.
Maintenance costs are also something that keeps adding up with time. Especially if you use their rig more frequently, it would be wise to purchase a little expensive travel trailer from an RV dealership that offers low-cost or free maintenance. This might sound you not a good idea initially, but it will benefit you after a few years when you will save money from maintenance fees.
Moreover, you might be able to negotiate base cost from RV dealers who do not offer low or free maintenance. You can argue that you’ll go with another dealer who offers free maintenance if they don’t reduce the cost. If they listen to you, it will be great; if not, then look for another dealer with no or low maintenance fee.
7. Look for a Package Deal
You will be able to negotiate a travel trailer purchase when buying two or more travel trailers. But why should you buy two or more travel trailers? You can’t afford to purchase more than one. In this regard, you have to find a friend of yours or a family member who is also looking to buy one. You both can buy two travel trailers in one purchase.
This will enable you to negotiate the travel trailer purchase to get a better camper deal. Mostly, RV dealers offer huge discounts and incentives when you buy more than one camper. It’s also among the most effective options to get the sales done at once, and that is why other businesses offer two for one deal. It means making a deal in bulk is beneficial for both parties.
8. Tell the RV Dealer You Need Some Time to Make a Decision
This is another great little trick to negotiate a travel trailer purchase. Telling an RV dealer you need some time to make a decision is something they don’t really want to hear from their customers. They are willing to sell you a camper before you leave their store. So, hearing this from you will be nothing less than a disaster for them.
They will start thinking that you might take your business away from them and give it to their competitors. To avoid this situation, they will start negotiating the cost so you will have the chance to get the best deal on the camper.
9. Create and Stick to a Budget
Creating yourself a budget and then sticking to it is a wise decision. Picking a number and then going over that number isn’t a good idea. However, you are not bound to shop for a travel trailer or RV only in that range. Using your budget, you should negotiate with the RV dealer. Moreover, having a budget also allows you to look for more expensive and luxury travel trailers.
When you have to find the one you are looking for, tell the RV dealer that you want to buy it, but it is out of your budget. The dealer will then figure out that they can sell you the camper if they reduce the cost, and most of the time, they do just that. This method might not be much effective if you want to buy a trailer that is way out of your budget range. However, it is a great way for travel trailers with a price tag just a little over your budget range.
10. Offer Cash Purchase
Paying in cash when buying a travel trailer is something that RV dealers love since they don’t lose out on money. There are chances that RV dealers lose money if the rig is wrecked because the customer is no longer paying interest payments. However, this isn’t the case when you pay them in cash. This will make them think to reduce the price for cash purchase – eventually getting you the best camper deal.
Wrapping Up
That is all! That is how to negotiate a travel trailer purchase. I’ve listed ten different ways that will help you finding the cheapest rates to get the best camper deals. Purchasing an RV is also a big investment, so you should pay attention to its features and warranty length, which is something often overlooked by buyers.
FAQs
Is it wise to buy a travel trailer during an RV trade show?
Yes! Making an RV purchase during an RV trade show means you will get the best camper deals. During that time, dealers are willing to sell their rigs at the cheapest rates rather than taking them back to their showrooms.
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