It’s time to make your dream of camping under the stars in your new RV a reality.

You’ve searched around and found the RV that’s perfect for  you.

You’re ready to make a deal.

BUT – you’ve found the RV at a local dealer, and also at an out of state wholesaler for a discounted price.

Where do you go to buy it? 

Here are a few points to consider when making your decision.

First, answer this question:

Invest in Adventure!

Of course it goes without saying that just because you pay more or less for something doesn’t determine whether it’s a commodity or investment.

Why it matters:  When you have an investment mindset you’ll shop for your RV with the overall picture in mind:  price, service, warranty repairs, trade-in, travel time and expense. Whereas, a  commodity mindset will have you looking, primarily, at price.

Either way, you do want the most “bang for your buck”, you need to decide where the “bang” is – is it in the camper itself, or in the overall package?

There is no hard and fast rule, it truly varies by the individual. YOU determine what’s best for you.

Having said that, what does matter is:

Let’s consider the RV dealers perspective:

Selling an investment means that they see the product (RV) as something meant to provide long term enjoyment and retain as much value as possible. They make sure you have the right weight vehicle for your tow vehicle. They encourage you to look around for financing – if you can get a better rate, do it! While you are investing in the RV, they are investing in you, the customer.  Their focus is to build long term relationships.

Selling a commodity means they see the RV as just a product. They’re approach is price driven. They want you to finance through them (see the area on hidden fees) The plan is to make the sale and move on to the next customer.  They see you as someone who “wants a deal” and they offer it.  After the sale service may not be as readily available.

You may be getting the “same” camper – but there is a very high chance that the service you receive after the sale will be quite different.

Buyer
Beware!

Check for “hidden fees”

When dealing with wholesalers make certain you are comparing the exact unit, with the exact features to your local dealer.  So many times people bring that “special deal” they found on the web to their dealer, only to discover the “deal” unit does not have everything the unit at the local RV dealer has.

Before you make ANY decision – be certain that there are no hidden fees or extra charges added at the time of sale.  This goes for both the wholesaler and the RV dealer. (Esp the “chain” dealers) Often these “great deals” don’t include things like dealer prep, freight, filled propane tanks and, yes, even the battery (which you absolutely need!)

The worst thing you can do is drive a good distance to make the “great deal” and discover they’ve added all these extras on at the end.

You drove all that way… excited about the “deal” you got

they know they have you.

It’s not like after all that time you’ve invested in researching RV’s, prices, making the deal and driving out that you’re going to just walk away.

They count on people just throwing their hands up and saying, “Oh Well” and buying anyway. The customer may feel a bit foolish, but they go through with the deal.

And these discounters know they will.

Then the dealer hands over the unit and simply moves on to the next guy.

One of the ways dealers hide the extra fee is by pushing  the monthly payment amount, not the final price of the RV.

What do I mean?

Many dealers will approach your loan from the “here’s your monthly payment” angle.  They hook you in with ads that say something like “only $125 a  month”.

But what if that figure doesn’t, well, add up?

What if you’re actually paying a few thousand dollars more for that camper than you think you are?

Here’s how you can easily tell if your monthly payment has these “add-ons” included: 

Take the total amount of the camper (including sales tax and any other options you’ve added) and visit a payment calculator website like RV trader loan calculator .

Fill in the blanks, entering the percentage rate of the loan, number of years. and amount financed.  Let’s say the answer RV Loan Calculator gives you is $117.23 a month. Compare the answer there ($117.23 in this example) to the “monthly payment” amount the dealer is giving  you.

If you have a smartphone you can do this right there, in the showroom, in just a minute or two!

Do they match? If you find that they don’t, remember it’s THEIR advertised or stated monthly payment that you are contracted to pay. (You may also want to ask WHY there is a discrepancy to begin with….)

The difference between the answer you get online, and the rate you are paying with the dealer, is usually hidden here, conveniently and legally stated in the terms of sale in their ads with language like:

“Payments based on 180 month term and 10% down plus tax and fees. 6.99 APR WAC”

Fees?  hmm… you may want to ask what the dealer is charging you for here, in the fees area.  You may find that your Family Owned Local RV Dealership does not charge for these items, much less hide the charge in a “monthly payment” number.

This could save you thousands of dollars over the term of the loan and avoid the nasty surprise of being “underwater” on your loan after paying for a few years.

It takes less than 3 minutes to do the math. Take the time, if for no other reason than for your own peace of mind.

Local RV dealerships are part of the community. They employ local workers,  and many support local charities and even sponsor youth sports teams.

This is especially true of the smaller family owned dealerships. You know the ones I’m talking about, they’ve been part of the community for decades, and receive most, if not all, of their traffic from referrals and returning customers. Their reputation for fairness and customer service is THAT good.

When a dealer’s focus is only on the “bottom line”, they don’t have much concern for the customers…. they’re too busy chasing the next deal (with margins that thin, if they don’t chase deals they won’t survive very long!) They count on you going elsewhere for your warranty repair needs.

Local dealers want to see you purchase a unit that’s the best possible fit at the best possible price. If you run into an issue, the smaller family dealership will go out of their way to help you. When you’re ready to upgrade, they’ll give you a fair dollar for your trade. (And without all those hidden fees there is far less chance you’ll owe more than your camper is worth when you are ready to trade it in)

Ask yourself, is this “wholesale deal” really worth the savings?

Or will it cost you more in the end?