RV buying questions

[AndyL]

Ok, Seeking the wisdom of the beyond masses...

Going to be buying a new RV for next season - still not totally sure which one, but it'll be a ~25-26' bunk model.

Real question is - whens the best time to buy? Basically we're good for the rest of this camping season; but want to have the new one ready to roll by April.

Strategically - are we best buying sooner, or waiting until the dead of winter (my gut says come mid december - they'll be itching for some off-season sales...).

Is it worth my while to check out a US dealer to bring a new one home?

Anyone have some experience/knowledge?

[baygirl]

When we were out looking several sales people mentioned waiting til the RV show in January. Said manufacturers tend to offer a lot of rebates then.

[Cos]

.

[AndyL]

Yeah we were out today - they've dwindled stock down to 'leftovers' for the fall it'd appear. But I'm guessing they can't just magically get 100+ rv's delivered in jan/feb for the shows - so they must start bringing them up in december...

The RV show prices aren't spectacular - I know a friend of ours was out hunting at last years - they bought it in may for significantly less than the "show special".

Trying to find that balance between price/options - I'm almost disgusted by what they sell as RV's... Seriously? Fireplaces? Granite counter tops? Can I just have white MDF cabinets, linoleum and corian countertops and save 5k and 2000lbs?

although exterior kitchens are sweet

[e31]

Go down to the States' and pick one up in AZ. There are a shit-ton of RV's down there that you could easily save $40,000 over what you pay here. Factories are running slow down there.

[96GrandAMGT]

i gopt my 2013 in may for roughly what they were selling for at the rv show for other models...... i have a jayco whitehawk ultra light 28dsbh its 5608 lbs dry but is 32ft bumper to hitch.... beautiful trailer and the buying experience at western RV in airdire was very good! i would also recommend Guarantee RV..... my wife and i spent 4-6 mnths looking and found this floorplan worked best... also keep in mind with a bunk model the width as changing sheets will be a pain if they are long and narrow... like stated now is probably a good time to look but as you know your basically stuck with what they have.....good luck with your search!

[AndyL]

This is the one we were most interested in:

2014 Keystone COUGAR XL 28RDB

http://sales.fraserway.com/Page.aspx...Nkku9g4E.gmail

But there's a couple 26'ers out there we haven't been able to find on the lot to check out... Probably need to run a little farther out of town to chase one down...

[spike98]

Originally posted by AndyL
although exterior kitchens are sweet

Until you open it up after bombing down a dirt road and have to clean the thing top to bottom before you actually can use it. They never quite seal right and everyone i know regrets buying it for that very reason.

[revelations]

Originally posted by e31
Go down to the States' and pick one up in AZ. There are a shit-ton of RV's down there that you could easily save $40,000 over what you pay here. Factories are running slow down there.

holy crap

[AndyL]

Originally posted by spike98



Until you open it up after bombing down a dirt road and have to clean the thing top to bottom before you actually can use it. They never quite seal right and everyone i know regrets buying it for that very reason.

Duct Tape

No seriously, before we hit the forestry roads for long hauls - we duct tape up our known weak spots...

Still - happy wife happy life, she'd rather a cleanup before cooking than being stuck inside cooking.

[syscal]

Talk to any of the salesmen at Guarantee RV . If he's in, talk to Terry.

I think their stock is pretty good on 2014 models but they also get a lot of used units in under consignment, trade-ins, and they scour kijiji daily for units to buy.

[spike98]

Originally posted by AndyL


Duct Tape

No seriously, before we hit the forestry roads for long hauls - we duct tape up our known weak spots...

Still - happy wife happy life, she'd rather a cleanup before cooking than being stuck inside cooking.

The wife factor is strong with the outdoor kitchens i admit. I dont have one in my RV so i set up a small outdoor kitchen myself. Its only fair that she can be outside while i sit in the lawnchair and drink beer.

To add to the conversation, i picked ours up from Rangeland RV in balzac. They have an anniversary sale in the spring and we got a very good deal.

I have heard many good things about buying in the states but we didn't spend $40k on an RV so the savings weren't that great for the hassle.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by AndyL
This is the one we were most interested in:

2014 Keystone COUGAR XL 28RDB

http://sales.fraserway.com/Page.aspx...Nkku9g4E.gmail

But there's a couple 26'ers out there we haven't been able to find on the lot to check out... Probably need to run a little farther out of town to chase one down...

If you're looking in that bracket Andy, then definitely the US is the way to go.

This is a guy in Calgary who bought in the States and saved a bundle. He gives thumbs up to one particular dealer down there. Very simple procedure, with the Dealer doing most of the paperwork. They sell to Canucks all the time down there apparently:

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showp...21&postcount=2

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showp...02&postcount=3

His trip report of the experience: http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=96435

Realistically, on a ~$40k purchase, you could save in the $5-8k range. For a weekend's worth of work...a pretty good savings!

[ExtraSlow]

I know we'd want an outdoor kitchen in our next trailer. Currently, we both prefer to cook on the old white gas coleman stove on the picnic table to using the stove inside. Dust be damned, I can hose that thing out each time.

[Masked Bandit]

+1 for Guarantee RV (Jim is the guy we dealt with). We started there, looked around at a bunch of other stuff and ended up back at Guarantee.

[AndyL]

We'd like to be way under that $ figure - looked at 5-6 that were under 30k - but the keystone is a pretty sweet rig, and the layout was perfect.

I want to keep <25K - and y'all probably know I'm choking at the thought of spending this much (but i refuse to spend another summer fixing the rv more than using it). Not even entertaining used - full warranty or nothing...

[ExtraSlow]

Speakign of warranty, how was everyone's expereince been with warranty repairs at the various dealerships around here? How does that work if you buyin the USA, will local dealers still do warranty service?

[hedge]

you should buy mine lol, less than half of that one.

kijiji link

edit, I just noticed that you're not entertaining used.

I'm surprised you need a warranty, I've never had anything done to any of my trailers on warranty.

[suntan]

Outdoor kitchens are actually a must-have feature for a lot of people, because it keeps the inside from picking up cooking odors.

[AndyL]

Originally posted by hedge
you should buy mine lol, less than half of that one.

kijiji link

edit, I just noticed that you're not entertaining used.

I'm surprised you need a warranty, I've never had anything done to any of my trailers on warranty.

8471lbs dry - it's a bit heavy for my truck (1/2t)

New RVs have plenty of issues, while trolling the dealers yesterday I was noticing how many were in getting roofs redone - there was one 2013 getting a complete rebuild due to rot... Yeah - I'll take a warranty