Ok it took a couple of days, but the responses are back from the dealers. Without any wheeling and dealing, all three dealers came back with prices that are approximately 23.5% to 27.7 percent off of MSRP. Needless to say the best deal is the one that will cause me to have to fly to Dayton, and then drive back home. I figure that will cost about $1,000 for Mrs. Curbcrusher and I to go get the motorhome.
So it is decision time here in the Curbcrusher household. What exactly is avoiding a trip to Ohio worth? Do I want to do any “dealing” with the three offers to try and get more out of it?
I’m not sure the answers to the questions, so I’ll have to think it over for a day or two.
How long have you been in the RV Lifestyle? I’ve been around for years, and if the prices from the local dealer is realatively competitive – YOU MUST go for the local dealer (as long as they service the vehicles). Let’s say you purchase from an out of state dealer and save a few thousand dollars – where do you think that additional savings is coming from? That’s Right, the out of state dealer knows it will not have to perform warranty work on the RV (Yes, RV dealers lose money on warranty work – not like the auto warranty where dealers make money). I can guarantee you that if you buy from the out of state dealer, and take it to your local dealer for service – you will be at the back of the service line waiting months for repairs – and if it is during the busy season – forget about it. Dealers priority for service is 1) their customers, and 2) transient customers. You’ll be kicking yourself later – and will you be willing to drive to the out of state dealer to get service? Friendly advice, but realize local dealers may charge a little more up-front to cover the future warranty losses they will face from poor manufacturer reimbursement policies.
To me, nothing is more important than the “after purchase” service. There were many small problems with our rv when we took it on our first trip. It was so reassuring when our dealer (local) took care of of them all.