How to Get the Best Price on an RV

RV prices are not set in stone. The very nature of the RV-buying process is one of haggling. Sellers price their RVs knowing buyers will try to bargain for a lower price. Arm yourself with the information on the value of the RV that is for sale, be prepared to haggle and most importantly, be prepared to walk away when you cannot negotiate a good deal. Never get attached to one RV. There are plenty of sweet RVs on the market and a good-priced RV that leaves money in your pocket is better than an overpriced RV any day.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Step 1

Check the Blue Book values of RVs you are considering purchasing (see Resources) to determine the fair market value price. If you are planning to trade in your old RV, check the Blue Book value on your RV as well so you will know how much your RV is worth. Print out the Blue Book values and bring them with you on your RV shopping trips.

Step 2

Skim classified ads in the newspaper, online and in RV magazines to find the average market price for the RV you are looking at. The market price is a better indicator of the value of an RV than the Blue Book is. Sometimes the market price for an RV is cheaper than the Blue Book value. Clip out print ads and print out online ads of good-priced RVs.

Step 3

Negotiate, negotiate and negotiate some more. This is the key factor in getting the best price on an RV. Negotiate with private sellers and dealerships alike. If you are trading in your RV at a dealership, negotiate the trade-in price of your RV as well. Use the Blue Book value printout and advertisements for other RVs as bargaining tools to bring the price down. In an article in RVers Online, Bob Gummersall said RV dealerships regularly price RVs 15 to 35 percent higher than the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Considering this, shoot to negotiate the price down by 5 to 20 percent of the original asking price. There is no norm for how much private sellers will bargain down. Some private sellers are sticklers on price, while others readily accept lower offers. Feel out private sellers to try and figure out how much you can negotiate the price down.

Step 4

Walk away if you cannot negotiate the price of the RV down as much as you would like. Leave your phone number with the dealer or private seller and go home. The seller may stop you before you actually leave or may call you a day later. If you do not get a call, look elsewhere for a better deal.

Tips & Warnings

Do you have a friend or family member that is an excellent haggler? Take that excellent haggler with you when you go RV shopping and have them negotiate in your place.

Resources

NADA Guides: Search RV Values

Article Written By Rose Kivi

Rose Kivi has been a writer for more than 10 years. She has a background in the nursing field, wildlife rehabilitation and habitat conservation. Kivi has authored educational textbooks, patient health care pamphlets, animal husbandry guides, outdoor survival manuals and was a contributing writer for two books in the Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Series.

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