A friend of mine suggested going directly to Elkhart for the purchase of a new RV, has anyone here done this? Do you think going directly to the source will be effective in getting a good deal? My friend who has been in the auto industry for 30 years said that the Rv industry is in dire straights, and Elkhart in particular is struggling to survive. The other concerns are buying from a compqany that will still be around to service the unit in the future. Thanks Gene.

Some friends just went to the local Elkhart dealer for Heartland to buy a Landmark fifth wheel. The guy was thousands of dollars higher than they expected and they had quotes from out of area dealers to prove it. I suspect your friend is not talking from experience, just conjecture.

I've heard the best place to go is Yuma Arizona. The stories I've heard go something like this: Snowbirds come to Arizona with brand new fully loaded RV's and one of two things happen, 1. one of the couple dies 2. the couple discovers they don't like living in an RV The RV is sold off and the Snowbird(s) go back home. Based on these stories any place where Snowbirds congregate would be a good place to find a deal on a like new RV. That being said, based again on what I've heard, it seems in todays economy great deals are being found throughout the US and Canada. Some dealers here in Southern California still have brand new 2007 RVs on their lots. We've had two big dealers go out of business in just the past couple of months. It looks like another one is on the way out as well.

I am not sure about getting that much better of a deal in Elkhart because there are other wholesale type dealers around the country that offer good deals.  If price alone is your motivator then shop online for the best price and deal accordingly.  If you have need of a local dealer for support then shop pricing then go to the local dealer and try to work a deal.  I bought my Heartland from a dealer about four hours away even though Elkhart is only one and a half hours away.  I have returned it to a servicing company in Elkhart for a couple of minor fixes because they are an authorized Heartland service facility and like I said it is only one and a half hours away.  It may also depend on where you plan to be using your unit.  If you are going fulltime it does not really matter where you buy it as you will not be near your dealership in all likelyhood anyway.  The Elkhart area has some good dealers and if you are going to be fulltime then that might be a good option as returning to the area of the manufacturer for service work would insure getting parts a lot quicker.  Most of the companies providing the integral parts of a camper also have facilities near Elkhart and they are often times the ones standing behind the warranty. 

Gene worked my deal off net used all info and visits to locals couldn't touch usa rv outlet in ringold va. 2nd best was lakeside in mich nice folks both places  john

Worked my local dealer for two years using internet deals I came across. He finally came across the unit I wanted for the price I wanted to pay in another state.We bought the unit for just above wholesale and it was even delivered to my local dealer.Don't get fooled by "Show Specials" at RV shows either, they usually  aren't. Shop and compare is the best bet.

I searched high and low and found our coach on RVT.com (RV Trader). Not at all disappointed. You never know what you will find where if you search long enough.

When we finally settled on the brand and unit we wanted (Mobile Suites 38rlsb3), we started working with one dealer (in Illinois) and also went to the factory with him for a factory tour (in Howe, IN) prior to signing anything. The factory tour was extremely beneficial and I would recommend it for anybody looking to purchase a rig.

We then typed up a list of standard features and customizations and sent it to 3 dealers. One in Wisconsin, one in Illinois and also one in Indiana. The dealer in Wisconsin won based on price and location (they are only 1/2 hour from our house). End of story, couldn't be happier.

-- Edited by traveljunkie on Wednesday 26th of August 2009 06:24:00 PM

Congratulations,There is no better feeling than getting what you want and knowing you got the best deal possible. Now the fun really begins ( buying all the support items you need).