Does anyone have any suggestions on Buying 5^th wheel Direct from manufacture vs dealer?

Thanks.

There is so much information I am trying to read thru and that really helps.

Dealer it is. The high-end ones are very nice, but I am not willing to spend that much.

Lisa

Wyatt262 wrote:

---

Thanks.

There is so much information I am trying to read thru and that really helps.

Dealer it is. The high-end ones are very nice, but I am not willing to spend that much.

 

Lisa

---

 Just remember nobody should pay MSRP.  Look for at least 25% off the MSRP or list price.

Thanks for the info. :)

Lisa, on a new unit I would expect to get anywhere from 30-35% off MSRP.  Even though Chris Grathen at the Evergreen/Lifestyle plant (Middlebury, IN) has taken us under his wing, we are buying our Luxury Lifestyle LS38RS from Tiara RV in Elkhart, IN.  "Deb" has been awesome to work with and countered my initial offer with 36.5% off MSRP.  This includes the PDI, sleepover in their lot, etc.  We are soooo very happy with our treatment so far and Deb certainly has made the process quick and painless.  So, BiggaRView suggested 25% off MSRP.  I'm suggesting much more.  (New units, of course!)  I hope this helps.

How do you find the true MSRP?

Jo And Craig wrote:

---

Lisa, on a new unit I would expect to get anywhere from 30-35% off MSRP.  Even though Chris Grathen at the Evergreen/Lifestyle plant (Middlebury, IN) has taken us under his wing, we are buying our Luxury Lifestyle LS38RS from Tiara RV in Elkhart, IN.  "Deb" has been awesome to work with and countered my initial offer with 36.5% off MSRP.  This includes the PDI, sleepover in their lot, etc.  We are soooo very happy with our treatment so far and Deb certainly has made the process quick and painless.  So, BiggaRView suggested 25% off MSRP.  I'm suggesting much more.  (New units, of course!)  I hope this helps.

---

 Jo and Craig, that's awesome.  However, I did say at least 25%.  It was a guess, based on what I've read... Lifestyle is on our shortlist and your bargaining acumen gives us hope for big savings also. Way to go!!!!! 

Brian

PS: Chris at Lifestyle has answered every question I have fielded with knowledgeable answers. We like the LS38RS also.

Jo And Craig wrote:

---

Lisa, on a new unit I would expect to get anywhere from 30-35% off MSRP.  Even though Chris Grathen at the Evergreen/Lifestyle plant (Middlebury, IN) has taken us under his wing, we are buying our Luxury Lifestyle LS38RS from Tiara RV in Elkhart, IN.  "Deb" has been awesome to work with and countered my initial offer with 36.5% off MSRP.  This includes the PDI, sleepover in their lot, etc.  We are soooo very happy with our treatment so far and Deb certainly has made the process quick and painless.  So, BiggaRView suggested 25% off MSRP.  I'm suggesting much more.  (New units, of course!)  I hope this helps.

---

I am wondering if that unusually high discount percentage is for an ordered coach, or for a unit you found on a dealer's lot. We hope to order a Lifestyle/DRV/Excel product, and need to make a smart bid.

Thanks,

Roy

Todd and Lisa,

With regards to buying via dealer vs manufacturer, some manufacturers may very well sell direct.  However, if they do, you will need to know what to look for in a PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection), or you will be at the mercy of the manufacturer.  It could very well be that you wouldn't see as good of a discount that way either.

A good dealer will take the time to make sure that everything in the RV has been done correctly and that there are no "major" issues with say, "fit and finish."  In the end, you still will want to do your own homework by looking at a lot of RV's in your search and compare one brand to another as to what "looks" best for you.

When looking at RV's, remember that the frame, axles, suspension, wheels and tires make up the very foundation of the RV.  If there are weaknesses in any of those components, it could be a problem coming, and perhaps not too far down the road.  Don't just look at external appearances.  Look at how cabinets are put together; do they look like cheap thrown together units or are they real wood.  In essence, take your time in looking at RV's so that you have a chance to do a good comparison between them.

As for a "standard" discount on RV's from MSRP, I wouldn't expect too much of a high discount.  As Junkman mentioned, a dealer could show a high discount percentage, but it cost you elsewhere.  He also has given good advice to look at different areas of the country as far as pricing is concerned.  However, keep in mind that areas farther from the factory may have a little more to charge because of delivery charges.

When looking at a dealer as a possibility of purchasing, keep in mind that a good dealership will encourage their sales people to ask you questions so that they can best show you units that would meet your criteria.  If they aren't asking question, either find another salesman or another dealership.  As for the idea of considering dealers with multiple brands on the lot, that isn't always a good criteria.  In some cases, salesmen/dealers may not know enough about all their brands/models to be of real help.  If they don't know an answer, make sure they go looking for an answer for you.  I went on a multi-brand dealership one time and the salesman and the management couldn't answer my questions about the one brand, and the only knowledge I had of that brand was what I read in their online brochures.  If they don't know any more than what you can learn from the brochure, they would be a dealer for me to consider.

Good luck in your research and planning, and welcome to the forums.

Terry

Thanks so much everyone for all the information.

Thank you

Todd and Lisa, this has been our experience.

We attended the RV-Dreams Spring rally in Tennessee and learned a great deal. (We HIGHLY recommend attending one.. or more!)  After researching for the past 3 years we felt it was time to head off to the Evergreen/Lifestyle factory in Middlebury, IN for a plant tour.  That is when we met Chris Grathen who gave us our own personal tour (because nobody else had booked the same day). Little did we know at the time what this meeting would lead up to, but Craig and I feel Chris has become a friend.  Chris was (and is) extremely patient, with me especially, and we have spoken on the phone and communicated via e-mail a 'million' times.  He never loses patience, is always quick to respond, and I have even sent him on many goose chases which don't seem to phase him at all.  He is extremely accommodating and tells me I don't need to thank him... that he is selling "fun" and he could not love his job more.  Very honorable (he's an Army vet) and trustworthy.  Never have I doubted him and the dots have always connected.

We are Texans, but will be picking up our fifth wheel, as mentioned previously, at Tiara RV in Elkhart, IN... for a few of reasons.  Manufacturers are finding it difficult to find people to transport these units to the various dealers across the U.S.  In order to attract more transporters, the price per mile has been increased and it is taking up to 3 months for delivery.  Not only did we want to save on the cost of transportation, but we did not (no way, no how) want to wait for delivery.  This is the primary reason we decided to buy in the Middlebury/Elkhart/Goshen, IN area.  Additionally, Tiara RV is 'around the corner' from the plant so if anything needs to be addressed by the plant we will be right there.

After our plant tour we sat down with Chris who wrote up an MSRP price sheet for us for future reference and negotiations.  By the time we were able to order our 38RS, we were deep into purging our home as we received a contract on our house in less than 72 hours and had 5 weeks to be out. We were frantic, but Chris came to our rescue.  He intervened on our behalf and prepared a detailed MSRP price sheet (with many revisions) to present to the dealers of our choice.  He knew we wanted to attend the RV-Dreams Fall rally and has gone out of his way to ensure we make it to the party on time!  Believe me, he knew exactly what we wanted and literally helped us build it on paper and get it on the schedule.  For that, we are very grateful!  (Thank you, Chris!!!)  When we built, we made the decision to add a generator, wiring for solar, the Mor-Ryde I/S system, extra windows in the bedroom slide, move plugs, add plugs... all kinds of things... because we knew we could get a chunk of change knocked off a new unit through the dealer.  To buy things or have things installed after market would cost us retail (with no discount).  So, that is what we did, and why we did it that way.

As someone else mentioned, everyone encourages everyone to buy locally.  That would be great if we "lived" locally, but most of us don't.  What good is a local dealer if we are having issues in, say, Montana?  This kinda bothered me at first, but the more I thought about it the more it just didn't make sense to buy locally, especially if delivery can be 3 months out... after the build!

So, our baby (Chris said he thinks it's a girl) is in the paint shop right now and should be ready for delivery the week of August 25th; provided, however, there are no issues.  Yes, we also went with full body paint for the reason mentioned above.  We will pack up our worldly belongings in a 10 X 12 U-Haul utility trailer in 2 weeks (from yesterday) and head north.  Tiara RV has graciously offered to let us keep our belongings in a locked storage room until our RV is ready for us to move into.  After our PDI, we will move in and spend the night (or 2?) on the lot.  All of this is included in the price.  Be fore warned, some dealers will want to charge extra ($400-600?) for PDI.  So, with extra for PDI from a local dealer and add to that the expense of transporting the unit to your local dealer, well... it just all adds up.

Should you have any questions, please let me know!  Good luck!

Brian, if I can help in any way or answer any questions, please let me know.

Jo And Craig wrote:

---

Brian, if I can help in any way or answer any questions, please let me know.

---

 I'm sure we'll pepper you with many mfr specific questions assuming the Lifestyle remains on our shortlist. Elkhart, IN is about 2 1/2 hours away from us here in Chicagoland,  so a factory tour, along with other Mfrs will likely be in the cards in the foreseeable future.   Myself, I like the Mor/Ryde IS and other infrastructure options and details Lifestyle offers over many other 5ers... but not all. We're also down to Heartland Landmarks and DRV's, on the fringes and certainly not out of the running of our criteria... Trilogy, Redwoods, Excel, Open Range 3X, Grand Design, HL Big Horn & Big Country, Keystone Montana, New Horizons even though it's pricey and FR CedarCreek at the opposite end of our range. We are working out a plan to attend the Hershey PA show, perhaps as soon as next year to better do a side by side comparison of the mentioned rigs. Lots of fun.

Brian

FWIW, we were impressed with the Lifestyle RV.  We liked the frame, the leveling system that frame can support, Big Foot, and the overall construction vs. price.  We knew the production manager from KZ and he is a good guy and very competent. That gave us a good feeling to find an old and competent friend at the factory. You can get a MOR/ryde IS and other important upgrades as to tires, etc. and didn’t have to pay twice for those as aftermarket upgrades which, IMO, are necessities if you plan on traveling. (If we had purchases a Lifestyle without a MOR/ryde IS we would have taken it the 10 miles directly to MOR/ryde and had it installed.  It's that important.)

We chose another brand (New Horizons, with which we are very pleased) due to design and option needs that Lifestyle, and others, just doesn’t or can’t provide. They are just not in the same business.  Lifestyle is not a “custom” builder as is no one we know of in the Elkhart area except Forks.  But, FWIW, Lifestyle, as far as “bones” are concerned, is a “good rig" if the layout and options meet your needs.  We considered it.  Just our perspective.

Looking forward to seeing Jo and Craig's

Bill

We are seriously looking at 100,000 or less for the 5th wheel. That includes all the extras we need. I am not sure everything we need yet still doing research. Want to be set up to boondock and internet is a BIG deal since we will be working on the road.

Wyatt262 wrote:

---

We are seriously looking at 100,000 or less for the 5th wheel. That includes all the extras we need. I am not sure everything we need yet still doing research. Want to be set up to boondock and internet is a BIG deal since we will be working on the road.

 

---

 I don't recall if you have mentioned a timeframe for your purchase, but you could look at new 2015s today and then find a well maintained, gently used rig in say, 2 years. You don't take as big a hit on depreciation. Sometimes a better quality used rig is better than a lesser quality new one. Just sayin'.

Keep your options and your mind open.

Wyatt262 wrote:

---

We are seriously looking at 100,000 or less for the 5th wheel. That includes all the extras we need. I am not sure everything we need yet still doing research. Want to be set up to boondock and internet is a BIG deal since we will be working on the road.

 

---

 Todd and Lisa,

Not knowing what extras you might want, it is hard to recommend too much, but when we bought our 2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3 back in that year, we ordered it with some extra options, including a 3000 watt pure sine wave inverter and 4 batteries.  After discounts, ours definitely came in under the $100,000 mark.  If you are also considering used, check out Rolling Retreats in Elk City, Oklahoma.  They are a high volume DRV Suites dealer that gets a number of good used units in on trade.  I can highly recommend Alicia and Slade there, as they know the value of customer service and do all that they can to help people, even those that aren't their customers.

Terry

I would second Terry’s suggestion if you are considering a MS.

I get private emails looking for information and one of most important issues is where you will actually get things fixed right after delivery.  ALL RVs, new and used have issues.  New ones especially have to “grow up” as one production manager put it to me.  Good point from him.  They are all one-of built units and frankly have little final detail testing.  This is not a knock on any manufacture.  It’s just true of one-of built units regardless of cost.  They are “RV’s,” not cars of which thousans are made and, regardless of all the recalls, tend to work when you get them.  RV’s are not houses either. They are different.

One of the things about Slade, as I have been advised, is his attention to a dealer PDI before you get the rig.  Slade knows all RV’s require a through going over and shake down.  This is, IMO, extremely important for people new to the RV world.  Without experience you just don’t know what to look for.  When we were doing our last PDI the line supervisor commented to me “you know what to look for.”  Well, I hopefully should know something after some 35 years doing the RV thing.  Experience cannot be bought; but with a good dealer it can be “rented.” Same deal if the factory does deliveries. But few do anymore and for good business reasons.  Not always good for the customer but good for them, IMO.

Most manufactures now depend – actually plan – on the dealer “finishing” the rig; taking care of issues.  Once the rig is shipped the factory can book the sale and that’s important to businesses that have operating arrangements with banks, i.e. lenders. Not good or bad – just is.  There are a lot of definitions of “finishing.”  But after a lot of experience in a lot of RV factories I can assure you few, regardless of manufacture, are truly road ready – finished – when they leave the factory floor. There is always something amiss.  If not, yours will be the exception.  Expect that and you won’t be disappointed. 

As I commented – I agree with Terry as to a possible dealer selection based on reputation.  Each experience is different because each RV is “one of a kind.”

My perspective FWIW