Re: What Should I Pay
New or used?
If new, in the past it seems that usually a discount of 25% off of MSRP has been achievable. With the slowdown in the RV market, and/or the new model year close by, perhaps even more of a discount might be possible. And if the unit has been on the lot for a year, treat it as if it were used, even though technically it is new. The instant you drive it off the lot, it is used, and if it is a year old, that means you instantly loose 2 years of depreciation.
For used, look it up in NADA or Blue Book. The values listed may include some of 'wholesale' (the price supposedly paid by a dealer), Low Retail, Retail or Average Retail, and High Retail. Retail only applies to a dealership. If you are buying from a dealer, you probably want to shoot for low retail. From a private party, perhaps 1/2 way between wholesale and low retail might be a good target. Note that these values are 'ready to sell' condition, and anything except normal wear and tear needs to be deducted from the value. For late model used RVs, it would be wise to look at the MSRP too, since it would be questionable to pay 80% of MSRP for a used RV when it might have been bought new for 75%.
Usually when you agree on a price, it will turn out to be much higher. Sales Tax, License and Registriation are expected, but there are often other fees which sneak in. For instance, my dealer insists on $80 for a 'paperwork' fee. Dude, filling out the paperwork is part of the job. Besides, it generally works out to $8 for each typo they include. I get around this by only dealing in 'out the door price'. All this stuff still gets paid, but 'not by me'. The price I agree to is the price I pay, and they can assign that money any way they want to.
Also, beware of the 'after sales' office. After you have settled on the price of the RV, they will often try to sell you extended warranties and finish protection policies and camping memberships and other stuff. Some of this stuff might be good and much of it is total crap, and it is almost always massively overpriced. Make sure you investigate and competitively price anything you are are interested in thoroughly before signing.
Of course, you know that nothing the dealer promises or tells you is legally binding unless it is written down, and signed, and you keep a copy, right? Some dealers will treat you right, but there are a number out there who will deliberately mislead you. You can generally tell which is which when you present them with this list of promises to sign
