REduce burn rate with an RV. A used one?

[audreyh1]

From my experience with class A motorhomes, 25% off MSRP is a good deal for a NEW model. 2 years old - I think I'd expect more of a discount than that. It's hard to know for sure without doing a lot more research.

Is the unit out of warranty?

Audrey

 

[Martha]

Steve, is a dealer selling the vehicle?  Is the vehicle new or previously titled in another person's name?  We looked at buying a motorcycle in Canada a few years ago (favorable exchange rate at the time) and could not buy new.  I don't know if that is still true.  Here is one website that talks about it but I don't vouch for any accuracy of the site:  http://www.canadatotwincities.com/buy_car.html

Price?  I don't know.  But I do know that Bigfoot is considered an upscale Class C brand.

 

[SteveR]

Is the unit out of warranty?

Audrey

Steve, is a dealer selling the vehicle?

Don't know about the warranty but there is a limited one that goes 5 years on the struture. I will have to ask on this one. Thanks for the pointer.


The unit is new; never titled and is being sold as new by a dealer. It has been on his lot a while so I would guess they would want to get some of the carrying charges back and may not want to deal.

We will see where this goes.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Martha]

Steve, here is a Customs website that has a document link to importing vehicles:

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/clearing_goods/automobiles.xml

 

[audreyh1]

The unit is new; never titled and is being sold as new by a dealer.  It has been on his lot a while so I would guess they would want to get some of the carrying charges back and may not want to deal. 

We will see where this goes. 

Thanks for the feedback.

Well in that case, 75% would a reasonable top price I would expect to pay and the unit should still be under any warranty - warranty extends from the day of sale not the day a unit is built (from everything I understand).

However, under these circumstances I've seen deals closer 30% or so off. So I suggest you deal hard. If it's been on their lot that long, they like to see it leave and make room for new inventory.

You can always make an offer.

If you want to do some more work (I would) see if you can track down prices. Blue book does have some information on RV retail prices. Searching the internet is a good way to find other dealers offering similar units and can give the most leverage when negotiating with a dealer.

Dealers are ALWAYS interested in dealing. Worst case - you make an offer and they say no. Or they might counter offer with a better discount and/or try to sweeten the pot in other ways.

Audrey

 

[Texas Proud]

Don't know about the warranty but there is a limited one that goes 5 years on the struture. I will have to ask on this one. Thanks for the pointer.


The unit is new; never titled and is being sold as new by a dealer. It has been on his lot a while so I would guess they would want to get some of the carrying charges back and may not want to deal.

We will see where this goes.

Thanks for the feedback.

The carrying cost is THEIR sunk costs... it should not come into the negotiation at all... if NOBODY has wanted this RV in two years.. then it is dead weight to them.... make a low low offer if you intend on buying... look up what a used one would go for that has some miles.. offer THAT... do not be concerned if they are making money or not.. they have a cash sucker on their lot and wnat to make it YOUR cash sucker... treat it as such..

Dont' get swayed by the salesmen... they can read you like a book... they know how to manipulate your 'wants'.. be firm with what you are willing to pay.. and then move on..

Again, like my previous post... you must compare the price to whatever else you can buy that meet your needs.. if the price is $20K below what you could get anything else that is even close.. then it is a good deal.. if you are paying $5K over something else that is close, but not the same.. you are paying too much.. it does not matter what the MSRP shows.. that is a number on a piece of paper to get you to think it is a starting point..

Look at the SUVs etc.. they are giving $5K off at various places.. and still making money... so what were those people paying so much more a few years back more profit..

 

[SteveR]

Martha,
Thanks for the links. I sent the dealer an email asking a lot of questions about title, US EPA and safety ratings. I appreciate your efforts in getting me those links. If it is a Canadian only unit I have no interest in it because of the potential costs and problems trying to get it up to US standards.

Audrey,

Thanks for the input. I have done a lot of internet searching and this particular unit is rare and there is only one other one for sale (also in Canada). NADA has no information on this rig so that is not much help. RVConsumer also has no information on it. I am still searching and hope to find some more pricing information but so far there is nothing.

Texas Proud,

Thanks as always for your straight from the shoulder comments. If this rig pans out to be a US made one or where they will certify it will meet US standards I plan on offering them a low ball offer; after all I will have to travel 3000 miles to even see it and then drive it back so that is a big expense for me. I am also looking at long range hauling but so far no luck with anybody able to move from Canada to the US with a rig this size.

 

[MJ]

I am also looking at long range hauling but so far no luck with anybody able to move from Canada to the US with a rig this size.

Hey Steve, if you buy it maybe i'll move it for you. Of course, I might take 1 year to get to you but I won't charge you for the gas.

 

[SteveR]

Hey Steve, if you buy it maybe i'll move it for you. Of course, I might take 1 year to get to you but I won't charge you for the gas. 

Very Funny!

Thanks anyway.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow - a cross border purchase? That complicates things - out of my league.

Audrey

 

[brewer12345]

Wow - a cross border purchase?  That complicates things - out of my league.

Audrey

Based on my Dad'ds experience with a "bargain" cross-border purchase of an outboard engine, I would tread carefully.

 

[SteveR]

Based on my Dad'ds experience with a "bargain" cross-border purchase of an outboard engine, I would tread carefully.

I intend to.

Data will make or break this deal. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[haha]

after all I will have to travel 3000 miles to even see it and then drive it back so that is a big expense for me.  I am also looking at long range hauling but so far no luck with anybody able to move from Canada to the US with a rig this size. 

IMO, this is reason enough to stand down. They will understand that if you have traveled 3000 miles you will not want to go home empty handed. They will also understand that in this circumstance your wife will not want you to come home empty handed.

This unit may be rare but other equally nice ones with fewer problems are not. Remember, it is a manufactured product, not an emerald.

It isn't like no one else has been shown this unit before. I am sure the salesmen have been offered nice bonuses to get rid of it. Still, no one bit.

Might be a reason.

Ha

 

[kowski]

Seems like all bigfoot mh's are 20% off right off the bat here at this site.

http://www.travelandusa.com/adventurerv/Bigfoot/motorhome/4000-Series/index.cfm

 

[heyyou]

Reply to original post: I know of one snowbird who lives in a big fifth wheel. In Arizona, he pays to have it towed semi-annually from one RV park at a warm, low elevation to another at a cooler, higher elevation. The tow distance is 60 miles. He only owns a tiny car. He has friends and neighbors at both places.
Also, there are groups who move from one winter RV park to a specific summer one several hundred miles away. So when they move, some of their friends and neighbors are also moving to the same place. Perhaps, they caravan.
In both situations, these people belong to a community in spite of appearing to be nomads.
Joe

 

[Billy]

Joe:

In both situations, these people belong to a community in spite of appearing to be nomads.

I am familiar with this set up as well. Since we are PT's, we know a lot of travelers, and they come in all descriptions. Whether it's the Canadian snowbirds or the ones from our own northern climates -- or even the ones who visit us in Asia -- we all belong to communities and it feels like home wherever we are. We travel, yet we have friends and interests in many places.

It's the best of both worlds.

Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement

 

[audreyh1]

In both situations, these people belong to a community in spite of appearing to be nomads.

We travel, yet we have friends and interests in many places.

This is very true!  You don't have to live in a fixed location to be part of a community.  Especially in this internet age and a with highly mobile population.

Audrey

 

[Billy]

You are right, Audrey.

We have a great community in Arizona, in Mexico and in Thailand. We create community wherever we go. We visited Ecuador in 2004 for 2 months, and if we were going to be there much longer, it would be easy to begin volunteer work, help the locals, learn a new skill or whatever.

It's easier than ya think! Plus, like you said, with the digital wonders now available, we call home on Skype, do yahoo chat, do continued learning online and so on.

It's an amazing world!

Best,
Akaisha
Author, The Adventurer's Guide to Early Retirement

 

[SteveR]

Update...

The Canada deal fell apart when I talked with the dealer about US safety and EPA ratings....it got real quiet on his end and then he had to admit it would not meet US requirement without some "work".

We are going to see two different rigs this weekend and will then make our final cut before we start to really shop. We are in no real hurry but if one that meets our needs appears we will be in a much better position to jump on it.

We would like the cabin to sell first but are not adverse to using cash to buy it and then refill the cash account when the cabin does sell. Not ideal but since we are still both working it is not much of a risk.

 

[SteveR]

Is it my Karma or what?

We have been talking to an owner of one of the rigs we have been researching and he has been very open and forthcoming in providing tons of information and photos of his new rig. He invited us to come visit him and to see his rig and to take it to a nearby dealer to compare it with the other rig we are also considering. We are going there tomorrow for the weekend.

He told us the dealer had is trade which was a prototype of the rig we are considering but has a few less options and a little less storage than his new one. I got a quote from the factory on it and he also sent me photos of his old rig along with tons of specs and photos of it.

Today, I get a call from the factory and they tell me they now have a low mileage 2006 demonstrator of the exact model and trim we were considering with the traded unit but this one is a production model and is loaded with 95% of what we would have ordered in a brand new rig. Since it was never titled outside the company it is still "new" and will have a full mfg. waranty. It is also discounted because it was a demo. I put down a deposit to hold the rig until we can see the two this weekend.

The second weird thing was that a couple of months ago I put my name on a list for an enclosed RV rental space very near my house (2 miles) since I don't have the space for a 32' RV on my property and it is againt HOA rules to have one not garaged, in anticipation that in a few months I might need it when we did buy one. Well, today my name came up on the list for the unit.

I am now looking at insurance and other stuff to see if this could actually happen. We were looking at doing all this in the spring next year but this unit is a one of a kind and will save quite a bit over buying brand new plus being a demo. it was optioned out and treated very well since it was a show rig for the company. I don't have to worry about who owned it before and how it was treated and the factory will stand by it for the whole warranty period.

Some times the planets align and one needs to pay attention. We are looking forward to confirming our research and unless there is a show stopper, we could very well be RVing in a month.

 

[Jane_Doe]

Go, Steve, Go!!



Time to have FUN!



Jane

 

[Sheryl]

That's great news, Steve - I think the planets do align for a reason!

I hope you will give us lots of details and pics when you get the new unit - lots of us are still in the "young dreamers" catagory when it comes to RV's so we hope to benefit from your research efforts.

Keep us posted!

 

[SteveR]

We Did It!!
We will pich up our new rig 1200 miles away in a couple of weeks. It is a demo model from their first run of a new configuration in 2006. It still has a full 3 year factory warranty and has also been driven a few thousand miles to get it broken in and stuff fixed so we shoud be fine for our cross country maiden voyage back home with it.

We ended up with a 2006 Born Free 32 President RQ Kodiac gas chassis with just about every option you can get. Being a Class C will work out fine for the two of us and the occasional grand kid or visitor. Overflow can tent out under the awning. They are doing some minor upgrades and upgrading the hitch to a class iv for future use. The GPS unit is on order and we have started our "wish List " for goodies when we get it here. It will be a bit frugal driving from the factory to here with no personal items other than clothes and some linens. It is a start and one we know we will be enjoying.

We are going to pay it off once the cabin sells so he loan is no big deal right now and gives me a tax break for a second home; higher than the cabin. We are happy but also nervous at the same time driving that far with no real experience with the rig beyond some basic equipment use or functions.

We believe some things do happen for a reason and when they do, you better be ready to act or accept regret. We chose the former.

 

[Caroline]

I've been keeping an eye out for this report -- congratulations! I'm very happy for you.

Keep us posted, please, as events progress!

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Congrats, Steve. Sounds very nice.

Look forward to pictures, pictures, pictures. Of you empting the waste water, of course.

Careful on your first drive especially if it's windy. Gas prices are cooperating these days, so it's a great time to pick up the rig.

Enjoy.