chongzilla
Member
Im looking at purchasing a new torque 396ss. The dealer has it listed at **k. Is this a good price? If not what should my target be?
Thanks
Joe
Thanks
Joe
What is a good price?
- Thread starter chongzilla
- Start date
Hi Joe, welcome to this great forum.
Sorry that I had to edit your post but new retail pricing is not allowed per forum rules.
I think that most people are looking to get somewhere between 25% and 40% off the MSRP.
40% would be awesome but don't hold your breath waiting for that deal.
I would feel good at around 30%+.
So basically whatever price you feel good about is a good price.
You should get more ideas here soon.
Peace
Dave
Sorry that I had to edit your post but new retail pricing is not allowed per forum rules.
I think that most people are looking to get somewhere between 25% and 40% off the MSRP.
40% would be awesome but don't hold your breath waiting for that deal.
I would feel good at around 30%+.
So basically whatever price you feel good about is a good price.
You should get more ideas here soon.
Peace
Dave
weekender01
Well-known member
As Dave stated 25% - 40% off the msrp is your target. If you have a local dealer who is not willing to budge on the price look at RV Outlet in Virginia. They can give you a quote on the unit you want with all the options. Then you can take this and compare to your local dealer's offer to see where you are. I found RV Outlet to be the lowest price I could get, but I did not go with them since I had a trade in and they would only give me a very low value for the trade. My local dealer was higher on the price for the camper, but better on my trade value so for me it worked out to go local which was my goal in the beginning. Also make sure you are comparing apples to apples on other items such as the hitch package. Some will include in their price while others will not.
In the end I think we ended up right around 30% off on our Torque 321.
In the end I think we ended up right around 30% off on our Torque 321.
Shortest Straw
Caught In A Mosh
My Dad always says that the best deal out there is when both parties walk away happy.
John T Bettencourt
Well-known member
At 40 percent off the dealer is still making money. The question is how bad do they want to sell it. I was very lucky and did a little better when I ordered my new Landmark back in 2008.
MTPockets
Well-known member
Also, is the MSRP sheet one the dealer put together or the factory MSRP?
chongzilla
Member
That's a good question. I've been looking at the dealers lister msrp and, according to the msrp sheet on this site, he is over factory msrp by 10k. I've heard that is a violation federal trade regulations but I don't know that for sure.
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GOTTOYS
Well-known member
I think that law only applies to motor vehicles..I'm not so sure i would like that.
kowAlski631
Well-known member
If it was me, I'd show the dealer the one you've found here and theirs side by side and ask for explanation of the differences. If they push back or fumble for answers, I'd take my business elsewhere.
Martha
HornedToad
Well-known member
The internet is a powerful tool to gain information about pricing from various dealers around the country, including the "discount" dealers that list on eBay.
Don't lose sight of the value of buying from a local dealer that can warranty and service your unit. They may not have the best price, but if you can get a good price, then that's where you'll probably get the best service!!!
I drove to Ohio to buy a trailer at the best price, to then be put on a months long waiting list by the local dealer for a minor repair under warranty. I bought my next trailer in Texas and was able to get in and out of the selling dealer in a couple of days taking care of a few warranty items.
Don't lose sight of the value of buying from a local dealer that can warranty and service your unit. They may not have the best price, but if you can get a good price, then that's where you'll probably get the best service!!!
I drove to Ohio to buy a trailer at the best price, to then be put on a months long waiting list by the local dealer for a minor repair under warranty. I bought my next trailer in Texas and was able to get in and out of the selling dealer in a couple of days taking care of a few warranty items.
weekender01
Well-known member
This is the exact reason I am working with my local dealer. I feel I got a fair price in the end even though I could have saved $1000 driving to Virginia for the same trailer. I know that if I have any issues I will be priority with them and not stuck in the "queue" waiting to get things fixed. I know I will get my money back in the end! I am in an area where I do not have many service options other than Camping World and I am not taking my unit to them ever!
I have bought my last 2 campers from this dealer and they have ALWAYS taken great care of me. My friends bought their SOB units 2 hours from home when they started and had to make over 4 round trips to get things fixed. What they saved in the front end cost them in the end with time and fuel. As a result they recently purcahsed a new trailer from the local dealer.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Ah, but buying local still doesn't always mean you're the priority. I'm having a "fun" time with my selling dealer still trying to find out information regarding the outstanding items from our PDI in January.
Check on the dealer's service/parts department before you buy... Are they short handed? Do they give lots of excuses? Will they really call you *right back*?
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Bohemian
Well-known member
A dealer can sell at any price. Fair trade laws state that a wholesaler or manufacturer may not tell the retailer that they must sell at a minimum price nor retaliate against a retailer. Those regulations have not been enforced in decades.
weekender01
Well-known member
alwaysbusy
Well-known member
Chong,
I’ve never posted anything on a forum and am all but a new member. I respect everyone’s opinion here. I’ve found the forum to be a great educational tool and I will pay a little forward considering all I’ve gained here. Having experience in the auto industry has taught me a “good deal” is subjective, and only in the mind of the purchaser. It is merely a psychological state and has nothing to do with money or figures. Most people refer to a “good deal” as purchasing something as close to invoice as possible. Thinking one has gotten a good deal is much different than knowing you’ve gotten a good deal based on factual/concrete numbers you know are accurate.
My wife and I are currently awaiting delivery of our new coach from Heartland. Having recently been through this process I figured I’d share a little. Whenever purchasing from a lot or by build order, the negotiation process to achieve a good deal is relatively the same. The key however, is controlling the deal. In order to do that though, it requires time, patients, knowledge about the unit/vehicle and finally respect.
Obtain the unit build list for the unit your considering. Have the dealer break down the options costs (what their charging you for each option; don’t forget their PDI and delivery charges). Utilize the internet and find dealerships with the same unit on their lot, it doesn’t matter how close/far they are from you. In the case of our build order, I utilized 8 dealerships for 8 build quotes. The more dealerships the better for you; however, it also demands more time on your part. You will probably not find another comparable unit having the same identical options. This will require you to obtain the build list/options prices for each one like you did for the unit you’re considering. Let’s assume you find 5 similar units. Take all five build sheets and compare. Find the lowest price for each option and the coach itself. Begin negotiating and working the prices down by playing dealer against dealer.
A couple things to note. Be open about the fact your comparison shopping and disclose the lower prices you have with the 5 dealers. However, do not get in to faxing/emailing build lists (whether you wrote them down, emailed or obtained a true dealer copy) and never disclose to a dealer the other dealers they are competing with or are giving you the lower price. This goes back to controlling the deal. Often time’s salesman will request you send them documentation in order to prove your numbers. Respectfully decline on ethical principles. Dealers do this for a number of reasons, but the primary ones have to do with the Manufacturer’s Regional Representatives, hold back and manufacturing prices. In addition, if you study, learn, spend time and understand the unit you are considering, you will be shocked to find you are more knowledgeable about the product than the salesman who’s trying to sell it to you. This can be achieved by spending time talking to folks at Heartland like the Regional, utilizing the internet, forums; reading articles, manufacturing specs and options lists. When a salesman realizes you’re educated and are going to control the deal, they are deterred and typically will not try to pull the wool over your eyes. A little caution, this must be done respectfully. Salesman are not trained on how to deal with a customer who is going to control the deal and knows their product better than they do. Some salesman will get mad, feel intimidated and let you know it, others will refuse to work with you as they understand what you’re trying to do (purchase as close to invoice as “reasonably” possible) which gives them a smaller profit margin and in the end a smaller commission. In my example above, you work the 5 down until they give you their “take it or leave it” number which is the lowest price their dealership is willing to accept for the unit. If done right and you negotiated well with all 5, you should have the lowest 2 or 3 dealers within a couple thousand of one another (taking option differences into consideration). Other numbers to take into consideration is Heartland’s MSRP which a dealer can provide to you and the dealer invoice price. The latter is difficult to obtain; however, speak to the one salesman out of all of them who feels you are being the most unreasonable with your prices. This would be the salesman who is still talking to you, impatient by now but still talking, and most convinced he/she is not selling you a unit. Often times they will disclose the invoice price out of sheer frustration given a conversation about profit and your unreasonableness.
To add to a couple things mentioned by others here. Dealers may sell units as well as individual options at whatever price they want. Traveling a long distance to buy a unit is not at all a bad thing considering initial cost. However, one must predetermine where their warranty work will be conducted. Not just picking a dealer, but going and visiting that dealer. Go visit the dealership, speak with the service manager, read reviews. Some will tell you upfront they have an issue servicing trailers not bought from them, others welcome it. Again, do the leg work first, why be surprised later. Dealerships are a business and must make money to cover overhead. There is no such thing as selling a vehicle or coach at invoice price. They may show you the invoice and sell it to you for the price on that invoice, but as the consumer you will never know what the dealer hold back is. The price on the invoice is really not the invoice price after subtracting hold back. No Heartland dealer on the East Coast of the United States sells more units than RV Outlet USA. While small compared to many others throughout the US, they move units, and a lot of them. The largest wholesalers in the US will not sell lower than them. Mr. John Merricks, owner of the family owned business will not be undersold.
Some here may have other ways to purchase a “good deal” that has worked for them also. Cheers to all here and happy camping friends!
I’ve never posted anything on a forum and am all but a new member. I respect everyone’s opinion here. I’ve found the forum to be a great educational tool and I will pay a little forward considering all I’ve gained here. Having experience in the auto industry has taught me a “good deal” is subjective, and only in the mind of the purchaser. It is merely a psychological state and has nothing to do with money or figures. Most people refer to a “good deal” as purchasing something as close to invoice as possible. Thinking one has gotten a good deal is much different than knowing you’ve gotten a good deal based on factual/concrete numbers you know are accurate.
My wife and I are currently awaiting delivery of our new coach from Heartland. Having recently been through this process I figured I’d share a little. Whenever purchasing from a lot or by build order, the negotiation process to achieve a good deal is relatively the same. The key however, is controlling the deal. In order to do that though, it requires time, patients, knowledge about the unit/vehicle and finally respect.
Obtain the unit build list for the unit your considering. Have the dealer break down the options costs (what their charging you for each option; don’t forget their PDI and delivery charges). Utilize the internet and find dealerships with the same unit on their lot, it doesn’t matter how close/far they are from you. In the case of our build order, I utilized 8 dealerships for 8 build quotes. The more dealerships the better for you; however, it also demands more time on your part. You will probably not find another comparable unit having the same identical options. This will require you to obtain the build list/options prices for each one like you did for the unit you’re considering. Let’s assume you find 5 similar units. Take all five build sheets and compare. Find the lowest price for each option and the coach itself. Begin negotiating and working the prices down by playing dealer against dealer.
A couple things to note. Be open about the fact your comparison shopping and disclose the lower prices you have with the 5 dealers. However, do not get in to faxing/emailing build lists (whether you wrote them down, emailed or obtained a true dealer copy) and never disclose to a dealer the other dealers they are competing with or are giving you the lower price. This goes back to controlling the deal. Often time’s salesman will request you send them documentation in order to prove your numbers. Respectfully decline on ethical principles. Dealers do this for a number of reasons, but the primary ones have to do with the Manufacturer’s Regional Representatives, hold back and manufacturing prices. In addition, if you study, learn, spend time and understand the unit you are considering, you will be shocked to find you are more knowledgeable about the product than the salesman who’s trying to sell it to you. This can be achieved by spending time talking to folks at Heartland like the Regional, utilizing the internet, forums; reading articles, manufacturing specs and options lists. When a salesman realizes you’re educated and are going to control the deal, they are deterred and typically will not try to pull the wool over your eyes. A little caution, this must be done respectfully. Salesman are not trained on how to deal with a customer who is going to control the deal and knows their product better than they do. Some salesman will get mad, feel intimidated and let you know it, others will refuse to work with you as they understand what you’re trying to do (purchase as close to invoice as “reasonably” possible) which gives them a smaller profit margin and in the end a smaller commission. In my example above, you work the 5 down until they give you their “take it or leave it” number which is the lowest price their dealership is willing to accept for the unit. If done right and you negotiated well with all 5, you should have the lowest 2 or 3 dealers within a couple thousand of one another (taking option differences into consideration). Other numbers to take into consideration is Heartland’s MSRP which a dealer can provide to you and the dealer invoice price. The latter is difficult to obtain; however, speak to the one salesman out of all of them who feels you are being the most unreasonable with your prices. This would be the salesman who is still talking to you, impatient by now but still talking, and most convinced he/she is not selling you a unit. Often times they will disclose the invoice price out of sheer frustration given a conversation about profit and your unreasonableness.
To add to a couple things mentioned by others here. Dealers may sell units as well as individual options at whatever price they want. Traveling a long distance to buy a unit is not at all a bad thing considering initial cost. However, one must predetermine where their warranty work will be conducted. Not just picking a dealer, but going and visiting that dealer. Go visit the dealership, speak with the service manager, read reviews. Some will tell you upfront they have an issue servicing trailers not bought from them, others welcome it. Again, do the leg work first, why be surprised later. Dealerships are a business and must make money to cover overhead. There is no such thing as selling a vehicle or coach at invoice price. They may show you the invoice and sell it to you for the price on that invoice, but as the consumer you will never know what the dealer hold back is. The price on the invoice is really not the invoice price after subtracting hold back. No Heartland dealer on the East Coast of the United States sells more units than RV Outlet USA. While small compared to many others throughout the US, they move units, and a lot of them. The largest wholesalers in the US will not sell lower than them. Mr. John Merricks, owner of the family owned business will not be undersold.
Some here may have other ways to purchase a “good deal” that has worked for them also. Cheers to all here and happy camping friends!
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