MSRP Prices

jmcgonig

Having real problems trying to figure out the MSRP pricing of these things and what to expect. Can someone with a little experience in buying RVs help?

2023 Tab 320S Boondock
Lithium Upgrade (is this factory or dealer added?)

What are the MSRP for the two items above.  What type of "discount" off of that are people getting now that the RV craze is a little closer to normal now.

Thanks for any guidance.

SLJ

Prices are set by the dealers. Shop around. The Lithium Upgrade should be installed at the factory.

ScottG

This is another favorite rant of mine.  :-)

MSRPs do not apply in the RV world, at least not in the way they do with automobiles.

Auto manufacturers and dealers are required by law to post an MSRP on every vehicle. The RV industry (presumably through good lobbying) managed to dodge this. While a manufacturer like nuCamp may suggest an MSRP for their products, dealers are not legally obligated to share it. Even if the dealer does state an MSRP, it could very well just be something they made up.

Like @SLJ said, your best strategy as a consumer is to shop around.

jmcgonig

Thanks.  I see MSRP stated on RV sites but they are never the same.  Just trying to figure out how to get a "fair" price

bergger

When we bought our 2021 T@b 400 our sales person accidentally sent me their invoice sheet in addition to sending it to his manager.  His manager was not happy with him and the salesman immediately asked me not to share it with anyone.  I was able to see the massive inflation of the invoice price for these trailers and I'm sure it's across all brands.  The document listed what was called the M.A.P, or minimum advertised price.   The lowest price they could list it for sale on their lot.  I'm not sure if that price was set by the dealer or by NuCamp.  It also listed the cost of the unit to the dealer.  The MAP on our trailer was $37,975.  The cost of the unit for the dealer was $26,189.  That is a 40% increase!  We ordered our unit so it never was placed for sale on the lot.  Who knows what they actually would have listed it for.  It could have been marked up even more than %40. 

As you can see the dealers have a huge mark up and that means you have a lot of negotiation room.  I worked my salesman like a dog for a couple of days via email to get our price of $30,000(plus tax).  He even told me how tough I was.  I was able to negotiate our price before the accidental sending of the invoice sheet.  It's a huge purchase and don't let yourself pay too much.  Check prices locally and across the county.  Go in low knowing they will come down and you will have to come up a bit.  Let them know you want to be comfortable and happy with the price and at the same time they will still make money on the sale.  Let them know you are serious and will buy one but are not afraid to walk away and go to another dealer.   Most of the time they'd rather sell a trailer and only make 10-15% profit then not make a sale and make no money.  After negotiating with them he price we settled on gave them about a 15% profit.  

If I was you ask to see the invoice sheet for the trailer.  They probably will balk at that but if they do show it to you then you have a great place to start.  If they don't show it to you then I'd take 40-45% off the MSRP and start there.  Let them know that you understand the massive mark ups.    

Good luck!

manyman297

The method I used was to email all dealers you were willing to travel to. Get a price from one of them and then play that price against the others. Eventually all of those who are unwilling to work with you get weeded out until you’re left with two who are. Just play the numbers between the two. It’s much less stressful and way more efficient. You aren’t wasting your time at the dealership negotiating and the salesmen aren’t keeping you at the dealership for hours hoping to wear you down. 

bergger

I also did what @manyman297 did.  I played 3 dealers against each other and ended up buying ours from the dealer that most wanted to make the sale.  My whole deal was made over email and some phone calls. 

mgreen2

If you ask for a price in writing, they will probably send you the NuCamp MSRP. It is dated and produced by NuCamp. I obtained prices from 4 dealers and they all had the same document. Some added stuff, such as dealer prep, transportation, etc and others didn't. I found dealer prices were from 10% to 35% under the written MSRP