What is a fair offer for a new T@B at a dealer?

Ramrod

What is a fair offer? 80% MSRP? Full asking price. I appreciate your advice and comments. Thanks.

Verna

Right now with the high demand for T@B's, the seller has the upper hand. 100% MSRP,is my honest opinion. Used T@B are pretty much going for their asking orices. No, I am not a Little Guy employee--I'm a volunteer Admin. 

Nomad

MSRP or dealer asking price - Can be quite different depending on where the dealer is located.

jkjenn

Ramrod said:

What is a fair offer? 80% MSRP? Full asking price. I appreciate your advice and comments. Thanks.

You might get more leverage by asking the dealer to throw in extras - maybe the tent, a visor, a solar panel. I got nothing thrown in with my purchase but others got some nice extras.

I looked at the price (I might have called, too - can't remember) to see what they were going for at dealers located near enough for me to drive to. That is really your call. I was willing to drive 3-5 hours. The dealer who was the closest quoted me what the cheapest dealer I found was listing them for at the time. You could also look for something comparable and try to shop it against the T@b, but I think in general, it's a seller's market right now.

Nomad

I did as Jenn mentioned - Made a list of everything I wanted from leveling blocks to dump hose to solar to generator. In other words, everything I'd need to drive off the lot and start camping full time. They shot me a package price, I took it and from what I gather from price discussions here, got a good deal.

Ramrod

Thanks!

Tabaz

you won't remember (or care) what you paid after a few weeks of ownership. This is a very well built and designed product.  As someone else on this forum said "If it speaks to you . . . "

Ratkity

I did the same as PXL and Jenn, negotiated amazing deals on the extras.  I think the dealer and I both felt good about the sale. No regrets!

kybob

I searched on the T@B's dealer link every dealer within a 350 mile radius of my home to see what dealers were asking. I ended up ordering from a dealer in Michigan, about 250 miles away, that was advertising a price considerably lower than others. I picked up my T@B at the factory, and have never been to the dealers lot. Everything was done via email, snail mail, and the phone. This method is not for everyone, but it worked for me. Also, I think I read every article posted on this forum, so I felt that I was ready to roll when I picked up my tab. Good luck!

ScottG

Is there an official MSRP given anywhere? Our dealer listed $21K for a 2015 Max S. It was unclear where that number came from, and they backed off from it quite a bit with little fuss.

"Fair" is tough to define. If you're not happy, you don't have to buy it. If they're not happy, they don't have to sell it. The only catch is that the dealer always knows more than you do about how the numbers shake out...

Ultimately, I agree with with Outback. However, don't be afraid to shop around and toss a few offers on the table! 

Nomad

Other factors may also affect the price - How many T@Bs does the dealer have on the lot. What time of the year, spring leading into the high camping season or fall when things are slowing down.

Norbert1223

My 2016 Max S is $21,500 I ordered last September.  I think the dealer is listing them now around $26k...being in Seattle everything is WAY more expensive then other parts of the country.  

ScottG

Here in the other remote northern corner of the country, a dealer is listing a 2016 T@B Max S at $21,641, but offering it on permanent "special" for $17,900. Unless you are talking an Outback model, you ain't kiddin' about stuff in Seattle being WAY more expensive!

Which brings me back to my previous question. Do these list prices represent true MSRP's coming from the manufacturer, or are they just dealer asking prices in disguise? Unlike automobiles, travel trailers don't appear subject to federally mandated MSRP labeling requirements.

Nomad

Betting it's a dealer dollar deal.
Autos might have an MSRP but it's kind of a joke - all it means is it's the highest price you'd ever pay. The dealers get so many breaks/kickbacks there's no way to know what they actually pay or what there margin is on any vehicle.

John_and_Kris

We got our 2016 Max S in Sept. "15 and it was $19,500 and he took our other TT in trade. We did take one he had on the lot.

Photomom

If there are list prices or MSRPs for T@Bs, I haven't seen them anywhere. When we were first thinking of buying one, it was quite difficult to figure out a ballpark price so we could determine whether it was in our price range at all. The 2016 T@B S Max we ordered in October was $18300, plus a few options.

Nomad

Remeber, when members tell what they've paid to take into account distance from the factory and time of year. The delivery fee for mine from Ohio to Minnesota was around $900.

ScottG

I agree that MSRPs don't tell you the dealer's margin on a vehicle, but they do give you a consistent baseline from which to make comparisons, and line items such as delivery fees are clearly indicated. The dealer can (and often does) tack on added services and profits, but those things are more transparent when an MSRP is in play.

MSRPs, at least in my neck of the woods, are also used to calculate local excise taxes when registering a vehicle or travel trailer, so there are implications that go beyond purchase price. When the clerk at my town office couldn't find the elusive T@B in her database, she called the dealer and used their list price.

But I digress. I raised the question specifically in response to the OP's reference to an MSRP. Like automobiles, travel trailers are registered and taxed, and their sale usually involves some degree of obfuscation on the part of the seller. A true MSRP could be a useful tool for comparison shopping and decision making. 

Nomad

Curious -- Do any camper/rv/motorhomes have a MSRP sticker like autos? Have never seen one myself.

jdargis

Winnebago motorhomes what I have seen, have a MSRP.  The delivery charge is the same from Winnebago, from a dealer a mile away to 2000 miles.  My understanding, this keeps the playing field equal among dealers.  I believe to be a Winnebago motorhome dealer, you agree to this arrangement on the delivery charge.  Also, because of the unrealistic MSRP, generally you should always pay about 80% of that amount on a cash deal.

ScottG

This prompted me to do a little more research. It's called a Monrony sticker, and while it is required for all new automobiles sold in the US, the law apparently doesn't extend to RVs (motorized or not). I'm guessing the industry has some good lobbyists...

So, starry-eyed dollar-conscious T@B buyers, do your homework and don't believe a salesman who claims to be quoting MSRP!

FWIW--Don't tell my dealer, but I probably would have paid just about anything for my T@B. Like somebody said, "When it speaks to you..."  ;-)

Hans111

We ordered our T@B a year ago and the dealer knocked 10% off the trailer, upgrades, and accessories when we asked him. Seemed fair and we got exactly what we want.

Photomom

ScottG said:

FWIW--Don't tell my dealer, but I probably would have paid just about anything for my T@B. Like somebody said, "When it speaks to you..."  ;-)

I hear you. We were thinking of getting a T@B for a while but the thing that clinched it was a tent camping trip to the Adirondacks where we decided we are just too old to be cold, wet, and uncomfortable on vacation. I would have paid a bit more too.

Nerdy1

I guess we were lucky.  We had planned to order a custom Outback (limited AV equipment and no a restroom).  We went to see several models on a dealer's lot in late December, and they were very motivated to sell them by the end of the year (so that they would not have to pay taxes on it).  In the end, we got close to 20% off the MSRP and several freebies.  Depending on your local tax laws, waiting until the end of the year can really pay off on the purchase.  Of course, we got a Max version, that we would not have ordered, but she is a sweet unit that we fell in love with.

TerryV6

Ours certainly "spoke to us"...  We were just looking and only a general idea on price.  I was hoping to buy a camper of some sort for 5-10 thou,  meaning that pop ups were in our looking thoughts.  I had to see a doc in Madison and there was a dealer there that had a Tab max s...  I suggested we stop to see it.  We walked in and bam, we wanted it.  I asked for his bottom price and was told that with an added solar, with taxes, we paid 18,000.  We haven't picked it up yet, we are looking at March 19th, but we are pretty excited... Glad I read these posts and found we did all right.  Nothing "thrown" in though...  Only sadness is the fact that it won't fit in the garage and I'll have to go with some sort of storage fee....

Ramrod

I did it! We bought a silver and black 2016 S Maxx!

jkjenn

Ramrod said:

I did it! We bought a silver and black 2016 S Maxx!

Congrats!

ScottG

Ramrod said:

I did it! We bought a silver and black 2016 S Maxx!

Good choice! It's a well known (but little mentioned) fact that the silver and black models are the most comfortable and trouble-free of all the T@Bs!  ;-)

Ratkity

Congrats!!!

DeeDee

Congrats Ramrod! On order, or did you drive it home?

TerryV6

Congrats!!!!!  Ours is still at the store....