What Are People Paying for the 2021 400?

manyman297 · December 2020

VictoriaP said:

manyman297 said:

VictoriaP said:

manyman297 said:

JabGopher said:

Where are you located? Miller Trailer Sales in PA by far had the best price, but I simply didn't want to get on the waitlist. I can't find the notes where I jotted the quoted price down, so I don't want to mislead you but I do remember they were just south of $32k on the trailer.

That is a good price. Unfortunately I’m out in Utah. I’m willing to travel if the price is right but not that far. My local dealer is stuck at $37k and won’t budge. I can’t, in good conscience, pay that much knowing I could travel a few states over and maybe save 4k. It actually would be a good road trip and maiden voyage for it too. Plus I haven’t had the best experience with this dealer in the past. And of course they threaten you with not servicing the trailer if you don’t buy from them.

Threaten probably isn’t the right word there...many, if not most, RV dealers only service actual RVs they’ve sold. There’s a severe shortage of RV techs across the country, enough so that repairs can take quite some time. As such, it’s not hard to see why dealers reserve the right to put their own customers ahead of some random they’ve never done business with before. Frankly, if they sell even a reasonable amount of inventory yearly, they don’t need to service anyone else’s rigs because they’ll have plenty to repair (probably too much) just with their own past customers. It’s neither right nor fair, but it’s pretty much an industry standard.

No, I get it. But I just thought it was tacky to use that as a way of swaying my decision. Maybe if the RV industry in general made a better product they wouldn’t be swamped with repairs (don’t get me started on our popup we own right now). This is a huge reason I want to go with Nucamp. The quality.

I’m a little surprised they stated it so flatly, most sales people are not nearly that honest! (Apologies to any sales folk lurking here, but, personal experience indicates the forthright ones in both the auto and RV industries are a minority.) I definitely think poor quality across the bulk of the RV industry is a big contributor to the problem, and the smaller number of people overall going into trades as opposed to college is another factor.

Price-wise (to get back to the main topic), I’ve said it before: if price is an issue, I would wait another year before buying. We’re at the top of the pricing bubble right now due to travel limitations imposed by the pandemic. Dealers have no reason at all to negotiate in a sellers’ market, and why should they, when the next customer to walk in will likely cave and pay their asking price?

Meanwhile, the economic impacts from all this mess continue to spread, which means some of those buying now aren’t going to be able to make their payments. Another chunk are first time RVers who will either find this hobby isn’t for them, or that the particular RV they chose was a poor fit. Between those two factors and the eventual return to travel by air, there will be a influx of used rigs entering the market within 18 months (possibly sooner), and that plus the decreased demand will in turn will drive prices back down on both new and used models.

But if you’re going to buy now regardless: As mentioned in one of your other comments, yes, the more you can DIY repair and service, the better suited you are to buying from a non local dealer in order to get a better price. If you buy out of state, test everything thoroughly. Study especially hard on the Alde, as that’s the one system I would be most concerned about, because it’s not a common appliance like say, a Norcold refrigerator, and there’s a limited number of techs familiar with it. Confirm it’s set properly and both heat & hot water are working to your satisfaction prior to bringing the trailer more than a few miles from your dealer. Plan to camp for a few days nearby to make sure everything is working before heading home.Everything that’s industry standard, you can probably DIY or find someone who knows how to fix it relatively easily, but the Alde is a little problematic in terms of both parts availability and service techs who know how to work on it.

Some of the dealers I’ve been talking to are telling me that they have February delivery dates for the specs I want. I really don’t like the idea of picking one up in the dead of winter since I can’t really test much out other than the heat. Much preferred to wait for spring but beggars can’t be choosers.

manyman297 · December 2020

I should clarify, when I say “out the door” price I mean before taxes as these can vary drastically depending on where you live and you gotta pay them.

ChrisFix · December 2020

manyman297 said:

I should clarify, when I say “out the door” price I mean before taxes as these can vary drastically depending on where you live and you gotta pay them.

That's what I meant too when I said $33,035 out the door. I bought my 400 out of state, so the dealer didn't collect any DMV fees or taxes...which I paid in my home state when I titled/registered it.

@SuzAlley
I purchased from Beckley's in MD on June 1. Very nice people and a very easy transaction...everything but handing them a check and picking up the camper was done over the phone and via email.

manyman297 · December 2020

ChrisFix said:

manyman297 said:

I should clarify, when I say “out the door” price I mean before taxes as these can vary drastically depending on where you live and you gotta pay them.

That's what I meant too when I said $33,035 out the door. I bought my 400 out of state, so the dealer didn't collect any DMV fees or taxes...which I paid in my home state when I titled/registered it.

@SuzAlley
I purchased from Beckley's in MD on June 1. Very nice people and a very easy transaction...everything but handing them a check and picking up the camper was done over the phone and via email.

No, you're fine. I noticed somebody else mentioned their after-tax price which got me thinking maybe everybody else did this. Usually it's common knowledge OTD (out the door) excludes tax/tags.

jenniferlzr · December 2020

I think mine was $30K. I had a 2020 ordered, at the dealership, but some might remember that it was destroyed in a storm while it was there. That one was $28K which was 5K less than anything here in Texas. SO.... Nucamp expedited a new camper for me, but it could only be a 2021 since they weren't making the 2020's anymore. Therefore, the price went up. I drove over 800 miles to Mississippi to get it. Sherman RV. They are a LOT cheaper than anywhere else. Two more dealers I found that had comparable prices was Bankston RV in Alabama and Holiday RV in Colorado.

CharlieRN · December 2020

manyman297 said:

JabGopher said:

Where are you located? Miller Trailer Sales in PA by far had the best price, but I simply didn't want to get on the waitlist. I can't find the notes where I jotted the quoted price down, so I don't want to mislead you but I do remember they were just south of $32k on the trailer.

That is a good price. Unfortunately I’m out in Utah. I’m willing to travel if the price is right but not that far. My local dealer is stuck at $37k and won’t budge. I can’t, in good conscience, pay that much knowing I could travel a few states over and maybe save 4k. It actually would be a good road trip and maiden voyage for it too. Plus I haven’t had the best experience with this dealer in the past. And of course they threaten you with not servicing the trailer if you don’t buy from them.

In normal times, I would have offered to haul a T@B for you from SE PA to Utah as part of our annual February pilgrimage to the Wasatch to pay homage to the snow gods. Unfortunately, the intervention of Covid-19 has made it too risky for a ski hajj this season . . .

CharlieRN · December 2020

JabGopher said:

Where are you located? Miller Trailer Sales in PA by far had the best price, but I simply didn't want to get on the waitlist. I can't find the notes where I jotted the quoted price down, so I don't want to mislead you but I do remember they were just south of $32k on the trailer.

Miller are a relatively small dealer who even in normal times do not have anywhere near the level of inventory of a mega-RV dealer. I found them to be wonderful to work with however, and they offered me a fair price for the 320 BD I wanted if I was willing to wait. I placed my order with them late this fall and will take delivery in March. Ironically, Miller recently sent out a email saying that they were getting a handful of trailers ahead of schedule and even offered a discount if you were willing to take early delivery!

The March delivery is In some ways, better: I may have missed out on a few camping opportunities but also do not have to worry about winter storage. Plus, I have plenty of time to ask questions on this forum during the wait.

manyman297 · December 2020

Just wanted to share a quick update. Ended up landing a deal with a semi-local (about 400 miles away) dealer. We ended up omitting the microwave and landed on an OTD price of $33,226 (Boondock package). Luckily they were able to make changes to their late-February order so I'm hoping it'll be ready before spring. Thanks to everybody on this thread who was willing to share their sales price. I feel a lot better on where I landed. Not the deal of the century but given the current demand on these I feel pretty good about it.

ChrisFix · December 2020

manyman297 said:

Just wanted to share a quick update. Ended up landing a deal with a semi-local (about 400 miles away) dealer. We ended up omitting the microwave and landed on an OTD price of $33,226 (Boondock package). Luckily they were able to make changes to their late-February order so I'm hoping it'll be ready before spring. Thanks to everybody on this thread who was willing to share their sales price. I feel a lot better on where I landed. Not the deal of the century but given the current demand on these I feel pretty good about it.

Congratulations! In the current market, that seems like a great price. It's a really good travel trailer...I'm sure you're going to thoroughly enjoy it.

runaway30 · December 2020

Nice Job manyman297!!

kbdigitiqe · December 2020

@manyman297 I’m in CO and just inked a deal for $36k .. shocked you found one that low! Which direction did you go 400mi ?! Cheers

manyman297 · December 2020

kbdigitiqe said:

@manyman297 I’m in CO and just inked a deal for $36k .. shocked you found one that low! Which direction did you go 400mi ?! Cheers

I would say 80% of the dealers I contacted were in that range and wouldn't budge. I ended up going to Teton Adventures RV up in Idaho Falls. They're a small dealer but have sold Nucamp stuff for a couple of years. Princess Craft and Moix were other dealers on my radar and they were around that same price but the tradeoff in travel time just didn't make sense (I'm in Utah). I think there may have been a couple of other dealers closer to that price but they were just too far away...and many I contacted just flat out never responded back.

manyman297 · December 2020

kbdigitiqe said:

@manyman297 I’m in CO and just inked a deal for $36k .. shocked you found one that low! Which direction did you go 400mi ?! Cheers

Who did you go with? Also, what is typically involved on these pre-orders? We both signed the Nucamp order form as well as a quote. Seemed halfway informal but I’ve never done a pre-order.

kbdigitiqe · December 2020

@manyman297 we ordered from Holiday RV in Poncha Springs, which is where we bought our 320s BD last year. They are giving us a great deal on our trade, plus we have two months to try to sell it for better on the private market which is nice.

They had already ordered a bunch of 400’s for delivery in Feb, so they just change the options before they are actually built and shipped. Did the same thing with our 320 last year.

Process is the same, they send us a copy of their invoice with all the correct options and I give them a deposit on a CC. Then we write up the financing when the unit has shipped and it’s time to pick up.

manyman297 · December 2020

kbdigitiqe said:

@manyman297 we ordered from Holiday RV in Poncha Springs, which is where we bought our 320s BD last year. They are giving us a great deal on our trade, plus we have two months to try to sell it for better on the private market which is nice.

They had already ordered a bunch of 400’s for delivery in Feb, so they just change the options before they are actually built and shipped. Did the same thing with our 320 last year.

Process is the same, they send us a copy of their invoice with all the correct options and I give them a deposit on a CC. Then we write up the financing when the unit has shipped and it’s time to pick up.

Your situation sounds almost identical to ours minus the trade. Dealer was able to change their order for February. Deposit on CC. Excited to ditch the pop up we have. Had some fun in it but it's just not right for us. It was a great gateway drug into towables though.

kbdigitiqe · December 2020

Nice! We've actually always wanted a pop up but my wife and I are far too "bear paranoid" haha!

manyman297 · December 2020

kbdigitiqe said:

Nice! We've actually always wanted a pop up but my wife and I are far too "bear paranoid" haha!

I grew up tent camping so a pop up seemed appealing and it was far cheaper than any travel trailer. But after using it for a year or so I've realized that the setup and teardown aren't going to work for the way we want to travel. We want to be able to pick up and leave fairly quickly and anybody who's owned a popup knows that it takes a fair bit of time and effort to put everything away. Plus I know we'll end up at a Walmart parking lot at some point and a pop up just isn't going to cut it. Now from a cost perspective, that's another story.

JabGopher · December 2020

Best of luck! Also just an FYI that if for some reason, the order modification doesn't go through as sometimes tends to happen, removing the microwave and retrofitting the door is not a terrible option. *

It shouldn't be a deal breaker.

*This is from 2021 Tab 320S experience but I imagine it's the same unit and installation technique. It's 4 screws and unplug from a standard outlet.

kbdigitiqe · December 2020

Yep our dealer has said the same re: removing the microwave and ordering in the cabinet front if nec

manyman297 · December 2020

JabGopher said:

Best of luck! Also just an FYI that if for some reason, the order modification doesn't go through as sometimes tends to happen, removing the microwave and retrofitting the door is not a terrible option. *

It shouldn't be a deal breaker.

*This is from 2021 Tab 320S experience but I imagine it's the same unit and installation technique. It's 4 screws and unplug from a standard outlet.

I actually ended up going without the microwave...although adding the door may have been a better idea since then I’d have an outlet ran if I ever change my mind...oh well. I really don’t think we’d utilize the microwave much and we could always get a cheap .7 cu/ft one and keep it in the TV.

JD_Bean · December 2020

FYI what I have found so far. Tab 400 BD w/2way fridge w/microwave.

Dealer 1: 3.5hr drive is $36,376.

Dealer 2: 8hr drive is 33,995.

Dealer 3: 2hr drive doesn't know how to price it out and now has stopped communicating.

Denny16 · December 2020

Given the current market, $33,995 is not a bad price...
cheers

manyman297 · December 2020

JD_Bean said:

FYI what I have found so far. Tab 400 BD w/2way fridge w/microwave.
Dealer 1: 3.5hr drive is $36,376.
Dealer 2: 8hr drive is 33,995.
Dealer 3: 2hr drive doesn't know how to price it out and now has stopped communicating.

I've had a ton of "dealer 3" experiences in my adventure too. Once you look like you know what you are doing they just stop talking.

Yeah, $33,995 is one of the lower prices I ran across as well. I checked with nearly 30 dealers. I had maybe 2/3rds of those get back to me and maybe only 3-4 in the sub $34k range. I feel pretty good about anything under $34k at this point in time.

qhumberd · December 2020

Saw this over the weekend from Bankston RV in Huntsville AL. the ad seems to imply you can negotiate lower than the sale price

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/i9/99m2ppjjkiyo.jpg

manyman297 · December 2020

qhumberd said:

Saw this over the weekend from Bankston RV in Huntsville AL. the ad seems to imply you can negotiate lower than the sale price

Wow, those are great prices (especially pre-negotiation). I wish I lived closer though.

I was watching a YT video from earlier this year where somebody was at an RV show and the sales price on a non-BD 400 was $27k or so. Not sure where the show was but that price would've been amazing compared to where we're at now.

My local dealer just raised their prices 2k on all of their current 400s. Around $39k (these are the guys that wouldn't budge when I tried). But these guys will keep stuff on their lot for months (sometimes over a year) before they move them.

At this price it goes to show you how much of a profit margin is built into these things and how the actual MSRP is really a mystery and pretty meaningless. That's why I love that people are willing to share what they paid because it gives everybody a better idea on what the street price really is on these things.

runline · December 2020

I just purchased a 2021 T@B 400 Boondock Edition with microwave and regular refrigerator from a dealer in the Sacramento, CA area (I live in San Jose) for $36,808K plus taxes and fees. This was a $8765 discount off of MSRP of $45,573.

tabiphile · December 2020

The same basic negotiation rules/tactics that you would use to buy a car apply to purchasing an RV...except RV's may be negotiated to 15% to 20% from asking price...in some/many cases. As with cars, dealers offering some high demand models/configurations will not negotiate. So.....as with any purchase, you must be willing to compromise somewhat from your wish list configuration if price is really important to you. You must be willing to walk away if the price is not what you are willing to pay. You must be willing to travel, negotiate and compromise if price is a prime purchase consideration. Also and as with cars sales, (most) RV dealerships operate on a commission basis. Commissions are typically based upon monthly, quarterly and annual goals. End of month and end of quarter are when you need to make your deals. Do your shopping early in the month, do your buying late in the month. Do not be afraid to make a lowball offer. The worst thing that can happen is that you learn how willing the dealer is to deal. Don't start a negotiation with only a few days left in the month, do it a week from EOM and be ready to walk away if your offer is not accepted. If the dealership is hungry and in need of a sale they will comes back to you. If not, your call...you may need to go back to them. Just remember that negotiation is all about going for the no and that it plays both ways.
It's been said here before and bears repeating, the best bang for your buck will be a lightly used unit if you can find one that meets your needs.

WRT service, the business model for cars and RV's are not the same. With cars there is a warranty reserve associated with the sale of the vehicle. The dealership is compensated by the car manufacturer for performing warranty service with the monies held in the reserve account. Cars preserve warranty by requiring services performed on a very specific schedule. This is built into a dealership revenue model. Most dealerships operate the service business as a separate (from sales) revenue center. They make money performing/providing you with warranty service, upsells (hey, you need a new cabin air filter) and non-warranty work. Service staff (all of them, technicians, the customer service folk) have sales goals and enjoy sales commissions.
In the RV business very few dealerships have such a well structured business model for repairs. Usually you have Jimmy-Bob out back who knows how to winterize and make the refrigerator work who has no interest in doing more than he needs to and no factory training to draw from when he runs into a tough one..Alde what have you.
The bottom line, pick the place you buy carefully, expect lousy service and be ready to do much of the work yourself. Rely on user/customer feedback when you pick a dealer. This forum offers that.
Good Luck!

Verna · December 2020

I did read on Facebook that there are 3 certified RV technician schools around the country. Of course one is in Elkhart, Indiana, one in Texas and the 3rd location. The woman who was attending had almost finished her training and was very upbeat about the training.

So, in addition to Jimmy-Bob out back, you could actually have a trained technician working on your camper.

tabiphile · December 2020

Verna said:

I did read on Facebook that there are 3 certified RV technician schools around the country. Of course one is in Elkhart, Indiana, one in Texas and the 3rd location. The woman who was attending had almost finished her training and was very upbeat about the training.

So, in addition to Jimmy-Bob out back, you could actually have a trained technician working on your camper.

That's a good add. There is RV Technician Certification/training. Looking for a dealership that has certified technicians is a great idea. There are NRVTA and RVSA and RVDA that offer training and certs. If Jimmy-Bob has a cert, he might be able to work on Dometic.

manyman297 · December 2020

I would add that, in some cases, you can find a better deal on a new unit than even a lightly used one. A quick search on here and RVTrader shows that even some lightly used ones are selling for more
the same or more than new. I think some people would rather pay more to have the trailer now vs. waiting on an order.

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