Another Newbie - how to buy a Winnebago?

[Cruizer Bill]

My wife and I have been doing some traveling/camping the past 8 years using a van conversion and we are now thinking of moving up to a motorhome.

When we go to the RV shows we are beset upon by skilled salesmen/women who all tout their product as the "finest made" and the competition is sorely lacking in comparison! We then are presented with MSRP stickers that are astronomical! Being newbies to the motorhome world, we tell them we are not even close to making a purchase decision yet and that, of course, disappoints them.

Searching around the internet, we find that some RV brands are sold by large, high volume dealerships that offer large discounts. We have not seen this from the dealers selling Winnebago/Itasca. How does someone get a fair price on a Winnebago motorhome if there is not much apparent competition? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My email account for those wishing to contact me privately is:
CruizerBill at yahoo.com (change that to normal email protocol, I am trying to get around the robots!).

Thanks!
Bill

 

[CaptBill-WO]

Bill, where are you located?

 

[VSPA]

Was about to ask the same question!

 

[TXiceman]

To buy one you agree on the price and write a check.

From any dealer you should be able to settle on a price of around 70% of MSRP. If they are trying for highway robbery, go look elsewhere.

Winnebago tends to build a coach that is a bit above the others in their class.

Ken

 

[jerichorick]

:welcome: Glad you have joined us.

First, most of us with financial restraints, don't recommend buying new.

Here is a link to Winnebago/Itasca that give you access to the brochures for the different model years. Request Brochure

Here is how we purchased this coach. We went to a RV show a few years back. We discovered the U and QD series. We decided that anything over 40' would not work for our lifestyle. We settled on this floorplan because of what we saw at the RV show and this model year because it is the first year that the residential refrigerator is offered.

Our '05 Winnebago was not suited for fulltiming. We were destroying it with the tools we need to carry for volunteering. It was in the shop and I did a web search for a 2011 40U. I found this in FL and started negotiating on a finance rate. When the final numbers came in we knew we could afford it.

If you can pay cash or have a bid cash deposit you can negotiate a better deal than we did. Money talks.

So. Pick the floorplan, features and colors you prefer. Search the web for the model years you are willing to try to get and be patient.

One thing about this coach. The brochure states that the chassis has a 55 deg turning radius. It does not. It is a 60 deg turn. But you can't go wrong with a Freightliner chassis and a Cummins engine.

We all hope to hear more from you about your choices and progress. Oh yea. We drove our old coach 1200 miles from TX to FL to trade. We love our new home and I know we will enjoy it for many years. Hope the same is true for you.

 

[mgtr]

As a footnote to the above post, it is my belief that you won't know what you want (and don't want) until you have a motorhome. Another good reason for starting out used.

 

[Hikerdogs]

As a footnote to the above post, it is my belief that you won't know what you want (and don't want) until you have a motorhome. Another good reason for starting out used.

Rather than spending money then finding out you don't like the product try renting first. We rented several motorhomes ( both class A and class C) before we made our first purchase. It was an education at a less expensive price. We quickly found out which features were necessary and which ones we weren't interested in.

It made buying our first motorhome easier. We already knew what we wanted and what we could live without. The salesman wasn't going to talk us into options we didn't want, and we weren't going to buy something that didn't offer the things we thought were necessary.

 

[Cruizer Bill]

Thanks so much for the input! I live in the Seattle Area.

Are you serious about paying 70 percent of MSRP? That is amazing, is that true?

What is the used market li8ke now? Is the economy soft and good RVs available or have things tightened up?

Thanks again!
Bill

 

[kjburns-WO]

I don't know that you're going to get to 30% off on a new, current model year coach, but 20% or more is easy to do. Pay little attention to the the MSRP. I got mine for 80% of the sticker and it was the first one of this model that the dealer had gotten on their lot. I bought it within two weeks of seeing it.

If you're looking at a 2013 sitting on a lot with 2014 models, then you have more leverage and might see a 30% discount. My local dealer has a 2013 Winnebago Sightseer 33C and their initial asking price is 18% off MSRP. That's before any haggling discussions. Chances are that they'd drop the price another 10% without batting an eye.

Of course, RVs depreciate fast so a recent model used motorhome is going to cost even less. NADA Guides will give you an idea. Look at the low retail without adding options to get an idea of where the real price should be. To get a feel for the used market, you can also look at what's sold on eBay recently. There are lots of places selling used ones online too.

When I first got into RVing, I decided on a diesel and found one I liked on eBay. I used it a lot, decided it wasn't quite "it" and moved up. Don't get me wrong, the first one wasn't bad, I just wanted more space so I looked for something with bigger slide outs so I bought a 2008. Later I upgraded again to the current 2011 model.

Forget the MSRP. Look at what you want and decide if you want new or used, gas or diesel and what floor plan and amenities matter. Coming from a van conversion, they're all going to seem like a huge upgrade. You just need to find the right one at the right price.

 

[Chiefbvfd]

As one of the above posts stated you might be wise to rent a coach or buy a used model rather than jumping in with both feet. As you use the coach and you go to RV shows and research different models, you will come up with list of what you have to have on a coach. Then, when you start the search for your Dream Machine you will know within a few makes and models what you want. Then start the Wheeling and Dealing. We decided in 2011 that our Dream Machine was the Winnebago Journey 34Y. Unfortunately, by the time we made up our mind on the model we wanted, Winnebago replaced the 34Y with the 34B. So the long process started to find a 34Y. 2 years later we found a new 2011(in 2013) 34Y in Arizona (1,784 miles from Iowa). We made the trip and negotiated a great deal (New unit, all warranties,1,800 miles and $90,000 off MSRP). The bottom line is do your research, be patient and don't let the salesmen sell you something that is not right for you. Happy hunting...

 

[George Lewis]

This RV sales company, one of the largest in the U.S. starts pricing with 25% off MRSP. See their website.. Texas RV Dealer, Used RVs for sale, motorhome sales, new RVs

I know they are in Texas but it will give you an idea of what ANY dealer should be charging...and they will come off a few more percent depending on your negociations....offer 30% and see how high your dealer jumps....leave your phone number and walk away....you may get a call soon...ha ha. A 2013, 30% off easy...it is a year old and the dealer got his rebate from the manufacture. Shopping is fun....

 

[rream]

Thanks so much for the input! I live in the Seattle Area.

Are you serious about paying 70 percent of MSRP? That is amazing, is that true?

What is the used market li8ke now? Is the economy soft and good RVs available or have things tightened up?

Thanks again!
Bill

I have been in the Seattle Area for two month due the the early birth of my grandson..

Poulsbo in Kent has been great to work with on a few parts issues. I have been at the KOA here in Kent for that time and I can not count the Tiffin and Winnebago motor homes that came through here and had service there. This tells me it must be a quality dealership

I too think about 25% off is a more realistice discount off MSRP

 

[jerichorick]

I have been in the Seattle Area for two month due the the early birth of my grandson..

Poulsbo in Kent has been great to work with on a few parts issues. I have been at the KOA here in Kent for that time and I can not count the Tiffin and Winnebago motor homes that came through here and had service there. This tells me it must be a quality dealership

I too think about 25% off is a more realistice discount off MSRP

We used Poulsbo in Everett for a roof leak problem. They did such a poor job that we decided to go the the factory to get the repair done correctly. The factory charged the repair back to Poulsbo.

KOA and dealer service centers are hot topics within the irv2 community.

I noticed one comment about renting before you buy. This is a great suggestion. Also, comments have been made about buying new. I don't recommend it because of the depreciation loss driving off the lot and for the amount of down time trying to resolve the factory issues with the local dealer.

I have owned 3 class A motorhomes. Each had it's ups and downs. This one we have just bought is the most practical and livable floorplan of any I have owned or seen. For a 40' unit the basement storage is huge and the features of seating, residential refrigerator, stacked washer and dryer and many other features that just make this unit a comfortable home, it is hard to beat. This floorplan is available in shorter units and has been adapted by other manufactures. We happen to like Winnebago, though Newmar could have been an option but I found this before I look at Newmar seriously.

 

[renegade559]

I ended up buying a used 2012 Adventurer with 7K miles over a new unit, although I went to look at new units. I got what I thought was a good price, and have bought from this dealer for the 3rd time. Good luck on your searching.

 

[George Lewis]

Thanks so much for the input! I live in the Seattle Area.

Are you serious about paying 70 percent of MSRP? That is amazing, is that true?

What is the used market li8ke now? Is the economy soft and good RVs available or have things tightened up?

Thanks again!
Bill

Bill, Motor Home Specialists RV of Alvarado, TX (a little south of Dallas on IH35W) takes the MRSP and deducts 25% as their first price. There are additional discounts "sometimes" depending on the time of year (spring good for them, winter good for you as sales are slow), how many units they have and how long in inventory, model year, etc. They also throw in a Visa Card worth $1 or 2,000, "starter kits" and other goodies. I read their ads and did call on a price once....it was 25% off plus some goodies....but on a popular model and that was as far as they would go....

I have not interest of any type in MHSRV.

My Humble Opinion: I live in south Texas, 30 miles north of San Antonio. If I bought a new motorhome and the slide(s) did not work or some other major problem and was told to drive to northern Indiana or Alabama to get it repaired, I would be very upset, to say the least....plus the "aggravation factor" I try to think of with any major purchase I make.

 

[len poleshaj]

96734

I bought a 2012 (new) 1700 miles of dealer delivery miles in January 2013 at 27% offhttp://www.irv2.com/forums/images/smilies/dance.gif

 

[jerichorick]

Bill, Motor Home Specialists RV of Alvarado, TX

My Humble Opinion: I live in south Texas, 30 miles north of San Antonio. If I bought a new motorhome and the slide(s) did not work or some other major problem and was told to drive to northern Indiana or Alabama to get it repaired, I would be very upset, to say the least....plus the "aggravation factor" I try to think of with any major purchase I make.

You bet it is an aggravation. But, which aggravation is worse. Paying big bucks with poor results and the continued aggravation of the problem following you down the road or getting it fixed the first time and, over all, losing less time in the unit and less money over the long run?

"Certification" means that you can take a test and meet certain requirements. There is no guarantee that the certified one can troubleshoot correctly. I had a certified shop in WA "fix" a leak in my slide roof. They sealed the main roof and ignored the problem slide roof! Drove to Winnebago in Forest City. They disassembled the slide roof and put new insulation and headliner material in it after cleaning the mold out. They addressed the problem and fixed it correctly. Just about every problem I have had has not been addressed correctly by the local RV service centers. I end up going to the factory after much frustration over many miles and aborted camping nights or volunteer projects. If you find a good, reliable and consistent RV dealer hand onto them like gold. They are few and far between.

 

[Hikerdogs]

This RV sales company, one of the largest in the U.S. starts pricing with 25% off MRSP. See their website.. Texas RV Dealer, Used RVs for sale, motorhome sales, new RVs

I know they are in Texas but it will give you an idea of what ANY dealer should be charging...and they will come off a few more percent depending on your negociations....offer 30% and see how high your dealer jumps....leave your phone number and walk away....you may get a call soon...ha ha. A 2013, 30% off easy...it is a year old and the dealer got his rebate from the manufacture. Shopping is fun....

Be aware that many dealers print their own window stickers. They can and do inflate the price over the MSRP. Then it looks like you're getting a better deal when they offer a larger discount.

It happened to us when we were looking for our first motorhome. One of the dealers inflated the price by $1000.00 over the MSRP. When they calculated the final cost it was within pennies of all the other dealers, but looked like a larger discount.

If you call, write, or e mail Winnebago they will send you an MSRP price list for any and all models. It will also include the correct retail cost of all the options.

 

[Cruizer Bill]

I called Winnebago and they emailed me a complete list of the MSRP for the RV and all options. I had it in my hands within one hour! THey were so friendly and helpful!
I am now contacting some dealers, learning what to expect. THis is a learning process for sure.
Bill

 

[jerichorick]

Bill, we have been to the factory a couple of times. The folk there are great. The quality of work at the repair center is much better and more reasonably priced than from most of the dealers. And, how often have any of us gone to a dealer and had a tech talk down to us in a arrogant attitude just to totally fail at fixing the problem? My guess is more often than not. The factory is not that way.

A new coach WILL have quality control issues. Count on it. Some worse than others. With that aside, consider closely the features that are standard as well as the options. If you plan to enjoy the patio and use it often do you really want the awning attached to the main body? A slide mounted awning provides a larger coverage for the patio. And your TV? What is the best viewing angle for watching? Just a few thoughts.

I hope you find what you want and will enjoy for many years.

Happy trails,
Rick