If you want to save a lot of money when buying an RV, you definitely need to check out the used RV lot at your local RV dealer.
Because thanks to RV depreciation, you can usually save a substantial amount of money when you buy a used RV.
In order to maximize these savings though, you have to negotiate the price of the used RV.
But just how much can you negotiate on a used RV?
You can usually negotiate up to 20% off the price of a used RV at a dealer and perhaps more depending on how long they’ve had the RV on their lot and how motivated they are to sell it.
But if you want to negotiate the best-used RV price, there’s a lot more you need to know than just how much you might be able to negotiate off the list price.
So we created this helpful how-to guide.
To teach you how to maximize your savings when buying a used RV as well as sharpen your negotiating skills to ensure you get the absolute best deal possible when buying a used RV.
Understanding the Used RV Market and How it Affects Pricing
In order to negotiate the best price on a used RV, it’s important to understand a few basic truths about the used RV market and the typical RV dealership.
Where the Used RV Inventory Comes From
One of the main reasons you can negotiate up to 20% off the price of a used RV at an RV dealer is due to where the dealer obtained their used RVs from.
Because while they have to buy their new RVs at a fixed price from an RV manufacturer, most of the used RV inventory they have on their lot was obtained from customer trade-ins.
Where they are often able to buy the RV at a steep discount.
Which is great news for you when trying to buy a used RV at the best possible price.
Because the RV dealer often has much less money invested in a used RV compared to a new one, allowing them to negotiate more aggressively on the price and offer steeper discounts on their used inventory.
RV Dealer Pricing
Most RV dealers will sustainably mark up the prices on their inventory, so they can then slap a big sale sticker on the front windshield of the RV.
In fact, it’s not uncommon for RV dealers to mark the price of the RV up by almost 50%, in order to maximize their profits and to allow room for negotiations.
So what this means for you, when trying to negotiate the best possible price on a used RV.
Is that you never want to use the sticker price on an RV lot, as the starting price for your negotiations, as this is often a highly inflated and unrealistic price, to begin with.
Instead, when negotiating the best price on a used RV, you want to come to the RV dealer armed with the actual average price of the used RV in question.
(We discuss a little later where to find the average price of a used RV, independent from the dealer.)
Steer Clear of RVs Older than 10 Years
While it might be tempting to buy a really old RV, as they often have very steep discounts.
It’s typically best to avoid any RV older than 10 years.
Because it doesn’t matter how good of a deal you get on the RV if it’s at the end of its physical life and is constantly breaking down.
In addition, it can also be difficult to obtaining financing on an RV older than 10 years, as most banks will not loan on an RV older than 10 years.
How to Negotiate the Best Price and Get an RV Cheap
There are actually quite a few things you can do in order to ensure you get the best possible deal when negotiating the price of a used RV.
But the below tips are the most important things you need to focus on when trying to buy a used RV as cheaply as possible.
Do Your Homework
The most important thing to do before you ever sit down at the negotiating table and even before you walk onto the RV lot is to do your homework and research beforehand.
Because there’s no way of knowing what the fair price of a used RV is or what a good deal might be, without first knowing what the average price of the used RV is.
And the best place to find this information is on the NADA website which has almost every make and model of RV and its pricing going as far back as 1966.
So before you step onto the RV lot, make sure to check the price of the used RV on NADA’s website, in order to have a good starting place for negotiations.
Shop During the Off-Season
When shopping for a used RV or a new RV for that matter, there is definitely an off-season and peak-season for RV buying and RV sales.
With the off-season for RV sales starting right before the holidays in mid to late November and ending in late January to early February.
And in order to negotiate the best price, you definitely want to negotiate during the off-season, as this is when RV dealers are most willing to negotiate on price and make a deal in order to move inventory.
Be Patient
In order to obtain and negotiate the best deal on a used RV, you need to be patient as finding the right RV and the best deal will usually take some time.
So when trying to get the best deal on a used RV, it’s usually best to give yourself at least a few months.
As this will allow you the time you need to not only find the used RV you’re looking for but also to negotiate the best possible price you can.
Don’t Become Attached
Any good negotiator knows and has to be willing to walk away from the deal if they can’t obtain the terms or the price that’s acceptable to them.
So when negotiating the best deal on a used RV, it’s imperative you don’t become too attached to any particular RV.
Which will allow you the option to walk away from the deal, if you and the dealer cannot come to an acceptable price.
Keep Your Cool and Your Ego Out of the Negotiations
One of the more challenging aspects of any negotiation is learning to keep your cool throughout the negotiations.
As it can be very easy to let your Ego slip into the negotiations.
Which can cause you to lose sight of the ultimate goal, which is to get the best deal you can on the used RV.
So to help keep your Ego in check during negotiations, it’s best to know your target price for the used RV going in and remind yourself that this is just business and it’s not personal.
Because while you want to negotiate the best deal possible, you also don’t want to burn any bridges while doing so.
Because while you might not be able to reach an agreeable deal today, it doesn’t mean you won’t reach one in the future.
So if you feel yourself getting hot under the collar during negotiations, don’t be afraid to pause the negotiations by excusing yourself to use the restroom or to take a quick phone call, to cool off.
Watch Out for Hidden Fees
The last thing to keep in mind in order to negotiate the best possible price on a used RV is to make sure when you’re negotiating the price that you are negotiating the out-the-door or final price of the used RV.
And not the price before they tack on a slew of extra charges and fees.
So while negotiating the RV price or even before you start talking about price, make sure to ask the RV dealer if there are any fees or charges they will be adding to the price of the RV.
Want to know how much you should pay for a used RV? If so, check out our article “How Much Should You Pay for a Used RV?“.
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