First Time Buyer Jitters

BreakBad · 12-28-2016, 01:43 PM

The wife and I took our daughter camping a couple times in some crappy 16 foot rentals. One time we had a very memorable weekend. The other time the camper fridge / ac wasn't working, but was still kinda fun. We have convinced ourselves we want to camp once a month (or more) over the weekend, and maybe once or twice a year for a week somewhere more adventurous.

We really love the jayco feather line. We can pay cash for a 18-20' model (around 13k-15k), but we feel this is too small even for a family of three (and probably a dog), for the amount time we want in it. From there, the prices jump to 22-25k (including sway bar, freight, etc..), and a small loan comes into play. We love the rear living and bunk house models, but is it worth 24k or is it overkill for our intended purposes? If so, can the dealer's be talked down much or are the margins pretty tight?

Thanks for any advice.

Grumpy · 12-28-2016, 01:47 PM

25-35% off MSRP is the range many of us have seen.

Rustysocket · 12-28-2016, 01:52 PM

Only you can answer the "is it worth it question".

For me and my family, the memories we have made and will continue to make, the freedom to go use our trailer whenever we want have made it all worth it.

We use our trailer much more than we thought we would at first. While we don't always make a long adventure out of it sometimes it is nice just to hook it up and go for a night.

I will say this: you will be money ahead to buy the trailer you want now, rather than to purchase one you believe might be too small and trade it for an upgrade in a year or two. You have a significant down-payment saved and I believe if you do some shopping you will find a trailer that meets your needs and budget. Jayco's are great products, but they are not the only game in town.

25% off MSRP is fairly easy to negotiate.

RPreeb · 12-28-2016, 01:52 PM

Since you don't mention it, the first thing I'd ask is what are you going to tow it with? That will to some extent dictate what sort of a camping trailer you should be looking at. When we upgraded from a popup to the Jay Feather X213, we also had to upgrade our vehicle as well. Offering suggestions without knowing your TV is just blowing bubbles in the wind.

Also, it might help to know why you felt that those rentals were crappy besides the bad appliances in the one.

bondo303 · 12-28-2016, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

25-35% off MSRP is the range many of us have seen.

Just what grumpy said. I got 35% off of our Jay feather 25bh. We called dealerships that had the models that we were interested in and took the ride to see them. Our local dealer would not budge from msrp. We drove about 3 hours to get ours.

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JHerzog · 12-28-2016, 01:56 PM

Rustysocket's last line is very important. Be sure to factor in the 25% off MSRP when shopping, and I also would add having enough space for all to sleep without having to convert something to a bed will make the experience much better.

mike837go · 12-28-2016, 02:17 PM

The 19RD is actually a bit big for the 2 of us + the fur baby.

They make the 19BH which has more sleeping space.

Remember, when camping, the RV is not all of your space. A table and chairs under the awning turns into the dining room real fast. Move the chairs to the fire pit and it's the den. Add a few friends and its a party!

BreakBad · 12-28-2016, 02:17 PM

Everyone, Thanks for the immediate replies! Great community.

@RPreeb - I have a F150 2015 ecoboost 2.7, rated for 8500, but 4x2. And good point about the 'crappy' comment. The 16 footers we rented weren't really 'crappy', just cramped, didn't have really descent sleep. I feel like simply upgrading to a modern 18-20' with a queen bed would make a world of difference, but then @Rustysocket's comment comes into play.

@JHerzog - loud and clear, which is our primary argument for getting the bunk setup.

So, with the correct options selected, if the MSRP is 30, I should be able to offer 21 + tax + freight + sway bars/wdh + prep and end up around 24? The dealers I'm looking at online are usually about 3k above that.

JHerzog · 12-28-2016, 02:29 PM

We got the last $2K knocked off our newest 2016 DSRL when my wife turned to me and said "let's go have lunch and talk about this, I don't think we can go over $X".
Dealer all of a sudden decided he could do $X :-)

RPreeb · 12-28-2016, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreakBad

Everyone, Thanks for the immediate replies! Great community.

@RPreeb - I have a F150 2015 ecoboost 2.7, rated for 8500, but 4x2. And good point about the 'crappy' comment. The 16 footers we rented weren't really 'crappy', just cramped, didn't have really descent sleep. I feel like simply upgrading to a modern 18-20' with a queen bed would make a world of difference, but then @Rustysocket's comment comes into play.

@JHerzog - loud and clear, which is our primary argument for getting the bunk setup.

So, with the correct options selected, if the MSRP is 30, I should be able to offer 21 + tax + freight + sway bars/wdh + prep and end up around 24? The dealers I'm looking at online are usually about 3k above that.

My first experience with trailer camping was the summer after I graduated from high school (1964). My parents bought a 15 foot trailer and we camped around Montana, and even did a 2 week trip to Banff and Jasper in Canada. There were either 4 or 5 in that trailer every trip - 5 on the Canada trip - and we managed just fine. Most of our "living" was outside. We slept in the trailer, and we played cards around the dinette in the evening. It was cozy but we enjoyed every minute of it.

Now I have this 24 foot bumper to ball Jayco with a king bed slide out the back, making it effectively about 29 feet long, and just for the two of us most of the time, and sometimes the dog is along. Sure, it's nicer, but it also has stuff that we will never use - things like the TV and microwave. AC might be used if we go somewhere with shore power in midsummer, but that is something we rarely do. For our purposes, it's still more of a bed on wheels with attached kitchen. Even the bathroom only gets minimal use most of the time.

hboy · 12-28-2016, 02:58 PM

That 30% off MSRP is a good goal for a new Jayco.

I would suggest considering a used trailer that fits your tow vehicle. The trend for many is to start small and trade up in a couple years. 6 years ago we had a bunk house trailer, then a bunk with 1 slide. Now we have 3 slides and an HD truck....

Happy Shopping!

A clean used trailer may service your needs for a long time. Some used trailers don't really even get used that much and still look new. Even a brand new trailer will have repairs/maintenance going on. RV stuff fails all the time. I think a clean used trailer with the expectation that repairs will arise is a wise option. Especially if you want to be a cash buyer. I've seem many used trailers less than 5 years old and the seller will include the weight distribution hitch and other accessories that cost hundreds (electronics, brake control, leveling devices, hoses, etc).

If you decide to upgrade or downgrade after a couple of years, you typically won't get too hurt financially compared to a new unit.

clubhouse · 12-28-2016, 04:02 PM

I agree starting with a gently used TT is the best option. However you need to buy it private party, not from a dealership as they artificially inflate used prices to in order to sell new units.

There are thousands of families every year who venture in to RVing and buy new units, only to realize they made a mistake. These new units are barely used when the owner decides to go bigger or realize they don't really like RV camping. These units exist in every area and can frequently be found on Craigslist.

I know because I was this person. Bought to small at first, new of course, then took my medicine sold it on CL but fortunately found my next unit on CL from a family going through a divorce and had to get out.

By the way NADA values are not a good gauge either, to high. NADA valued my first TT at 2 years used higher than I paid for it new. I know I'm not that good of a negotiator.

Our 29QBH, at the time, new MSRP was Mid 30's new could be had for ~$24, we bought 2 years used for ~$15. By the way NADA valued it over $20.

BreakBad · 12-28-2016, 04:35 PM

Great idea, I'm on searchtempest.com keywords 'trailer' and 'divorce'

Some interesting results!

cosshog · 12-28-2016, 05:02 PM

Not sure where Niceville is but here in Ohio 24k would get you into a nice trailer with money left for accessories (chairs, mats, canopy ,the list goes on and on). My personal example is wife and I traded our hybrid and worked out a deal on a Jay feather 22bhm before trade we were at aprox 17k. The 22bhm meets all our requirements as new campers bunkbeds, queen bed for the queen, outdoor kitchen and a HUGE awning. Good luck with your search take your time and enjoy it.

bearcat77 · 12-28-2016, 08:02 PM

Here in Cincinnati we just picked up a 2017 27BHS with Equalizer hitch for about $22,000. We've never had a trailer before, but decided to skip the "start small, and work your way up" process. Between family and friends, we figure we'll have no problem filling it up. As far as used, the ones we looked at were only a few thousand less than new, and had no warranty, so buying new was the only option in our eyes.

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lightcs1776 · 12-29-2016, 09:04 AM

Worth it is a very subjective idea. For me, the first question is does it fit my budget. Camping is great if you get out without worrying about the bills. Secondly, how do you camp? My family (four kids, although they are rapidly moving out on their own) always used the trailer for storage, sleeping, and rainy days. If it was nice out and we were awake, we would be around the fire or hiking through the trails. Our current camper is a 26' box and we will downsize to 23' or less when we get another one. Once you have a good idea how you will use it, start making a list of must have items and would like to have items. Ours came with an oven. It is nice, but we only use it for cooking biscuits for breakfast. All other cooking is done over the campfire. Since we don't live in the trailer, slide-outs weren't on the list at all. However, decent storage was on our list as we bring camp chairs, a camp mat, extra tools in case something breaks, fishing gear, etc.

As far as prices, the 2015 26BH I have was about 16k, at the end of the season. I already had a weight distribution hitch and decent tow vehicle, so that wasn't a factor.

Good luck with your search for a perfect camper. As others mentioned, used can be a great option.

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BreakBad · 12-29-2016, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightcs1776

Worth it is a very subjective idea. For me, the first question is does it fit my budget. Camping is great if you get out without worrying about the bills. Secondly, how do you camp? My family (four kids, although they are rapidly moving out on their own) always used the trailer for storage, sleeping, and rainy days. If it was nice out and we were awake, we would be around the fire or hiking through the trails. Our current camper is a 26' box and we will downsize to 23' or less when we get another one. Once you have a good idea how you will use it, start making a list of must have items and would like to have items. Ours came with an oven. It is nice, but we only use it for cooking biscuits for breakfast. All other cooking is done over the campfire. Since we don't live in the trailer, slide-outs weren't on the list at all. However, decent storage was on our list as we bring camp chairs, a camp mat, extra tools in case something breaks, fishing gear, etc.

As far as prices, the 2015 26BH I have was about 16k, at the end of the season. I already had a weight distribution hitch and decent tow vehicle, so that wasn't a factor.

Good luck with your search for a perfect camper. As others mentioned, used can be a great option.

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Great advice. How would we camp as a family of three plus dog? Probably lots of fires, beach time, surfing, paddling and hikes for the weekend trips. The rare NFL game, trip to Disney if we can find a spot. Likely a trip to Asheville/Maggey Valley in NC for some ski time once every other year. I tried my best to convince the wife that we could pay cash for a 15-18' tailer, but we both realized quickly that storage would be an issue. Being end of year, we are seeing some crazy deals, even on new 2017/2016. Almost 30% below msrp after fees/taxes

lightcs1776 · 12-29-2016, 06:48 PM

@BreakBad we have camped with two dogs (Labs), but never three. We bring their crates and purchased an EZ-Up canopy and sides for the dogs. During the day they are each on a 25' cable wrapped around a tree. At night they are taken to their crates, and I don't let go of the collars until the door is almost shut. They are rather quiet with the sides of the canopy zipped up. I rarely hear them bark. We also leave them in their kennels when we go to the beach, again with the sides down. They are comfortable there. However, some campgrounds frown on leaving the dogs unattended, so that may be an issue.

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BreakBad · 12-30-2016, 02:27 PM

Looking at a 2017 jayco slx or 2016 Heartland Mallard fiberglass, same layout and price. Hard to pick, still may sleep on it. We are definitely bypassing the 'buy used' advice, as wise at it is, these prices are too close to used anyhow.

Is fiberglass really worth it?

bearcat77 · 12-30-2016, 02:57 PM

Fiberglass was more expensive up front, and costs a lot more to repair (we've been told), so went with aluminum. Not worried about an occasional ding here and there.

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