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Reading Time: 8 minutesLast Updated on August 26, 2025 by Paul Clayton
Table of Contents
Making RV Deals Work for You
Key Takeaways
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- Negotiation is Key: Travel trailer prices are absolutely negotiable, similar to other large purchases like cars. Dealerships often have significant leeway due to large profit margins on RVs.
- Do Your Homework: Thorough research is crucial. Before visiting dealerships, identify the exact make, model, and desired options. Compare online prices and research actual sale prices of similar models from dealers within a 200-mile radius.
- Set a Realistic Budget: Determine your maximum willing-to-pay amount (excluding taxes/fees) and a lower “preferred cost.” This strategy helps guide negotiations and ensures you don’t overspend. Aim for discounts in the 10% to 15% range.
- Leverage Competition: Don’t buy from the first dealer you visit. Engage with multiple dealerships, especially at RV shows, to pit them against each other and secure a better deal.
- Timing Matters: The off-season (winter) or during model change periods (June/July) are the best times to buy, as dealerships are motivated to clear inventory and meet sales quotas. December is often highlighted as an excellent month for deals.
- Avoid First-Visit Purchases: Salespeople are trained to close deals on the first visit. Clarify that you’re comparison shopping to alleviate pressure and improve your negotiating position.
- Scrutinize Details & Options: Meticulously check for missing options or details on the RV you’re considering. Use any discrepancies to your advantage in negotiations. Tools like NADA can help identify standard options.
- Ask for Extras: After agreeing on a price, ask for a gift card (e.g., $200 or more) to the dealership’s accessories store for essential RV supplies.
- Be Prepared to Walk Away: This is your most powerful negotiating tool. If the deal doesn’t meet your budget or needs, be mentally prepared to leave and explore other options. Avoid impulsive decisions.
- Rent Before You Buy: For such a large investment, renting a similar RV first is highly recommended. This allows you to test if the model truly suits your needs and prevents costly mistakes.
When considering the purchase of a travel trailer, a common question that arises is: Are Travel Trailer Prices Negotiable? The answer is yes, travel trailer prices are often negotiable. Just like with cars and other large purchases, dealerships have a certain amount of leeway when it comes to the price of their inventory.
Factors such as the time of year, current market trends, and the specific make and model can all influence the final price. Therefore, it is essential for potential buyers to do their research and be prepared to negotiate to ensure they get the best deal possible.
New vs. Used RV: Navigating the Price Trends
Can You Rent an RV for a Year?
Everyone wants the best possible deal when purchasing an expensive item like a car or a home. As a luxury item, an RV can cost you tens and thousands of dollars. It may be the biggest purchase a person makes in their lifetime.
In comparison to regular vehicles, these campers are sold at a significantly higher price. It may be due to the non-availability of the resources on the subject or even a little intimidation.
It would be best if you knew the best negotiating and buying strategies to gain the optimal price tag for your camper.
Therefore, always remember that the time you spend on negotiation may save thousands of dollars while buying an RV.
I have formulated a list of some tried and tested guidelines that may help you negotiate for your RV.
So, are travel trailer prices negotiable? Yes, absolutely. There are a number of negotiation techniques you can use, the key is to prepare and gather as much pricing information as you can beforehand. Read on for more in-depth tips.
Do Your Homework
This is the most crucial step towards buying a travel trailer. Do plenty of research before stepping into an RV dealership. Shortlist the make, model, and options you are looking for in an RV or camper.
Once you have decided on the model and type of RV, start your research for online prices and visit nearby dealers. This initial homework will give you the price range of your selected RVs.
Always remember prices vary significantly between different parts of the country. Focus on dealers within a 200-mile radius of your area.
Moreover, there are several informative websites to help you compare the actual sale prices of similar models. It gives you a pretty good idea of the amount you are going to pay.
Decide Your Budget
Set the maximum amount you are willing to pay for the selected camper. This is the highest amount you will pay for the camper. It must not include taxes and other fees.
This figure should be realistic and fall within the range of what others are paying. If you ask for too little, you’ll never close a deal.
Also, note down the second number, your preferred cost. It must be less than the amount you are willing to pay. First, you will try with this lower number.
Then, after negotiation, stick to the cost within your final budget.
Furthermore, look out for discounts others are getting. If it’s between 10% and 15%, ask for the maximum discount.
Pit Dealerships Against Each Other
After finalizing the RV’s make and model, don’t buy it from the first dealer. Many RV shows take place around the United States.
Interact with all the dealers who have your desired RV model. It would help you play one dealer against the other. As long as you are honest and the negotiation is not rude, it’s your right as a customer.
These salesmen won’t sell anything unless it’s a good deal for them.
Know When to Purchase
You won’t get the best deal in the peak spring buying season because there is too much competition from the buyers. The best time to purchase an RV is off-season (winter) or in June / July (when the camper’s model changes typically).
You will likely receive good discounts during the model change period, as dealers try to move the old model to the back of their parking lots to make room for the new ones.
Moreover, many dealers work on monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals. They have certain quotas for that period. Camper dealers tend to offer low prices and discounts to meet their specified sales quota.
Also, people don’t go in the winter. Therefore, there would be a minimum number of camper customers in the market. You will find December as the best time for a great deal.
Knowing the exact time to purchase and taking advantage of the dealer’s situation, you may save thousands of dollars with little negotiation.
Never Buy on Your First Visit
Every salesman knows that a customer’s first visit is the best time to convince him to buy from his store. They aim to match you with a camper that sparks your liking and then convince you to buy it at all costs.
So, it’s always better to clarify to the salesman that you are visiting all dealerships for comparison and price check. It will have two benefits:
- First, an overly active salesman will be a bit relaxed and may not push you for an immediate purchase.
- Secondly, you will be in a better negotiating position for the final price talk.
Moreover, once you look at more and more RVs, you might change your mind about the previously searched model RV.
Look Out for Missing Details
In the course of conducting any business, it is crucial to meticulously scrutinize every facet of your possible purchase. It is in this regard that we emphasize the need to ‘Look Out for Missing Options and Details’. Overlooking minor details or options could lead to significant operational inefficiencies or missed opportunities.
Thus, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of your strategy, inclusive of all potential options and intricate details about the RV. A thorough analysis that ensures no stone is left unturned can significantly enhance the success and efficiency of your operations. In essence, always look out for missing options and details.
Another important aspect is to look out for missing options for the RV you are looking at. If you find some features missing, I would suggest you use them to your advantage. If it’s one of the important features you want, you may leave the RV and check out another model.
How do you find the options available for the model you are looking at? NADA lists options for the year and model of RVs.
However, if it’s something you can manage without, you don’t have to tell anyone. Use it to your advantage to lower the price even more.
Ask for a Gift Card
After buying a new travel trailer, you may have to purchase a lot of associated accessories. It may range from small items like black water hoses to larger items such as generators.
Most RV dealerships have accessory stores. If you’ve bought your camper from the same dealership, consider asking for a $200 (or more) gift card to their store.
Be Prepared to Walk Away
This video has been included for its clarification of the topic matter. Credit goes to My RV Broker
One of the most important guidelines I can give is to be mentally prepared to walk away. Suppose you like a model, but either the price is out of your budget or the features are not the ones you seek. In that case, you should be strong enough to leave it and move to the next option or the next dealer.
Don’t fall for the convincing logic or the tempting offers those dealers make. It’s their job to do it. As for you, your job is to make the right decision for you and your family.
Don’t make a hasty decision; do your research, and negotiate on all the terms you want. If the deal works, it’s a win-win situation. But if it doesn’t, as mentioned above, be prepared to walk away.
Rent Before Buying
If you plan to buy a camper or RV, consider renting one first to try it out. This experience is enough to answer whether the RV suits you or not. This can be the largest reason to stop the buying process until you have rented.
A camper is a large investment, and a hasty decision to opt for the wrong one can be a costly mistake.
Many dealers provide RV and camper rental services. You can easily find them in your local area. RV Share may be one of the available options.
Final Thoughts
When considering the purchase of a travel trailer, a common question that arises is “Are Travel Trailer Prices Negotiable?” The answer is, in most cases, yes. Like car dealerships, travel trailer dealers have a certain amount of flexibility in their pricing. This is due to the substantial markup that typically exists between the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and the dealer’s actual cost for the trailer.
Therefore, potential buyers shouldn’t hesitate to negotiate the price.
This video has been included for its clarification of the topic matter. Credit goes to
Wingman Wisdom
The extent to which you can negotiate will depend on various factors, including the time of year, demand for the specific model you’re interested in, and the dealership’s inventory levels. It’s important to remember that while negotiation is commonplace in this industry, there’s a limit to how low a dealership can go while still maintaining profitability. However, it’s also worth noting that dealerships may be more willing to negotiate on older models or those that have been in inventory for a long time.
If you’re wondering, “Are Travel Trailer Prices Negotiable?” the answer is yes, but the degree of negotiation will vary depending on circumstances.
You don’t have to spend the whole day negotiating with a travel trailer dealer to get a good deal. When you have done your research, you will be confident enough to make a worthy decision.
Make sure you are well-informed before stepping into the RV dealership. Show them you mean business, and you’ll be able to snag a great camper at a great price.
Finally, I hope these negotiating tips assist you in getting the best price for your new camper and bringing you into the unique RV lifestyle.
Best of Luck!
