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Get a Good Deal on a Travel Trailer with these Clever Tips

Published on June 25th, 2016 by Camper Report
This post was updated on September 15th, 2021

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It’s pretty easy to get a good deal on a travel trailer. These RVs are sold on much higher margins than regular passenger vehicles. This is because RV sales lots make the vast majority of their sales in the summer months. Dealers see much less action during the rest of the year.  That is true, at least, in the 3/4 of the country that actually has a winter.  Also, a travel trailer is a luxury item, so they are often purchased by people who can pay more. 

How to Get a Good Deal on a Travel Trailer

I respect that RV sales people need to make their living. But I also want to get the best deal possible.  Here are a few things that have worked for me, or which I’ve heard work well for others.

Shop the Entire Country for Your RV

I negotiated very hard for my trailer. I shopped every single dealership within 100 miles of my home to find the absolute best price possible.  But I paid $3,000 more for my trailer over list price. The same trailer is cheaper on dealership lots in Indiana where it’s made. Why?  Because freight to the dealership costs less. Regional dealerships can sell year-round so they don’t have to mark up the trailers as high.

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Shipping a travel trailer can be expensive. It commonly costs $2 per mile due to the large size, heavy weight, and difficulty in loading a camper. Freight costs to get the camper to the dealership. The hub for RV manufacturing in the United States is Indiana. Freight costs in the south and midwest are low to get the trailer to the dealership.

When you find a trailer you like locally, search for the model number/name of the trailer to locate it at dealerships around the country.  See what their list prices are to get an idea of what kind of markup your dealer is putting on the trailer. It may be worth calling a dealership in another state and inquiring about having the trailer shipped.  Or, you could hop in the truck and go on a road trip.  It might actually be worth it, and what a way to break in a trailer!

Only Buy Gently Used

The average recreational vehicle is traded in or sold every three years.  People’s needs change over time. Another kid means you need another bunk. Or the kids leave home and mom and dad want a Class C. People don’t get out as often as they thought they would, so they sell. The reasons are endless.

This means that there is frequently a high volume of used trailers on the market.  Before you purchase a new trailer, visit your local dealerships. Craigslist, and RVTrader.com are also good places.

When I recently bought a camper trailer, I looked at new trailers first.  This was a mistake. When I saw lightly used trailers, I just kept comparing them to the shiny new ones.  I wish I’d looked only at lightly used trailers for the first few weeks. Then, if I didn’t find anything, I would start looking at new trailers. It would have helped me get a good deal on a travel trailer in better condition.

Used camper trailers don’t depreciate as much as some other recreational vehicles. Ski boats and motorhomes are a good example. But you can get a good deal on a travel trailer when buying a gently used one that is only 2 or 3 years old.

In this article, I tell used RV buyers how to do a 100 point inspection before they make their purchase. Read it to make sure you aren’t surprised when bringing your “new” used RV home!

Compare Dealer Deals on Travel Trailers

This is my favorite technique for getting a good deal on a travel trailer. It gave me the leverage I needed to talk the dealership down $6,000 on a recent RV purchase.

When I bought my trailer, the cost was initially $29,000 for the trailer I wanted.  But I found a very similar floorplan in a trailer at a different dealership. It wasn’t as nice of a brand but after working with them, I got them to agree to sell it to me for $23,700.  I wrote down the details of the sale and that price on a piece of paper. Then I took it to the dealership sellig the trailer that was more expensive.  I told the salesman the honest truth.

The truth was that I was ready to buy a trailer that day.  I had the money and I decided I’d buy the trailer from the other dealership for $23,000, but I wanted to drop by and see if this dealership could give me a better deal.  In the end, I saved $6,000 off the price of the trailer that was better quality and was the one I wanted—all because I had some leverage.

When I bought a car I used this same technique. I found two cars I liked at different dealerships and didn’t allow myself to fall in love with one specific car. Then I visited both dealerships and said the truth.  I honestly liked both cars equally and so I was going to go with whoever could give me the better price.  This worked so well that I even got the salesmen from the two dealerships to call each other and negotiate directly!  Ha!  I was smiling ear to ear while I sat there listening to the salesmen on the phone with each other fighting over the price.  It was awesome!  I ended up with a great deal and walked away absolutely certain that I had the best possible price.

Negotiating is not rude. As long as you are honest, you should work to get the best price.  The dealerships are big boys and girls.  They aren’t going to sell unless it’s a good deal for them, so you don’t have to feel guilty about working hard to get a good price.

Never Buy on Your First Visit

Every salesperson knows that the first visit is the best time to get someone to buy, because they can work on your impulses.  Their goal is to match you with a trailer that sparks your liking, and then make it feel like you need to do whatever it takes to get it.

I like to make it obvious to the salesperson right from the get-go that I’m visiting all of the dealerships to compare and price shop.  This helps salespeople who are a little too eager to relax a bit, and puts yourself in a better negotiating position when it comes time to talk price.

This is also important because you may change your mind on what you want as you look at more and more RVs.  On my recent purchase, I first thought I wanted a tent trailer and ended up with a larger hard-side travel trailer.  I took many visits to dealerships before I realized that what I initially thought I wanted was perhaps not the best.

Watch Out for Missing Pieces

Pricing can make getting a good deal on a travel trailer challenging. Suppose you see a $20,000 trailer at one dealership, and a $22,000 trailer at another dealership.  Obviously you’d think the $20,000 trailer is less expensive, but that may not be true.

get a good deal on a travel trailer
Compare dealer incentives to each other

Unique buying incentives I saw when trying to get a good deal on a travel trailer

  • A dealership offered yearly winterizing for as long as I own the trailer.  That would save me $120 per year for many years.
  • One dealership had a storage facility and offered free storage for a year.
  • Another dealership had a $400 freight fee and a $350 processing fee
  • Most of the dealerships I visited did not include hoses for the trailer, so I’d have to buy them at additional cost
  • Only half of the dealerships included the two batteries I’d need for my trailer.  Some came with one and some didn’t include any batteries.
  • Sales tax is not included in the price.  If your state has 6% sales tax, you’ll pay an extra $1,200.  That number will be the same at all of the lots, but it’s important to know that it’ll be tacked on to the price.
  • Dealer doc and title fees are also added to the price.  A doc fee is commonly $250 and a title fee is usually under $50.
  • Many trailers don’t come with things that you’ll certainly want to buy right away such as a spare tire and cover to mount on the back.
  • You’ll also need to purchase a generator.  You should budget between $1,000 and $2,500 for a good generator depending on your preferences.  Don’t be “that guy” who buys the deafeningly-loud $400 generator from Lowes and drives the whole campground crazy.

Negotiate for a Gift Card

When you purchase your new travel trailer, you’ll have a lot of associated expenses.  From little things like buying a black water hose, to big things like a generator.  If you purchase your new travel trailer from a dealership that also has a store with accessories (most dealerships do), then once you feel like you’ve got all the money out of the negotiation that you can, ask for a $250 gift card to their store to push you over the edge.

A gift card isn’t as expensive for them to give because they have obviously marked up the items in the store, and you’ll need to buy some things anyway.

Check Out Different Brands

Some travel trailers command an extremely high price simply because of the brand name.  Airstream trailers are notorious for charging a fat premium just because of their style and name.

Check out my article on average prices for new trailers to get an idea of the HUGE price variability between trailers of the same floorplan and size.

Rent RVs Before Buying

If you’re considering buying an RV or Camper, I strongly suggest you rent one first to make sure it’s one you’ll really love.  Campers can be very large investments, and buying the wrong one can be a costly mistake. RVShare is a great place for finding RVs and Campers to rent in your local area.

Conclusion

I hope you find a great deal on your new trailer.  If you know that you have a hard time being brave enough to negotiate a deal, follow these tips to make sure you don’t get taken.  Good luck to you!

30 thoughts on “Get a Good Deal on a Travel Trailer with these Clever Tips”

  1. We appreciate all this information!! Will definitely use it on our next purchase.
    Could you also give us some insight when buying used privately.
    Thank you!!

    Reply
  2. I want to buy and live in a travel trailer full-time and only want to move it 3-4 times in any one year period. Is that do-able or am I completely insane???!!! How long can you stay at one spot and how expensive is it to do that??? Thank you in anticipation of some good feedback.

    Reply
  3. You make some great points on how to find a good travel trailer. I agree that you want to find what things a dealership does not include with the base price in order to know how much you will be paying. I’m looking for a trailer to help haul some things when I go on vacation, so I’ll have to check the dealership first. https://www.camcargosales.com/concessions-trailer

    Reply
  4. My family and I are fond of camping, that’s why my husband suggested that maybe it’s best if we’ll purchase our own camper trailer. Thank you for this; we’ll make sure not to purchase on our fust visit, so the salesperson will be eager to negotiate with us regarding the price. I just hope that we’ll be able to find an affordable and sturdy camper trailer. https://www.mymountaineerrv.com/

    Reply
  5. I really enjoyed your tip about not buying on the first try even if it would go against your impulse. My brother and I want to go traveling in the spring but we need to buy an RV first. I’ll keep this tip in mind as we search for RV dealerships. http://www.pettibonerv.com

    Reply
  6. I would like to purchase a travel trailer to permanently leave on my property. The property has electric, and water. After I put in a septic, what else would I need to do to prepare the travel trailer? It will be hooked up to electric and water.

    What is the best Travel Trailer on the market today?

    Reply
  7. Just so everyone knows, Campers Inn RV is located all over the US,- they include sales tax & dealer documentation Fees in the price (they call it their integrity pricing), they include 2 free camping packages after purchase, a 12 year warranty (1 bumper to bumper & 12 on the material used to seal the roof which saves $200 or so a year), batteries & propane. Oh and they give you a 2 hours demonstration with a technician when you pick it up.

    Reply
  8. Thank all of you for the good advice. I will share this with you I would never buy another Motor Home, or Travel Trailer built by Jayco they are junk the ac units on Travel Trailers, Motor homes, and Fifth wheels are worthless in Arizona, New Mexico and southern California I was there for the last 2 years during the months Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May and June it was not nice . Also there largest CampingTrailer, Fifth wheels and Toy haulers do not have good braking power be extremely careful they were putting one 7000 Lb and 2 two 5000Lb axles under there campers, what this means is the 5000Lb axles have a lot smaller backing plate and that means smaller brake lining if you happen to get in and emergency situation you may not get stopped. I have to say Jayco is not the only RV company doing this. I talked to a friend of mine that has owned a garage here in Pennsylvania for many years, I was telling him about the problem getting my Jayco seismic toy hauler slowed down or stopped he is the person that told about this axle problem, he has a Pa State inspection license he going to bring this problem to light with the Pa., State Police when goes to the meeting for updates on state inspections. These are extremely dangerous situations as buyers we are not aware of. I travel by myself since my wife passed away I am one of the un lucky ones that fell a sleep on a 2 lane blacktop road in Georgia I went over the side of a mountain I was lucky I did no hit a tree or any thing I did roll over on the passenger side and slid to the bottom of the Mountain and totaled a 1 ton truck and a large toy hauler. Their was no place to stop on the inter states at road side rest as they were parked full of trucks and cars that extended along entrance and exits of the rest areas. Believe me I am glad they sometimes have a place to stop I have followed many of them at night they start weaving you know they are falling a sleep. My Wife and I along with our Son started camping and traveling in 1962 the accident I had was my first bad accident. Safe travels everyone, I hope you do not get screwed to bad by these RV dealers.

    Reply
  9. Searching through both the local dealerships, as well as other selling sites to find deals on used trailers is a great way to save money, I agree. My husband and I want to get our first RV together, and getting a trailer that is only 2-3 years old, but still saves us several thousand dollars as opposed to a new one, is something that we’re definitely interested in. We’re going to have our dog traveling with us, anyway, so it would be something of a waste to get a full-priced new RV that will likely get scratched up fairly quickly, anyway.

    Reply
  10. I’m looking at buying a new Avenge camper and I’m trying to find out if this is a good trailer or not. In reviews you only see the bad not the good. Can anyone one help me with this. I don’t want to buy one that has alot of problems. I’m disabled so thought buy buying new would be the best way to go. I found the one I love and want but just need to know is it a good trailer or what is the best camping trailer. Thank you in advance

    Reply
  11. My dad wants to buy a trailer he can us to haul his ATVs on, and I wanted to help him get the best deal he could find. You had some great tips for buying trailers, and I liked how you said to look at your local dealerships for good deals on used trailers. You can also look at online sources, and I’ll share this with my dad to help him buy the right travel trailer.

    Reply
  12. Looking for our first travel trailer. All above are great advice and I will use once I find a new floor plan I like. So many manufacturers!!!

    Reply
  13. Great tips. We’re currently in negotiations for our first travel trailer. We made a low offer and as waiting for a counter.

    Reply
  14. GOOD TIPS ON HOW BUY AT THE BEST PRICE BUT SOMETHING TO CONSIDER IS SERVICE AFTER THE SALE. RV’S ARE NOT LIKE CARS WHERE THE LOCAL DRALER MUST WORK ON YOUR UNIT. I FOUND OUT IN RV’S YOUR LOCAL DEALER ON HAS TO WORK ON THE UNITS HE SELLS. SO THIS MAKES SERVICE AFTER THE SALE A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR. AND LIKE WHAT OUT FOR FEE’S . DOC, PROCESSIGN,DELIVERY.

    Reply
  15. Good article. One tip I would add is to negotiate an “out the door” price with each dealer. That way you eliminate the processing, delivery, doc fees from the equation. They can still charge them but they are included in your negotiated price and you know you are comparing apples to apples between dealerships.

    Reply
  16. Perfect timing for this article. I am looking for my first travel trailer. I read I can save a lot of money buying a trailer a few years old used. Only problem is as I compare the new prices with the prices of the same model a few years old on RVTrader,com I see only a couple thousand dollars difference.

    If recently used and new are priced that close why not buy new? Or am I expected to negotiate on these used prices?

    Reply
  17. There is a MASSIVE markup on RVs. I purchased a Mallard IDM29 last summer (2016). The sticker was just under $30k. I felt like I could get it for $20k. The salesman offered $23k right off the bat. I countered with $18k. He went and talked to the sales manager and came back with $24k – raised the price on his previous offer! We went back and forth a couple times and I walked after my final offer of $21k. They called me back two days later and accepted the offer.

    Reply
    • Great point. Always be willing to walk away. But you have to do your research and be confident you are not demanding something they just cannot agree to….such as lowball below cost offer. Gotta do the homework before you negotiate. I buy cars and trucks the same way. Surprising how often they call you the next day and take your offer…… or they chase you out of the showroom agreeing to your offer.

      Reply
  18. I do like that you encourage readers not to buy any trailer on their first visit. After all, it is not likely that you’ll find the right trailer for you at the first dealership. You want to make sure that you visit several and see many different models before you commit to buying any one particular camping trailer.

    Reply
  19. Agree with the general gist of your article. However, you miss one important thing. It is ultra important to buy from a dealership that has a good reputation for service after the sale. Case in point, i had several cosmetic and mechanical issues that had to be taken care of in the first few months of ownership. My neighbor bought at a different dealership about the same time as me. My dealer service dept had me bring it in, and fixed the issues while I waited and warranty approval was obtained in less than an hour. My neighbor’s dealer told her it would take them 7-10 days just to get warranty approval to fix the same issue (a failed converter). She complained so much that they finally agreed to take her camper in but still took several days to fix it. That’s one of many reasons the dealer makes a difference.

    Reply
    • “You’re not buying ‘X’, you’re buying a dealership” Many people find this out the hard way. I hardly ever see this in any “If you’re shopping an RV (auto, moto, etc)” type article. Having a great local dealer is worth the extra money you’d probably pay if you snagged a low-ball deal, but as we all know, RV’s are hand built things, and often have little or big things go wrong with them no matter what the brand. Having a local dealer that can get you in for service on a tight holiday weekend, or make a few extra phone calls, expedite warranty issues ahead of schedule, etc is worth paying a little more than ‘the best deal’…..Often the best deal reveals itself after the sale when the first issue crops up – and it will. Will your dealership be around for you, or out of biz?

      Reply
  20. Niceville fl. Looking for used conversion van. Got to have lift and commode.i did not see here. Wife will drive and wants a 18 to 21 footer. Will pay $30,000 cash for one 10 yrs old but has to have been kept up every year for the 10 yrs. o.k got price from depreciation value which I assume is same. Or one 5 yrs. old for $50,000 ,could make downpayment and pay out rest in a yr. Mr. Hoyt o.k.

    Reply
  21. I strongly agree with your statement to never buy on the first visit. However, I don’t necessarily say it always is the most effective method. I would change it to say, “always plan on not buying anything on your first visit.” This way, you expect to leave. If the camper for sure catches your eye and you are pretty certain that it will be gone before you come back to check it out, you can then proceed to buy it.

    Reply

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