Walked around a Winnebego dealer yesterday

[Kenvb]

i drove 600 kms yesterday to nearest Winnebego dealer to pick up 2 body parts for our 92 Itasca..while waiiting we walked thru the huge indoor showroom of Happy Trails camper in Grand Prairie...wow..cheapest new rig was a class c for $99,500 . cheapest A class was $125,000 for one that looks like a 70s RV and cheapest used was a 99 class A DP for $118,000 .a fellow outside wasnt too happy. just picked up his new Mercedes powered camper Van and they had to boost it..$105,000 and dead battery,he wasnt impressed..but...chit happens.. our old Rig looked pretty good for the $10g we paid for it.

[nukerj]

The RV industry is growing and every year since the recession seems to be an all time high. Prices are getting ridiculous and it's just going to keep going up. Lenders are willing to do 20 year loans on a coach over 100k so that opens doors for manufacturers to bump invoice price and then dealers try to squeeze as much as they can out of a customer. Even though they get vehicles for at least 40% under msrp and even more during model year end closeouts from manufacturers.

[Hikerdogs]

Prices have surely gone out of sight in the last few years. When we bought our first motorhome in 2001 a fully loaded Adventurer had a list price of slightly over $100,000.00. Today the smallest Adventurer with no options lists for over $187,000.00.

Having said that there's a night and day difference between what was available in 2001 and what's available today. The new higher end motorhomes have systems and amenities that weren't even thought of 16 years ago.

In 2001 we didn't even know remote control window shades existed. Today they are standard equipment on many models. The same goes for electric toilets, residential refrigerators, multiple flat screen TV's, an electric fireplace, navigation system, 360+ hp engines, 6 speed transmissions, and a host of other "must have" amenities. It's all great stuff when it works, however when something fails it costs another arm and leg to repair or replace it.

Just to put things in perspective if you are looking at gas powered Class A motorhomes the F53 chassis only costs around $30,000.00 with the smaller ones being slightly less and the largest slightly more. So if a motorhome is listing in the $200,000.00 range that means $150,000.00 or so is in the house and "must have" amenities.

[tderonne]

Your '92 looks great! A new one would be like $1000/month if you financed it. I'm sure that was more than the two body parts you picked up. But you don't pick up body parts every month. Keep enjoying yours.

[JohnRR]

Originally Posted by Kenvb

our old Rig looked pretty good for the $10g we paid for it.

Actually that's an understatement as already mentioned "it looks great".

[Kenvb]

thanks. it sat for about 16 years under a roof in Arizona, the paint is faded on the passenger side..will repaint next summer.

[JohnRR]

Any possibilities that a professional grade buffing job may correct the situation?

[Kenvb]

jOHN,..NO buffing is out..my son is a body man, we have a plan,

[Badlands Bob]

The best feature on an RV is to have a clear title.

[JohnRR]

I look forward to the results.

Originally Posted by Kenvb

jOHN,..NO buffing is out..my son is a body man, we have a plan,

[Gordon Dewald]

Prices in Canada are generally substantially higher than in the US.

Dealers sell less volume but seem to be just as well off as US dealers.

There is a WGO dealer in St Albert. Woody's

[LarryW21]

I see no end to these price increases in the near term.

[TrailerDon]

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

Prices in Canada are generally substantially higher than in the US.

Dealers sell less volume but seem to be just as well off as US dealers.

There is a WGO dealer in St Albert. Woody's

I was surprised to see that from last Spring to this Spring in Western Canada the MM's seem to have jumped in price close to 20%-25%.

I am told part of that is due to the tariffs, that were placed on Canadian Aluminium, however one the new Free Trade agreement was reached it was my assumption the tariffs would be removed, but that I am told did not happen, at least not yet.