When Buying an RV, It is Worth it to Shop Around by Michelle Yau
In Hollywood, the cross-country family trip is often used as an easy way to get
laughs. Most people chuckle when they picture Chevy Chase's poor family crammed into the
metallic pea Griswold family station wagon from National Lampoon's Vacation, even as we
sympathize. After all, how many of
us were forced to sit for hours "on the
hump" in the back of the family sedan with two siblings complaining bitterly each time one of
your legs crossed into "their space"? And all of this in the guise of taking a fun family
vacation!
Certainly, cars have continued to become more comfortable and luxurious with each
passing year, and the number of SUVs available means it is no longer a necessity to take the
family's compact car on vacation at all. Let's be honest though, if you've ever sat in the back
of an SUV (or any car) with two other people, it stops feeling comfortable after the first
twenty minutes or so. For this reason along with countless others, many families choose to skip
the driving experience entirely and schedule a flight instead. However, with escalated airport
security resulting in long delays, cramped seating on the planes, limits to what can be carried
on the plane, and maybe even a touch of nostalgia for the car trips of our youth, the siren song
of the open road begins to have increasing appeal.
If you are a parent who doesn't want to hear, "Mooooooommmm, he's touching me," for
several hours straight or a retiree longing to take that dream cross country vacation at a
leisurely pace, there is a clear choice, a RV. Recreational vehicles, or what my family always
referred to as motor homes, are no longer the gaudy rolling trailers with cheap fixtures and
cramped spaces that many people picture. Imagine those rolling luxury hotels that rock stars
travel in with features like plush carpeting, ceramic tile, cabinets designated to store
wineglasses, LCD televisions, retractable awnings, and even storage for motorcycles. Many of
them have a level of opulence so enthralling that you'll be tempted to live in it, even while
it's parked in your driveway! The added bonus is that you never have to deal with the hassles of
staying in a hotel, such as checkout times, missing reservations, or noisy people in the
adjoining room.
Once you decide to purchase a RV, the next choice is the model. There are multiple
manufacturers of motor homes including Gulf Stream, Fleetwood, Winnebego, Holiday Rambler and
more. With such a large array, it's important to do a lot of research into what features you
want and the reliability of the various manufactures. Of course, nothing beats hands on
experience, and websites like rvSearch.com can help you
locate an RV dealership close to you.
Now that you've found your dream vehicle, you are probably ready to jump right in
and purchase it. After all, when you are buying something new, there can't be that much of a
variation in price from dealership to dealership, right? Surprisingly, the cost variance when
comparing new motor homes with identical features can actually be more than the disparities
you'd find when buying used recreational vehicles with vast mileage differences. As an example,
a 2006 Gulf Stream Crescendo Model 8386 found on rvSearch.com was $186,360.00 in Oregon, but it
was over $26,000.00 less at the Pennsylvania dealership, Martinsburg RV. You don't even have to drive across the
country to find such vast price range. The difference between the cost of a RV purchased in Ohio
and Michigan can be anywhere from a few thousand dollars to over twenty thousand dollars. Even
with the soaring cost of gas, it's well worth the trip to save that much money!
These price changes aren't limited to only the most expensive models either. The
same Gulf Stream Independence model 8330LS that costs over $90,000.00 in Indiana can be found
for $87,000.00 in North Carolina, $66,000.00 in Minnesota or $63,000.00 in Pennsylvania.
Certainly once you do some more in depth research, you may locate some options on the $90,000.00
model in Indiana that aren't on the $63,000.00 version in Pennsylvania, but there is little
doubt that the dealership charging less would be able to get you the vehicle of your dreams
without tacking on an additional $27,000.00 for similar options.
Realizing all of that, it makes perfect sense that your first family vacation in
the new RV could be a cross country trip bringing it home from the dealership with the best
price!
About the Author
Martinsburg RV is Gulf Stream's largest exclusive dealer in the United States.
Located in central Pennsylvania, they will sell and deliver RVs nationwide. Visit www.martinsburgrv.com to find RVs at a no-hassle price well
below the MSRP.
See also: Used RV Buyers Guide
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