Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I need some inside info. Will dealers come down from the standard quote much on new trailers? I know they will on a trailer on the lot, especially if it has a few scratches or dents. What about special order?

If they will deal, can anyone give me an idea of what to expect? Will cash purchase vs. financed make any difference?

I've googled and can't find out much on this.

Thanks,

Margie

They will some. The best thing to do is work a couple different dealers on the same exact trailer it will give you an ides what your working with.

I checked out several and the place I liked the best were high in the window cost. I went back and he matched the standard window prices from two other dealers. He also threw in a multi-option discount. Once the window price was settled on he was spot on for most all other matching options.

I also like the LED lights, one piece roof and radial tires that were standard on Liberty Stealth trailers.

I purchased my trailer form Trailers Midwest in Elkhart, IN.

Barb

Thanks for all the info everyone! I'm chomping at the bit to get going with this and the wait is killing me but it is making me think about it in detail before taking the plunge.

Book , we look for a trailer dealer with Too Many CTs on it ... They're overstocked and usually will accept a "reasonable " offer for one they have in stock ... If you special order a CT , expect to pay the full ticket ... A lot depends on your Haggling skills and how desperate the dealer is to make a sale ...

When I first started looking to buy an enclosed car hauler at around this time last year, the first thing that I discovered is that the CT industry is really hurting due to the economy. Factories that used to have acres of trailers waiting for delivery or shipping pickup were down to skeleton crews, and their storage yards were empty. Both name brand and no-name manufacturers were clubbing each other over the head for every sale, and new trailers were selling for less than used ones on eBay and locally.

I have not looked since early last fall to see if things have improved, but I'm inclined to guess that they haven't changed radically since last summer. If a local trailer dealer has inventory on their lot, it probably isn't going anywhere and they may be paying finance charges on it. I would walk in the door with printouts of an eBay or other "factory direct" web site's quote for a no-name trailer, factor in $1.50/mile for delivery from Elkhart, Indiana or south Georgia, and see how close to that price they can get. (I don't know where the CT/RV manufacturing hubs are west of the Mississippi.) Decide whether the price difference is worth being able to see/touch the trailer in person to you, versus having to buy it "blind" online.

In my own case, the dealer was sitting on my Featherlite for 2 years, and wanted to get it off his books bad enough to let me have it for steel trailer prices. The same trailer model but 5 years older was selling used online for more than I paid for a new leftover, and the dealer even had a financing deal with a local bank that beat my credit union's new car loan rate never mind unsecured personal loan pricing.

One last suggestion is that if you're going to shop hard and live near Elkhart or south Georgia, it may be worth the drive there to look at some of the no-name trailers and see if you like the construction or features. There are plenty of online trailer dealers with no overhead selling almost wholesale if you're willing to pick up at the factory.....

Wow, y'all have given me some great advice! This forum is worth it's weight in gold! Errr... Uhhh... it doesn't weigh anything, does it? Well, you know what I mean! Thanks a whole lot!

Hi Bookcrazzzy

If your within 500 miles go to Douglas Georgia ....
best trailer builder in the USA ....my 7 x 16 tows like a ghost.....
empty or full makes no difference.....


http://www.larkunited.com/

Tell them Jerry from California sent you
show them my link to prove I love their LARK !!!


http://overthetopcargotrailer.blogspot.com/


Jerry

If you're in the southeast, look on eBay. There are a LOT of trailers in Georgia. The prices from over that way are a good bit cheaper than LA / TX.

I thought about going to GA to buy my trailers but by the time I added in gas for two trucks and motel room expenses I wouldn't have come out ahead so I bought mine from a dealer in Seagoville, TX. I paid $3,750 for a trailer that he normally sells for $4,388. The catch was I bought two trailers (7 X 16 and a 6 X 10). I paid regular price for the 6 X 10 ($2,195).

The nearest dealer (Bossier City, LA) wanted $4,900 for the exact same trailer that I ended up paying $3,750 for (+ a 350 mile round trip).