Tips for Buying and Selling a camper at this time…
I have two quick stories for you today and an overall assessment of buyers interest in the RV industry as the “buying season” for 2025 ends.
Negotiating on a Class B Van Motorhome for a client – A sign of the times?
The gentleman contacted me looking for a Class B for his family of 4 including two young kids. He preferred new but was open to used IF we could get it at the right price. I started “doing what I do” and after investigating numerous campers, I found one that had potential to be “the one.”
The camper that made the “short list” was a brand new 2025 model. It had been on the dealers lot for 4 months. This “age” is kind-of a “sweet spot” that I look for.
I contacted the dealer, secured details regarding their fees, deposit requirements and refundability of said deposit. Next, I checked in with my client and we decided I would call the dealer back. With the dealer, I then moved in for the jugular! The camper’s MSRP? $183,000. The dealers published asking price? $130,000. (I’m using round figures.) Our offer? $110,000. We settled at $112,000.. So, bottom line: A 183k camper was negotiated down to $112k.
Again, its a 2025 and I’m writing this in July 2025. Here’s why that matters…
Since the 2026’s are beginning to arrive at dealers lots, dealers are trying to move their 2025 (and 2024, AND 2023) inventory. As I write this, there are OVER 91,800 NEW 2025 campers available on RVtrader – so, there’s STILL lots of inventory (nationwide) for dealers to clear off their lots!
RV sales are even weaker than the 2025 data indicate!
Again, using RVtrader as I publish this post, over 10,000 brand new 2024 campers are still sitting (rotting?) on dealers lots (nationwide.) Process that figure for a moment. New 2024 campers SHOULD have been sold off by early summer 2024 as they were released in mid-2023!
Want more data? Let’s go all the way back to the 2023 models. Over 1600 BRAND NEW 2023 campers remain UNSOLD on dealers lots! These are campers that in a healthy market should have left the dealers lots by early Summer 2023! So, here we are two full years later and almost 2000 remain unsold. Not a healthy indicator!
Stock Prices Echo The Data Cited Above
Looking at Winnebago’s stock price, it has fallen about 40% over the past 6 months from about $49 per share to about $30 per share. Thor is holding up better, but is still hurting. Over the past 6 months, it has fallen about 15% from 105 to 90 per share. It was however as low as about 70 during this time period. In comparison, the S&P 500 is UP about 2 to 3 percent over the same time period. This data speaks for itself!
Why RV Sales are SO weak…
RV Campers are NOT considered to be an essential purchase. They are often purchased with discretionary income. With ongoing inflation, an anemic jobs outlook, and HIGH interest rates, many potential buyers are holding back.
Further, in 2021 and early 2022, there was an influx of buyers as the lockdowns ended. Many of these buyers overpaid for their campers. Many of these buyers were caught up in the “buying frenzy” at that time (post-scamdemic), did not do their “due-diligence” and purchased (frankly) crap campers.
There are MANY RV manufacturers who build an inferior quality product. They exist because collectively “we” keep buying them! Since many who purchased in ’21 and ’22 overpaid, they are very much “upside down” as they owe FAR more for their current camper than it is worth.
Recently, I have been contacted by several potential clients looking for me to sell their camper. I’m very honest when we discuss their camper and the current RV market. In our conversations, several learned that their camper is worth as much as $40,000. LESS than what they owe on their note to the lender! Naturally, they did not (and could not) move forward with their plans to sell.
This leads me to ask…
Summer 2025: How healthy is the USED RV camper sales market?
Earlier, I promised you two stories – here’s the second story…
I was contacted by a potential client who wanted to sell their mid-sized Grand Design mid-bunk fifth wheel. It is NOT impacted as far as I can tell by the Grand Design lawsuit. I always ask my potential client what they’d like to get for their camper. They wanted $51,000. After checking, that is the JD Power Average retail book value. Let’s assume it’s in “like new” condition. In a healthy market, by asking $51k, they’d certainly get prospective buyers to want to see it. Not in this market!
When I did my research, I found an identical model for sale of the same year. It appeared to be in great shape. A very successful dealership had been trying to sell it for over 7 months. Seven months is a LONG time in “dealer years.” The dealer is currently asking about $39,800. which is WELL UNDER book value. On the day I looked, it was STILL available!
We can reasonably assume the dealer is likely to get LESS than the $39,800. they’re asking. Low retail on JD Power was $42,700., and the dealer is even below that! I told my prospective client to expect to sell in the mid-30’s and I couldn’t even guarantee that.
That’s how weak the market is. From experience with other clients, I can say weakness in RV sales is across the board. Motorhome values are also DEEPLY depressed. Again, consider the discount we got on the new one above for one of my recent clients.
Thinking of Purchasing an RV Camper? There IS a better way…
I do offer a Concierge RV Buying (and Selling) Service. Details can be found HERE. The bottom line? You’re bringing me onboard to serve you as a “guide by your side, who also has your back.” In the case of buying a camper, I begin by serving you as a consultant and advisor, I then locate “candidate campers” designed to best serve your needs, I interview sellers to get the REAL scoop on their campers condition, negotiate to get it for you at the best possible price, and if appropriate, locate an inspector to ensure the camper truly is in great shape. Call me (307 269 2546 – Mountain Time) to discuss specifics. If you go to the page that details my service and scroll to the bottom, you’ll see what my clients have to say about my service.
If you’re a seller, please understand it IS a weak market (consider what I shared earlier!) I will still strive to get you the best possible price and work with you to ensure the deal goes through and you don’t get scammed.
Quality STILL matters
Through it all, when buying a camper, I firmly believe, QUALITY MATTERS. In other words, quality should be priority #1 to all buyers!
As I travel from town to town and visit campgrounds, I see far too many who have been taken in by manufacturers who use certain “hooks” to get folks to buy their poorly constructed camper. These hooks can include novel floor plans, fancy fireplaces and more. The “eye candy” diverts the buyer from (in my view) the REAL issue: How well is it built and will it hold up over time? I’d welcome hearing your thoughts below on this issue!
My adventures and upcoming plans
It is hard to believe its now the middle of JULY! I arrived in Vernal a month ago. Shortly after arriving I underwent two medical procedures. A hernia repair and the removal of two basal cell cancer growths on my face. Fun, huh? Well, it is what it is.
I’ve been recovering (nicely, I may add) and will soon be back “on the road.” Prior to landing in Vernal, I journeyed for two months across Nevada and Idaho. I had several adventures during that time that I still plan to share with you. These include visits to (and explorations around)
- Cathedral Gorge, Nevada
- Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada
- Goldfield, Nevada
- Austin, Nevada
- Eureka, Nevada
- Emmett, Idaho
- Idaho Falls/Ririe, Idaho (Juniper Campground)
- Pinedale, Wy
- Green River, Wy
- Oh… and there’s STILL MORE adventures from Southern Utah to share!
Some of the photos in this post share snippets of these very unique places. After departing Vernal (probably in the first week or two of August), I plan to head to Saratoga, Wyoming. Saratoga is well known for world class hot springs. Saratoga has become a regular stop of mine It also is near the Snowy Mountains which have at least two pristine lakes worth kayaking in. From Saratoga, I’m heading to Casper to see some friends and then NORTH to Montana as Autumn approaches! After all, SKI SEASON is right around the corner.
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It’s RV’ing season… NEED ACCESSORIES?
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