Ordering a Winnebago. West? East? Midwest?

[ClassB4Me]

Ordering a Winnebago. West? East? Midwest?

Now that 4x4 ERAs are being produced and there are opportunities to test drive, any suggestions on the best zone/dealer to purchase from? Are deals better obtained in the Carolinas versus California?

I have a home in N. California and the Carolinas and could take delivery from either favorite local dealer. Would there be any benefit from going the Forest City route? The dealer close to the Winnebago dealership makes a big deal about buying there (getting a factory fresh RV) and not letting someone else drive your vehicle during the break-in period to the dealership.

My CA dealer is large and has location in FL as well. They order vehicles in large volumes and the ones on the lots don't have the miles to indicate they were driven to the dealership.

Any advice?

[Jostalli]

My advice is to reach out to several dealers and choose the best deal. My experience with two Winnebago's in the last two years was La Mesa RV in San Diego had the best deal both times.

[ClassB4Me]

Originally Posted by Jostalli

My advice is to reach out to several dealers and choose the best deal. My experience with two Winnebago's in the last two years was La Mesa RV in San Diego had the best deal both times.

LaMesa has a dealership close to Sacramento and I have only heard positives from others about the dealerships. I'm bringing my own financing to the deal so, service, proximity to a MB service center are primary to me.

Since I am ordering (no floor planning expense) and need no financing support, will dealers be less willing to deal with me because I am cutting into their dealership profit centers?

[Jostalli]

Each dealership is different but it seems like Winnebago works more like new car dealerships. Meaning, the manufacturer rewards units moved. It's not just profit per deal.

[tbirdman]

I found the better deals move from west to east. The PNW is extremely noncompetitive. I found the best deal was RVdirect and second was Litchsinn.

[B Eventually]

@tbirdman Bummer to hear that the PNW is extremely noncompetitive since I’m close to the extreme corner of the PNW. Does this lack of competition apply to orders as well?

@Jostalli That is good to know. It should make ordering slightly easier, especially when the dealer doesn’t have the exact B in stock.

Does anyone know if you can order a B at a Winnebago MH/Trailer dealership that isn’t approved to stock Bs? I have a very established trailer dealership 20 minutes away that is expanding into Winnebago MHs, but I doubt they’ll be stocking Bs since WB seems to be pretty selective about B dealerships.

@ClassB4Me This thread will be really helpful for us since we’re roughly a year out from ordering. We’d be inclined to order order as well unless we could snag a deal on a 4x4 70X as years end.

Wincrasher likes to order new Winnebago Bs. Maybe he can share some words of wisdom?

[wincrasher]

I'm fairly sure the dealership has to be certified with Winnebago to sell B's. Ordering is easy, takes about 5 mins to fill out the order sheet, and another to write a check. They have to call it in and then send you a confirmation of your order. Takes a few days to get a delivery date.

[tbirdman]

Originally Posted by Transit

@tbirdman Bummer to hear that the PNW is extremely noncompetitive since I’m close to the extreme corner of the PNW. Does this lack of competition apply to orders as well?

?

I was going to order one from Camping World.
CW $76K
Litchsinn $73,000
RVDirect $70,700

RVdirect has some killer pricing on 2016 Winnebago Views and Forest River Sunseekers.

You may want to check Craigslist in Eugene, OR. There's a B deal "Trades OK LLC" that specializes in Bs.

[ClassB4Me]

Originally Posted by Transit

Wincrasher likes to order new Winnebago Bs. Maybe he can share some words of wisdom?

Wincrasher: I think this could be the premise for a new HGTV reality show 'RV Flipper'. You use your skills to buy low, make improvements, and sell for a profit.

[ClassB4Me]

@ClassB4Me This thread will be really helpful for us since we’re roughly a year out from ordering. We’d be inclined to order order as well unless we could snag a deal on a 4x4 70X as years end.

I hope tp purchase sooner but there are so many brand new 2015 ERAs out there being heavily discounted. 70As priced at $82K make one consider the depreciation hit a new RV will encounter. I love the Sprinter chassis but these new RVs are getting pricey.

If money were no object I would buy a high spec Roadtrek Adventurous XL @ $155K

https://youtu.be/nTFp3RJ_bIY

[eric1514]

Originally Posted by Transit

...
Does anyone know if you can order a B at a Winnebago MH/Trailer dealership that isn’t approved to stock Bs? I have a very established trailer dealership 20 minutes away that is expanding into Winnebago MHs, but I doubt they’ll be stocking Bs since WB seems to be pretty selective about B dealerships...

When I bought my Travato, locally there were two Winnebago dealerships Dealer A had one on the floor and Dealer B could not get one for me to buy. Dealer B had Roadtreks so maybe WGO had a problem with that. Turns out I didn't purchase from either, but both are willing and able to do warranty work, one of them poorly.

Eric

[Dahai]

I live in Los Angeles. When I shopped for a Travato last year I wanted the tan color. No dealer in the LA area had one. Looked online. Found a bunch. Emailed dealers in the western half of the US and eventually made an offer on one in Prescott, Arizona. They wouldn't come down enough, so looked elsewhere.

Eventually emailed an offer to Roy Robinson in Marysville, Washington, in the Seattle area which they accepted right away. Made me think I should have offered less, but it was a fair price. Flew there a few days later, spent all day going over the Travato with a fine-tooth comb and taking it for a lengthy test drive. Drove it off the lot the next day.

So, it is possible to get a good deal in the Pacific Northwest. It's sorta' hit or miss, and you may have to be patient and take time for some back-and-forth emailing, but it can be done.