Customer Reviews

Rv Buyers Survival Guide Edition II

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My apologies to other reviewers who had negative sentiments concerning this book but I (a 60 year old man) found this book very informative. No, there are no "tricks" and it does present "common sense" principles but it DOES explain in detail the dealer's process in establishing a price and in negotiating the lowest offer that they will probably take below the MSRP. It takes common sense and insider knowledge and organizes them so the average RV buyer can use them to their negotiating advantage. It is certainly better than walking into a dealership unarmed with any clues.

I think some of the complaints concerned the first edition. The second edition is in booklet form. It is a bit high priced for the size and quality of the book but it is NOT high priced when compared to the information the contents give to the reader.

Recently, a friend of mine bought a new Chevy pickup truck. While he was describing the negotiating process, I was thinking to myself that his actions seemed bull-headed and almost rude. But, as this book points out, you are negotiating for YOUR MONEY and not for five or ten dollars but for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

My buddy knew what a fair price was and he not only stuck to his guns but he was willing to walk out of the showroom unless they made a deal that day. Just as described in this book. If you have done your research properly and you KNOW what a fair price is then YOU MUST stick to your guns and not let sales-people talk you out of any more money with flimsy reasons.

The glossary is helpful and the author did steer me toward a fifth-wheel rather than a travel trailer by letting me know that there is more liveable space in the fifth-wheel for a given length. The trailer has a 3' hitching point in front. Also, the combined length of the truck and fifth-wheel will be shorter than with a truck and trailer because of the way the fifth-wheel hitches up in the bed of the truck rather than on the rear bumper area. That allows for easier maneuvering.

There were some very helpful guides about what to compare when shopping for a rig, too. They covered all the options such as bed size, holding tank size, hot water heater size, chassis, sidewall construction etc, etc.

But, the "meat" of the book was how to take all the information that you have gathered and figure out a "fair" price. Then, how to take that information and use it when you go to the dealer. Priceless. He explains what the MSRP is, how it is calculated and, most importantly, why it exists.

Remember, if the MSRP is a 40 % markup from the invoice price, you don't take 40 % off of the MSRP to get the invoice price. It would be a 28 % markdown from the MSRP to get the invoice price. Math is funny isn't it? Practice with your calculators.

I should have been suspicious when I saw that the "book" was really a ring bound notebook about 1/4" thick. The information inside was of similar quality. The author told me little more than books and articles that provide tips for buying automobiles. One of the most elusive pieces of information, when shopping for an RV, is the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price and the price of individual options. Many dealers and manufacturers are reluctant to provide this data or do not provide it at all. And how accurate is the MSRP when is is available? The author never addresses these issues. What about add-ons, such as dealer prep and other miscellaneous fees. Are these legitimate fees? The author does not say. For me, this book was useless.

This how to book is a must if you plan to purchase a new or used RV. The guide walks you through the shopping process and describes the many types of Rv's that are on the market, and how to choose the best one to suit your needs. There is also a glossary of terms that are used in the RV business that will help you to talk the talk. After you have done all your research, have found the RV of your dreams, and are finally ready to take the big step towards the purchase, this guide excells in teaching you how to make your best deal. It explains the ins and outs of the industry, the best time to buy, and finally the purchasing process, where you can save thousands of dollars. We found this guide very easy to follow and when my wife and I applied his step by step instructions, by the time negotiations were over we had saved thousands of dollars! Bob even taught us how to receive more thousands in the value of our trade. It was a great feeling knowing we had the confidence to walk into the sales office being one-up on the dealer and their sales staff. Thanks for this great guide Bob!

I purchased this book expecting to be enlightened. I am an accomplished vehicle buyer and wanted basic facts on RV pricing. The book has some good information, if you never bought a car or RV before, but cost figures are generic. The quality of the book was poor (basically copier pages, not all printed straight, with a plastic binding. Not worth the price .... I guess it would be OK is it was the only game in town. A better buy is "How to Buy an RV and Save" by Don Wright. ...

This how to book is a must have if your planing to purchase a new or used RV. The guide walks you through the shopping process of which RV types are out there and how to select one that will truly fit your needs. There is also a glossary of terms to help you "talk the talk" After you've done all the reaserch, as it shows you how... used their free Rv tools website, found your dream Rv ...it teaches you how to make the very best deal. We found this guide very easy to follow, loved the larger type size, and when we applied the step by step approach we felt very confident walking into an Rv dealership for the first time to start negotiating. The feeling of walking into that sales office knowing we were one up on the dealer and it's sales people was great. It's written in what bob calls his "All the facts without the fluff" style so it flows easy and takes only about two hours to feel like you really know alot about Buying an Rv, which can be very intimadating. Thanks for this great guide Bob!!"

My husband and I were very interested in getting into Rving, but were very intimidated by all the choices and the pushy sales people. We figured we better be more prepared so we made the right choices. The best thing we could have dome was buy Bobs book ..Rv Survival Guide, it took us step by step through the entire process and gave us the confidence to go shopping with true conviction, and confidence we wouldn't be taken. We followed his step by step approach and got what we wanted for about 20% back of the list price. Thanks Bob this is an excellent book and it saved us thousands of dollars and lots of frustrations. Thanks for writting it. .....Terry

When I bought this book, I read a lot of the sales hype surrouding it and believed that I would be best served after reading this book. So I bought a copy and read it (about 50 pages) in one sitting.

What I discovered is that this book is really not that useful if you have already been an experienced car buyer. By that I mean that it does not reveal "tricks" of the trade that are any different from those of the used or new car sales process. If you've ever purchased a new car and are familiar with the concept of the dealer invoice price and what to offer in excess of this undocumented price the same principle applies.

If you've ever been hustled by a car dealer to buy their insurance or buy their financing so they can fattern the sale, the same principle applies to buying an RV.

The sales hype surrounding this book led me to believe that I was going to glean some serious insight into the unique RV market. In fact, the material covered is fairly brief, and I found it to be no different than the material you would probably have learned as an astute buyer of an automobile.

Some sections of the book like the glossary could probably be deleted, this material is readily found in other sources like brochures you get from the dealer, etc.

Save your $20 for snacks or gas to put in your new RV. Just stick to the negotiation principles you learned when buying a new car and arm yourself with the dealer invoice information. That's all I did and successfully bought a $58K Winnebago yesterday.

This publication provides a good overview of the choices and decisions to be made in purchasing any size RV. Bob Randall is a former RV dealer who knows all the ins and outs. I found it especially helpful when it came time to negotiate a deal on a new RV. Bob gives details on typical dealer markups and lets you know how to figure a fair price. He also gives step by step advice on how to negotiate with the dealer. I felt much more confident in my negotiations and knew I walked out with a good deal. This book can save you lots of grief and money!

Some of the information was interesting. I think the price is much much too high for what you get. Sure, there is some valuable infomation, but the other 8 books I ordered in the 12-15 dollar price range offered much more bang for the buck. I expect to get value for the dollar. And this book just did not supply enough information to warrant the steep asking price. There are quite a few pages dedicated to a checklist.

The quality of the information is important, but sheesh, for this price, I didn't expect a spiral bound book that looks like it was photocopied!

Perhaps if you have no negotiation skills whatsover you may be happy paying this inflated price...then again

If you are new to the RV world and are a first time buyer, this book is for you. It helped me understand the ins and outs of how to buy an RV. I've already recommended it to friends who are seasoned RVers and new RVers as well. It's a great resource book!