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Old 04-15-2019, 02:13 AM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 29M
State: Arkansas
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I should have known better, but...

So here I am a year after buying a new FW 24F and looking at a class A. It had been a good decade since I last spent any real time in a motorhome when we bought this. In the meantime we had a small travel trailer we did our best to wear out. We used it so much more than we expected we traded up for a 37-footer (TT).

Then the kids all grew up and left me without any help setting up and breaking down camp. Wife and I had come to an agreement years ago the best thing for our marriage was for her to walk the dog while I took care of it. We wanted to get back on the road more, but we wanted MH conveniences.

So 10+ years of innovations, changes, and manufacturers consolidating I did a lot of research and landed on our Four Winds. I wanted to start small and learn what we really want/need and could live with. So 12 months and 12k miles later we realize we need (want) class A room and storage. And I am having issues with the D-word...DEPRECIATION. But I suppose one was to look at is it's the cost of learning.

Fortunately, I have a connection at a local RV store who gives me keys and lets me pick apart different rigs. Saturday I spent 7 hours there literally crawling under and through everything I could think of on a few models I had narrowed down our search to. Salesmen aren't any help at all. We here know more about these things and what to look for than they do. So...now come the negotiations. I shot a number at them late today so I will get the first ridiculous offer tomorrow I assume.

Fingers crossed...

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Old 04-15-2019, 02:50 AM   #2
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Been there! We had our 26 ft Freedom Elite for only 8 months and 9000 miles. It worked great and we totally loved it. Traded for a 32 ft Class A. Our class C was new and the replacement is a year older and has only a few more miles. It helped with the financial pain. The depreciation is brutal but we decided it was worth it and that the C would never be worth more. We’re glad we did it. Good luck.
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Old 04-15-2019, 03:19 AM   #3
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Well you are right about value. The new ones keep going up while our trades go down.

What do you have now?
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Old 04-15-2019, 04:07 AM   #4
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I hate disagreeing with you but there are people looking for your exact model EVERYDAY! I have always sold mine outright and have done very well. You're entering Prime Selling Season for you. Put a for sale sign in the window & list it. Keep your head up your rig is worth something. A new RV'er will save $$ buying yours. As Bob Meyers (the Greatest Car & RV salesman) always said "there's an ass for every seat".... Good Luck and remember You are in the Drivers Seat!! Because you have the $$$ ..
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Old 04-15-2019, 04:32 AM   #5
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I hate disagreeing with you but there are people looking for your exact model EVERYDAY! I have always sold mine outright and have done very well. You're entering Prime Selling Season for you.
You may very well be correct. Since I just opened negotiations I'll see where the start is. I may end up selling it myself. However, here in Arkansas we pay quote a sales tax on automotive purchases. But we only pay the tax on the trade difference. That means I would have to get that difference + any costs associated with selling + any time value spent in getting the deal closed.

So...if I buy a rig for $100k that's what I pay tax on. If my trade is valued at $60k I pay tax on $40k. In that example I would need to get a minimum of $5k more than the true trade value. Not that this isn't possible, but how much time and hassle would it take to achieve that difference?
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Old 04-15-2019, 04:44 AM   #6
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Same here in Indiana. I do know one thing. The more times you walk out go home and "think about" the sale. The higher trade price and Lower purchase price becomes. Be patient and they will be calling you with a better deal daily. Good Luck!!
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Old 04-15-2019, 05:05 AM   #7
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Same here in Indiana. I do know one thing. The more times you walk out go home and "think about" the sale. The higher trade price and Lower purchase price becomes. Be patient and they will be calling you with a better deal daily. Good Luck!!
Lol...funny you say that. About 10 days before I had been at the dealership and was sort of feeling them out. They gave me the "we need to move this today" price. Told him I wasn't ready. 3 days later it's advertised for $6k more. I called and asked why the price went up. End of quarter BS story, but he would knock off $3k because I'm a good customer. I laughed at him. Told him it was $3k less than that 3 days before. Told him to call me back when price got $3k below the first SALE SPECIAL price he gave me. He called me Saturday AM and asked me to come back. That's when the 7 hrs started. I seriously thought he might tear up when I said the numbers just weren't there...an hour after their closing time.
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Old 04-15-2019, 11:56 AM   #8
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This is a FUN time: isn't it?
I hope that your quest is met with 100% success: please let us know how the "number-throwing" ends up...
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Old 04-15-2019, 12:05 PM   #9
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Well Bob, if I end up signing papers I always feel like I won on some level...even though I really know they did. But half the fun is in the chase, right?

If I could make a living doing these negotiations I would always look forward to going to work. Ha
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Old 04-15-2019, 12:26 PM   #10
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I really like the way that you think...
The best of luck to you!


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Old 04-15-2019, 01:00 PM   #11
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Congratulations! Part of our logic on the trade was that we are retired and looking to spend more time on the road. We learned a lot about our “needs” with the class C and decided that with limited years to travel we wanted what we wanted. The sales tax thing made a difference too. We didn’t do quite as well negotiating as I’d have liked because it was on a specific used machine which reduced our leverage quite a lot. But I’m still happy we did it. Our 32 ft class A seems like a perfect match for us. Enjoy your travels.
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Old 04-15-2019, 05:21 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Fish and Dear View Post
I had narrowed down our search to. Salesmen aren't any help at all. We here know more about these things and what to look for than they do.
lol, I was telling Trish (my wife) that I pity the salesperson when the time comes for us to buy a new(er) motor home.

After all the work I've done on this 2004 model, I feel I'm getting pretty good about knowing what to look for. Two months ago I would have walked in and been impressed with the amenities.

Today, I look at EVERYTHING! Crawl on the roof, look for soft wood, check that the appliances work on the fuels they're supposed to work (gas,12 volt/110 volt), check for delamination, age of tires, generator (both legs), leaks, window seals, batteries, inverter, electronics, switches, wiring, LED lighting, air conditioners working?, condition of awning, full body paint???, etc, etc.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be the salesperson selling ME a motor home...
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Old 04-15-2019, 05:22 PM   #13
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Can we come along, and watch the process?
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Old 04-15-2019, 06:12 PM   #14
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lol, I was telling Trish (my wife) that I pity the salesperson when the time comes for us to buy a new(er) motor home.

After all the work I've done on this 2004 model, I feel I'm getting pretty good about knowing what to look for. Two months ago I would have walked in and been impressed with the amenities.

Today, I look at EVERYTHING! Crawl on the roof, look for soft wood, check that the appliances work on the fuels they're supposed to work (gas,12 volt/110 volt), check for delamination, age of tires, generator (both legs), leaks, window seals, batteries, inverter, electronics, switches, wiring, LED lighting, air conditioners working?, condition of awning, full body paint???, etc, etc.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to be the salesperson selling ME a motor home...


If you have an honest salesman he should be glad to be your guy! He/she will learn a lot by watching you and not have to try to impress a naive customer. You’ll be saving them the PDI if you buy and you’ll be making the service and prep guy’s job so much easier by providing them a detailed todo list.
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Old 04-15-2019, 06:41 PM   #15
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Fish, If you need some local muscle let me know... I think im just down the road from you.

I would stick to your guns. Should be able to get a good deal on the 2019 models since the 2020 models are starting to hit the dealers soon.

Shoot for like 40% off of list price and if they dont meet you at 30% off - walk away.... I bet they wont let you walk out the door before they agree!

Make sure they thown in a free tank of fuel and anything else to sweeten the deal (like power cords, sewer connections etc). Skip the Ext Warr. (IMO).

Good luck.

Shoot me a PM if you need any backup at our local dealer (no joke).
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Old 04-15-2019, 10:18 PM   #16
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Well I pulled the trigger. Another 6 hrs wearing out the salesman and his manager. I was under it, over it, picking apart every little detail. Looked at a 2018 Hurricane 29M when they could not get together on thr numbers on an ACE. That thing looked like it was parked on a beach 6 months ago and left there. You could tell no maintenance at all had ever been done. Won't say it was abused, but it sure wasn't cared for.

I got 35% off MSRP on a new Hurricane 29M. They gave me what I expected for mine THEN added an allowance for my upgrades...about 80% of what I put into it. Threw in a 50 amp surge protector/PMS. Full gas tank and propane. 90 day cosmetic fixes for anything I might screw up pulling things apart as well as normal things you find after PDI.

This was my local Camping World. I've heard lots of horror stories, but these guys have always been good to work with.
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Old 04-15-2019, 10:22 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Fish and Dear View Post
Well I pulled the trigger. Another 6 hrs wearing out the salesman and his manager. I was under it, over it, picking apart every little detail. Looked at a 2018 Hurricane 29M when they could not get together on thr numbers on an ACE. That thing looked like it was parked on a beach 6 months ago and left there. You could tell no maintenance at all had ever been done. Won't say it was abused, but it sure wasn't cared for.

I got 35% off MSRP on a new Hurricane 29M. They gave me what I expected for mine THEN added an allowance for my upgrades...about 80% of what I put into it. Through in a 50 amp surge protector/PMS. Full gas tank and propane. 90 day cosmetic fixes for anything I might screw up pulling things apart as well as normal things you find after PSI.

This was my local Camping World. I've heard lots of horror stories, but these guys have always been good to work with.


Congrats. Good dickering on your part. I’ve purchased three RVs at two different CWs and have no complaints. Enjoy getting to know your new machine and every mile you out on it. Happy for you.
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Old 04-15-2019, 10:26 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish and Dear View Post
Well I pulled the trigger. Another 6 hrs wearing out the salesman and his manager. I was under it, over it, picking apart every little detail. Looked at a 2018 Hurricane 29M when they could not get together on thr numbers on an ACE. That thing looked like it was parked on a beach 6 months ago and left there. You could tell no maintenance at all had ever been done. Won't say it was abused, but it sure wasn't cared for.

I got 35% off MSRP on a new Hurricane 29M. They gave me what I expected for mine THEN added an allowance for my upgrades...about 80% of what I put into it. Through in a 50 amp surge protector/PMS. Full gas tank and propane. 90 day cosmetic fixes for anything I might screw up pulling things apart as well as normal things you find after PSI.

This was my local Camping World. I've heard lots of horror stories, but these guys have always been good to work with.
Well look at you go! That's awesome good dealing and CONGRATS on the new wheels!

Now post some pictures or it didn't really happen...
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Old 04-16-2019, 01:03 AM   #19
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Sounds like you got a great deal.

I really like this floor plan.
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Old 04-16-2019, 01:11 AM   #20
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State: Illinois
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Congrats!!! Enjoy your new ride👍🏻👍🏻
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