When is the best time to buy an RV? Many people would assume it wouldn’t make much difference at all, thinking the best time to buy an RV is whenever they feel ready to buy one. However, it really isn’t that simple.
You see, RVs are seasonal items, meaning the demand fluctuates throughout the year. During the spring and summer months, people want to go camping. They feel good about investing in a motorhome or travel trailer during this time because they know they can use it for the entire season ahead. Because RV dealerships are so busy during these warmer months, they are much less likely to offer discounts, and you may even be left waiting for a salesperson to help you out.
Fall and winter, on the other hand, are much slower months for RV dealerships. People don’t tend to go camping during these cooler months, and even if they do, they know they’ll only go once or twice before the coldest season hits and the RV has to be put away into storage. Since most people aren’t even thinking about purchasing RVs during this time, dealerships, salespeople, and even private sellers are looking for ways to get rigs off their hands, offering deep discounts and incentives to buy.
So when is the best time to buy a travel trailer or motorhome? The cooler months, for sure. The slow season for RV sales begins at the end of September. That said, we recommend waiting until at least October. During October and November, sales nosedive, leading to some pretty good discounts. December and January are even slower, making them the best time to buy an RV.
What About the Day of the Week?
Just as summer is the busiest time of year to buy an RV, the weekends are the busiest time of the week at RV dealerships. For this reason, it’s much better to shop during a weekday, when you’re sure to get a salesperson’s full attention—plus, they will be more eager to sell, making them more likely to offer a low price.
More Pro Advice for Purchasing an RV
Now that we’ve answered the frequently asked question, “When is the best time to buy a travel trailer or motorhome?”, it’s time to give a few more pro tips for buying an RV.
Dealerships vs Private Sellers
If you’re trying to decide between purchasing from a dealership or from a private seller, just know that there isn’t a right answer. Dealerships are great because they offer warranties and opportunities for financing. Private sellers, on the other hand, tend to offer better cash prices. Refer to the RV value before buying.
Head North
While prices will dip everywhere in the fall and winter months, the price drops are deepest in the north where the weather gets too cold for camping. Therefore, if you live in a warm place like Florida or Texas, we recommend heading north in the winter to pick up a new RV if at all possible.
Look for RV Shows
Lastly, if you’re new to the RV world—and sometimes even if you’re not—we recommend checking out an RV show. This will give you and opportunity to see a lot of different rigs, so you can get a feel for what you want.
When you find a few different RVs that you like (take notes along the way!), wait until the end of the show and ask the salesperson for their best price. The dealerships don’t want to move these rigs back to their lots, and will often offer incredibly good deals to last-minute buyers.
Avoid Lemons
Of course, even though knowing when the best month is to buy a travel trailer or motorhome will save you money in the short term, it can’t save you from a lemon. Because ending up with a bad rig will only cost more money in the long run, avoid bad RVs by knowing what red flags to look for.
Try Before You Buy
Another super helpful pro tip? Make sure you try before you buy. We mentioned RV shows above, but being able to really use an RV before you make such a big investment is a great way to make 100% sure you know what you want. The best way to go about this? A rental RV, of course!
We have tons of different rental RVs available, meaning you should be able to find one very similar to whatever you hope to buy. If you find you don’t love the one you thought you’d love, you can always rent a different floor plan or type of RV until you find the perfect fit for your family.
How to Offset Costs of RV Ownership
It’s important to keep in mind the fact that owning an RV does cost money. Fortunately, there are ways to offset that cost. Once you do find a good deal on the perfect RV, consider listing it on RVShare. Doing so will allow you to rent the rig out when it isn’t in use. Not only does this ensure your RV is providing as much enjoyment as possible, but it also helps you recoup some of the costs of the RV purchase as well as the costs of ownership.
There you have it, everything you need to know about the best time to buy an RV as well as a few bonus tips and tricks. Why not start shopping around now, so you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for when the cold months roll around and can snag a great deal?
