After a decade on the dealership floor, these are the five plays I watched cost buyers the most money — and exactly how to shut each one down.
I spent more than ten years inside RV dealerships. The deals that hurt buyers the most almost never came from a number on the window sticker — they came from five quiet plays most people never even noticed. Here they are.
1. Anchoring to a fake MSRP
RV MSRP is inflated on purpose. A 30% discount off a number that was never real just makes you feel like you won. Always work up from dealer cost, never down from MSRP.
2. Moving the conversation to monthly payment
Once you talk in payments instead of price, the dealer can hide thousands in term length and rate markup. Negotiate the out-the-door price first; talk financing last.
3. The F&I office
This is where the real margin lives: rate markups, paint and fabric protection, tire-and-wheel, gap, extended warranties priced at triple cost. Most of it is negotiable or skippable.
Want me to look at your exact deal before you sign? That is literally what I do now — for you instead of the dealer.
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