Buying a Coleman Trailer

[WannaBeFree]

Checking rvtrader.com I've only found a specific Coleman model, CM 192 RD, at Camping World locations. Are there other dealerships which carry Coleman products? I'm seeing what seems to be a decent price on rvtrader for the 192 but when I call the dealerships they starting adding in $1000's in extra fess other than the expected tax.

I'm in Virginia but I don't mind traveling to locations close to the manufacturing plant where I assume I'm going to get the best deal as the freight cost should be close to nothing.

[Handyman]

Before you do lots of traveling, decide the maximum 'out-the-door' price you are willing to pay. This will usually be about 80% of retail. Then go make that offer. Nothing to lose.

[wahoonc]

Camping World is probably the single largest seller of Dutchman products...

Here is one I found that is in Ohio. Get a quote from them. I have not found Camping World particularly fun to deal with. We bought a Coleman from the local one, it used to be an independent, but they are all gone now in our area.

Aaron

[acdii]

If you are looking at new, plan on paying at least $1500 or more in added fees. Those fees include prep and transportation. When I bought mine, which is a 2014, there were similar new models for not much more in price than what they were listing mine at. The one I got, a 274BH, was like new inside and out, still had that new formaldehyde cabinet smell. They could have sold me a brand new one, but the added fees for being new brought it up several grand.

Finding a nice used one is more difficult, but when you do find one, you can save several grand over new, and still have a rather new unit with all the bugs already worked out.

I bought mine first week of June this year and took 4 trips, including a 3500 mile RT one, and did not have a single issue with it. Everything works on it, it pulls perfectly, and looks like new, a triple win that saved me at least $5000 over the same model new before added fees.

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks acdii,

I have been definitely looking at additional fees often well exceeding $1.5K. I spent a lot of time contacting Camping World dealerships who seem to have most of the Colemans. In the end one close to the Dutchman manufacturing facility (thus much lower RV transportation costs) and had units not moving in early December, sold me a unit at the listed rvtrader price. The same dealership listed the same model for a grand less than what I paid a month earlier and sold it but if I had gone after that one I might have paid more considering required additional fees.

I tried going the used route but there are not a lot of used RVs out there with specs (under 23' bumper to hitch, 60G fresh, 42G gray, 42G black, 3500LB CCC, oven, freezer, fridge) equal to or better than the CTS192. I found one used, similar model, a 2014 vs 2017, a bit longer, but the dealership wanted about $1K less than what I paid for the 2017 CTS192 and it even had some body damage.