Popup Prices

[GeneF]

I went to the Jacksonville show this week and looked over some of the new popups.

Have to admit that it has been about five years since I owned a popup but the prices of the new ones gave me sticker shock.

Least expensive one that I saw was an 8 footer with a/c, heater, fridge, etc for $6700 and most expensive was one of the big fleetwoods at $19,900.  These were supposed to be show prices.

It was a very nice rig but I also saw some tt's there for less than that.

Just wonder how much higher they are going to push the price of popups.

Interestingly, I only saw one htt there.

I talked to a few others that attended the show and they felt that in general most of the prices seemed high.

With the current economy and high gas prices, I wonder how many they are selling.

[CajunCamper]

I bought my 1997 Coleman Santa Fe brand spankin new with A/C, Awning and AAR for $5400 plus tax. I am told that the very same unit new today sells for over $12,000. Boy am I glad I have taken care of my pup.

CajunCamper

[05cc4x4]

I was at that show today. The wife and I are looking to get our 1st pup next month. I was suprised that there were so few there. How many gigantic busses do they really sell? We walked in one and it was rediculous and $230k. I had stopped by an rv place last weekend to look at their 13rt but they had moved it to the show. Go to the show and they had moved it back to the dealership because they ran out of room. Oh well, I think the wife has her heart set on a starcraft 3608. Hopefully I can talk them down from the $17k sticker price.

[AlanTn]

In regards to an RV show, assuming a 10% markup, you sell one $300,000 motorhome to make $30,000. A $6,000 popup to make $600......why waste the space on the popup where space is at a premium? They have a few at the shows but it's not their incentive. Most of the dealerships represented there have a large selection of popups on their lots though.

[05cc4x4]

That makes a lot of sense actually. I was wondering why the lady at the dealership kept trying to push a TT on us. She kept talking down the pop ups and how we wouldn't be happy with it a year later. I drive a mid size Frontier pick up and I don't want to tow a 25 foot long TT. We're a family of campers and just want something to camp in. I don't need a house on wheels, nor a huge payment.

[AZsix]

The RV's shows that I have been to here in Phoenix have actually had a large selection of pups. When I would go to dealers looking at pups the line that I often heard was, "It's a great way to get into camping." Because of that I had always thought that if I did get a pup, I would keep it for a while before getting a tt. Then we got our pup, found this forum and realized that pups aren't starter kits for camping.

As far as the $300,000.00 and up mh's go, they sell very well. The people that can afford them aren't generally effected by the economy or have sold their homes to go full time. It's the same way with housing. Here in Phoenix home prices have been falling and houses stay on the market for months before selling if selling at all yet the 2 million dollar and up housed sell like hotcakes.

We do have a dealer here in the Phoenix area that seems to focus on pups which is nice to see. In their indoor showroom (that looks like a forest) they have 10-12 trailers set up and all but 3 or 4 are pups.

I'm am sure that within a few years we will get rid of our 88 pup but I'm pretty certain at this point it will be only so that we can get a newer pup.

[tlhdoc]

I'm am sure that within a few years we will get rid of our 88 pup but I'm pretty certain at this point it will be only so that we can get a newer pup.

That is what I did.  I shopped around and found a nice clean mid 80's Coleman pu.  Kept that for 3 years and figured out what I wanted in a PU then purchased my 1999.  Some of the things I found out with the first one is that I didn't want the dinette blocking one of the bunks.  I unusually slept on the dinette and the diabetic boy in the bunk by the dinette had to climb over me two or three times a night to go to the bathroom.  I was very happy with the lift over galley and the large stepper door my first trailer had.  The biggest thing I found that I wanted was a shower.  Too many of the campgrounds we go to did not have showers.  This will be the 10th camping season in our PU and there are only a few things I would want to change in it.

[beacher]

In regards to an RV show, assuming a 10% markup, you sell one $300,000 motorhome to make $30,000. A $6,000 popup to make $600......why waste the space on the popup where space is at a premium? They have a few at the shows but it's not their incentive. Most of the dealerships represented there have a large selection of popups on their lots though.

The markup is vastly more than you might think.  That's the RV industry in a nutshell.  The PopUp business is very profitable.  Remember that a PopUp is a tent on a box mounted to a very flimsy custom made utility trailer.

Because of this markup, it's not at all unusual to purchase a PopUp, (or any type of RV), for 25% to 60% below the posted MSRP.



.

[cyclone]

We went to an RV show last week and there were about 5 popups, two hybrids, and two Chalets there.  I can't remember the prices on most of those but I remember the highwall was in excess of 17 grand.  There were lots of travel trailers available for less than that.  It was mainly big rigs (and I mean really big).  I was actually surprised to see that many pups - 3 of those were set up in a hallway outside the exhibit hall.  

The strangest looking RV we saw was an Outback with a loft.  The roof over the bedroom area popped up (complete with canvas) to provide a loft seating area.  I'm not sure how to describe it, other than don't ever consume alcoholic beverages while enjoying the loft.  I'm not sure how anyone would navigate the very steep steps to get back down after drinking.  

[AlanTn]

cyclone, you went to the same one we did in Nashville. Same popups outside in the hall & I agree......the loft camper was just plain weird. I went last year & there were more popups in that show. Seems the prices of trailers & 5th-wheels were somewhat lower this year overall. maybe the higher gas prices are driving those lower. motor homes seemed about the same. maybe because of the fact that in that price range, gas doesn't matter.