For you...3x the price!

[bradk]

We're at long last going to spend the weekend in the twinkie. We booked into the ultra-posh Mount Kidd resort in Kananaskis, Alberta this weekend. They had one site left and it was a 91' pull-through. Just the right size for my 19' Bambi

Anyway, I went to one of the larger local RV dealers close to us to pick up a few essentials; support the local businesses and all that stuff. I had to make a quick pit-stop at Wal-Mart prior to for something else. I cruised through the small and understocked RV section at Wal-Mart and took in the prices of a drinking water hose, wheel chocks, couple other things, picked up what I needed in hardware and headed off to the dealership.

Here's the comparison for the exact same products:

Camco RV/Marine hose 25' -
Wal-Mart - 9.95 RV dealer - 33.95

Yellow Plastic Wheel Chocks -
Wal-Mart - 4.95 per RV dealer - 16.95 per

Leveling blocks -
Wal-Mart - 29.95 RV dealer - 69.95


The list goes on! I was amazed at the degree of markup at the dealer, no less than 3-4x. They were consistent with the others in the area as well. I obviously expect them to be more expensive than Wal-Mart but at 3-4x the price???

Goes to show that anything that says RV, Marine, or Marriage...there's a "special" rate in store for you.

Is this trend the same south of the border?

brad.

[Darol Ingalls]

Brad, Same "deal" in Oregon and Washington. Even Washington State license department has jumped on the wagon - motorhomes pay an extra "weight fee" of $75 annually no matter what they weigh in addition to the reqular license fee. I've been to the Kananaskis area-it's beautiful! Fortunately, I had the loan of my friend's Cadillac, so I fit right in! As for the marriage thing, my Airstream's license plate frame says "Happiness if being single." Darol

[lewster]

Hey Brad,

I sell those items too. I get them thru a national RV parts distribution system and those prices are way over the suggested MSRP. I guess they were adding a bunch on for freight to Canada, plus the 'isolation factor' where dealers think they can make a few extra bucks (a lot in this case) if they feel that you need the stuff and they are the only ones that have it.

[SilverRanger]

Yikes! That's a substantial markup. Around here, the RV stores are typically around 25-40% higher than Wal-Mart for identical products. You're right, the selection of RV supplies at Wal-Mart is rather sparse, but I have noticed that inventory varies between stores. When I can, I try to support the locals... to a point. Some of the local stores occasionally have sales, which usually brings the prices down to where they should be. One in particular sends out flyers, but rarely have the sales items in stock when you get there.

[azflycaster]

I boughht 2 aluminum LP tanks (30#) for my trailer a few weeks ago from VTS at $139 each (they are now $149 each) . Every RV dealer I contacted in the state wanted over $300 (a few close to $400) each for the same tanks.

[flyfisher]

When I have time, I often look on Ebay, or else do an internet search for RV products that may be on sale before I buy from the local RV dealers or at Walmart at their normal prices. Even taking into account the shipping cost, you can still find some things cheaper that way. I've also got a few extra things laying around that I'm planning to sell on Ebay when I get the time - a Reese hitch bar, a coupler lock, a couple waste water valve kits, and things like that.

John

[bradk]

Originally Posted by flyfisher

When I have time, I often look on Ebay, or

Funny about that. Be careful not to have a glass of red prior to Ebay.

I was looking for a torque wrench for another project, the auto parts store wanted a 100 bucks for it. I bid up to 40 dollars on one from Ebay (used) and won the auction. Forgot to check on the shipping costs, the difference from a used wrench to a brand new one was 25 bucks...oops.

Oh well, at least it looks like I used it.

What Canada needs is a good online RV store, there isn't an outlet up here from what I can tell. Anyone want to go into business with me?

b.

[flyfisher]

Originally Posted by bradk

Funny about that. Be careful not to have a glass of red prior to Ebay.

I was looking for a torque wrench for another project, the auto parts store wanted a 100 bucks for it. I bid up to 40 dollars on one from Ebay (used) and won the auction. Forgot to check on the shipping costs, the difference from a used wrench to a brand new one was 25 bucks...oops.

Oh well, at least it looks like I used it.

What Canada needs is a good online RV store, there isn't an outlet up here from what I can tell. Anyone want to go into business with me?

b.

Funny thing is that I was just looking for a torque wrench on Ebay 2 weeks ago, and the freight cost was the primpary reason why I decided to buy one at Sears instead. My wife bought me one there last week that was on sale for about $60.00 - then this week they had a coupon in the mail for another $10.00 off!

What we need is some enterprising person to set up an online RV parts business that gives members of this Airstream site an additional 10% (or more discount) - kind of like Camper's World Presidents Club.

John

[bradk]

Originally Posted by flyfisher

What we need is some enterprising person to set up an online RV parts business that gives members of this Airstream site an additional 10% (or more discount) - kind of like Camper's World Presidents Club.
John

My site would definitely have that option...

now where did I put my free time?

I emailed Camper's World to see if I could specify shipping as USPS and not UPS due to crazy-stupid brokerage fees with UPS to Canada (can easily double the price of the purchase). They replied that it wasn't an option. They acknowledged that UPS shipping really hamstrings Canadians but said there was nothing they could do about shipping with USPS. Weird that they would not want to have access to an online-unserviced, RV crazy Country like this one. I scratch my head.

b.

[Stefrobrts]

In our business (toys) Walmart can sell the same toys we do for less than we can buy them from the manufacturer. They have all sorts of deals going on, not just buying things in quantity for their 6 bajillion stores, but selling shelfspace to manufacturers who are then required to stock and maintain it (cutting back on the costs of handling merchandise). Think of big box stores as national antique malls, where each vendor competes to get in, and then maintains their own section.

I never buy from WalMart, unless they have some rare toys we need for our business. But in the case of a $10 vs $34 water hose, I think even I would have to pass up on the local RV store (actually, I'd probably hit the local hardware store, which has a pretty good RV section, and get it for some price in between).

[wkerfoot]

Brad,

Try www.Mobile-Mart.com they have a 25' water hose for $10.53. Maybe they will ship USPS.

Bill

[bradk]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

In our business (toys) Walmart can sell the same toys we do for less than we can buy them from the manufacturer. They have all sorts of deals going on, not just buying things in quantity for their 6 bajillion stores, but selling shelfspace to manufacturers who are then required to stock and maintain it (cutting back on the costs of handling merchandise). Think of big box stores as national antique malls, where each vendor competes to get in, and then maintains their own section.

I never buy from WalMart, unless they have some rare toys we need for our business. But in the case of a $10 vs $34 water hose, I think even I would have to pass up on the local RV store (actually, I'd probably hit the local hardware store, which has a pretty good RV section, and get it for some price in between).

no question, wally world has the buying power and hurts smaller retailers as a result of it. I try not to get too many things there. Thus I didn't purchase the hose etc at Walmart and went to the RV place.

I couldn't justify getting "fleeced" by the margin offered at the RV place and back to Walmart I went. Surprisingly, our hardware stores don't carry much in the way of RV stuff. Home Depot/Rona do, but really they're purchasing/discount model is not dissimilar of Walmart's.

brad.

[Stefrobrts]

Our local hardware store is an Ace, and it's locally run (if not owned) so they specialize in things they know we need locally, so maybe that's why they have a good RV section - lots of camping, hunting, and fishing around here.