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silvermine · 05-31-2017, 12:24 PM

Bruce Miller at Haydocy Airstream, Columbus, Oh. He is thought so highly of that he was invited to the national event ALUMAPALOOZA (being held at the factory in Jackson Center, OH right now) as the only dealer representative at the event selling Airstreams! He is actually a WBCCI member and camps on a regular basis with Airstream friends, and always works to educate! Bruce@Haydocy.com Or 937-725-2433.

LOGRIDER · 05-31-2017, 12:24 PM

Dealer selection is subjective, however we found Bay Area Airstream in the San Francisco area has by far the largest inventory we have ever seen. If you can't find exactly what you want from them immediately without ordering it, it likely does not exist.
That said, buyer beware anytime you do not purchase locally. We learned much to our dismay that Airstream dealers do not treat warranty work on rigs purchased from other dealers like auto dealers i.e. Honda, Toyota etc. We bought our Airstream from Bay Area (7 hour drive from home), however when we attempted to get warranty work done at our local dealer, which by the way would not come close to the deal from BAA, we were told that as we did not purchase the unit from them, we'd have to wait three months...kind of an OMG moment.
Anyway, best of luck in your search...

PatLee · 05-31-2017, 12:37 PM

I was offered a big discount on a 2017 25' Serenity International when I visited the Dulles RV Show this past January outside Washington DC. The dealer warned me that it was only good "that day". I left thinking I should only buy at RV shows as discounts were generous.

Urbanologist · 05-31-2017, 01:00 PM

Go visit the factory. PERIOD! If you really want to buy at the factory, you can't. However, you can arrange to take delivery at that point. The closest dealer near the factory is in Troy, OH, right next door to Jackson City, OH. @ ARBORGAST RV. As a AS newbie, you will do well to EXPERIENCE more than just the small unit; you'll guickly see that 22' is great for being space deprived!! Since you've decided to buy new, trading up at a later date will be costly. I'd look REALLY close at 27' units before buying anything smaller. I have had a 22' and a 34' - both purchase used! I'd also highly recommend buying used for this major reason: Newbie's get to get the "bugaboos" out first AND they take the FIRST economic loss: Depreciation!
The dealer is RARELY selling at a loss; my 22' Sport was from a bank repo; you know the bank didn't lose, and I didn't have to play MSRP roulette with any RV dealership sales crew. Successful hunting!!!

PKI · 05-31-2017, 01:15 PM

The 22 is a great coach. However, it sounds like you have not been in one due to the local inventory shortage. To define what works for you takes a bit of consideration. Pack up the T@G and head for the nearest RV dealer with inventory. Look at 20, 22, 23D, 23FB, 25 and 26U. Figure out while sitting and inspecting each one, how you will use it, tow it, pack your gear and store the coach when not in use. The investment in an AS is considerable. Be sure you have the right solution as trading up costs $s. Get it right the first time. And expect to spend more money in upgrades.

Dealer? The best one that is the closest. Develop a relationship. Find local WBCCI members and ask them over a drink at happy hour. The right contact is priceless. Opinion is only part of the answer. Experience and business understanding is key. AS Corp wants to improve dealer performance. The rivet rating scheme is intended to help.

The punt for service is Jackson Center. You can purchase anywhere and go back there to get something fixed. However, much better to use the local folks. Switz has an independent shop he swears by. Send him a PM or search his posts.

The reason Colonial is mentioned by many is that they have information videos on the web, they are helpful, and they have earned the trust of many. Not every experience is perfect as we have higher expectations than the RV industry can or will support. But Colonial seems to stay close to the mark.

The Airstream Adventrure group has dealers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the SF Bay Area. We like them, but others prefer the Toscano dealer in Los Banos. Lots of different experiences.

Note - AS sales are up now. You may not get the same discount as the ASer who purchased a couple of years back. Look for sales, lot inventory, and end of the month quota deals.

Now about this 1000 miles away thing ........ that is no step for a stepper. It's an easy three day drive and dedicated folks make it in two. You are looking to be an ASer now. While some folks are 200 mile a day travelers, others get it done. Take it slow, use rest stops, and use the trip as a learning experience. Note - be prepared to walk away from the deal if the coach is substandard.

On the other hand, if you value your vacation time and have to use it to make the best trip experience possible, find a local dealer and work with them. This is specifically true if you are not a DIY person. The DIY guy can call AS in JC or the dealer, get a part shipped and fix the problem. The other guy hauls the rig to the dealer, leaves it and then goes back to pick it up. Hence the reason to be close if the dealer is your thing. We think local is best, but we believe we have a good dealer.

If you do this right you will have a shiny for a long time. So a little work on the front end is helpful. The more you know, the better your experience will be. Do lots of research.

Good luck with your search. Pat

franklyfrank · 05-31-2017, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb7our

Curious why the multiple recommendations for Colonial? We're narrowing in on a FC25 or 28 and planning on staying local in the Phoenix area as our local contact at Desert Autoplex has been fantastic. A few quotes from Colonial over the last few years indicated they were coming in no where close to 20% and their emails seemed like there was no room to negotiate. Kind of turned us off.

We had the same experience. With all the talk about Colonial we gave them a shot as well and decided to move on.
We are in Florida and recently bought a new Classic from Foley. This is our second Airstream from them and they had the best pricing both times.
For warranty issues we go directly to JC unless it something very minor.

Urbanologist · 05-31-2017, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by playc

Thanks for the advice.

For what we want - 2018 22FB the local dealers in Houston and Dallas are quoting MSRP $54,234. A 20% discount will mean $10,846 savings. Is that realistic expectation?

THIS is exactly the wrong time to be buying a NEW RV. The dealerships don't have to offer real discounts! The demand is that great. They monitor this forum too! This is the BEST year since 2005/06 for them to be in business. Wait until Fall or Winter to get the better deals...

thiel · 05-31-2017, 01:35 PM

For what it's worth I got a little more than 20% off my trailer from colonial, but I did buy it in the late fall.

LazyGray2 · 05-31-2017, 01:40 PM

We, too, had a great experience with Patrick at Colonial. We started by watching his videos on YouTube, then exchanged calls & emails. We flew there to look at the one we wanted (23D) because no one else had one! Bought it on the spot. They stored it a couple of months at no charge until we could pick up. Oh, we live in Georgia. Price was also competitive.

uncle_bob · 05-31-2017, 01:43 PM

Hi

Do not buy one of these trailers sight unseen !!!

There are a lot of subtle differences between this and that layout. Until you see how you (and the rest of your crew) fit, price simply does not matter. A trailer that you grow to hate in the first week (because you bump into *that* thing ...) is not a good deal. In order to make them manageable on the road, compromises are made in the size / space department.

It's nice to think that with all the video footage you *know* what is what. I'll admit it does help compared to 20 years ago. Seeing stuff through a super wide angle camera (which everybody uses) is not perfect. It gives you a lot of information. It may not give you the best idea of how you will fit.

Find a dealer who has a range of product on their lot. Plan to spend a day or two in this one and that one. Does the eating area seating work for you? Can you function in the kitchen area? Is the sleeping arrangement ok with all of you? Is the shower and toilet going to do the job? Is there enough room for this and that? ....

Without getting into (unknowable) details, it is tough to know what the exact markup is on this or that trailer. Just as with cars, there are a lot of factors. My experience with Colonial was that they were very competitive. Compared to Texas, they are a short drive from here. That made our decision a bit easier. One of the trailers we looked at did ship out to Texas the day we were there. Airstream shopping can be a bit crazy.

We could have bought ours closer to home and used a dealer who has very little inventory. We would have not been able to see the trailer we bought. The trailer we picked from the videos was not the one we eventually decided on.

Would we have worked tings out without seeing either the one we bought or the other one? (probably not) Would another dealer have been as competitive? (probably not) Would their service guys have been as good? (maybe) Would a one hour drive for service have been a lot better than a three hour drive? (we'll see) Is a "wait until fall" order for a trailer ok? (not much fun with our season up here) For us the choice made sense.

Bob

Troutboy · 05-31-2017, 03:52 PM

20% off is real, you can even do better depending on model.

We purchased a 23D in Dec 2017. We decided on the model, then I called several dealerships, including NJ, OH, MT, UT. I,live in Denver and wanted to use the local dealer for ease of pickup and future warranty service.

However, they were NOT the lowest quote by far. After I had several hard quotes, I spoke with the local Denver dealer, and told them if they matched the low price I would buy from them. They matched it, and I bought local.

Again, it's very specific on model, inventory, pre-placed orders, etc. I had a friend here recently purchase from Colonial, as the local dealer couldn't price match because of inventory issues.

So shop around and don't be afraid to ask for what you want, the worst they can do is say no.

Also, you can have them shipped or driven to you from Ohio or NJ, from NJ to Denver the cost was around 2K. At one point NJ was so low that even with that cost, it was the best deal....

I also highly reccomend that you get in and walk around and feel out the size before you buy. It's way different than any other RV and tough to tell just from the floor plan.

**Rocinante** · 05-31-2017, 08:33 PM

Short and sweet: If there is any way you can buy from your local dealer, do that. Over the next couple of years, as you find and resolve warranty issues, you are going to become best friends with the folks in their service department. Sure, they'll service you anyway, but it's nice if you can both buy and service at your local dealer.

ITSNO60 · 05-31-2017, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kb7our

Curious why the multiple recommendations for Colonial? We're narrowing in on a FC25 or 28 and planning on staying local in the Phoenix area as our local contact at Desert Autoplex has been fantastic. A few quotes from Colonial over the last few years indicated they were coming in no where close to 20% and their emails seemed like there was no room to negotiate. Kind of turned us off.

I'm looking too, but for late model pre-owned. Sounds like I need to take a drive up there. Do they have a big supply of pre-owned? We have Lazy Days here but they hardly had any pre-owned.

uncle_bob · 06-01-2017, 06:16 AM

Hi

If you are looking for a pre-owned AS, the pickings will be sparse no matter where you are looking. Colonial has their inventory (new and used) on the web. You can quickly see what they do (and do not) have available. Even on the new models, their inventory is quite large, but not complete. If you are after a 33' Classic, it will be hard to find one in stock.

Regardless of what you buy (car, truck, lawn mower, RV ...) the dealer who sold it to you will be a better bet for repairs than somebody who did not. Cars have changed a bit in this regard over the last 20 years. The other stuff ... not so much.

Just like cars and trucks, RV's have model years. I can still find new 2016 trucks on dealer lots. They have better deals on them than on 2017's. If they are still there this fall, the deals will be better still. If you can find a new 2017 trailer on a the lot in a "snow state" next December, I'll bet you can get a darn good deal on it. There are lots of variables.

A 2% delta on a $80,000 AS will be $1,600. If you drive your TV 1,000 miles each way to pick it up, that's a bit of driving. At 10 MPG and $2.50/gal gas, you will spend $500 on fuel. Two nights in a motel plus 5 days of meals likely will add $500. Wear and tear on the TV is another $200. Your $1,600 savings turns into $80 a day pretty fast.

Yes, it's a lot of money to buy one. Maintaining and "feeding" it are also a lot of money. Using it costs money. The TV costs money. Keep in mind that the cost of buying one this year (TV or AS) and trading it next year (or the year after) is an even bigger cost.

Bob

ward143 · 06-01-2017, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silvermine

Bruce Miller at Haydocy Airstream, Columbus, Oh. He is thought so highly of that he was invited to the national event ALUMAPALOOZA (being held at the factory in Jackson Center, OH right now) as the only dealer representative at the event selling Airstreams! He is actually a WBCCI member and camps on a regular basis with Airstream friends, and always works to educate! Bruce@Haydocy.com Or 937-725-2433.

Amen

Rgentum · 06-01-2017, 07:46 AM

"Do not buy one of these trailers sight unseen !!!"

________________________________________

I agreed to buy my AS 27FB over the phone sight unseen subject to the usual demo & inspection.

I drove 1K miles to the dealer with whom I had had no prior contact other than our recent telephone & Email correspondence.

He had his service tech do the demo & inspection, which revealed several minor glitches, which they fixed within an hour.

The dealer let us stay in his yard over the weekend at no charge.

Both the dealer's manager & his salesman & his sales manager could not have been more helpful & professional.

There were no surprises then; it's been close to two years since the transaction, and there have been no surprises to date.

I'd have no hesitation dealing with this dealer or its manager or salesman again; I found them all to be straight shooters.

For every general rule (ie, "Don't buy sight unseen."), there are always exceptions.

Note: I shopped extensively during & bought in November, after the summer sales period was history.

Bgibbs · 06-01-2017, 07:58 AM

We bought our trailer from Anthony at Vogt. Last time we drove by there, they appeared to have quite a few in stock and they are an advertiser on this forum. We got a very competitive price.

uncle_bob · 06-01-2017, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rgentum

"Do not buy one of these trailers sight unseen !!!"

For every general rule (ie, "Don't buy sight unseen."), there are always exceptions.

Note: I shopped extensively during & bought in November, after the summer sales period was history.

Hi

Quite true. My main concern is buying an AS and never / ever having been in one before ... I have no doubt that if you have seen one 25' AS this or that, you have a pretty good idea what the other 25 footers will be like.

Bob

**Rocinante** · 06-01-2017, 09:33 AM

OP explicitly said they wanted to buy a new 2018 model.

No you cannot buy direct from Airstream. If you want to order custom, the dealer can provide insights on lead time.

Check your local dealer first to see what they have on the lot and what they already have in the queue for arrival in the coming weeks.

Larger dealers will likely have more on the lot from which to choose and a heavier stream of incoming models. Several names have already been mentioned. If you're determined to drive, take a look at Airstream Adventures Northwest, as they are actually several dealership locations under a single organization and they are one of the biggest by sales volume. Also, if you want a trailer that's at one of their other locations, they will happily bring it to the one closest to you.

kb7our · 06-01-2017, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ITSNO60

I'm looking too, but for late model pre-owned. Sounds like I need to take a drive up there. Do they have a big supply of pre-owned? We have Lazy Days here but they hardly had any pre-owned.

Pre-owned units are hard to come by but we've seen them. Lots of new ones on hand now.