Are prices for new van conversions going to drop?

[Steve_382]

I have noticed that the panic buying of conversion vans seems to be cooling off. I now see some new 4x4 Sprinters from the big RV guys like Thor and Winnebago selling for under $145,000 (Revel) and even saw some from Thor for around $125,000. I wonder if these prices will start to have an impact on pricing from the big 3 of Sportsmobile, Field Van, and StoryTeller.

And, will the guys like Outside Vans and Advanced RV feel the pressure also. I would prefer to have a new SMB or Field Van, but the difference between $125,000 and $200,000 plus can be hard to justify.

[clicker44]

I do not think prices will drop. The Winnebago, Thor, Jayco, etc...built on MB Sprinter chassis do not hold their value like the Storyteller and other couture builds do. They are built with all the cheesy mass produced RV components.

The cost to build a Storyteller/SMB type build is not going down. Parts, labor, etc...only going up. Hard to think those types of vans will ever go down in price.

With the cost of a brand new empty 4x4 van (MB or Ford Transit) at $75k you can see how these vans quickly command a $200k+ price tag.

[Twoxentrix]

The less expensive models I’m sure sold more units than the ‘custom’ builds, so more on the market driving down the price.
Plus, I think a lot of people that jumped into the Van Life craze have realized they prefer Motel 6 over a venue where they have to do everything for themselves. I also believe many have come to the conclusion there is less ‘travel time’ involved by simply flying to a destination, opposed to driving. I’ve met quite a few people that seem lost because they don’t know what to do once they make camp - many are just not into hiking, biking, or exploring…they simply want something (or someone) to PROVIDE them entertainment.
IMO, it’s good to see so many RV’s listed, just means we have less crowds to deal with!

[The_Vermonster]

Originally Posted by clicker44

I do not think prices will drop. The Winnebago, Thor, Jayco, etc...built on MB Sprinter chassis do not hold their value like the Storyteller and other couture builds do. They are built with all the cheesy mass produced RV components.

The cost to build a Storyteller/SMB type build is not going down. Parts, labor, etc...only going up. Hard to think those types of vans will ever go down in price.

With the cost of a brand new empty 4x4 van (MB or Ford Transit) at $75k you can see how these vans quickly command a $200k+ price tag.

At the beginning of the year we were looking at some RVs, mainly trailers. The dealership also sold Storyteller vans. The had a Stealth Mode on the floor with an MSRP from Storyteller of about $275k. The Dealership price was $195k. But they wanted to move it and had dropped the price to $160k. There is still a lot of wiggle room built into RVs like a Storyteller.



I would say that they hold their value more due to the buyers than the actual value of the vehicle. First time buyers tend to not jump straight to the high end models. So you don't see a lot of used models, and when they do come up, there isn't a big reason to undercut yourself. It's very similar to the high end overland trailers like the Black Series, and the iconic Airstream trailers.

[dbhosttexas]

I seriously doubt prices are going to go down much. Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[jrobe]

I was just reading recent RV stats showing RV sales down 49% overall including trailers down 54%, Class A's down 34%, Class B's down 29% but Class C's up slightly at + 3%. If this trend continues, prices are going to come down some at least on the cookie cutter models. This probably won't apply though to the more expensive, custom RV's especially with an aging population with more and more retirees (and plenty of them with money).

Since we had our Sportsmobile built about 6 years ago, the price of a new build has increased by 50%. I don't expect prices to come down but I also don't think that they will continue to increase to that degree anymore. I would be happy to just see some price stabilization in case we decide to buy another one someday.

[Steve_382]

It will be interesting if we get any slowing in the overall economy. There were 262 StoryTeller vans listed on RV Trader this morning (both new and used) with prices as low as $135,000 and as high as $297,000. Hard to know how many of those are really sitting on lots or in driveways and how many are just place holders for orders at dealers.

There were no Field Van units on RV Trader and the usual 25 to 30 used Sportsmobiles.