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PocketCasts 30% Off RV MSRP? What Camping World's CEO Told Investors
How much below MSRP should you pay for a new RV? Camping World's CEO just gave buyers some revealing numbers, and anyone shopping for a travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome should hear them before negotiating.
On the company's latest earnings call, CEO Matthew Wagner described discounts of 27 to 30 percent off sticker price as more typical, while saying some competing dealers had advertised discounts of 37 to 40 percent.
That raises a question every RV buyer should ask: If those are the discounts, what does the sticker price actually tell you?
In this week's RV Podcast News Edition, Mike Wendland explains what those comments reveal about RV pricing, how to use that information when shopping, and why the biggest percentage discount doesn't automatically mean the best deal.
Those numbers aren't a promise that every model should sell at the same discount. But they are a useful look inside the industry, straight from the head of America's largest RV dealer.
WHAT CAMPING WORLD'S LOSS TELLS RV BUYERS
The pricing comments came as Camping World reported a $320 million quarterly loss, a 25 percent decline in new RV sales, workforce reductions, and dealership closures.
We put that loss in context. About $287 million was a noncash goodwill impairment, reflecting a markdown in the value of businesses the company previously acquired. Excluding that charge, the company still lost about $33 million.
For shoppers, the important question is what these pressures mean at the negotiating table. We discuss why you should compare written, out-the-door prices from at least two dealers, look closely at fees, and arrange financing before walking into the dealership.
We also examine Forest River's "Zero Reasons to Wait" promotion. Zero percent interest sounds appealing, but the promotional rate lasts only four months. What happens afterward matters a great deal more over the life of a long RV loan.
ALSO IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE:
CAMPGROUND FLOODING AND THE NEED TO LEAVE EARLY
Recent floods have forced evacuations and destroyed RVs, including rigs that were their owners' full-time homes. We look at what happened at an Arizona RV resort and the questions every camper should ask about weather alerts, evacuation routes, and insurance coverage.
A WINTER FORECAST WITH A WILD CARD
The seasonal outlook favors warmer conditions across much of the North and wetter conditions across the South. But snowbirds still need a freeze plan. We discuss the El Nino outlook, concerns about a polar vortex disruption, and practical preparations for RVs being used or stored in southern states.
TOO MANY CAMERAS AT RV SHOWS?
Buyers come to RV shows to walk through rigs, open cabinets, stand in showers, and ask questions. Increasingly, they find themselves waiting while content creators film walkthroughs.
After 15 years of attending these shows, I share why dealers are complaining, why useful reviews are becoming harder to produce on crowded show floors, and why Jennifer and I are visiting factories to film more thorough walkthroughs.
A LITTLE GIRL'S PINK CAMPER WISH
We close with 4-year-old Lennox Powell of Michigan, whose wish for a camper brought a family something more valuable than another appointment on the calendar: a place to spend time together.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR RV DEAL
If you've bought an RV recently, how far below MSRP did you negotiate? Share the model, model year, and your experience in the comments. Please mention whether your price included dealer fees and whether a trade-in was involved, so other shoppers can make a useful comparison.
RESOURCES AND LINKS
Full episode transcript and reporting sources:
Select this episode, open the Transcript tab, and scroll to the bottom for links to our sources.
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RV Podcast News Edition | Episode 659 | November 9, 2026
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