Used FG Eggs: Are Buyers Crazy?

[Mike Magee]

Ok, I'm probably risking my life by asking this question. But are buyers nuts to pay the asking prices for pre-owned trailers? If I understand correctly, a new basic Scamp 13 can be purchased from Backus for less than $11,000. Why would anyone want to pay $3500 to $5000 for a 25, 35, or 40 year old 13'? Especially when they're liable to need another grand or two (or more) to refurbish them? A 30-40 year old trailer could need a new axle, the frame is rusty and it's not easy to tell if it will soon need repair, the cushions probably could stand to be replaced, and there's no warranty on any of the components (fridge, AC, water pump, etc) if they should fail.

Yes, the old Boler or Casita or Scamp can be fixed up. Sometimes a buyer might get lucky and find one that needs next to nothing done to it... for a while. One can't say the same for stick trailers, which may harbor potentially a larger number of serious hidden problems. But most folks just want to buy something they can camp in right away, something that won't give them any trouble. The percentage of buyers who enjoy fix-up projects is relatively small, I think, relative to the total number of buyers. So I don't get it. What are people thinking when they pay so much for a well-worn or even worn-out egg, when they could have had a new one with warranty, perhaps even built exactly the way they'd like it?

[FRED SMAILES]

Mike where did you get all the stats for your statements?
I think you just injected your personal attitude to this post.
I wanted an old boler for several reasons but mostly so I could fix it up.
A new Scamp for $11,000, plus all the pluses to make it mine plus the taxes etc, 15 to 17 more like it.
11 to 17 tbousand dollars (Canadians add 37 percent these days!!!) for a trailer that sorta looks like an old boler but way higher
The ads I see for $5000 bolers, the trailers usually look dam good.
Oh that is cheap for a real nice one too!
Imo, a well redone boler for 11000 is a WAY better deal than a. New Scamp.
Yes I've had people say I must be nuts, but I just consider where it comes from.
Fred

[floyd]

Lets say you buy a Scamp13 for $4200 and that it is in good shape.
If you take care of it, you now have a FREE Scamp and $4200 in the "bank"!
Keep it as long as you like, then cash it in! Who knows you may even make a little interest!
Your complaint just became your advantage!

[Roy in TO]

^ I agree with Floyd

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

If I understand correctly, a new basic Scamp 13 can be purchased from Backus for less than $11,000. Why would anyone want to pay $3500 to $5000 for a 25, 35, or 40 year old 13'?
...
So I don't get it. What are people thinking when they pay so much for a well-worn or even worn-out egg, when they could have had a new one with warranty, perhaps even built exactly the way they'd like it?

That is a minimum of $8K difference in affordability.

Originally Posted by FRED SMAILES

A new Scamp for $11,000, plus all the pluses to make it mine plus the taxes etc, 15 to 17 more like it.
11 to 17 tbousand dollars (Canadians add 37 percent these days!!!) for a trailer that sorta looks like an old boler but way higher
...
Imo, a well redone boler for 11000 is a WAY better deal than a. New Scamp.

Exactly. Not to mention the entertainment value of fixing one up. Some of us actually enjoy it.

[Bill in Pittsburgh]

I found your prices for a used FGRV considerably higher than what I see. However, you will always have the situation where someone buys a new trailer and sinks $1000.00 into accessories, uses it once and then realizes the camp life isn't for them, selling it a year later. I see these trailers going for what most people would consider a "crazy" price because they do hold their value quite well at this point and especially so when you apply your knowledge of used auto prices that depreciate tremendously upon taking title.
I questioned my sanity when I bought a new trailer as I was always a buyer of used vehicles. New was my only option for a FGRV as I knew exactly what I wanted at the time and no used FGRV existed in the market place matching my wants. I did not buy with the thought of what resale value would be. Previous to my FGRV I had a tent trailer that I used for 31 years and towed more than 200K miles. My intention is to keep my Lil Snoozy until I'm too old to drive. If a used model fits your needs, look a little more diligently and you will find a good buy. However, do not anticipate depreciation to match that of an automobile.

[Timber Wolf]

I do think the used FGRV market is over heated and prices out of line. But it is the market that sets prices, not me. I have always believed, and previously posted as such, that an honest discussion of value/price needs to be a part of this forum. Neither the cheerleaders nor the naysayers tell the true story, but it is somewhere in between and up to each buyer/seller.

A new Scamp like mine would be around 16K, and I would not have one because I would not pay that much. As is I have approximately 7K in my old Scamp paid out over a two year period. That includes the original price and a lot of new materials I put into it (but NOTHING for my labor). The Scamp is easily worth that much to me just for what we get out of using it. I couldn't care less if it is worth that to anybody else since it is not for sale and I did not buy it to flip. I am going to do my best to use it up camping in it!

[FRED SMAILES]

Tim the way I see it your labour is worth (16-7=) 9thousand dollars!!!
You have a Scamp that you use and enjoy!
Fred

[Roger H]

I've bought and sold about a half-dozen used Airstreams, and ten or so fiberglass trailers over the past fifteen years; only one of them new. I enjoyed each of them, bought them below market value (except the new one,) fixed them up to one degree or another and sold each of them for more than I paid for them. I traveled in all of them but one that I sold before I got the chance to use it. It was a great hobby, but as they got more popular, it became more difficult to buy them with enough margin to fix them up. Finally, I just tired of working on them, which is what led me to buy a new Bigfoot 25RQ in '06. I just wanted a trailer I could use without any issues.

There's nothing wrong with buying a good, used trailer and saving some money. There's a great deal to be said for fixing an old trailer up and making it the way you want it for you. I'm also grateful to folks who buy them new and sell them in a few years at prices that I can afford. I don't have a fiberglass trailer any more, but I still apply the same principles to buying.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Ok, I'm probably risking my life by asking this question. But are buyers nuts to pay the asking prices for pre-owned trailers? If I understand correctly, a new basic Scamore) to refurbish them? A 30-40 year old trailer could need a new axle, the frame is rusty and it's not easy to tell if it will soon need repair, the cushions probably could stand to be replaced, and there's no warranty on any of the components (fridge, AC, water pump, etc) if they should fail.

I'm with you, Mike. Unless you are looking for a project, who wouldn't want new? How many members do we have that have bought a 20-30 year old trailer that didn't need work? People buy what they can afford.

And Floyd, if the $4200 trailer is free then why isn't the $11000 trailer in a very short time. When a potential Scamp buyer comes to look at your trailer do you tell them to buy the $4200 free trailer Raz

[Scamper Jim]

Basic Econ 101: What is the price of alternatives?

Have you stayed at a motel lately? A low-end motel room for one in IOWA and MINNESOTA in OCTOBER is $65 to $90 a night. For a family of four, it could easily be $100 a night during a two-week vacation. That's not even what they will be hit with in the vacation states during tourist season.

A $3,500 camper that lasts even for a few years is a bargain and a very good option for many younger families if they don’t want to sleep on the ground, it’s safer and easier for preparing meals instead of eating out as much.

If you really want to see looney toon prices, look at the auction/resale price of John Deere or Case IH equipment from the 80's and 90’s. It sells for more than it did when new due to the incredibly high cost of new equipment today.

It’s all a matter of what the cost of alternatives is.

[floyd]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

I'm with you, Mike. Unless you are looking for a project, who wouldn't want new? How many members do we have that have bought a 20-30 year old trailer that didn't need work? People buy what they can afford.

And Floyd, if the $4200 trailer is free then why isn't the $11000 trailer in a very short time. When a potential Scamp buyer comes to look at your trailer do you tell them to buy the $4200 free trailer Raz

I know from past experience that you understood my post and that you got my point.
The $11,000 trailer, being new, has to depreciate until it reaches a point where the value is sustained. If you buy a new trailer you are likely to take a loss when you sell, but (well kept) it will never go below ... lets say.... $4200!
The person who then buys it for $4200 will of course be able to sell it for $4200 at anytime in the future, thus "FREE" Trailer!

And to answer your question...yes I have explained this concept to potential buyers when they asked why the stickbuilt down the road was twice the size and only $500. Usually I don't have to though, because they see the three buyers standing in line behind them!

[honda03842]

One nice aspect of a used trailer are all the little items that usually come with it. Friday night I went through the option list for an Escape 17. Everything's an option including propane in the tanks, chocks, .... I didn't add up the dollars but it seemed to be at least as much as a used Scamp 13 just for the options.

[Bill Nolen]

I believe young families buys what they can afford...considering the priority a trailer might be in their future. Which has the highest priority...a dependable auto so the wife or husband can get to work, or a new trailer that will live most of it's life in a driveway or storage?

Maybe, it they look hard enough they find a used trailer for a reasonable price and can have both...the auto and a trailer.

Not everyone can afford a new trailer. However, there are people that can easily buy several new trailer if they wish, but prefer for different reason to buy used.

Bill

[Dan Meyer]

On the other side of this discussion....me.

I thought used Scamps and other fiberglass trailers were overpriced. So I gave up looking and bought new. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

--Dan Meyer

(In the interest of complete disclosure, it was my wife's idea to buy new instead of looking and looking for a reasonably priced used camper. She is the best!)

[Donna D.]

I've had both.. well, still have both. I bought the 1988 16' Scamp when I was really looking for a 13'. Thought that was what I could afford. Funny how that happens!


Then decided it was time for something bigger with a better layout (for me) for longer, much longer trips. Had Escape build me Ten Forward to MY wants. ZERO regrets. Although since I've owned it for 16 months I guess it could be considered a used trailer, but it's still new to me. Just got home from camping for four days... NIRVANA!


The only time I've ever worried about what a car/trailer costs is when I know I'll be selling it in the future. My Escape 5er is going to be an estate problem for my daughter


I say buy what you want, can afford and your tug can pull. And I hope you have as much fun as I do!

[stude]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Ok, I'm probably risking my life by asking this question. But are buyers nuts to pay the asking prices for pre-owned trailers? If I understand correctly, a new basic Scamp 13 can be purchased from Backus for less than $11,000. Why would anyone want to pay $3500 to $5000 for a 25, 35, or 40 year old 13'? Especially when they're liable to need another grand or two (or more) to refurbish them? A 30-40 year old trailer could need a new axle, the frame is rusty and it's not easy to tell if it will soon need repair, the cushions probably could stand to be replaced, and there's no warranty on any of the components (fridge, AC, water pump, etc) if they should fail.

Yes, the old Boler or Casita or Scamp can be fixed up. Sometimes a buyer might get lucky and find one that needs next to nothing done to it... for a while. One can't say the same for stick trailers, which may harbor potentially a larger number of serious hidden problems. But most folks just want to buy something they can camp in right away, something that won't give them any trouble. The percentage of buyers who enjoy fix-up projects is relatively small, I think, relative to the total number of buyers. So I don't get it. What are people thinking when they pay so much for a well-worn or even worn-out egg, when they could have had a new one with warranty, perhaps even built exactly the way they'd like it?

: Who in the heck is BACKUS? where are they located if not in Canada then it would cost a Canuck at least $16000.00 because of the dollar difference. Maybe most folks in the US can afford $11,000 plus taxes etc. right off the bat?
Plus one learns all about these little FG Trailers way more than the sales guy can tell u about them and u can make them the way u want them to be when finished.
Stude

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by stude

: Who in the heck is BACKUS? where are they located if not in Canada then it would cost a Canuck at least $16000.00 because of the dollar difference. Maybe most folks in the US can afford $11,000 plus taxes etc. right off the bat?
Plus one learns all about these little FG Trailers way more than the sales guy can tell u about them and u can make them the way u want them to be when finished.
Stude

Backus, Minnesota... where the Scamp factory is.

I bought a new trailer and got it the way I wanted it right down to the upholstery fabric and Formica! You're just looking at the wrong fiberglass factory

[stude]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Backus, Minnesota... where the Scamp factory is.

I bought a new trailer and got it the way I wanted it right down to the upholstery fabric and Formica! You're just looking at the wrong fiberglass factory

Yep if a Canuck came down there to buy that trailer it would cost your $11,000.00 plus another $3850.00 plus the taxes at your end and some more taxes at the border before he gets it home. Like I said $16,000.00 or more. So pays to buy used and learn all about the MH/trailer along the way. I have to admit breaking down in the USA or more then 100 miles from home is not fun but it can be like maybe in Death Valley at 119*F in the shade weather waiting for Good Sam to send the right mechanic who can repair the problem. 9 hours later on the road again turned out to be Starter which I said it was when the first guy showed up with a Battery.
Yep I call that one an Experience. Oh we have few here and there most times we were lucky and needed a rest from driving so u just have to learn with it.
stude

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Backus, Minnesota... where the Scamp factory is.

I bought a new trailer and got it the way I wanted it right down to the upholstery fabric and Formica! You're just looking at the wrong fiberglass factory

I got mine the way I wanted it, not only right down to the details, but I changed the details several times during incubation. I was looking at the right fiberglass factory. (In Backus)

[RogerDat]

There is value in getting one "just the way you like it" through buying new. The features of a camper don't tend to change much so buying used in good shape gets you those features for less money. That has value too.

While older can mean work to bring it up to good shape, or even mean replacing things that don't often wear out, such as axle, wiring, or appliances I think most that are in regular use get maintained, those that sit neglected may need more work but should command a lower price. If you do the work on one of those rescues from barn or back yard it comes up to having the features common to a new one and that friends and neighbors is sweat equity. Hard to get that from a sticky camper.

To me the only reason I care about "warranty" is when I'm still making payments on it. If I paid cash for used I'm getting something with a bit of uncertainty but then life is uncertain. It breaks well that there be the breaks.