The perfect camper for the Outdoor Adventurer! My Review of the Starcraft RV GPS 210RLD!

Being an outdoor enthusiast and camping often go hand in hand, especially here in Oregon.  Having lived in many areas of the US, Oregon campers (the people, not the RVs) are different than in most parts of the country.  Here in Oregon we don't typically go camping at some ritzy RV Resort.  We camp in state parks, small private campgrounds near lakes or in the mountains, or just in the middle of nowhere, completely off the grid.


When picking out your perfect camper, it is important to think about your needs and your camping style.  Do you like to take kayaks and bikes with you?  How about fishing gear?  Skis?  Etc.

What is my camping style?  My husband and I, if we could plan our perfect camping trip, would pick a lakefront camping spot and bring kayaks and fishing gear. (If you'd like some great Oregon Lakeside camping locations, visit this blog)  Of course, Kayaks don't usually fit inside a camper (unless you have a toy hauler).  Fishing gear is not usually a problem but I really don't like having a mess of fishing poles rolling around in our front compartment.

I think I've found our dream camper.  It fits every single need we have.  The GPS 210RLD is a completely unique camper on the market.  It is perfect for Oregon camping.  I am thisclose to trading our toy hauler for this camper.  The more I think about it, the more I want to!  Here's why I love it so much.

Front Storage Locker
The front of the camper has a walk in storage room with a slatwall that you can install hooks, baskets, etc on.  It has built in fishing rod holders on the wall.  And there is plenty of room for our coolers, chairs, rugs, firewood, grill, etc.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this front storage locker.  Plus it has a lockable door with a deadbolt.  Extra security, especially when we have expensive items...YETI coolers aren't cheap!

Rear Patio

This is a big thing to me.  I love Oregon, but lets face it, we get a lot of rain and sometimes our campsites can get pretty muddy and nasty.  Having a rear patio lets me sit outside and look at the lake or watch the night sky, without having to deal with mud.  Plus this unit has a rear awning that you can put out over the patio for those rainy days.  And, if the weather is not ideal, has a screen room that you can attach as well.  The patio railing is ideal for keeping our dogs from wandering off.  Sliding glass doors lead out to the patio, giving it a really homey feeling.  Plus, the sliding glass doors are large enough that we can use them when loading our kayaks into the camper.

Inside Design

The inside, in my opinion has a perfect, no frills, well laid out design.  Everything we need and nothing we don't.  The front corner bed has a privacy curtain.  It's kind of like a bed "cubby" - I love the cozy close sleeping quarters.  It reminds me of our very first camper.  The bathroom has a really nice sized shower.  

Kitchen has a cooktop (we have never used an oven in any of our campers, this one has a convection oven/microwave, but we would probably never use it either). I would rather have the extra storage than an oven.  We honestly don't do much cooking inside when we camp.  Almost everything we eat is grilled.  Occasionally we will boil water on the cooktop but that's about it.  I don't like cooking in a camper because campers tend to hold cooking odors. This camper does have an extra large Double Door Fridge/Freezer (Gas/Electric) which is important to me.

The sofa is comfy and makes into a large bed if we need extra sleeping space for the kids.  And of course, it has a TV and DVD player (important to the hubby and kids, not so much to me).

There are lots of storage cabinets inside as well.  As any RVer knows, there is never enough storage in a camper.  And the kitchen drawers are great, our last camper did not have drawers and it was kind of a pain not having designated areas for cooking utensils and silverware.

 All in all, I love the inside of this camper.  The cabinetry is of good quality, the floor has no carpet, the slide room gives it a very roomy, open feel and there are plenty of windows for lots of natural light.

Outside Kitchen
As I mentioned, I don't like cooking in a camper.  The outside kitchen will make it super convenient to do our cooking outside.

 Our BBQ grill will hook right into the quick connect and all the kitchen has all the extra prep space I might need.  Plus the sink is handy for washing hands and washing veggies.  And of course, the outside fridge is the perfect place for beer and sodas.

100 Gallons of Fresh Water

When we are dry camping, nothing is more important than having plenty of water.  Most campers have anywhere from 30-50 gallons.  This one has 100 gallons!  Score!

Light Weight & Small Enough to Go Anywhere

This camper is only 5785 pounds.  I can easily tow it with my mid sized SUV.  At only 21' 10" long (when patio is closed), it will fit in almost any campground and makes it easy to tow through windy mountain roads.

Off-Road Extreme Pkg

For those middle of nowhere camping trips, the extreme package has extra ground clearance and off-road mud tires.  Perfect for Oregon camping.

Solar Ready

While I would probably have solar panels installed on the roof, this camper is prepped for a portable solar panel, it plugs right into the side of the camper.  A must have for off the grid camping!

Winter Camping Ready

Camping doesn't stop when the temps drop here in Oregon.  This camper has a heated and enclosed underbelly so we can extend our camping season.

Solid Step System

Ok, this might seem silly, but I love these steps.  They are so sturdy.  My husband recently had a full hip replacement and these steps are way safer for him to use.  Plus I really have a hard time opening and closing traditional rv steps.  They never seem to work right for me.  

Construction

I would really disappoint my husband if I didn't at least mention the construction of this camper.  The walls are all aluminum framed and the fiberglass walls are VACUUM BONDED.  This is a huge thing to him.  It is the strongest type of wall construction you can get and makes the fiberglass walls much less prone to delamination.  The roof is a full walk on roof and super strong.  

Final Thoughts

While I realize this isn't the perfect camper for everyone, I think it is very unique and will fit the needs of most Oregon campers pretty well.  I find that when camper shopping, it is easy for people to try to get everything they have in their house in a camper.  But remember, this is camping, not your permanent home.  Most of your time will probably be spent outside doing the things you love to do so I think it is important to make sure your camper will make it easy to do all those outdoor activities you want to do and make it easy to get to all those out of the way camp spots that you want to visit.  In closing, I'm pretty sure this camper is going to be my next camper :)  You can view more photos and see unit specs here

Why It's often a BAD IDEA to buy a used RV from an INDIVIDUAL

Many people think that if they want to get a great deal on a camper they need to hit up Craigslist and find a For Sale By Owner.  I'm here to tell you that you often get the WORST DEALS EVER when buying from an individual.

Why?

#1 - It is common practice for a person to finance a new camper for up to 15 years with $0 down.  So they are going into the camper loan with ZERO equity.   So 2 or 3 years later when they want to sell it, they will have not made even a small dent into their loan because of the length of time it was financed.  And, I can tell you from experience, most owners want to sell their camper for at least what they owe on it.  Here is a for example...Joe Smith pays $25,000 for a new camper.  He finances it with $0 down @ 5% for 180 months.  Fast forward 18 months...Joe wants to sell that camper, he still owes $23.356 and that is assuming he didn't add any DMV fees, hitch work, accessories, etc into his loan.  Joe will want to sell his camper for at least $23,000 (only $2,000 less than he paid) for a camper that has been USED, no idea how it has been maintained, has no factory warranty on it.  Not such a good deal.


It's not unusual for me to see FSBO posts for 2-3 year old campers that the owner is asking more for than what I can sell an equivalent NEW camper with a full warranty for (granted, we do have the lowest selling prices of any dealer in the area, so this may not apply with comparing prices to other RV Dealers around here).


#2- Individuals do not understand how to value a used camper.   They hop on NADA guides and find their year/make/model and then they go to town adding "options" to bump up the value.  However, if you read the small print on NADA, it will say "only add options that are not standard on the unit when it was new".  Here is an excellent example.  I found this ad in our local Craigslist.  The price seemed really high to me (selling a 4 year old camper for $21k..I sell an equivalent unit with MORE OPTIONS and features brand new for $24,995), so I clicked on the ad and saw that this seller did what almost every single individual on Craigslist does when valuing their camper.

I click through the photos and see that the seller has listed the NADA value...shown here is their "NADA VALUE"

I look at his list of "options" and know that the majority of those items come STANDARD on this unit.  I pull up a 2013 Jayco brochure and verify which options are actually standard.  Here is my edited NADA showing which items are actually standard...

So, this guy is saying that his camper is worth $27,660...but he'll sell it for the bargain price of $21,000...well, lets look at the ACTUAL NADA Value and see if that's a good deal..

FULL NADA RETAIL (which as a dealer I never sell anything at Full Retail...always sell closer to wholesale value with the rare exception of unique/high demand units or very old units that are sold at market value) is $19,910 a far cry from the seller's stated value of $27,660...so that bargain price of $21,000 doesn't seem like such a bargain now does it?

And, before you think I'm picking on a person, please note that I did contact this seller to tell him/her that they are not doing the NADA value correctly, sent them the full list of features that are Standard on their camper and also sent them the correct NADA value..they have not changed their ad even knowing that they are opening themselves up for litigation from the future buyer by misrepresenting the value of their camper.

Do your research before you buy from Craigslist FSBO.  You don't want to get buried in a camper and owe so much more than it's worth that you can never trade out of it.  For example, if you purchased this camper for $21,000 and decided it wasn't a good fit and came to me to trade out of it..I would be offering roughly $14,000 in trade value (per the NADA trade value)...so you would immediately be upside down by $7,000 the minute you bought that unit.

When Is The Best Time To Purchase a Camper?

This is a question that I receive ALL.THE.TIME.  My answer is always the same...the best time to purchase a new camper is between the months of October and December.  There are several reasons why this is so.


#1 - National Dealer Show in September

Every September the RV Manufacturers host a national dealer show in Indiana (photo on left is from the Thor display in Elkhart).  At this show dealers are able to view new models, see product changes and sign up for new franchises.  To entice dealers to order order order, the manufacturers offer special discounts on units ordered at the dealer show and many even offer to pay any interest that the dealer will be charged on their inventory for a period of a few months.  As a result, most dealers will place large orders for inventory at the show which means that from the months of November to December, inventory levels will be at an all time high at most dealers' lots -- meaning you have lots to pick from and because of the special incentives they have been given by the manufacturer's at the show, the dealer will be able to offer larger than normal discounts on in stock units. (Just for good measure, the picture above is one taken of me at this year's RV Dealer show where we picked up the Rockwood GeoPro product line)



#2- It's the Slow Time of Year
After school starts RV Sales typically slow down until after the New Year.  Dealers will have a high supply of units but lower demand, so they are going to be willing to take a little (or a lot) less profit than normal to move a unit.


#3- Dealers are in a Race to Boost their Year End Numbers
99% of dealers rely on a financing source for their inventory (called Floorplan Lending).  The Floorplan lender bases the dealer's line of credit amount (how much money they will let the dealer borrow to buy inventory) in large part based on the amount of sales they had the previous year.  So December is the month that dealers are racing to add sales to their books in hopes of getting a larger line of credit for the following year.

#4- Tax Time Savings
If you are a business owner or travel for business, you may be able to write off the cost of a new camper.  Talk to your CPA and see if this is something that you can do to save money come April.

 And, even if you aren't able to write off the camper, the IRS will let you write off the interest you pay on your camper loan as it is considered a 2nd residence.  Talk to your CPA to learn more.

So if you are thinking about buying a camper in the spring, why not do it now when you have a better chance of finding the exact unit you want, in stock, and having the opportunity to pay less for that unit than you would in Spring.  Add to that some of the best financing terms available in recent history, including rates as low as 3.15%, $0 down financing and up to 90 days no payments (all with approved credit of course), it's almost a no-brainer!

Why not try something new with your family...WINTER CAMPING!  Camping is not just a spring and summer activity, search the web and you'll find tons of people who love camping in the winter with no crowds, easy to find reservations at popular campgrounds..there's not better way to make family memories.

Coleman vs Coachmen Viking Travel Trailers

Coachmen Viking vs Coleman Lantern LT

A Head to Head Comparison

As many of you know, RV Outpost of Eugene, Oregon carries the Coachmen Viking line of travel trailers.  As a company, we have carried this brand for many years (at 2 different locations) and have been overwhelming pleased with the quality, features, price and value that we get from this line of campers.  Our customers also have seen the value and it has lead this product line to become our best selling line of campers.

Recently we have had several people ask us how our Coachmen Viking stacks up against the Coleman campers carried by our competition...who we will refer to as the "Giant Camper Land Place".

Well, in an attempt to make the comparison straight forward and easy to understand, we have done a side by side comparison of 2 similar models...the Coleman 17FQ and the Coachmen Viking 17BH.  You will see that the Coachmen Viking clearly wins out!  This is based only on features and standards on the campers...it does not even go into the fact that Coachmen has been in business for over 50 years and is one of the most respected brands in the RV Industry.

So, check it out for yourself...tell me which unit you think is the better value!  And bear in mind that our price is generally quite a bit less than what Giant Camper Land Place usually charges...but even when they do an incredible "lowest cash price" price for someone...we are usually at about the same price and you just get so much more with our Coachmen Viking.

Be sure to stop by and visit us in Eugene Oregon and see our large selection of Coachmen Viking campers!  Head to head comparison is pictured below!

RV Outpost in Eugene is Opening Soon!

RV Outpost, Eugene Oregon's newest RV Dealership is opening it's doors soon.  You can visit us starting in June 2016.  We are a full service dealership, located in an easy to get to location right off of I-5, just north of Eugene in Coburg (exit 199).

We are going to be carrying a large selection of new campers by Highland Ridge (Open Range), Starcraft by Jayco, Coachmen Viking and Forest River.

The owners of RV Outpost, Ed and Veronica Capiak, recently relocated to beautiful Eugene from Southern Alabama where they owned a very successful RV Dealership.  Their dream was always to live in the Pacific Northwest...and so here they are!  You will love working with the Capiaks.  They are very hands on with the business approach and customer service is their number one priority.  You will find a relaxed, fun shopping atmosphere with no high pressure sales tactics ever.

So, be sure to come visit and see our all new, all 2017 model inventory in June 2016!!

Also, RV Outpost is hiring for the following positions: RV Tech, Office Manager/Title Clerk, Lot Porter, Sales Person.  We offer excellent pay and benefits. If you would like to apply, send a resume to veronica@rv-outpost.com or call for an interview (541-343-1633).

Happy Camping!

Why is the credit score the lender pulls different than the one I saw Online???

Understanding credit scores is complicated.  We are often asked why the credit score we pull is drastically different than the credit score our customer "thought" they had.  There are several reasons for this.

#1- There are 3 different credit bureaus...Equifax (most commonly used in our industry/state), TransUnion (used by 2 of my lenders) and Experian (not used by any of my lenders).  Each bureau has their own score and scoring model, so the score we pull on Equifax will typically not be the same score that we might pull on Transunion.

#2- There are many types of credit scores....FICO, Vantage, Beacon, just to name a few.  Many customers have only ever seen their Vantage Score or Beacon Score.  When in actuality, most lenders (including all of ours) use the FICO score.  Each of the 3 credit bureaus has their own FICO score.

#3- As if that weren't all confusing enough, there are also many versions of the FICO score for each bureau.  So, even if you have seen your FICO score, it may not be the same FICO version that the lender is using.   See the chart below, taken from the website myfico.com

I hope that helps clear up some confusion on the subject of credit scores.

I would also like to add one side note on a semi-related topic.  I often hear customers state that they are worried their credit score will drop if I have to send their application to more than one lender.  While I do not "shotgun" an application out as many dealers will, having several lenders pull your credit will not typically hurt your credit score.  See the image below for an explanation on this subject from the myfico.com website

$0 Down Financing vs Putting Money Down

Right now the economy is booming.  We are seeing record sales, record numbers of customers and lenders that are being super aggressive with their rates and terms.  So aggressive in fact that we are even able to offer $0 down financing through two of our lenders.  The rest of our lenders still require 10% down in the form of cash or trade equity.

So....if you can get zero down why in the world would you ever go another route?

Pretty simple really...if you finance your camper with no money down that means you are financing your camper plus your sales tax and title (and any applicable warranties, gap insurance, etc).  You are therefore going into the loan upside down.  It will take you a lot longer to ever be in a positive equity position that it would if you had put 10% cash down in the first place.  If you do end up doing 100% RV Financing, we recommend that at least once or twice per year you make an extra lump sum payment on the principle.  This will help get you out of that "upside down" state faster.

Also, another advantage to traditional 10% down financing is that we are often able to get longer terms and lower rates...that means a lower overall payment for you!

Ready to finance your next camper?  Fill out an online credit app here...