Good question. The short answer is "it depends."

I'd suggest that you do a bit of research before you go, or have a computer with you to check once you get to the show. If you can find out in advance what dealers will be at the show you can check their web sites prior to the show. If they have something that might be of interest to you, check NADA, PPL, etc. to find out what that coach is worth. Then when you see it at the show you can have some idea about what you should pay for it. If that coach isn't at the show, often dealers will still offer "show pricing" anyway.

If you can't check prior to the show, take a computer or smart phone along that will let you do the checking from the show. In that case I'd not say much until after you've been all the way through the show. Make notes to yourself about coaches that might interest you, then go to the food area, get a cup of coffee and search.

From what I've seen at the Springfield RV show, very few coaches are actually sold there. Rather, prospective buyers get a better idea of what they want and can talk to the sales people later with less pressure. Last month we went to the Springfield show and found one coach displayed on a photo board that interested us. Nothing at the show caught our fancy. Later on we went to the dealership and looked at the coach. It wasn't what we wanted, but seeing the picture at the show got us to the dealership.

Remember that there is no hard and fast pricing rule. A dealer can stick a "show price" sign on the coach that is actually the same price he had it listed for on his lot the previous week. Other dealers have been known to inflate the list price by 20%, then offer 25% off for the show. That way they can sell a $100,000 coach for $90,000 and the customer thinks he got a good deal.

Sally and Leonard,

You are getting good advice.  Research for what brand/model you want and then research the dealer.  We may have been lucky, but we've shopped dealers back for several years and found one where we felt everyone was friendly, helpful, and really interested in helping us.  If one goes into a dealer and gets the sense that the salesman is looking for the "easy" sale, I would advise leaving after you have spent the time to see what may have "seen" online.  Also, if a salesman DOES NOT ask you about how you want to use the RV or what you want in one, also look for a different salesman, if not another dealer.  If they don't ask questions, they can't get you into the "right" RV.

In our case, we have purchased three different RV's from the same dealer with good results each and every time.  We've NEVER bought at the shows, because I use the shows only for the opportunity to look and compare the units themselves.  Hey, it's easier to just walk around an RV show to see different brands/models than it is to drive many miles to the dealerships.

If you've done your research online, you will have an idea of what a particular dealer has done.  For instance, is his price for "X" the same as "X" at another dealer that sells the same brand/model?  (Keep in mind that they may not be equipped the same, so look closely.)  We've never had a dealer "mark up" so as to give a discount to bring it back down to the original price.  With our choice of dealer, his price has always been discounted off of retail for the units.

One other thing I've done for research.  Whether going to shows or going to a dealership to see the units, I take pictures with a digital camera.  I alway start out by taking a picture of the coach so I can see the brand, then I take a picture of the model number on the side.  That way, I always know that what pictures follow a model number/name will be pictures of that model.  This tool for shopping helps in that one can go back later and see things that they might not have seen when looking in person.

Whatever you do, look at each one with an idea of how you would do normal everyday things in it like showering, cooking, making the bed, etc.  You might be surprised that you notice that one floorplan may work better for you than another.  In addition to interior looks and floorplans, pay close attention to the frames, axles, suspension and wheels because those are the foundation for your RV.

Terry

Terry's advice about "trying" various activities is right on. We kind of thought that one particular 5'er would be ideal for us - until I tried to "make" the bed. I couldn't. That coach was scratched from our list right then. Be sure to get into the shower and close the door. Also sit down on the toilet. I know of a couple that didn't do that test until after they bought the coach. The toilet wasn't the right size for one of them, and they ended up trading the coach sooner than planned (after checking the toilet height).

Lots of good advice here. The only thing I might add is, if it is at all possible, try to work with more than one dealer. If there is more than one competing dealership (not two "branches" of the same company), in your general area that can sell or order the trailer you want, then get them both involved. Do not be afraid to let both dealers know that you are working with more than one dealership to get the best price. Here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that is easy as there are several competing dealerships that sell the same brands. I imagine it is not so easy in smaller towns.

As others have stated above, find the lowest price advertised ANYWHERE in the country on the unit you want. Bookmark or download that page on your laptop or smartphone, go to the RV show on the last or second to the last day of the show, offer them 10% below that advertised price, see what they do. When they complain about your "ridiculous" price show them the price you found on line, ask them if they want to drive the unit back to where they brought it from or not. You may or may not get them to come down to the -10%, but if they want to sell the unit you should be able to get pretty close to that low advertised price.