On the TFL podcast the head of RAM said very directly when asked about how long this ''bubble'' we are in will last and his response was clear and in line with what all other major players are thinking.. His response was ''we never want to go back to the way things were.. no more 200-300 trucks sitting on the lot and offering big discounts to get the old stockers out.'' This will be the new normal for a very long time.. which is not all bad as yes you will pay more.. but they will hold value better as well. Now that manufacturers have the opportunity to shift the market and keep it this way where trucks are pre-sold and incentives are few and far between. I think it will be one step closer to moving the towards a Tesla buying experience.
ps. Asking for more ''modern'' shifters in a heavy duty truck is pretty much an invitation to start removing heritage and tradition from one of the last things left. Sometimes history even though it may be less efficient, it adds character and a connection that a bean counter does not see a need for. To each their own though..
Yeah, I've heard that as well, but as much as the manufactures would like that to be the case I just don't see it happening to be frank. Let's be real, the trucks were never "worth" the MSRP, which is why dealers/manufactures had to lay down insane rebates. It's not because manufactures or dealers don't know what people want (they have more market research and data than most any other industry), it's just because people have become so engrained that huge sales come numerous times a year, so it's best to wait. Outside of launch model specialty trucks nothing sells for MSRP.
I get why the head of RAM would say that, because he absolutely wants it to be true, and who can blame him? Less discount, trucks would be sold before they hit the lot, dealers make more, like it's a win for everyone except the buyer. Yeah, if prices go up then trucks will maintain their value a little better, but that's just a side effect, and if used trucks cost more, then the second and third buyers will hold them longer, which means less people to purchase the used models, which means prices go down to compensate and move them, which means the vehicles no longer hold their value as well.
If RAM thinks they can move the market then by all means I'm sure they are gonna damn well try and move it in their favor. That said, for 90% of buyers vehicles are a want item, not a need, especially when you're talking 80k trucks. I think that if RAM moves to a order only/primary model they will see people being much more picky about the options and trims they choose, and they would buy much less frequently. Buying a new truck is
generally more of something that just happens when you're getting an oil change, but if there isn't enough inventory then you've got too long of a cool off period and sales will slip.
At this point it's all speculation, but I'd be crazy surprised if it at all went the way RAM is hoping for.
P.S. I can't wait for your build thread judging by your sig it's gonna be awesome. I'm toying with the G500s myself as a summer wheel, nothing like them.
