Motorhome purchase? Pros/Cons!

Dogcliff said:
So without wading through all 9 pages. has anyone addressed the question: Is there a 'best' place to shop for a gently used RV? 
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I've purchased through eBay, although only because the unit was local and thus easily inspected. http://rvtraderonline.com works. Also, visit your local seniors-only neighborhood where gently-used units can be found, often at discount. This also worked for me.

FlogBlog
 
As a matter of fact, we are currently RV shopping. We sold everything last year and moved aboard our 40' sailboat and have recently experienced some health issues. Therefore, we felt selling the boat and getting a 30-38' Class A would be a good compromise. We like to move around, see new places, we can still "cruise" coastal areas and pull a small car/boat/moped... Also less heavy work to be done, i.e. hauling water and fuel, contorting into small engine compartments or upside down by one leg in the bilge fixing the bilge pump... DH is a former mechanic and has lots of skills so maintenance should not be any more of an issue as it was on the boat except for accessibility. We are looking at that size rig around 10 years old and all we have chosen so far are under $30,000. Some have mentioned the issue of the 5th wheel and buying a new rig when needed... aren't those heavy duty pickups just as expensive? PLUS the original cost of your 5th wheel? Just an observation. We don't mind the stopping along the road thing when necessary and would probably do alot of the state parks to start with. Other than fuel, can't imagine the costs would differ much from what we experienced on the boat. As much as I love my boat, it seems that we picked an bad time to live aboard as hurricane seasons don't look to improve any time soon. It will be nice to not have to worry so much about the weather!
 
Buying used RV's is more an art form than a science.
Some of the most frequented alternatives include
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used_rvs_for_sale.htm
http://www.rv-online.com/
http://www.rvtrader.com/
http://www.rvsearch.com/
pplmotorhome is a great resource to check values.  Most who have bought from them seem satisfied.  Go to http://www.rv.net/forums/ and check out the sections for Class A and Class C.
If you are just getting started, read the moderators sticky link for First Time Buyers.  Lots of good info. Look for the buyers check list and be sure to use.  Like buying a used car, it is buyer beware and education is your best weapon.
Good luck
nwsteve
 
Thanks,
Martha, FlogBlogger & other chaps for all good links.
 
I second Steve's recommendation to read www.rv.net/forums/. When you have an idea for a potential RV, you can post questions about it on the forum. Also, searching for information is pretty easy. I learned a lot there when we were shopping.
 
My husband's industry has gone overseas. About 5 years ago after plant closings etc. we fulltimed in a 40' 5th wheel for almost a year. Then back to a house. We now find ourselves almost back to being unemployed again. We will sell our main house, keep the small 55+ house rented and RV again. We both have "hitch itch" and no way to cure it. I feel that for many people it is truly a lifestyle choice. The economica may indeed not make sense from the depreciation standpoint. I guess we could rent an apartment for the same amount of money but then the view out the window would never change. :)
 
REWahoo said:
Not exactly extinct, but it may be appearing on the endangered species list in the near future...
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Hard to tell. More likely, I think the industry will adapt. Instead of selling 30+ foot Class Cs and monster class As, I think you will see more lightweight trailers, camping vans (Class B), and similar stuff. That's apparently what is popular in Europe, where fuel prices have been much higher than what Merkins are used to for a long time.

And it is worth keeping things in perspective. We only get 13MPG when towing our trailer, but next weekend we are going to a county park about an hour away. We will burn less than 10 gallons of gasoline and the park fees will be under $40. What's the last time you went away for a weekend with two adults, two kids and two dogs for $80?
 
Nah, they'll not become extinct, but you'll just use them to go places closer to home.

We love ours, but we don't expect to drive it cross country anytime soon, what with that amazing 11 mpg it gets! And when we take it to the music festival next month, we'll have 2-3 extra passengers to help chip in on the gas.
But having your own bed and bathroom in the midst of hippie madness--priceless!
 
In my case a year ago we were almost sure we'd be purchasing a Class A motorhome after FIRE as a means to adventure, visit the kids, etc.

The events of the past 6 months or so have pretty much convinced us to hang on to our TrailManor collapsible RV and stick to a 500 mile radius most of the time. I try to imagine anything that might change my mind but even if you buy used, the arithmetic just doesn't pass the test for us.

Maybe gas prices will dip, but even then they are sure to rise again. Resale will be all but impossible. Only hope is that what's left of the industry will come up with some 15-20 MPG solutions in a couple of years.

If I already owned a class A I'd be happily using it as much as the budget would permit. But buying one now -- probably not. FWIW, Berkshire Hathaway bought Forest River, an RV manufacturer, about 3 years ago.
 
I live in a coastal area with some large bays that are handy for boating. A neighbor who is an avid sea kayaker mentioned the other day that it is a lot more pleasant to go kayaking because the population of inconsiderate power boaters is greatly reduced since gas shot up. I certainly noticed fewer boats the last time I went saltwater fishing.
 
brewer12345 said:
... next weekend we are going to a county park about an hour away. We will burn less than 10 gallons of gasoline and the park fees will be under $40. What's the last time you went away for a weekend with two adults, two kids and two dogs for $80?
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Yep. We spent last weekend in our Class A at an nice RV park on a lake 12 miles from the house (with our 3 grandsons and their parents in the RV next to us). Burned less than 4 gallons of diesel for the round trip. Like many RVers, we're adjusting our thinking to do more within a short distance of home and plan to take only one or two big trips each year, staying on the road longer whenever we go for distance.

Example: Next month we're heading on a three week 2,000 mile round trip to the cool mountains of NM and CO. I'm estimating the cost of fuel and park fees will average less than $85 day. We're budgeting to do that a couple of times a year and, if all goes well, work that three week thing into a month or longer next time.

It's all good...:)
 
We are currently in northern Ontario, having just filled up for $5.75us per gallon. It appears to DW and I that most of the motorhomes on the road were large class a (38' to 45') diesels and very few 30' to 37' gas mh's.

It maybe that owners of diesels are more able to afford the huge increase in fuel costs. Its also interesting to watch canadian television, they dont report on the price of gas/diesel like we do in the USA.

The mosquitoes and black flies sure are BIG up here.;)

Dave
 
The mosquitoes and black flies sure are BIG up here.;)
===


Dave, what do you think was the original inspiration for the Canadian Air Force? eh?

ta,
mew
 
Yet another case of doing the math, IMO. I've zero concern with gas prices, and am looking for a gas guzzling Class C right now.

First, buying used has never been a better deal. The units I'm looking at, are $10-15K cheaper than they were a year ago. That equates to a "free" 20,000 - 30,000 miles of driving, at $5/gallon and 10MPG.

Second, when time is on your side, there's no need to let increased gas prices affect your budget. Just plan on staying put in places along your route for longer. If the cost of gas doubles, just plan on taking twice as long to get to your destination, and enjoy the trip a little more.
 
Da Nag said:
Second, when time is on your side
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*Sigh* a luxuury enjoyed by relatively few aside from the retired.

Gas prices don't worry me too much WRT the trailer simply because we mostly go away for a weekend at a time. There isn't enough time to drive (with 2 kids and 2 dogs in the car) far enough that high gas prices would be a problem.
 
We are staying put for a while...not because of fuel prices but because of all we need to do to get the new house organized and to host the many visitors that have sceduled time in our abode. Amazing since the temp today was 110 in the shade.

Buying a new or used motorhome or other RV has never been better. There are a LOT on the market right now and many are willing to deal like never before. If you can stomach the cost of fuel and like the RVing experience...then now is the time to get your hands on one.
 
I have not owned nor used an RV, but always ponder if it could be the perfect means to satisfy one's wanderlust. I don't think I can be an RV full-timer, but roadtrips up to 1 month may work for us. So, I read up on Andy's stories as his RV size is about what I have in mind. He went full-timer on such a small vehicle.

Martha said:
I have recommended Andy's website on this forum before, to follow his journey into ER without big bucks. Going fulltime: prologue
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Then, just as audrey has warned, 5 years into ER, Andy had to (wanted to?) replace his RV with a slightly larger and newer vehicle. His cash appears to run alarmingly low. Granted, he started out with not a whole lot of savings. Our typical forum member has more than Andy, but most would want a class A, and as audrey has pointed out, in the long run, going with a nice class A costs more than living in a home. One must make sure it is affordable. A forum member contemplating being a class A full-timer would do well to heed audrey's warning.

audreyh1 said:
Looks like they used some of the equity of their home to pay for the up-front costs of getting into full timing - about $140K.

When they decide to by another house - quit fulltiming - where are they going to get the money? *They aren't going to get a large amount back out of their rig.

If they fulltime for 10 years and need to upgrade or replace the trailer or the tow vehicle (more likely) - where is the money going to come for that? *Replacements go up in price while rigs you own go down in value.

Audrey
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I appreciate the discussion here and just spent some enjoyable time at Andy's site.

I'm one of those people who does not think money choices have to be justified -- just make sense to us at the time with enough thought.

I saw how Andy bought a new rig -- about $60,000 if I remember. But keep in mind he did not put $18,000 into a new roof in a "stick house" or if this is his only transport, $25,000 into another vehicle, or pay all these property taxes. He strikes me as a smart enough guy to make choices that make him happy.

Keep in mind I have two "stick houses" that I enjoy very, very much -- grinning from ear to ear each time I go to my mountain place. That's what I choose to do.

From time to time, I check out camper vans, like a Sportsmobile or a RoadTrek. Each time I say "I don't need two cars." I did not need two houses either, but my brain in my body with my experience is seeing it that way. I can live with that. (I have a different goal, which apparently matters more, to use my 8 year old Honda another 12 years......) All of this can change.

I really appreciate people sharing their experiences.

kate
 
Got any CU's near you (or banks for that matter) that sell the repos? I got a notice from a CU I am a member of and the repo sale list was the biggest I have ever see (about 50 vehicles). Most of the Vehicles were large cars and trucks but tucked in there were a few RV's including 5th Wheeler. In the past there were some great prices on used cars and I assume that has gotten even better recently.
 
kat said:
From time to time, I check out camper vans, like a Sportsmobile or a RoadTrek. Each time I say "I don't need two cars." I did not need two houses either, but my brain in my body with my experience is seeing it that way. I can live with that. (I have a different goal, which apparently matters more, to use my 8 year old Honda another 12 years......) All of this can change.

I really appreciate people sharing their experiences.

kate
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Heh, I said "I don't need more vehicles and headaches" for about a year. Then I rented an RV on vacation. A year later, I own a travel trailer. Its a reasonably cost effective way to scrath the itch, and it still fits in my driveway.
 
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