Depreciation, why so much with RV's

toedtoes wrote:
I do stand firm against used undies.

You mean you will not wear them I guess not "stand firm against them" :)

There are vending machines in Japan that sell used undies....so I have been told.

Many army surplus outlets sell used shorts, long johns, t-shirts, etc. and someone buys them. Preppers maybe? link

old guy wrote:
Fireguard is right. I watch the RV buying shows on wednesday night and I just can't believe the price people get quoted on that show. I would walk out if they thought I would be dumb enough to pay that amount. when I buy a car I pay at or below invoice price, when I buy a RV I pay in the 30% bracket.

Those are SALES shows that are paid for, and sponsored by, LAZY DAYS RV Sales. They MAY be a little biased on the message they want to give the people that watch them.

westernrvparkowner wrote:
Got to factor in that original discount when purchasing new. If the rig listed for $100K, sold new for $75K and was resold Three years later for $50K the depreciation was 33 percent, not 50 Percent. That is actually in line with what autos depreciate.
You also need to consider that as you get into the higher end, the dollar value has less meaning to the buyer. Someone who can write a check and not blinkfor a $500,000 plus rig isn't going to pinch pennies to take a used rig that may not be exactly what they want. The price benefit equation often goes out of whack when you are dealing with wealthy buyers.
And finally, much of those wickedly expensive options are valueless in a few years. I looked at the sticker of my pusher and the 42 inch LCD TV was a %4500 option. Today, I can buy a better, bigger one at Walmart for a couple of hundred.

Spot on. The big depreciation numbers are not real. Unless you believe in MSRP that is. We just traded motorhomes and the old one depreciated less percentage than most cars of the same age and mileage.

Of course if you wish to drink the MSRP coolade, the old one was worth more at trade in than we paid for it. On (dealer) paper LOL.

old guy wrote:
Fireguard is right. I watch the RV buying shows on wednesday night and I just can't believe the price people get quoted on that show. I would walk out if they thought I would be dumb enough to pay that amount. when I buy a car I pay at or below invoice price, when I buy a RV I pay in the 30% bracket.

Those shows (and the house buying ones) are paid for by the industry. So they show people buying more than the RV (house) is worth in order to convince the public to pay more. Reality is far different and the majority of people do not overpay like that. There are always some who do - either because they have enough money not to care or because they don't know better. But most people buy at a more realistic price.

Fireguard is right. I watch the RV buying shows on wednesday night and I just can't believe the price people get quoted on that show. I would walk out if they thought I would be dumb enough to pay that amount. when I buy a car I pay at or below invoice price, when I buy a RV I pay in the 30% bracket.

toedtoes wrote:
......................................
Oh, and because so many are poorly made to begin with that after a couple years on the road with an owner who doesn't do any maintenance like sealing, the whole rig can be falling apart.

;)

I believe that covers it.

X2 on most of the responses to the question. Depreciation amount depends on your thoughts on wants and needs. Most folks with no budget restraints could care less about depreciation. We decided to buy an older Class'A'DP in good condition where depreciation isn't an issue. As with most vehicles they lose value the older they get. We tend to like the comfort of traveling at out leisure and try to go by RV as much as possible. Living in Tampa we can get to New Orleans in about 45 minutes fly time. We took 3 days in the RV, stopping where we wanted and traveling leisurely. We still get to meet new folks along the way and meet friends. It's not always about the destination but the journey to get there. The first trip we took with our grandkids would have cost us about $4400.00 in expenses, hotels, eating out, mini van rental,etc. The complete trip with the RV was $2700.00 and again we were able to stop at or leisure. HAPPY TRAVELS:)

I have noticed RV prices are up.....with the price of gas being down! Wait till
gas goes back to $4.00 a gallon then, then you'll be able to wheel and deal.
Brian

Think an RV is bad buy a boat, and think a boat is bad buy a plane. The universe of potential owners is fewer. The more exclusive your toy is the faster it drops in value.

Many yrs. ago a smart fellow told me, the only 2 reasons for purchasing a private plane is 1. you want it and 2. you can afford it. RV's fall into the same reasons. Anything else you are lying to yourself.