A Question of Value

First a little background. We are in our 70s but are pretty mobile and get around pretty well. We do have our limitations and a lot of heavy lifting or extreme physical effort might be a challenge. Our plan is to be on the road 2 or 3 weeks at a time with no intent to go full time. I would expect we would be out of the RV world in 5 years or so due to aging. So, resale value is important.

My wife and I have looked at 5th Wheels, Class C, and Class A units. Our first hesitation was buying a truck if we bought a 5th wheel so we looked at Class C and Class A units. Then the issue came up of to tow or not to tow a car with the Class C or Class A unit. We actually liked the floor plans and spaciousness of the 5th wheels so here is the question:

If we buy a truck and a 5th wheel we could have less money tied up than if we buy a Class C or a Class A unit. The worst case scenario would be we hate the RV world and end up with a truck. So, all things considered, why would we buy one class of RV over the other? Also, Do you buy new, one year old, older??

Thanks for any advice,
Deane

Virtually all RV's are depreciating assets. You will lose money on all of them if you purchase new and sell it pre-owned (used). Some like Airstream and Prevost hold their value better, others not so. But, the bigger issue here is not whether fifth wheels hold their value better but if that is the type of RV you want. Most fifth wheels have steps into the bedroom that many seniors try to avoid. Also, most fifths are heavier than a comparable travel trailer or truck cabover camper. Unless you like taking the motorhome everywhere you go you will want a car to tow behind. Two engines and transmissions to maintain. With a fifth or travel trailer you only have one engine and transmission to maintain and can disconnect and use the truck or tow vehicle for all the running around you want without the RV behind. Think through the issues and don't let depreciation be your only variable. Also, good advice on buying pre owned as previous owners have suffered the bigger depreciation and also fixed all the stuff that was not correct from the factory. Just be sure there is not any water damage. That can be a major cost to fix.