I bought my 1st RV today excited but nervous

Jayco-noslide wrote:
We've purchased 6 RV's of various sorts over 40 years.

Amateur. :W Friends of ours bought their first camper in 2005 and just the other day purchased their 9th! :E

Just kidding - your approach seems a lot more sensible to me. :p

If you are low income, I would consider RVing in a trailer before purchasing a Class A. In my experience, the maintenance costs of a class A are much higher than those of a truck and trailer.

I would turn this one down and take your time to think about what you want to do. This is far from the only RV out there for you - there will be others if that is what you want to do. Put together a spreadsheet with a budget for the initial cost, maintenance, repairs, tires, fuel, RV park fees, insurance, etc. Compare the costs of various types of RVs.

I am not trying to tell you not to RV but take the time you need to feel that you can afford the type of RV you purchase.

We've purchased 6 RV's of various sorts over 40 years. In almost every case we felt we couldn't really afford it and had regrets and worries after the purchase but today I don't regret any of them because of the RV life we have so enjoyed. In spite of the high cost and depreciation we are now debt free and enjoying our quite used 30 ft. Class C. I agree they are all sort of money pits and probably not cheaper than other forms of travel if you count ALL expenses.

When you start looking around, you will find there are lots of campgrounds that are very quiet. In my area the state and federal campgrounds out in the woods that don't have hookups are usually pretty quiet and not crowded.

How did your son deal with noise in the rentals? It would be a great way to see places with your son. Hope you can make it work but don't short change yourself with money for future repairs. You really should build up an account just for the future. Perhaps you'll get lucky and will just need maintenance. Best of luck to you!

For what it's worth, I don't think I've ever made a large purchase in my 50 years that I didn't second guess for the next several nights. Only you can decide if it's affordable for you. But, it sounds like you know what you are doing and what you want. Lot's of campgrounds have a "no pet" section, even most of our state parks (NY) have no pet sections, so they are available for your son. IMO, it's better to own than to keep renting, but whatever you decide Good Luck ! and enjoy

Ah ok thanks Mike makes sense.

summerbreeze wrote:

Jayco-noslide wrote:
I think you picked a good company, good unit, good size but wondering if you got a good price? We have achieved debt free and there is never a question of whether to pay cash or delay payment with a loan. I guess maybe you are wanting to see if you like it before paying the whole balance which I can kind of understand. The only downside I can think of is that some don't like the way short Class A's drive and handle. None will feel like a car.

thanks for the reply, when you say you think I picked a good company are you refferring to this rvnet? I never mentioned the company I bought the RV from.

I think he is referring to the rv. Winnebago

Jayco-noslide wrote:
I think you picked a good company, good unit, good size but wondering if you got a good price? We have achieved debt free and there is never a question of whether to pay cash or delay payment with a loan. I guess maybe you are wanting to see if you like it before paying the whole balance which I can kind of understand. The only downside I can think of is that some don't like the way short Class A's drive and handle. None will feel like a car.

thanks for the reply, when you say you think I picked a good company are you refferring to this rvnet? I never mentioned the company I bought the RV from.

I appreciate all of the replies and am feeling a bit more relaxed today. I called the dealership and luckily they are being very understanding and told me they would reverse my deposit immediately. I felt at ease and asked if I can have until Wednesday and if they would still reverse my deposit and I was told yes. I have been camping for years. I love the outdoors, prefer nature more then being inside. I have been renting rv's both 25ft and 30ft and know the basics as far as hooking up, dumping, and basic operating of rv BUT I certainly have ALOT to learn. I think it just hit me like a ton of bricks that I actually purchased it and it's a lot of money to spend on something that will depreciate so much but on the other hand life is meant to be enjoyed. I know there is a very good chance there will be repair that will feel very stressful and be expensive. I am low income and alot of what I inherited was put into this purchase but it has been a dream for so long and I'm a single woman who wants to meet new friends who enjoy the outdoors and camping too. I think a big part of my worry is my 19 year old son who has Asperger's just isn't excited at all because he has noise sensitivity. He wears the big ear muffs to block out loud noises like barking dogs and when you camp there are dogs everywhere. He is with me most of the time and I really want him to enjoy it so maybe I can find some places where we aren't always in a camping spot but can boondock. I do not have solar panel so not sure if I can do that (again something I need to learn). I do have a couple days to take my time to secure storage, get insurance rates and more. The RV I purchased is a 2010 Winnebago Vista 26p. Opinions on the Rig? Very clean mileage 63k, Onan 4,000 with 900hours. Paid 43k. Includes tax and license. Connecting with you guys here with the experience is really helping me. I welcome all comments, suggestions..please.