My plan to retire in September, 2018 and live in an RV full-time is being re-evaluated. My plan was that when my auto lease was up in August, 2018 I could lease a big new tow vehicle (maybe an F-350) and buy a 2-3 year old travel trailer. About 2 weeks ago I was driving in the rain and a fellow ran a red light and totaled my car. Fortunately I was not injured except for a few bruises.But now I have no car lease I can ride until retirement. I might be able to takeover a bank repo lease, or I could use Uber for 7 or 8 months, or maybe buy a used car and then sell it and probably lose a little money on that transaction. Then I got to thinking what would be my cost if I bought a used Jeep Wrangler and in September I get a 5 year old gasser Class A or Class C to pull it. I don't really want to drive an F-350 as my "getting around" car, but that was my reluctant plan. A Wrangler would be easier to drive in city and maybe I could play with it off-road when I'm in the country.The cost of the two plans are about the same. My vehicles would be a little older, but I don't have to run around town in a heavy duty truck. I would like opinions in a few areas to help me make my decision.1 - Would a 5-year old motorhomes still be in pretty good condition or will I be in the repair shop a lot? Likewise for a 10-year old Wrangler (or I might go 5-year old and pay a little more)2 - Should I go with Class A or C? The C looks like it would be easier to drive and easier to get repaired. The A has a little more room and usability of the cockpit area in the home. I read one person say that people often go from a Class C to a Class A, but not so often the other direction especially for full-time living.3 - Is there much off-roading that I can do and does it cost much? I'm thinking that national/state parks have restrictions on where you can go off-road and private areas probably charge a fee. This is new to me, but I had a motorcylce 30 years ago and going off-road was a lot of fun with it.

Could you just get the F350 now and use it as a daily driver until next Sept?

Get a class A if you're going to full time. You'll have more room inside and out. You should be able to find a nice used unit that is only a few years old at a decent price.You're not limited to just Jeeps for towing behind the moho. There are several other vehicles you can tow with 4 wheels down that cost less and get better fuel mileage than Jeeps. Good luck!

Does temporarily buying a used vehicle get you back on track? Doesn't have to be truck. You can likely sell that vehicle for what it cost and go back to your retirement plan.

DO NOT ASSUME ANYONE'S LEASE!!! That is a recipe for disaster. It is expressly forbidden in almost all lease contracts. Even if you get the lessor's written approval, you are going to be on the hook for anything that went wrong and was improperly repaired by the previous lessee. Not to mention it is a bad deal. You will be paying the same payment for a used vehicle that the original lessee paid for a new one. If you carefully buy a seven or eight year old vehicle, drive it normal miles, your cost of ownership will be very low for the next 8 months. That is the best financial option if you wish to stay with your original retirement plan. However, I would prefer the motorhome/toy vehicle plan if you are going to be in to off roading. Jeeps are much better off road vehicles than F350s. And they also are more convenient daily drivers in many parts of the country. (driving that honking F350 thru Boston would be a trip in itself.) Good Luck

Sorry to hear about the accident, glad you did not sustain any substantial injuries. You can certainly go with a class A or C if that works for you, one thing to note is that a 350/3500 truck is not required to pull most travel trailers. In our couple of decades of RVing it's been rare to see a travel trailer being towed by a 1 ton truck, although we've seen a couple here or there from time to time. We need a truck for other reasons and don't see a future where we will ever get a motorized RV, that is just us, you need to find out what works best for your situation. Some would say that a TT is not suited for full-timing, and that has some truth to it particularly with older TTs, but recent model TTs are flat, single level copies of their fifth wheel counterparts albeit without as much available storage. Many can be pulled with newer model 1/2 ton trucks that are equipped with the proper motor/tranny combination. Plenty of off-roading is available in the western states, NM is next door and opportunities for such activities are endless. We prefer boondocking and dry camping and do most of our RVing in the four corner states where we bring our ATVs along with us for exploring the area.

My Plans Have Been Wrecked | Good Sam Community

Grit_dog
Navigator
Jan 22, 2018
babock wrote:
bucky wrote:
The used car market is very volatile right now, all bets are off.
My brother runs an auto auction in California. According to him, its not volatile at all. Probably one of the most stable times for used auto/truck sales.

True statement. Economy is good, gas is cheap...ish. Cars are expensive!
Moreso now than I’ve seen in my 30 years of driving.
“Deals” are **** near non existent except on old or unpopular stuff.
To that point, been looking for a new(er) Charger SRT for the wife for over a year now.
Limiting myself to ‘15 and up for specific reasons, there are virtually none for sale by owner and I couldn’t get under $41-42k for slightly used at several dealers, as a serious buyer. Ended up getting a new leftover for $44k which is mind numbing to me, but it literally was the best deal I seen within 1000miles for a year. It was over $13k off sticker, so zero drive off the lot depreciation at least, but I’m accustomed to buying vehicles that I could re sell for more for say the first year and it ain’t happening right now.
We gave $18k for our 06 SRT 5 years and almost 100kmiles miles newer. If it had the same Miles now it would be worth the same from what I see. Zero age depriciation.
Heck, I’d only give up about 5grand from the purchase price on the Mega Cab 10 years and over 150kmiles later it I sold it tomorrow. Sounds stable to me.

Granted there are other factors besides the economy, like the instant internet access that normalizes vehicle prices across the board too, but IMO its a good time to sell, but not as good of a time to buy.
babock
Explorer
Jan 22, 2018
bucky wrote:
The used car market is very volatile right now, all bets are off.
My brother runs an auto auction in California. According to him, its not volatile at all. Probably one of the most stable times for used auto/truck sales.
babock
Explorer
Jan 22, 2018
I know you are a CPA and "know numbers well" but if the decisions between retiring and not retiring is so close that an auto accident makes it a go/no go decision, your finances aren't ready for you to retire.

BTW, friends don't let friends lease. Your example with the 250 Lease you showed before compares the financing of MSRP to a lease based on the same price. Since you can always get a vehicle for a lot less than MSRP, that comparison shows it is less expensive to buy/finance.

I have looked at every lease that members of my family and friends have done and maybe one has come out ahead on a lease. Even some with businesses would have been better off buying.
johnwalkerpa1
Explorer
Jan 22, 2018
The lease pros/cons and alternate MH/toad options have been covered well so i won't rehash those...

But, in your original post, you said "My plan to retire in September, 2018 and live in an RV full-time is being re-evaluated. My plan was that when my auto lease was up in August, 2018 I could lease a big new tow vehicle (maybe an F-350) and buy a 2-3 year old travel trailer.".....

If you had already decided that was the best plan for you, I wouldn't let an unfortunate accident change your plans. Assuming that insurance makes you whole on the existing lease and you owe no money, why not just go ahead and get your new "post retirement" vehicle 7 months early? Its not like its years.

Maybe not an valid option if you currently drive 100 miles a day but if your daily mileage won't exceed your lease restrictions or cause you to spend an exorbitant extra amount in gas, just get the truck now. Its not that big a deal to use a truck as a daily driver. Just a thought.
Allworth
Explorer II
Jan 20, 2018
He doesn't mean a towable Class A. At least I don't think so! two towables PLUS a class C and a Class A, maybe.

Come to think of it, I did see a towable Class A one time. A big recovery wrecker was towing it.
msturtz
Explorer
Jan 19, 2018
We have some unique experience that may help you. We have owned two towable RVs, then a class C and finally a Class A. The towable units are less expensive if you already have a tow vehicle. Keep in mind that they require extra equipment that motorhomes typically include such as a generator leveling, boards, tow hitch (we had a $3000 Hensley hitch for safety). I also added a 100 gallon fuel tank to my 1 ton gasoline truck due to range issues in remote areas. All of this can make the cost similar to a class C new. Truck $60,000 + hitch and miscellaneous $5000, Travel trailer suitable for 4 season use $50,000. A class c is based on a van cutaway chassis the most capable and affordable is the E450. The thing to consider is they tend to be very loud when running. The wheel cut combined with the wheelbase means they have a large turning radius. Our 31’ Class C had a 218” wheelbase and a 45 degree wheel cut. Our 34’ Class A DP has a 208” wheelbase and a 55 degree wheelcut. I was mistaken that any Ford dealer could work on it. Trust me they won’t. Only Ford certified commercial truck shops will work on them. Keep in mind if you chose a motorhome of any kind and wish to tow a toad you will need a tow bar and brake system these typically cost between $3500 - $5000 installed. We love our DP Class A. It is quiet and easy to drive, the generator is very quiet as well. The systems are well integrated such as automatic generator start, whole house inverter system, residential refrigerator.
bucky
Explorer II
Jan 06, 2018
But he is asking about money, that brought lease versus purchase into the game.
Another fact about leasing versus buying. The money the lease will cost you is a $ figure set in stone at the time of the lease. Can you guarantee what you will get for your purchased 4 year old vehicle when you sell it? The used car market is very volatile right now, all bets are off.
DallasSteve
Nomad
Jan 05, 2018
2gypsies

Thanks for that quick and thorough reply.

Steve
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Jan 05, 2018
DallasSteve wrote:
2gypsies wrote:
DallasSteve wrote:
Is there much off-roading that I can do and does it cost much? I'm thinking that national/state parks have restrictions on where you can go off-road and private areas probably charge a fee.

There's no fee for off-roading with a Jeep. However, you just don't cut across lands and create your own trails. There are awesome established trails in the western states by using national forest and BLM lands. You can also boondock at beautiful spots on these lands - no charge.

We full-timed 8 years with a truck & 5th wheel. We always hated driving the truck. Our next 8 years were done with a motorhome and Jeep and we had so much fun. We've driven at 12,000' elevation in the gorgeous mountains on Jeeping trails. The scenery was unforgettable!

2gypsies

Thanks for your post on my thread. I looked up your Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome. That looks like it's close to the perfect set up for me to full-time with a Jeep. There are a few items that concern me and I wonder how you felt about them during your 8 years in that RV.

1 - It looks like it would be hard to turn corners in a motor home that long. Most of the travel would be straight, but sometimes you have to turn the corners. Was it much of a problem for you?

Never had problems turning corners. You just take your time; get prepared to swing wide. Use your signals and folks are very accommodating in giving you enough room.

2 - I've read that it can be hard to travel some roads because it is so wide. Is a Class A really wider that a Class C or a travel trailer and it is a problem on some roads?

We traveled secondary roads and forest service roads 95% of our time and didn't have issues.

3 - I've read it costs about $2,000 to replace the tires on a Class A and I see yours had at least 6 tires. Is that about the right price? I need to figure that in my budget. Is that once every 3 years or about how often?

Yes, have a budget for tires. The big ones are, indeed, expensive. It's recommended to change them by age not by looks. 7 yr. is the norm.

4 - Some people (like my brother who drives a Class C) say that a Class A is much more dangerous in an accident, especially a front-end impact. What do you think?

Never worried about it. In 16 years never had an accident. We've seen pictures of trucks getting hit head on and they aren't pretty either. One thing, you're sitting higher in a motorhome if that helps your thoughts.

5 - I don't want diesel for several reasons. Would a gasser with a front-end motor make a lot more noise in the cabin?

Yes.

6 - Some people comment that it is harder to find mechanics to service the Class A motorhomes. What was your experience?

We didn't need mechanics but they're out there for motorhomes. We found it easy to get regular servicing. We'd call a place in the direction we were heading in a few days; arrive as scheduled and in and out either that day or spend the night on their lot - mostly with electric - and left the next morning.

7 - If you were going to start full-time today in a Class A about what year model would you want to buy used?

Age isn't as important as upkeep. I'd try for 'by owner', if possible then you can see how he keeps his home/yard, too. Some owners have great pride in what they own. If the owner had all the maintenance records for you to see that would be an added plus. Also, for full-timing there are better quality RV manufacturers than for weekenders. We had a great experience with Newmar but there are others.

Regards, Steve
DallasSteve
Nomad
Jan 05, 2018
2gypsies wrote:
DallasSteve wrote:
Is there much off-roading that I can do and does it cost much? I'm thinking that national/state parks have restrictions on where you can go off-road and private areas probably charge a fee.

There's no fee for off-roading with a Jeep. However, you just don't cut across lands and create your own trails. There are awesome established trails in the western states by using national forest and BLM lands. You can also boondock at beautiful spots on these lands - no charge.

We full-timed 8 years with a truck & 5th wheel. We always hated driving the truck. Our next 8 years were done with a motorhome and Jeep and we had so much fun. We've driven at 12,000' elevation in the gorgeous mountains on Jeeping trails. The scenery was unforgettable!

2gypsies

Thanks for your post on my thread. I looked up your Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome. That looks like it's close to the perfect set up for me to full-time with a Jeep. There are a few items that concern me and I wonder how you felt about them during your 8 years in that RV.

1 - It looks like it would be hard to turn corners in a motor home that long. Most of the travel would be straight, but sometimes you have to turn the corners. Was it much of a problem for you?

2 - I've read that it can be hard to travel some roads because it is so wide. Is a Class A really wider that a Class C or a travel trailer and it is a problem on some roads?

3 - I've read it costs about $2,000 to replace the tires on a Class A and I see yours had at least 6 tires. Is that about the right price? I need to figure that in my budget. Is that once every 3 years or about how often?

4 - Some people (like my brother who drives a Class C) say that a Class A is much more dangerous in an accident, especially a front-end impact. What do you think?

5 - I don't want diesel for several reasons. Would a gasser with a front-end motor make a lot more noise in the cabin?

6 - Some people comment that it is harder to find mechanics to service the Class A motorhomes. What was your experience?

7 - If you were going to start full-time today in a Class A about what year model would you want to buy used?

Regards, Steve

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