Hello everyone. I am brand new on this board and I am also brand new at the whole RV ownership thing; actually, I have not even bought one yet but I am working on it now. I am hoping to get some advise on buying a RV. I have been looking into buying a new one but man are they expensive, so I started looking at used RV's and obviously they are more reasonable but I am worried about how much it cost to maintain them. My wife & I love the outdoors and want to travel more so we really want to get into this but not sure of the best way to get started.Any advice for a complete noob?

Used will save you the initial depreciation hit. The key to buying used is research, research, research. Look for a unit whose owner has kept good maintenance records. Since you are an admitted noob, consider having an expert look over the unit, before you make an offer. A good RV tech can go a long way to finding potential issues that you'll likely never pick out until its too late.

paulcardoza wrote:Used will save you the initial depreciation hit. The key to buying used is research, research, research. Look for a unit whose owner has kept good maintenance records. Since you are an admitted noob, consider having an expert look over the unit, before you make an offer. A good RV tech can go a long way to finding potential issues that you'll likely never pick out until its too late.Agree with the inspection, not so much on records. My tt has no maintenance records but I've meticulously maintained it. When you perform certain maintenance items twice a year (spring and fall) there's really not much to record. Maintaining a tt is not rocket science requiring you to record when you do a task.

For your first, I'd highly suggest used. Have it thoroughly checked before purchase. You can have major problems if you buy new, also...just read these forums. :) You'll save a lot of money on used and there are some very good deals out there. Also, you can buy a higher quality one for your budget if buying used.

used but in good condition. don't even consider buying one unless you have budgeted for maintanence and upkeep they are NOT hands off. Also if you cant already learn to turn a wrench.

I agree with buying used, particularly as a first rig.One reason that hasn't been directly mentioned yet (that I saw) is that very often as a new buyer you don't really know what design features and so forth are important to you, as a lot of this really comes from experience. This means that there's a pretty good chance that your first RV won't be optimal for your needs and wants, and that you'll have a much better idea of what all to look for in a year or two. Selling an RV you bought used is much less of a financial hit than selling one you bought new recently.Maintenance is required on any RV, and while a used one probably requires a little more maintenance on average, it's not an enormous difference provided things are in good shape. Many maintenance items start from day one.You might want to think about renting an RV for a week or even just a weekend to get your feet wet.

New or used? | Good Sam Community

2gypsies1
Explorer III
Oct 05, 2016
For your first, I'd highly suggest used. Have it thoroughly checked before purchase. You can have major problems if you buy new, also...just read these forums. :)

You'll save a lot of money on used and there are some very good deals out there. Also, you can buy a higher quality one for your budget if buying used.
jfkmk
Explorer
Oct 05, 2016
paulcardoza wrote:
Used will save you the initial depreciation hit. The key to buying used is research, research, research. Look for a unit whose owner has kept good maintenance records.

Since you are an admitted noob, consider having an expert look over the unit, before you make an offer. A good RV tech can go a long way to finding potential issues that you'll likely never pick out until its too late.

Agree with the inspection, not so much on records. My tt has no maintenance records but I've meticulously maintained it. When you perform certain maintenance items twice a year (spring and fall) there's really not much to record. Maintaining a tt is not rocket science requiring you to record when you do a task.
paulcardoza
Explorer
Oct 05, 2016
Used will save you the initial depreciation hit. The key to buying used is research, research, research. Look for a unit whose owner has kept good maintenance records.

Since you are an admitted noob, consider having an expert look over the unit, before you make an offer. A good RV tech can go a long way to finding potential issues that you'll likely never pick out until its too late.

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