Purchase from dealer or private party?

Same way you would purchase a vehicle........Depends on your financial situation.
Do you have cash?
Can you get your own financing?

As for 'Extended Warranty (really just a service contract).....most are overpriced way overpriced.

Never purchased a vehicle from a private party.

One plus for purchasing at a dealership is:
If you have to finance your purchase a dealership can offer assistance in obtaining a loan. They call and jump thru the hoops for you and prepare the paperwork instead of you running around to banks yourself.

Some dealerships offer warranties on used vehicles some don't.

If you buy from a private party, you can purchase a used RV warranty from places such as Good Sam.

I have bought used RV's from both dealerships and private parties and have never had a problem.

That all said there can be lemons in both sectors.

Good Luck in finding the perfect RV for you and your family. :C

just remember when you buy used, the previous owner didn't think it was worth what you have to pay for it. sort of like "winning" an auction. you paid more for the item than anybody else in the world would. :)
bumpy

Buying used is a bit of a gamble for a newbie. As a newbie are you knowledgeable enough to evaluate a used RV? If you have the knowledge then dealer or private really doesn't matter. Warranties , financing can all be obtained for both sources.
If you lack the ability to evaluate a unit then buying new is a better option.

We bought our first RV (a Trail Lite B+) from a dealer. I'm not sure it was even offered but we did not and never would get the extended warranty. It was in good shape and we had no problems with it for the year we used it.

We sold it online and we're "private sellers". There was nothing wrong with it that we knew of. That's not saying it couldn't have laid down along the road on it's way to it's new home but as far as we knew there was nothing mechanically wrong or problems with the RV systems.

Do your research and this forum is a great place to start. Learn what you can about the unit you're interested in and investing in an RV inspection could avoid a lot of hassle.

Good luck!

MookieKat wrote:
When we buy an RV, which is the better route to go? Dealer or private party?

Doesn't make any difference....what matters is the condition of the unit you are buying (and the price.)

I don't think I have much of an option....I want to buy used in order to avoid the new smell and also for the same money I could get a much better quality trailer

How do we know when the exterior is too far gone to be polished up? I am not talking aboit leaks but the outer shell itself....the fiberglass.

If it is a gelcoat finish, you can apply a product such as NewGlass2. This is a product used in the boating industry to correct oxidation and restore the shine. Go to thgeir website for more info.

Jim