Looking for Opinions

(Financially) it is better to trade your too small a truck for a used truck that you can PAY for and get OUT from under the bank notes.

sac89 wrote:
Is it better to buy a truck to tow a TT or 5er or buy a Class C or A and tow a car? The MONEY you can save will pay for any needed repairs/ upgrades. The deals are out there, you just have to look.

Reson for the question, I have a truck towing a TT right now, I need to upgrade my truck very soon. It is too small (IMO) for the trailer. If I add up my current truck payments and my current TT payment, it is quite hefty. Any new truck will increase that payment.

VS

taking that total payment for the two, and purchase a Class C or A or even a Diesel pusher and tow a car that I already own.

Thoughts?

IMHO, what you should do is based upon what does "RV'ing mean to you"? IAW, your "philosophy of RV'ing". For us an RV is for exploring places other than where we live in a mobile vehicle, in as simple a way as possible, combined with more comfort than tenting or popuping.

Summing this up for us meant a Class C that was small enough for no-towing simplicity, while also providing access to about any size camping spot and being fully self-contained enough for at least 4-5 days of heated and air-conditioned comfort, including showers and good sleeping provisions - with or without hookups. For us a Class A is too large and complex to maintain, A Class B/B+ is too small for basic sleeping and bad weather living comfort. A TC is too high to get into and too small to be comfortable once you get up there. A TT or 5'er is too large, too complex, and when underway can get too dangerous too quickly in unexpected roadway and weather conditions.

We chose a 24 foot wide body, slide-less, toad-less, Class C with generous tanks and a quiet generator on a simple to maintain and very stable Ford E450 chassis. This matches our "philosophy of RV'ing" to a tee. We can stay at RV resorts, use small NFS campgrounds, or come nightfall when we're out in the middle of nowhere exploring ... camp off-road right there without having to drive a towed vehicle back to some other place where the coach is parked.


FWIW, as far as going into debt is concerned to acquire an RV ... being debt-less should not be the goal. Having assets well in excess of indebtedness should be the goal. We opened a mortgage on our house to buy our RV, new. However the equity in our home was way above the loan size and the cheapest money is usually mortgage money.

whatever you do, the cost can vary a lot depending on used vs. new. We bought our 30 ft. 2003 Itasca over 3 years ago for $23,000 and tow a 2012 Chevy Sonic bought used in 2013 for about $15,000 for a total of $38,000. Same stuff new- total $116,000. Personally, i wouldn't have loans and make payments on an RV or the car. So we've had no loans no payments. I know many of you think it's not possible but it sure is a great goal to plan for and it can be done. We are not wealthy.

Retire, buy a class A, a really nice top of the class A world one, and finance it for 20 years so the payment is as low as you can get it. Now you have money to put aside for fuel and maintenance hopefully, and chances also are that your going to be taking the dirt nap before its ever paid off. So when you hit the dirt the thing gets repossessed by the bank, they sell it at auction, take the rest of the loss as a write off and everyones happy, except maybe you LOL.

totally depends on you and how you live.

do you need a truck?
we do cause we live on big acreage and farm and do other things so that truck works double duty......so no motorhome and pull car for us cause the truck is a priority for us.



you decide what is your priority and go for it!

In Michigan, trailer plates are a one time expense. About $200.00. Vehicle plates are based on value so the MH would be more $$$ and yearly. Then I would think about maintenance...oil changes, etc... how much and where to find a mechanic to work on a MH. Then how many drive trains do I want to maintain? That is what I would consider. Others have other priorities and needs.

The forum is a good start and only that. No one can touch all basis for a comparison for you in a short format. You need to get informed yourself and only deeper research and soul searching for what works for you should be considered. I can only say what works for me, not anyone else. I have had RV's since '85, and can only pass on my own experience. Hope you got something out of all the replies made, and like I said, further research is needed by you to find the appropriate rig.

Just like old peoples underwear.....the answer is "depends."
You've given no other real information for anyone to reccomend one way or the other.
And even if you did, there are many of your own circumstances or situational things that could sway the decision.
Happy Friday!

(If I add up my current truck payments and my current TT payment, it is quite hefty. Any new truck will increase that payment.

VS

taking that total payment for the two, and purchase a Class C or A or even a Diesel pusher and tow a car that I already own.

Thoughts?)

Apparently, the OP included cost in his comparison. Cost is a major factor for many of us. If you need advice on other comparisons, its a matter of personal preference and need. If I were to stay long term in various locations, I would opt for the biggest 5th wh and a diesel to pull it. One thing I noticed in class C's is the lack of counter space in most models. If you're going to anticipate moving around often, either an under 30 ft 5th wheel or MH/Class C would work well, albeit compromises for counter space and possibly storage.

sac89 wrote:
This was not intended to be a discussion on money, but all of your responses really make you think about priorities when it comes to toys.

Yeah, I always hate it when someone (DW) talks financial sense to me :)

Good luck with your decision.