Let me preface this by saying, my wife and I have never owned a camper/RV before in our lives. We are currently in the process of downsizing our life due to my insurmountable student loan debt. We have three children, all under the age of 6. I don’t know the first place to start when looking for a new rig. I do know we need a bunkhouse. The rig will be set up at a permanent RV Park for the next few years. It seems every time we like a certain brand or model, I google and it’s getting blasted by reviews. Our budget is $55k. Is anyone willing to offer advice as we begin this new journey? Thank you.

Forget the reviews blasting a unit. Those come from people that have had a bad experience. For each one of those there are 1000's of happy owners. You will be stationary so find a floor plan you like and go with it. Just be mindful of the weather and make sure you get a unit that is appropriate for your climate.

Look at park models. Way more room, better insulation, real flush toilet, and residential appliances. The RV life is not any cheaper, can be a lot of work, and really cramped. If you went for a trailer, you would prbdbly want to double your budget. Heck a decent crew cab truck could cost 50K. Add a 40 fopt bunk house at another 50K. Well you get the idea. Add park rent at around 500 a month plus gas and electric. Its simply not a real practical solution in an attempt to get out of debt. With any RV your buying a depreciating asset. You would be far better off using that 55K to put down on a house. At least houses appreciate.

Rent a smaller place and use the $55k to pay down part of the debt?

I agree on the Park/Destination model for more room. Also you don't need a big truck if you're setting it up in an RV park for several years. You can have it delivered cheaply. RV's are a different breed than a home or renting an apt. Quarterly maintenance will be greater. Mostly inspections of the roof caulking, window caulking, trim caulking, etc. They're also not insulated as well as newer homes. You'll need skirting if you're in an area of the country that gets pretty cold in the winters. $55K is not much so looking at used ones would be better. Good luck in your journey. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

RV ownership is not cheap. You might look into renting a mobile home already set up. Still, not cheap.And agree with others on the park model jf you really want to go with a more conventional RV.

New to RV’ing need advice | Good Sam Community

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Jan 07, 2019
Rent a smaller place and use the $55k to pay down part of the debt?
donn0128
Explorer II
Jan 07, 2019
Look at park models. Way more room, better insulation, real flush toilet, and residential appliances. The RV life is not any cheaper, can be a lot of work, and really cramped. If you went for a trailer, you would prbdbly want to double your budget. Heck a decent crew cab truck could cost 50K. Add a 40 fopt bunk house at another 50K. Well you get the idea. Add park rent at around 500 a month plus gas and electric. Its simply not a real practical solution in an attempt to get out of debt. With any RV your buying a depreciating asset. You would be far better off using that 55K to put down on a house. At least houses appreciate.
Earl_E
Explorer
Jan 07, 2019
Forget the reviews blasting a unit. Those come from people that have had a bad experience. For each one of those there are 1000's of happy owners. You will be stationary so find a floor plan you like and go with it. Just be mindful of the weather and make sure you get a unit that is appropriate for your climate.

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