I am wanting a little persuasion

[4x4ord]

We don't do a lot of camping although we are always hoping to do more in the future. In fact this year we got away for 1 weekend. Regardless of how much camping we do we need an RV to do it with and our current unit is starting to show its age. I need some help justifying spending some money on upgrading to a newer unit. How do you determine how much to spend on your RV? Should it be $1000/night of annual use? Or maybe a percentage of the value of your house? Any thoughts?

[4x4ord]

Lantley wrote:

4x4ord wrote:
I struggle more with dvissing a way of justifying the expenditure of an RV. One way of thinking I can come up with is this: for every 365,000 a person has in his home equity he has justified $1000 per night sleep. If the RV will be used 50 nights and you have $182,000 equity in your home then a $25,000 RV makes sense. In order for me to justify spending $50000 on an RV for 10 days use per year I would need to have a house worth about$1,825,000. So I either need to have more use for the RV or be a whole lot wealthier before spending that much on a trailer.

Those figures may help you calculate some rational way to look at your circumstances. However the only way to get value out of any RV is to use it. Currently you are wasting money a lot of money on your RV. The only way to get value out of it is to use it.
Doesn't matter what make or model,or how much you paid. If you are not using it you are wasting your money.
Sure it's your money to waste, but do not buy another unit to turn into a statue or large lawn ornament on your property.
Before buying anything else you need to develop a plan to use your current unit.
You are in love with the idea of RV'ing, but you are not in love with RV'ing.
If you are truly interested in using your RV you need to change your priorities. In order to camp regularly you need to make a commitment to camping. Sounds simple enough, but if you are only finding time one weekend a year you aren't very committed to camping.
Take a step back and make a plan/commitment to camp. Get a calender and set some dates. Work towards those dates and change your work/life schedule to accommodate those dates.
If you are committed to camping setting a few dates in advance will be easy. If you are committed to other things,finding time to camp maybe difficult.
Instead of looking to get deeper into the RV game, you may find you lack the desire,commitment and availability to stay in the game.
A for sale sign maybe more in order than a purchase agreement.

Good Luck, you will have to do some soul searching to determine your true passion for RV'ing.

What you just wrote is probably pretty obvious to you. But for me, I needed to read that. I have found an RV that I am about ready to purchase. That's the easy part. The hard part is the commitment to camping. I can't continue to work every weekend and only dream of camping. I have to make changes to my life if I am actually going to use an RV.

[Lantley]

4x4ord wrote:
I struggle more with dvissing a way of justifying the expenditure of an RV. One way of thinking I can come up with is this: for every 365,000 a person has in his home equity he has justified $1000 per night sleep. If the RV will be used 50 nights and you have $182,000 equity in your home then a $25,000 RV makes sense. In order for me to justify spending $50000 on an RV for 10 days use per year I would need to have a house worth about$1,825,000. So I either need to have more use for the RV or be a whole lot wealthier before spending that much on a trailer.

Those figures may help you calculate some rational way to look at your circumstances. However the only way to get value out of any RV is to use it. Currently you are wasting money a lot of money on your RV. The only way to get value out of it is to use it.
Doesn't matter what make or model,or how much you paid. If you are not using it you are wasting your money.
Sure it's your money to waste, but do not buy another unit to turn into a statue or large lawn ornament on your property.
Before buying anything else you need to develop a plan to use your current unit.
You are in love with the idea of RV'ing, but you are not in love with RV'ing.
If you are truly interested in using your RV you need to change your priorities. In order to camp regularly you need to make a commitment to camping. Sounds simple enough, but if you are only finding time one weekend a year you aren't very committed to camping.
Take a step back and make a plan/commitment to camp. Get a calender and set some dates. Work towards those dates and change your work/life schedule to accommodate those dates.
If you are committed to camping setting a few dates in advance will be easy. If you are committed to other things,finding time to camp maybe difficult.
Instead of looking to get deeper into the RV game, you may find you lack the desire,commitment and availability to stay in the game.
A for sale sign maybe more in order than a purchase agreement.

Good Luck, you will have to do some soul searching to determine your true passion for RV'ing.

[4x4ord]

handsome51 wrote:
You say your RV is starting to show its age. How good did you take care of it. An RV needs P.M. and Maintiance just like a house. I bought a cabover camper new in 1983 for my truck when I was working. I built a carport to keep it under. It got a wax job once a year as well as the caulking checked. I had it 23 years till I retired. It still had the original plastic icebox vent on the roof with no cracks in it. I liquid gold the wood paneling inside once a year. It still looked good when I sold it. When I retired I bought me a new 5th wheel. I built a 40ft long, 16ft tall, double wide carport for it. If you take care of what you have, it will last as long as you want it. Then you won't have no problem selling it.

I haven't done much of anything to it. I polished and waxed it in 2010. You're right if it had been cared for it would still be nice.

[handsome51]

You say your RV is starting to show its age. How good did you take care of it. An RV needs P.M. and Maintiance just like a house. I bought a cabover camper new in 1983 for my truck when I was working. I built a carport to keep it under. It got a wax job once a year as well as the caulking checked. I had it 23 years till I retired. It still had the original plastic icebox vent on the roof with no cracks in it. I liquid gold the wood paneling inside once a year. It still looked good when I sold it. When I retired I bought me a new 5th wheel. I built a 40ft long, 16ft tall, double wide carport for it. If you take care of what you have, it will last as long as you want it. Then you won't have no problem selling it.

[rhagfo]

4x4ord wrote:

rhagfo wrote:
I would guess on how much you enjoy it. I would never just camp one weekend a year!
We have been out 25 days of camping, this year so far. This is not counting 8 weeks of camp hosting.

I would seriously reconsider my priority's if only got out one weekend a year.

This year was the worst...ussually we got out about 10 days per year. I probably should have reconsidered my priorities years ago and taken more time off in the summer but better late then never. Our youngest child still loves to camp and its only about 3 years from now that my wife and I have intentions of doing a bit of traveling for a month or two at a time in the winter. We could make do with what we have for another 3 years although after another 3 years the unit will be 15 years old and might be hard to give away. So it could be that owning something a little newer night not cost a whole lot more to own than keeping what we have.

Keep what you have for now, then set a goal for days/ weeks of use once you decide to replace.
We went from an 28' 86 King of the Road to 32' 2005 Copper Canyon with two slides, set a goal of one weekend a month. We got in 9 weekends the first year. the next was around 14 and two week trip. This year we have spend almost three months in the 5er and loved every day of it!!

[Cummins12V98]

Personally think you should keep what you have and maintain it until you are truly ready to start part timing.

We bought our 2002 Avion Platinum in 05and at that time started going south in the winters for 1-5 months depending on work. When we went full time in late 11 we bought our Mobile Suites that was 4 years old.

So far it all worked well for us. Keep thinking about a new MS but keep thinking how much we like this one.

[Cummins12V98]

Personally think you should keep what you have and maintain it until you are truly ready to start part timing.

We bought our 2002 Avion Platinum in 05and at that time started going south in the winters for 1-5 months depending on work. When we went full time in late 11 we bought our Mobile Suites that was 4 years old.

So far it all worked well for us. Keep thinking about a new MS but keep thinking how much we like this one.

[Merrykalia]

We spend in excess of 100 nights per year in our RV, so it is well used. We purchased used (2 year old) and when we go with something else, it will also be a slightly used model.

Most people spend 1 week and then a few weekends in theirs, so within the first month, we have spent more nights in it than the previous owner did in 2 years.

For a TT, I would spend no more than $20,000; a popup less than $10K, and for a fifth wheel, $30,000. Now if you get into the motorized, whose guess is is as to how much it will or should cost.

That's just my thoughts on it and I guess a lot of it depends on your location and what is available.

[Mile_High]

If you are not full-timing, it's a toy, so there is no limit. As with any hobby, you can dive in as deep as you want 🙂

Logic doesn't work, or you would buy a BMW and a Marriott card 🙂

[kennethwooster]

When we bought our 1st unit I had had a stroke. I realized I needed to relax. I was still farming, and working for the school, so I was busy. We went ahead and bought a 5th, and immediately fell in love. I thought I had to work all the time, when suddenly I was looking for times to go instead of working. This life style totally changed me and the dW. Today we use the RV about 4-5 months a year. Just jump in and see what happens.

[dbbls]

I would not have a RV if I only used it one weekend a year.

[donn0128]

If your trying to justify an RV by cost alone your in a losing battle. There is no way to do it and pencil out as anything but a loss. For most people it is a hobby and any hobby costs money. Full timers being the exception, almost!

[Dick_B]

For that little camping I wouldn't buy another unit. Maybe spend some money on something that make it `seem' like a newer one. Hire a pro to clean it if you have to.
Yes, to go RVing you need an RV. To go on vacation one only needs a means to get somewhere.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

At this point rather than a new/different camper, when you want to camp look at a cabin that is at campgrounds. Almost the same experience but you only pay for what you use.
Also, the Citation is a great unit. Out truck camper was a Citation. Great quality
Jim