Summer Trip - Rent or Buy?

[jth442]

I am a planner and a saver. And I'm about to do neither of those by going on an RV trip in July with no destination chosen or RV yet.

Some family circumstances have prompted me and my wife to do this now. It will be an important time together for our family - daughters 14 and 12. And I have been given clearance to take 3 weeks off work.

We have camped in tents and owned a pop-up for a while.

I really want to do a long trip in a Class C. I've been spending the last 3 days researching used C's and rental options. Renting is expensive for that long of a trip. That is why I've considered by a used motorhome, then deciding to keep or sell later. I've bought and sold many vehicles, so I'm aware of the trouble and expense. But I've actually been researching RV's off and on for almost 15 years. Though I do not own one, I've got a decent idea of what to expect.

But my main dilemma is deciding whether to rent or buy. More risk with buying. I would have to finance. But we can take our time and also decide if we want to keep it.

Rentals seem to be in the $5000-6000 or more range.

Seeing some units at PPL for sale in the $17-25K range.

If anyone feels like responding, I might be interested in knowing which way you would lean - rent or buy?

[Mocoondo]

Never buy an RV for a single trip.

[esyers]

For what it's worth.........................When we were searching to buy a Class A, I had a dealer tell me that he could sell and buy back a camper for a long summer trip and it would be cheaper for the traveler than what he would have to charge to rent it to them.

[XytheX]

jth442 wrote:
Let me add this..

I see a lot of Class A (gas) units for sale in the 10-15 year old range that are similar in price to Class C.
I've always wanted the Class C for the overhead bunk though.

Any thoughts on...
1. With 2 daughters (ages 14 and 12), is it too much trouble to set up the couch for sleeping? Like, how much importance is the overhead bunk on a roadtrip with a family?

2. Driving experience - are these older Class A's more difficult to drive than a Class C?

3. Any other Class A advantages - CCC, etc?

I know you've already made your decision, but I wanted to comment on #1. That was our concern as well. Somewhat naively, my plan was to put 3 kids in the overhead bunk. After one night of "He's touching me, She's breathing too loud, He's on my side!" we tossed that plan out the window. We hung a curtain across the front half of the RV to section it off. We used Command hooks on the ceiling and paper binders to hold the curtain. That allowed us to put one kid on the bunk, one on the jackknife couch and one on the folded down dinette. They love this arrangement and it still allows us use of the door, kitchen, bathroom, etc.

[jth442]

UPDATE:

We decided to buy. We now have a 2009 Fleetwood Jamboree 31M. 33,000 miles with new tires.
Had the house inspected by an RV inspector and the chassis inspected by a mechanic.

Now, besides learning about it and customizing a few things, we are trying to plan a trip up to Glacier and Washington State.

Thank you all for the advice and feedback.

[NWboondocker]

There was a similar thread sometime back, my response here.

[DrewE]

The couch is likely not as comfortable as the overhead bunk to sleep on. A dinette might be a bit better; many RV couches are not very comfortable at all to sleep on. (Mine is also not good for me because I'm about a half a foot or a foot longer than it is.)

While the driving sensation is somewhat different, I don't think there's a great deal of difference in how hard it is to drive a class A vs. a class C. If anything, some class A's are probably easier to drive, in as much as they are more maneuverable and have a broader view out the windshield. Poorly set up class C's with insufficient weight on the steer axle can have rather noticeable handling problems, and this seems to be less common with class A's. Of course, for any given specific motorhomes, it could go either way based on the specifics.

Class A's typically have a tighter turning radius (well, a less terrible one) than similarly sized class C's. Often they do have a higher cargo carrying capacity, or at least a higher gross weight limit, though sometimes the dry vehicle weight is also heavier in proportion. The lack of a cabover bunk is somewhat of a mixed bag in your case; it limits sleeping possibilities, but it also eliminates what is not infrequently a troublesome area for leaks and general maintenance. Very generally speaking, more class A's are set up with the idea of being used by a couple camping rather than a family, while more class C's are set up for family camping.

The cab area of a class C is generally a little more crashworthy than the cab area of a class A. The rest of the unit is not very crashworthy in either case. In the event of a serious crash, I would rather be in most any vehicle besides a motorhome (excepting a motorcycle). Given the choice, of course, I would prefer not to be in a serious crash in the first place.

[jth442]

Let me add this..

I see a lot of Class A (gas) units for sale in the 10-15 year old range that are similar in price to Class C.
I've always wanted the Class C for the overhead bunk though.

Any thoughts on...
1. With 2 daughters (ages 14 and 12), is it too much trouble to set up the couch for sleeping? Like, how much importance is the overhead bunk on a roadtrip with a family?

2. Driving experience - are these older Class A's more difficult to drive than a Class C?

3. Any other Class A advantages - CCC, etc?

[RambleOnNW]

We rented a variety of lengths of class C rvs, slide and no slide, over a period of 10 years. This included Forest River, Coachmen, Tioga, and Safari brands in lengths from 24 to 32 feet. During our rentals we found a 26 foot unit with a dinette slide to be the best compromise for us for length and maneuverability. When we went to buy though, we found this 28 foot unit with dual slides and full basement.

While we were renting that seemed like the best course as we were renting perhaps 1 10-day rental and a couple of long weekends per year. We also took other trips flying and also renting houses. At the time it didn't seem that we wanted the storage or maintenance requirements of a motorhome.

After some time we decided we would like to motorhome more and do other vacation activities less. As others have noted is takes some time to get the motorhome set up to suit yourself, everything from tires and suspension upgrades to AGM batteries, LED lighting and quick-disconnects on water connections and whole-motorhome surge protectors. Continuing maintenance requires a certain number of hours of maintenance for every day spent on the road. Say 1-2 hours.

We had thought we would be in a vacation home at some point but are glad we didn't. Being in a fixed location wouldn't suit us and an RV, once the purchase price is sunk and initial set-up is complete, is fairly inexpensive on a per-night basis compared to a vacation home or house rentals. We still do house vacation rentals, but very infrequently now, primarily for winter where winter activities preclude easy use of the RV.

Best of luck on your decision!

[jth442]

Certainly driving and staying in motels would be cheaper. However, the main part of this trip would be the RV adventure. To be on the open road, the whole RV lifestyle thing, as most people on the forum know.

[cyntdon2010]

Save your self! 3 weeks of headaches, most state campgrounds have cabins.
rent a car... and tour the country... enjoy your vacation

[jarata1]

You have a 3 week trip and you want to buy a motorhome is this for the future or a one time thing.Seems like a lot money and headache if your not going to use it in the future

[time2roll]

First trip is probably a draw. If you go again next year then owning is probably better. If you use it on some weekends all the better. Owning anything gives you the flexibility to fix or improve the unit to suit your needs. Also as a rental you have to be more concerned about damages. Do you have a place to park it upon return? Worst case you just sell it.

[Bordercollie]

If you buy used, heed all the usual advice about buying new tires if over 5 years old by DOT codes on tires, have brake system checked and serviced including brake fluid flush, have engine cooling system serviced, make sure that the house battery(s) is good and that converter charger etc. is working properly when plugged into shore power and that generator starts and runs properly and powers the roof AC and microwave. Make sure that the dash AC cools properly and awning unfurls and stores properly. Make sure that fridge, water heater and fresh water pump and holding tank valves work and that you have properly fitting sewer hose and separate water hoses for filling fresh water tank and rinsing black water tank and sewer hose. Take a comprehensive too kit with duct tape, baling wire and digital multimeter. If you buy new make sure everything works and allow time to get factory defects fixed by usually slow dealer service department. Expect at least a 2-week delay for fixes before starting on your trip. Try to buy from a reputable dealer. Make a check list of things to take and to do before leaving. Don't take too many clothing items but have rain ponchos and warm jackets on hand. Use a GPS and have maps/AAA "trip tiks" for planning. Find RV parks with vacancies before dark. Change lanes using your mirrors and watch out for small cars and motorcycles in your "blind" spot. Pull over and let cars and trucks pass when it is safe, use lower gears on grades to save brakes and don't let "local yokels" push you into taking curves too fast for your comfort and safety. RV's are heavy and top heavy and knocked around by crosswinds and passing semis. Rear springs are stiff and give a harsh ride on concrete highways. Best to make rest stops every 100 miles or so.

[jth442]

So far, I'm getting a feeling that the Buy Used may provide more flexibility and feel more rewarding.