Beginning my research on class a motor homes

I'm 9 years from being in the same boat as you. We are debating buying a Toyhauler or Class A, mainly because we see ourselfs wanting a golf cart to tool around the campgrounds in. We are looking at workcamping half the year up north and wintering south.

One way to figure your depreciation question out is to look at costs of used class A's now that are one year old vs what they sell for new. Look at simialr units with similar ammenities and you will be able to get a ballpark percentage. The biggest drops are the first few years and then it tapers off to a flatter percentage and adjusted for condition/mileage.

ANother way to look at expected costs is to look at what ten year old units are selling for today and add an inflation percentage for each year to again, get you in the ball park. Of course, it's all open to what the economy and interest rates do over the next decade. If you know the answer to that question, play it in the stock market and you'll be abe to buy new if your right!;)

Length is nice, but there are other considerations which are just as important. Floorplan comes to mind, as well as chassis and design.

If you are single, A 40 feet rig with two bathrooms may be less usable than a shorter rig with only one bathroom.

As for prices, another source to check is PPL Motorhomes. They tend to be decently fair on what is charged, although it is a mainly a consignment operation.

Don't forget in 10 years, inflation will be eating your lunch. For something that you would buy at $60,000 now, expect it to cost around 2.5 times as much a decade from now. I'm not meaning the posted inflation rate, I'm meaning real prices because as gas prices go up, so does everything else. China is a thirsty country, and even though US oil consumption is at 1997 levels, we are paying for their oil consumption.

I would rent some different ones now to get a Feel for what you like. Thou They are pricey to rent for a week.

rollindowntheroad wrote:
I am going to retire in 10 years and want to purchase a Class A motor home and full time, it is just myself. Would like to get a 34' to 40',

Why wait ten years? If this is something that you would enjoy, try it out! You probably need to read my signature to understand me:)

You also asked about depreciation and maintenance costs. Both are going to be much higher than you would think. Remember, these are toys, not investments, and while living in one full time sounds fascinating, it can get expensive.

You'd probably want to buy a upper level model, probably 10 or 15 years old. (Not a base vacation model or coach designed for summer use.) Maintenance could average $2,000 to $5,000 per year, with significant one time expenses for unseen mechanical failures. Tires can cost around $3,000 every 10 years. Insurance and license fees can vary significantly.

NADA will give you the recommend new price and what they go for now.

I am not wanting buy a new one in 10 years, but a used one. I've looked at 34' to 40' models at Lazy Days in Tampa and feel comfortable in that size. I guess I will just have to wait for 10 years to go by and see what's out there at that time for my price range.

Just a personal opinion, like every one else on here, but I think a 40 footer for a single person is a little much, actually a lot much.
And finding one 38-40 ft. for what you're asking, $50-$60k may be possible, but not very likely, unless it's 20 years old already.
Trying to compare prices today to 10 years in the future is impossible, & a model you look at today, may not even be made 10 years from now.

Welcome...
Visit RV shows and dealers to review floor plans, extras etc. Also, ask to test drive a few different models and sizes.
Ten years is a long time from now...

Hello, Right off the top, are looking for a gas or a diesel? Also other sites. RVTrander, just name your state that you want to look into. Have fun, I'll be doing the same thing soon.