buying an rv; am i missing something

[arron]

we want to start rving (some camping close to home and maybe one big trip each year where we'd travel a longer distance) and have a limited budget. we have two young children, a family of four. we have $8,000 max to spend. i've debated whether to buy a TT and a tow vehicle to tow it or to buy a motorhome. i think i can get a decent TT in my area for about $4,000. but then that leaves only $4000 to get a dependable Tow vehicle--i'm a little skeptical that i can find something that is reliable with low miles for that price.

i've seen plenty of older motorhomes--1980's about 28 feet-- with low miles--under 50k-- relatively cheap, $5-8k. some are in pretty decent shape, if a little outdated. the last one i saw had only 24k miles. so for my $8000 i could get a decent motorhome and not have to worry about buying a separate tow vehicle. am i missing something. are these older motorhomes not good/reliable so that's why they are so cheap. i just want to make sure i'm not making a big mistake so i hope someone can enlighten me. any guidance appreciated.

[JordanH]

What do you drive now? If its capable of towing a pop-up, that would seem the best route

[toedtoes]

Sea Dog wrote:
Oh, I agree.
My unit is a /93 class c.

The thing is, the Op, says he is on a limited budget,
so in my opinion, being green, jumping into something
where repairs easily mount up to thousands,
is not a wise move!

I agree with that, but being on a limited budget to buy the RV isn't necessarily the same as not having money to make repairs, etc.

My original affordability for a MH was $10K thinking I could finance at least part of it. When I started looking, I found that MHs costing $15K or less were more than 10 years old. My credit union wouldn't give me a loan for anything over 10 years old. So, I had to go with my "limited budget" of $4000 - which I had readily available in cash. However, by paying cash, I had money available each month to make ongoing repairs, updating, and age related maintenance. If I had bought newer, I would have had to make payments and then I wouldn't have had the extra cash each month for repairs, etc.

It's really about understanding your finances well enough to know which route will work best. For some, it's coming up with the initial purchase amount, for others it's not having the extra for repairs.

[Redsky]

You can get a decent travel trailer for less than $4,000 if you buy an old one as they depreciate a good deal over time. If everything works you are in the same position with a $2,000 used trailer as one that costs you $4,000. If the fridge dies you will have money left to repair it or buy a new one.

In your place I would get a dual purpose vehicle that can be your vehicle for general use and also for towing. With a lightweight trailer you can avoid the need for a weight distributing hitch and with a 1/2 ton pickup with a crew cab you will have a good all purpose vehicle that will be good for towing if it came with the factory tow package.

For a used SUV or truck I would want 4.10 gears to provide better towing capacity - 4.10 provide 25% more towing capacity than 3.73 gears with any car or truck regardless of the make. You can use the VIN number to check the gears that were provided by the factory.

Go to any US National Forest or National Park and you will find that the majority of families camping are using tents and having a great time. I would rather have a smaller trailer to use for cooking or getting in out of the rain and using it with a tent for extra sleeping room at night. I did this for years using a small truck camper that slept only two people and used a dome tent that setup in minutes. But then I believe in living within my means.

[Sea_Dog]

Oh, I agree.
My unit is a /93 class c.

The thing is, the Op, says he is on a limited budget,
so in my opinion, being green, jumping into something
where repairs easily mount up to thousands,
is not a wise move!

[toedtoes]

Sea Dog wrote:
If you are on a limited budget,
a twenty year old motorhome
is the last thing that you want!

You are much further ahead to go the popup route
for a start.

Check Craigslist in your area,
Offer about sixty percent of asking,
you might be surprised!

I agree. That's why I went with a 38 year old motorhome. 😉

It just all depends on the individual. For me, I knew I wouldn't use a pop-up. It'd end up being a paperweight for my driveway. So while it would have been less expensive, it wouldn't have been worth the expense. The motorhome has been worth the expense and more. It is exactly what I wanted and I use it as much as possible. But, when I bought, I didn't jump in and buy the first one to catch my eye. I watched, waited, etc. Only when I had established my needs and found a motorhome to meet those needs did I lay out my money.

[Sea_Dog]

If you are on a limited budget,
a twenty year old motorhome
is the last thing that you want!

You are much further ahead to go the popup route
for a start.

Check Craigslist in your area,
Offer about sixty percent of asking,
you might be surprised!

[toedtoes]

Bumpyroad wrote:
before you buy a pop up, be sure to rent/borrow one and go through setting it up several times to see if it doesn't get old quickly.
bumpy

I agree. I never cared for the pop-up at all and went straight to a TT. For me, not having to pack-up was a key benefit of having an RV - I didn't want to have to set things up and take them down just to get on the road.

[Monaco_Montclai]

IMHO I would be looking at a Nagara by fleet wood,weighs round 4k, mine di I,two king beds,microwave, hard side bath, most mid size cars can pull .we still talk bout it.opened up 28ft long. Now it's all happy-camping

[lbrjet]

You don't need an RV to start camping. You can get started with a couple of tents. You can buy all the equipment you need for $500 or less.

[Bumpyroad]

before you buy a pop up, be sure to rent/borrow one and go through setting it up several times to see if it doesn't get old quickly.
bumpy

[JohnnyG73]

I'm new to this forum but like many others here, I started out tent camping before moving on to a pop-up, then a small TT, and now a little larger one. I have always operated on a tight budget and being a DIY kinda person has been a bonus. I have never paid more than $1300 for a used camper and have gotten some really great deals. New tires and some maintenance on the bearings is usually enough to keep a trailer on the road for years. If you are a DIY person, most other things that can go wrong or need repairs you will be able to handle. There are those that can build an RV from scratch and there are those that call AAA to change a flat tire.

The RV sales lots, craigslist, and news papers are loaded with every kind of camper imaginable that are only a year to a few years old and hardly ever been used. I think this is largely due to a huge base of people that see a new RV, imagine themselves traveling or camping, drop a ton of cash, and then find that they do not have the time or interest and end up selling at a huge loss. Loss because it's used and because they have not gotten much use out of it. I find the same thing goes for boats.

Like others have said, start small, tent or pop-up or truck camper. If you are the type of person that expects everything to work perfectly without fail and if it does fail you have to call someone to fix it...$8000 is a tight budget. If you can fix most things yourself, consider investing most of that in a dependable tow vehicle and make sure the trailer has new tires.

Consider how far you plan on traveling...across the country or within a couple hours or so from home? How familiar are you with towing? Most pop-ups are similar to towing a boat but larger TTs and 5th wheels are more similar to driving a tractor/trailer.

I agree with those that say start small to see how it goes. You could purchase a pop-up this year. If you like it and take good care of it (maybe even improve it), you could sell it next year for what you paid and invest in something more suitable. This also gives you a year to determine what would be more suitable.

[spoon059]

Another vote for a pop up. You can find some new for as cheap as $8000. They are a LOT of fun and can be towed by some cars, most RV's and almost any truck. If you have a vehicle with 3 or 4K tow capacity, you could invest that $8000 into a nicer pop up and a tow hitch on your vehicle.

Our first family camper growing up was a pop up. It was a BLAST. If I didn't have barking dogs, I would have a pop up right now. We figured our neighbors didn't want to hear our dogs bark 24 hours a day. With a hard side trailer, they don't hear people walking past and bark significantly less.

Good luck!

[ChooChooMan74]

Campfire Time wrote:
Camping is not for everyone. You say this is all new to you. I've seen far too many people jump into this and buy a trailer only to find out they hate it. Lots of talk about rentals. That's the way to go. Rent a pop-up. If you like it then you can buy one. It'll fit your budget, they are easy to maintain, and they'll make a lot of memories for your family. And kids love the tent ends.

X2 on this. A HS friend bought a nearly brand new Jayco TT cheap because they first owners wanted to try camping.

[Campfire_Time]

Camping is not for everyone. You say this is all new to you. I've seen far too many people jump into this and buy a trailer only to find out they hate it. Lots of talk about rentals. That's the way to go. Rent a pop-up. If you like it then you can buy one. It'll fit your budget, they are easy to maintain, and they'll make a lot of memories for your family. And kids love the tent ends.