Buying first TT - New or Used?
Hello! We are a family of 5 with three small children (ages 7,6,2) and we are wanting to buy a travel trailer - doing alot of research - and wondering if we should buy new or used. New we are thinking...
Forum Discussion
New or used if your RV has a problem you will need to take it someplace. With a used RV you can take it to the best RV shop in the area and that may not be the dealer selling your RV as new. Once you drive off the lot you are really on your own and it is rare to find dealers providing excellent after sale service. And if you have a problem 500 miles from home do you really want to have to find a XXX authorized service center?
With new you do not know what you are getting. With a used RV if there are problems it is going to be apparent and you can look for posts by current owners to see if a particular model or model year had big problems, i.e. structural or with water penetration, poor electrical components used, etc.
You may find that the 2008-2009 model years had a particular problem that was fixed with the 2010 and later model years and then you can make an educated search to find one that is less likely to have problems.
RV's depreciate 25% or more in the first 3 years. That savings covers pretty much everything that can break or fail in the RV.
You can download the trailering guides from Ford, Ram, and GM and see which vehicles can tow safely the trailers you are considering. One advantage of some newer trailers is that the manufacturers have seen a move by people to smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles and so they have downsized and lightened their products as well.
With new you do not know what you are getting. With a used RV if there are problems it is going to be apparent and you can look for posts by current owners to see if a particular model or model year had big problems, i.e. structural or with water penetration, poor electrical components used, etc.
You may find that the 2008-2009 model years had a particular problem that was fixed with the 2010 and later model years and then you can make an educated search to find one that is less likely to have problems.
RV's depreciate 25% or more in the first 3 years. That savings covers pretty much everything that can break or fail in the RV.
You can download the trailering guides from Ford, Ram, and GM and see which vehicles can tow safely the trailers you are considering. One advantage of some newer trailers is that the manufacturers have seen a move by people to smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles and so they have downsized and lightened their products as well.
