New or used?

[Lovetheroad75]

Hello everyone.
I am brand new on this board and I am also brand new at the whole RV ownership thing; actually, I have not even bought one yet but I am working on it now. I am hoping to get some advise on buying a RV. I have been looking into buying a new one but man are they expensive, so I started looking at used RV's and obviously they are more reasonable but I am worried about how much it cost to maintain them. My wife & I love the outdoors and want to travel more so we really want to get into this but not sure of the best way to get started.
Any advice for a complete noob?

[Harvey51]

I agree with everything DrewE said. Excellent info.

We bought a 4 year old small motorhome 8 years ago. We had no major expense in the first 4 years, when we needed new tires. There was a difficult little plumbing problem, a broken drain pipe elbow in a difficult place. Could have cost hundreds of dollars but I enjoyed finding and fixing it myself so it only cost $5. You sound like a guy who would be interested in learning how an RV works and doing most of the maintenance yourself; if so you will most likely have few expenses.

We bought an RV that we could afford without debt or compromising other plans, such as moving up if we found it necessary. I think it is a good plan in these uncertain times. We lucked out and are still very happy with our small MH.

[Grit_dog]

Not a lot of advice can be given until you narrow down your preferences and limitations, and decide what type of RV you want to be seen in.
Asking new vs used is like asking Ford vs Chevy. You'll get 50/50 answers.
If you're not mechanically inclined or don't want a lot of projects and go used then think trailer behind a pickup so you don't have to deal with a RV drivetrain, IMO.
IMO, age is much less of a consideration (within reason), than condition and use. Looking at rvs that are years old, if stored outside year round, especially uncovered, is a bad thing. Plenty of gently used ones that haven't been beat on by the elements. $40k will buy you a very nice used small A gasser, C, or a TT and a decent truck to pull it. Just gotta decide, but sounds like you're just in the hypothetical stage anyway.

[bpounds]

I don't think there is one answer to the new/used question. I like to consider prospects as they come on merit. Sometimes you find a great deal on something used, but you also might be waiting a long time. And time is the one thing you can't buy more of.

Also, if you plan to finance, rates will usually be better on a new unit, than on a used one. If a used trailer is only 1 or 2 years old, you might get a new one for nearly the same payment.

And watch out for those prices on late model used trailers. Too many people pay too much, finance for too long, and end up needing to ask too much because they are upside down. Make sure they end up paying for their mistake, not you.

[Lovetheroad75]

We would like to have something that we can travel with for long weekends and week long vacations. It is just me and the wife and our 2 dogs. We would love to take it camping, as well as going to places like Yellowstone and the gulf beaches.

[Jbrowland]

If you tell us how exactly you plan to use your RV, we can give you an idea of what to look for. With RV's, it's HOW one plans to use it that determines 90% of the decisions made concerning purchasing an RV. Once you figure that out, then you can figure out what you need and if buying a new one is even financially possible.

So far, I am guessing you to be a good candidate perhaps for a class C or maybe a class A in the 25-30ft range. A barely used 30 foot class C (entry level style) can easily be found only a few years old and in fantastic shape, well within your budget.

[Lovetheroad75]

Thank you all for your input; I do appreciate it. I would love to buy new but I don't think that I can get what I want for the kind of money that I am willing to spend. yes, I could go out and buy a $100K RV but then I would never get to build the new house that we want (working on that one also!). I do not currently have a vehicle that could tow a large trailer, we have a Jeep Cherokee without a tow package & it's a 4 cylinder so it couldn't tow much even if we had the tow package. I am wondering if we need to hold off on this whole idea now. I know someone who is an electrician and he said that he could handle setting up a battery bank for me and I found a great deal on some really big time batteries so I would love to see if I can salvage a good used vehicle. I think that I need to study up on the different kinds of RV's out there to get a better feel for what we really want/need.

[ncrowley]

I would buy used but would stay away from your friend's RV. You said it was not in the best of shape which tells me it was not as well cared for as it should have been. You want a used coach that was meticulously cared for. You want to see the records that show that all maintenance items have been done on schedule. And make sure you have someone inspect it for you.

[ddndoug]

I would recommend used for all the reasons listed, plus used units will typically have all the bugs worked out from them.

Do you have a vehicle that could be used as a tow vehicle? If so, your least expensive route would be to go with a travel trailer.

How do you plan on using the RV? Is it to camp in campsites or "off grid" locally, or do you plan on cross country trips with the family crammed into two weeks. (not judging, we do both)

Do you have children? Are you mechanically inclined? What about your carpentry skills? Where will you store it?

What part of StL do you live? We're in the metro-east.

Doug

[doxiemom11]

Buying used, you should be able to get a higher quality rv than the same money would buy new.

[NYCgrrl]

I chose new in part because no one in this household has automotive maintenance skills. Also because the unit we purchased has a 2 year warranty, great mechanical and cosmetic reviews from current owners and doesn't depreciate as fast as some other TTs.

[lgarcia]

I always buy new. I know the maintenance that has been done on it. I know the level of water damage/rot/mold/toenail fungus etc. I can finance it, and that peace of mind is worth it for me.

[DrewE]

If the "cosmetic" problems include water stains or bubbling siding (delamination), those are generally quite good signs that there has been some water leakage and potentially structural damage or a lot of other headaches. Avoid such things if at all possible. With old enough units, it does get harder to avoid any tiny sign of water intrusion, and if quickly and properly repaired it can be only cosmetic; but very often it's a much bigger problem than appearances would at first suggest.

Alternator and battery (house or chassis or both?) are not huge problems in themselves, nor likely to be super expensive. I would be concerned with other things that may also need work. If the tires have not been replaced ever on your friend's unit, they also would need replacement for safety, and that does get expensive...a thousand dollars or more, depending on the chassis.

RV stoves are pretty much always gas cooktops, so running them off of solar power is not possible. An electric stove requires a very large battery bank (and solar installation) to do much with. An induction range is a bit more practical, but still needs a pretty substantial setup for much cooking. Running the TV and lights and maybe fridge off of solar power is not at all unreasonable, and with a sufficiently large battery bank doing some limited microwaving or running a coffee maker is practical as well.

[CopilotCompanio]

Welcome to the forum. I, like you, am in he market for my first TT and this forum is helping me climb that learning curve. You're in the right place. Collectively, the folks on this forum have tons of experience. The "Search" field is a great way to find discussions on specific issues.

Best of luck to you,

/CC

[Lovetheroad75]

I would like to keep my initial cost under $40K if I can; I could probably get this one for about $30K or so but I am worried about how much it would cost me in the long run. Also, I am very big into being environmentally responsible, so whatever we decided to get, I would like to get some solar panels and expand the battery bank so that I can use as much solar as I can to run everything (TV, stove, etc.). So I am going to have that added expense as well.