No Warranty on your RV? Don't buy new?

[doghouseman]

I am new here and I am surprised most of you guys recommend not getting a new RV with warranty.

I bought a very old boat a few years ago and it was my first boat. Looking back I wish I had a warranty on it because it was impossible to find parts for the boat and I spent more time working on the boat than I did actually sailing. Seems like the same logic applies to an RV????

Are there any good RV warranties out there are all they all bad?

[way2roll]

Veebyes wrote:
"I know who's slept in my bed, who's used the kitchen and appliances, and for the most part who's put what down the toilet." I love excuses like that for paying tens of thousands more for a new unit.

I guess these buyers have never slept in a hotel, never used a public restroom & never been to a restaurant. They must be relations of Howard Hughes.

I love condescending posts like this.

[Mickeyfan0805]

Durb wrote:
My reply is pretty simple. If you have the tools, time, and know-how to fix things; buy used. If you aren't handy, buy new with warranty.

This is why we are each different - each has their own priorities. For us, I do fall in the category of doing most repairs myself. Unless it takes major equipment, or know-how, I will take care of it. We've bought new twice, and never had either in for warranty work. It is in large part due to the fact that I can make the repairs that we will purchase new.

Buying used, you might get a unit that's been through warranty repairs and well maintained, or you might get a unit that was overloaded and neglected for 3-4 years. For us, we'd rather buy new, fix the small things that happen, use the warranty if any major thing comes along, and KNOW that the vehicle has been properly cared for since day 1.

[Lantley]

For me buying new was all about getting the exact unit I wanted with the exact features I wanted vs. settling for what was on the lot or what someone else I ordered or selected.
I was more interested in getting the exact colors,capacities,and options that I wanted vs. getting a bargain or avoiding depreciation
I agree problems are still problems new or used.
Used does not guarantee all the bugs are worked out. You maybe buying someone else's problems that they decided to unload.
On the other hand a new unit warranty is nice and does provide peace of mind.
however using the warranty can be challenging and is not as simple as it should be. New warranties can be another type of headache and are only beneficial if you encounter major or catastrophic repairs. Otherwise small items are easier to repair yourself.
If you have done your homework, know exactly what you want and are sure you are committed to RV life, buying new is OK.

[schlep1967]

Honestly it doesn't matter if you buy new or late model used. You are gambling either way. If you buy new and there is a small roof leak, odds are you are not going to notice it until after your warranty is expired. Other small items you could notice and end up with your unit sitting at the repair facility for 1/4 to 1/2 of the length of your warranty.
Bottom line is, you can either afford to take the risk of buying this toy (new or used) and having to fix it to use it, or you might want to stick with tent camping.

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

The other aspect of warranties: our Class C was 2+ yrs old when the driveshaft carrier bearing went out. The warranty for that ended up being through the company that stretches the chassis - I forget their name now, but they were very nice and willing to arrange things so we could drive to Elkhart (about a 3-hr drive each way), get it fixed, and be back home that night.

But we were simply busy with "life" at that point in time, so opted to pay for the replacement, which cost us $375 locally.

We had not opted for the extended warranty - after digging around, it seemed that there were too many hoops to jump through, lots of exclusions, and of course there was the needed authorization-for-repair request. In checking with random RV repair places, not that many honored the particular warranty company being offered. We declined - and in 10 years of owning the Class C, that $375 repair; plus replacing a side mirror, were our only expenses.

[Veebyes]

dodge guy wrote:
You say “you bought a very old boat and wish you had a warranty on it”. How old is very old? Most of not all warranty companies will not offer a warranty on older vehicles.

When it comes to boats, how old is old? Not talking trailer boats here. A 10 year old well maintained cruising boat 30' plus is considered young. Sure, you can buy a basket case dirt cheap but it will cost tens of thousands before the bottom gets wet again.

One of my all-time favourite boat names was seen on such a boat. "DEBT FINDER"

[Veebyes]

"I know who's slept in my bed, who's used the kitchen and appliances, and for the most part who's put what down the toilet." I love excuses like that for paying tens of thousands more for a new unit.

I guess these buyers have never slept in a hotel, never used a public restroom & never been to a restaurant. They must be relations of Howard Hughes.

[dodge_guy]

You say “you bought a very old boat and wish you had a warranty on it”. How old is very old? Most of not all warranty companies will not offer a warranty on older vehicles.

[Powertour]

OP, I’d rather have to tend to my own used RV, my mother-in-law’s RV, & the HOA president’s RV problems rather than deal with 1 new RV / RV dealer over warranty issues. But... you have to know what works for you.

If you don’t have the skills, ability, &/or desire to work on your coach’s issues then by all means buy something from a dealer. If there was nobody buying new the rest of us couldn’t buy used,

[time2roll]

If you know what you need and want for long term then new is fine assuming you are not stretched financially. First RV I would go preowned to buy something at a steep discount vs new. Good chance you may want to trade in a few years and would really take a hit on the trade in. I believe a proper inspection is more important than a warranty for a used unit.

[Durb]

My reply is pretty simple. If you have the tools, time, and know-how to fix things; buy used. If you aren't handy, buy new with warranty.

For various reasons, the 6 year old used trailer we bought had never been slept in. I had to deal with numerous repairs myself that would have revealed the first year (let alone first trip). None were difficult and I was forced to learn about my trailer's systems. The over thirty grand I saved over buying new would have paid me a pretty nice hourly wage. We really enjoy the trailer after five years and expect to keep it another ten.

[happy2rv]

I've bought 2 new RVs (a motorhome and TT) and 2 used RVs (both motorhomes). Our fist RV was a used motorhome, a very used motorhome. It didn't come with a warranty per se, but the dealer did agree to fix issues we identified before purchase. We did a thorough inspection and the dealer fixed several issues. We owned that one for a couple of years and we only had to do minor repairs which I did myself.

Our second used motorhome was a newer, but not new enough to still be under any drive train warranty much less coach, class C that was a repossession. It was sold by the repo agents as is where is. Once again we did a thorough inspection and found a few minor things that we fixed ourselves. We did wind up having to have it towed about 40-50 miles to have a crank shaft position sensor replaced. I think that was about $500-800 including the tow.

Our third motorhome was brand new and had a 1 year coach warranty and I think 3 years 36000 miles on the drive train but I can't remember for sure. We traveled about 6 hours out of state to purchase it and the dealer delivered it about a week after we bought it. Most dealers don't do any prep or PDI until its sold. We had our first warranty issue almost immediately after delivery. Fleetwood told us to take it to our local dealer for repair. We made an appointment and took it in. The shop manager lost his **** in the most unprofessional display of customer interaction I've witnessed in my life because the shop had agreed to work on it since we hadn't bought it from them. He tried to send me away and cussed his staff and me and Fleetwood but I had made an appointment and cooler heads finally prevailed. They did fix that issue. I took it back to the selling dealer 6 hours away for some other minor issues and I found a local independent RV repair only shop that was factory authorized for future work. Several minor issues with the coach and more significant issues with the chassis electrical system were addressed by warranty.

We had a few nit picky issues with our travel trailer when we first got it. The shower door was off track and the water fill line was kinked. Those were taken care of quickly.

As others have said though, the warranty, especially the coach warranty, is only as good as the dealer doing the work. I've heard lots of stories about RVs sitting in dealerships for months at a time waiting for warranty work. For most minor things, I would rather handle them myself than drag the trailer to dealership. Warranties can give you peace of mind, but it may be false hope. As others have already said, RV warranties aren't like automobile warranties. Most shoppers who do their homework would come out far ahead financially buying a 2-5 year old used RV and either fixing issues themselves or paying out of pocket to have an RV repair place fix them.

Having said that, there are many good reasons to prefer a new RV other than cost. One of the reasons I like having the RV is I know who's slept in my bed, who's used the kitchen and appliances, and for the most part who's put what down the toilet. There's a story about a child's wallet and a blocked black tank drain on our first used RV that I don't like to revisit...

[valhalla360]

doghouseman wrote:
I am new here and I am surprised most of you guys recommend not getting a new RV with warranty.

I bought a very old boat a few years ago and it was my first boat. Looking back I wish I had a warranty on it because it was impossible to find parts for the boat and I spent more time working on the boat than I did actually sailing. Seems like the same logic applies to an RV????

Are there any good RV warranties out there are all they all bad?

Having bought both boats and RVs and knowing people who have bought both new...

I wouldn't recommend new unless it's just for the new smell (which is plastic off gassing).

Every one I know Boat & RV has lost a big chunk of their first season to warranty work. In the north, that can easily be a full year of use.

Problem is warranty work typically comes after the paying work. So they fit you in when they have time. If you show up cash in hand, they will take care of you or you can move on to the next repair place.

I suspect, you are confusing buying a piece of junk boat with buying used. Did you get a survey before purchase? Anyone competent will recommend a full survey before buying a large cruising boat...this includes new boats...there are just too complicated to wing it unless you are very knowledgeable. We've had 3 large cruising boats including full time on them for a total of 14yrs...I wouldn't think of buying another without a survey.

Both our boats and RVs bought used have had no major issues. Plus with used, if it's minor (say a small dent), I'll probably just live with it because it doesn't bother me and it doesn't hurt the functionality.

[NoVa_RT]

I am new here and I am surprised most of you guys recommend not getting a new RV with warranty.

I bought new, partially because of the warranty. Some of the folks recommending buying used are capable of dealing with many warranty issues themselves, but not everyone has the time, skill or inclination for that. Others like the savings from letting the original owner take the big depreciation hit. What’s available new & used will also vary depending on what your preferences are and where you live. Consider your options, and do what works best for you.

[Dutch_12078]

Over the years I've bought a number of 20-30 year old "project" RV's, and in every case I've been able to find exact or adaptable replacement parts for the mechanicals. Body parts can be more of a problem, but even there I've always been able to find or fabricate anything I needed.