Anyone out there adhere to the "new rig every six year rule?

[Danpaine]

Hi, Everybody. When my wife and I bought our then-new Class C at an RV Show in 2016, lots of people we spoke to talked about the 'six-year rule,' in that when you buy new, after six years it's customary to trade your unit in for a new one, roll over the payment, then go another six years, trade, and so on.

We're just curious, is it common to do this? Or do most people just buy the unit they like, keep it and pay it off forever like we are?

Thank you.

[rhagfo]

time2roll wrote:
Rule? Maybe for a spendthrift.

My trailer is 12 and just broke in. Truck is 17 and is in fine shape.

Of course if your lifestyle changes and you need a different RV and the money is easy go for it. But trading like for like just to have it new again... phooey.

X2!
Our 5er is one year older, but we did some upgrades, so it would be silly to trade for new.

[pnichols]

When you already own perfection, why mess with it?

Our RV's floor plan, features, build quality, and overall value are still perfect for us ... after 12 years of ownership. In fact, it's combination of floor plan, features, build quality, and overall value are not duplicated by any RV manufacturer today - I constantly do research on what's available out there just for the fun of it.

The reasons we wound up with perfection are due partially to pure luck and partially to research we did for about a year before we bought new back in 2006.

[Bobbo]

We kept our first RV 10 years. We have now had our second RV for 1 year, but plan to keep it for 20.

[camp-n-family]

That sounds like a salesman rule for suckers. The way they make money is to keep you in payments as long as possible. Continuously dumping money into a depreciating asset is a bad investment.

We're on our 4th tt in 11 years only because we outgrew the previous ones or I got the itch for something nicer. Bought them all slightly used(except our current one was new) paid cash and made money on the sale later.

[Ivylog]

After 14 years I recently upgraded from a 04 Dynasty DP to a 08 HR Navigator. Amazing how much stuff you can collect in 14 years when you have plenty of CCC. The hassle of moving is enough reason to keep one even longer.

[toedtoes]

mike-s wrote:
Sounds like a rule made up by RV salesmen.

Yep. There is no "rule" on buying and selling. Buy what and when it suits you and don't worry what others try to tell you.

[rightlaneonly]

mobeewan wrote:
Anyone adhere to the 3 year rule for trading the wife or girlfriend for a new model? Just wondering. :W

Probably cheaper to trade RV's:R

[FunnyCamper]

I don't think it is a national average kinda thing 🙂

but we had 6 new rvs in about 25 yrs of rving. We love to trade when we feel we want something different.

We have the money to do what we want and we are fortunate that we can truly have a blast in our rv passion. We enjoy getting new rigs and just go with our rv passion as the wind takes us.

We had new Elkhorn truck camper, new small Jayco TT no slides, bigger Hornet TT with bunkhouse and slide, 5th wheel Wildcat bunkhouse, to new monster 40ft toyhauler 5th and then we downgraded size to 34 ft new TT toyhauler which we love.

I don't know, we just enjoying buying what we want when we want I guess but we do find that this is the one thing we spend our money on and never regret doing so. Some go to expensive overseas vacations, some buy sports cars, some buy big boats, some invest in an airplane and fly, others buy vacation 2nd homes, we do rvs 🙂

[beemerphile1]

Just sign here to buy now - pay forever.

[beemerphile1]

Sounds like some BS a sales person would say, or maybe it was six months til replacement?

I paid cash for my 2006 in 2006 and still have it. Just got back from a six week trip.

[filrupmark]

Not me. I'm a maintenance tech in an oilfield machine shop.

[mobeewan]

Anyone adhere to the 3 year rule for trading the wife or girlfriend for a new model? Just wondering. :W

[ken56]

Roll over the payment? Depreciation is bad enough on a new rig. I don't have that kind of money to throw away. Bad financial advice, well, for most of us anyway. The rig I have now suits us so nicely that unless something happens that I have to replace it I am going to keep it until it falls apart.

[rockhillmanor]

Anyone out there adhere to the "new rig every six year rule?

Hell No! I'm not out to impress 'others'.

Buying new you will always be upside down because of the huge loss of value when you pull out of the dealership. You 'never' recoup that money. IMHO a bad investment move. Put your money where it makes you money, not in a vehicle that looses it for you.

I most certainly can afford to pay cash for a new MH but why waste money like that?

I buy used right. All of my MH's have given me major repair free RV'ing miles and each and everyone, I sold for more than what I paid for it.

For me it's like RV'ing for free, no payments and I love it! :C

[Mich_F]

I've read that a number of banks have problems making loans on vehicles that are over 10 years old, which could be a consideration, as to when to sell.