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.

[path1]

Lots of people follow that rule or similar. But I thinks it's 7 years for spouses. RV's not sure.

[goducks10]

After reading about all the problems that new buyers are having with the current 'Build em as fast as you can RV's, I'm going to keep my 5 year old 5th wheel a little longer. Better safe than sorry.

[Lantley]

I don't believe in the 6 year rule. But there is some sort of age rule out there.
Maybe it's more like 10 or 12. At some point the RV wears thin and needs some upgrading. While it may remain functional for the most part, the interior becomes dated and the resale value plummets.
Maybe it's different for every rig. But there is a point where selling an upgrading is more beneficial than holding on to it until the wheels fall off and its value erodes to almost nothing.
How many rigs do we see that have rotted away that should have been sold when they had some value remaining.

[dodge_guy]

I can’t imagine how all of us could afford anything if we bought RV’s every 6 years?

[Mich_F]

In a somewhat related vein, I'm amazed at the number of people who have a one or maybe 2 year old multi hundred thousand dollar rig and are in the process of getting a new one - why? If I had the money to do that, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't do that. Sounds like too much of a headache with all the things that can be or go wrong with new ones, even the most expensive ones.

[bob213]

Sounds like an off-shoot of an automobile lease plan adapted to RV's. Some salesman came up with that to convince you to always have up to date RV and never ending payments.

[mike-s]

Sounds like a rule made up by RV salesmen.

[jplante4]

Maybe some people find it easier to but a new rig instead of new tires???

[Mickeyfan0805]

I've never heard of such a thing, nor would I ever follow it.

That said, the only argument in favor of this, that I could imagine, is if someone is buying rigs that they are paying off over 10+ years. As a unit ages, you are going to start seeing more failures that require repair. I don't know what that 'sweet spot' is (and a lot of it probably depends on the payment schedule), but if someone simply wants to stay on regular payments and never pay a unit off, while avoiding the increased repair costs of an older unit, there is probably a point, somewhere in that 6 year range (or so), where the value and principal balance align in a way that you could simply roll those payments over to a fresh purchase.

Essentially, it would become a lease structure. Not what I would do, but I could see the justification for doing it in specific cases.

[gbopp]

I can see a RV dealer recommending you get a new rig every six years. 🙂

[Grit_dog]

Good threads today! Keep them coming!
Six year rule? Trying to think.....bout right for tires and septic tank pumping. Never heard of it for trading in RVs.

[rk911]

we’ve kept each of our previous two motorhomes for 15-years. we last bought in 2015 and expect to keep it 15-yrs.

[Dutch_12078]

We only change rigs when our needs change and the current rig no longer meets them.

[ford_truck_guy]

That is a tire rule, NOT a RIG rule.....

MOST folks here would be broke, upside down in payments, not camping because their broke if they went by that rule. . .

[sayoung]

MrWizard wrote:
sales BS. why do that unless you are NOT happy

there are some people that trade cars every few years
and guess some that trade RVs more often than most of us
but i do not think 6yrs is the National avg
or avg RULE

We hang out with a couple that trades in both cars every 30000 miles period. They just don't understand how we keep cars for 10 or more years & lots of miles.