Buy new now or wait until end of summer

[D_E_Bishop]

I understand that this is a very subjective question but I thought maybe some of you might be willing to share ideas. We are looking at for a smaller rig than the Winnie, it seems that as with exam gloves and other ppds, the stocks of new and used RVs are low and prices are rising.

Finding a camp site today hasn't in my memory been harder, at most CGs near attractions and bigger cities. Camping made isolation easier. Now that things are loosening and some folks are out more, I think it is going to cause more crowds wanting to travel. However, I think many will find it easier to return to the mote/hotel travel rather than mess with the whole RV set up/breakdown routines and slowly fade from the RV life.

We're thinking maybe using the Winnie this season and buying later in the year could be a good idea. Your thoughts are welcome.

[PatJ]

Super_Dave wrote:

tommyznr wrote:
If you have to sell yours in the same time frame as when you buy then what’s the difference? You sell/buy at higher price now vs sell/buy lower price later. I guess the advantage to doing it now is you know what the market is, if you wait until later, you hope you know what the market will be.

I used to be like you and try to figure out what the best timing is to get that slight advantage. You win some you lose some. Now I do things when I want and don’t worry about if I could have saved down the road. I must be getting old.

Good on you Tom, life is too short.

Agree 100%, we traded in and bought brand new in spring (the "worst" time by conventional wisdom) and got an amazing beautiful rig 10 days off the assembly line with brand new fresh tires/hoses/belts/everything. No one ever walked through it at an RV show, etc. It has been essentially flawless the whole time we owned it. We could have dicked around and saved a few bucks, but how many summers do you have left? What's it worth? So we could have waited until fall and bought a rig that's been sitting on the lot all summer and saved what, $1000, $5000, $7500? Pick it up just in time to winterize it for fall and lose that summer? No thanks; life's too short. We aren't rich, we didn't get top money for the trade and possibly overpaid for the new rig and we have zero regrets. Buy what you want, when you see it. It may not be there in fall, or you may be dead in fall.

[Super_Dave]

tommyznr wrote:
If you have to sell yours in the same time frame as when you buy then what’s the difference? You sell/buy at higher price now vs sell/buy lower price later. I guess the advantage to doing it now is you know what the market is, if you wait until later, you hope you know what the market will be.

I used to be like you and try to figure out what the best timing is to get that slight advantage. You win some you lose some. Now I do things when I want and don’t worry about if I could have saved down the road. I must be getting old.

Good on you Tom, life is too short.

[tommyznr]

If you have to sell yours in the same time frame as when you buy then what’s the difference? You sell/buy at higher price now vs sell/buy lower price later. I guess the advantage to doing it now is you know what the market is, if you wait until later, you hope you know what the market will be.

I used to be like you and try to figure out what the best timing is to get that slight advantage. You win some you lose some. Now I do things when I want and don’t worry about if I could have saved down the road. I must be getting old.

[Sagebrush]

I burn diesel, so far no issues with fuel shortages. I'm so glad I decided to downsize the 5th wheel. We usually can always find a spot in the SE or boondock. Not too many reservation issues if you can boondock. I had a 44' long triple axle for years, finding a RV site was an issue too often even with a reservation. Oh yeah big rigs welcome, no problem they say.

My muddy dirt driveway is messed up from all the heavy rain and its hard to find a RV parking spot even here in Alabama. Everything is full locally. I'm trying to figure out where to park the new trailer now.

[dedmiston]

The inventory of storage yards and campsites won't keep up with the surge of covid buyers. People are going to get frustrated by the lack of available campsite reservations.

Another percentage of the surge of newcomers will get frustrated by towing issues, dumping tanks, and the cheesy battery from the dealer that won't hold a charge.

And those newcomers who actually did get out there and use their rigs will be further frustrated by the whole "new RV" warranty repairs process. Once they've made a bunch of payments for a rig that they can't even use because it's sitting at the dealer's lot waiting for repairs, many of them will head for the exits and sell theirs too.

If I were shopping, I'd wait until the fall when the bloom is off the rose and the novelty has worn off. I think there will be some great "like new" models out there with only a week or two of use. They'll be on Craigslist from October through next Spring and beyond.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Wow - nobody mentioned the glut of RVs and RVers not traveling due to the gas shortage!!...:E

(BIG) - ROTFL !!...

[TurnThePage]

Aside from the fear mongering that's been shared, around here in the northwest, the issue is more about what is available on the lots. I know the model I want wont even be on the manufacturing line until January of next year. I have no choice but to wait at least until then.

[mr_andyj]

Prices on everything except gold and silver are going up. Inflation is a sure thing too. Wait until the pain comes in June and July when gas prices go up for some yet-unknown reason, then everything else will inflate too.
Camper prices should go down in the Fall, but Inflation will make the dollar number remain the same or higher.
Use what you got, or so they say, is the best advice, and usually the cheapest, but you are looking, needing, a smaller rig?
If you need smaller rig, then make it so now.
Don't expect a lot to change over the summer. People will still be in the same job situation as they are in now, and if CGs are full then they will be more full next month, even the boondocking places.
Locals love to flock 20 minutes away for a cheap vacation near home. I notice CGs full of in-towners, cheap, trailer-trash, loud in-towners...

[Veebyes]

Buy at the end of summer & buy used. You might just pick up a one season lightly used unit that has taken it's biggest hit in depreciation.

[Super_Dave]

Buy now while lots have units in stock.

[goducks10]

The RV boom has been going for 10 years. Prices have been increasing during those 10 years. the same people that fueled the last 10 year run will keep fueling it. The Covid RV buying crowd may fade, but IMO won't put a dent in the already over priced RV market or the number of potential buyers.

https://rvbusiness.com/surge-in-rv-demand-has-been-happening-for-a-decade/

[smarty]

The nations stock market is due for a correction. Buy when this occurs.

[pitch]

I would wait a bit and buy used. This pandemic **** has sold thousands of RV's. I would say probably half to people who never even thought of owning one before.
The nation is starting to open up, once airlines and hotel resorts come back to full service there are going to be a whole bunch of people returning to the spa,the BNB's and forgetting about traffic, bugs, neighbors 15 feet away.
I predict that there will be no shortage of folks that made a bad decision and want to rectify it.

[FlatBroke]

Ha, ha. When the floor plan runs out the prices will fall