Long distance purchase

CampinHappy wrote:
Well since I started this post and it's gotten a little off track let me tell my "debt" story. The wifey and I purchased our first trailer a used pop-up for $5,000 and yes we financed it for about 3 years. I was working and she was home working with three little man-cubs. In the 5 years we had it, we put in over 125 nights in it. By Dave Ramsey standards we should have never bought it, but by the memories my grown sons speak about it was the second best thing we bought.

Which brings me to trailer #2. We had moved to central Texas and both had teaching jobs. We didn't make much, but we knew we loved to camp. Basically we still couldn't afford it according to Dave, but we bought a 23K new KZ and financed it for 10 (oh yea) years so we could manage the monthly payments. In those 10 years we amassed over 400 nights (yes I keep a log). Since we both taught we used the trailer during the summer to help us manage volunteering with boy scouts and 4H, along with 3 boys and 2 dogs we would live in the trailer while at scout camp (except when my troop was there).

Our most cherished memories we paid interest on, and now as the boys are moving out my wife and are getting the ultimate reward...memories and smiles. We didn't do anything "stupid" and we always managed, but it was worth any interest I paid since I'm getting it back again.

I found out today we can finance the one we're looking at with 2.37% which budget wise doesn't make sense to pull out of my investments that are making more than 2.37...not much more, maybe 4%.

This trailers mission is to give me and the wifey "our" time together, and there's just enough room for some grandkids down the road to.

Blessings to all of you and I appreciate your advice...all of it :)

Very nice story, and happy for you, being able to manage responsibly, while enjoying life with a nice family.

Anyone looking at my profile, can see that I have expensive hobbies. My last 2 RVs, FWs were purchased new, but other previous were used. I have a cabin on a lake, less than an hour from my home, so don't need a huge RV too. I have purchased 33 motorcycles of all sorts, all but 2 were new. I've purchased a dozen new snowmobiles and one used one. At one time I had so many guns, I'd have to look at my insurance list to know what I had.

RVs, cycles, sleds all bad investments. Did it matter to me? No, enjoyed them, and my life. I never borrowed for toys, so avoided interest, and high insurance costs.

OP, get the trailer you want! Drive a day to get it, take a few items to sleep in it, drive home next day. I stayed in my last one 2 nights, before returning home.

Jerry

Gdetrailer wrote:
That nearly $200K I would have spent on a RV went directly into my retirement investments which allows me to no longer HAVE to work.. Now all of my time is totally free to do what I want instead of working for the company.. No longer a slave to the time clock = PRICELESS!

Maybe you needed to earn more. $200,000 or even a million is pocket money for some. There was no mention of affordability so why worry?

Well when it comes to traveling to get what want. Current 5er was bought at a Camping World in Burlington, WA we are based in Portland, OR. about 250 mile drive. It was a used unit arranged the deal in the Portland location, put a deposit to hold until the weekend. Drove up to Burlington did about a three hour PDI and signed final paperwork after a little more price haggling.
Our current TV was also purchased in Snohomish, WA, we were In Waldport, OR. about a six hour drive. It was the closest used Ram 3500 DRW that checked all the boxes in our search.

CampinHappy wrote:
Well since I started this post and it's gotten a little off track let me tell my "debt" story. The wifey and I purchased our first trailer a used pop-up for $5,000 and yes we financed it for about 3 years. I was working and she was home working with three little man-cubs. In the 5 years we had it, we put in over 125 nights in it. By Dave Ramsey standards we should have never bought it, but by the memories my grown sons speak about it was the second best thing we bought.

Which brings me to trailer #2. We had moved to central Texas and both had teaching jobs. We didn't make much, but we knew we loved to camp. Basically we still couldn't afford it according to Dave, but we bought a 23K new KZ and financed it for 10 (oh yea) years so we could manage the monthly payments. In those 10 years we amassed over 400 nights (yes I keep a log). Since we both taught we used the trailer during the summer to help us manage volunteering with boy scouts and 4H, along with 3 boys and 2 dogs we would live in the trailer while at scout camp (except when my troop was there).

Our most cherished memories we paid interest on, and now as the boys are moving out my wife and are getting the ultimate reward...memories and smiles. We didn't do anything "stupid" and we always managed, but it was worth any interest I paid since I'm getting it back again.

I found out today we can finance the one we're looking at with 2.37% which budget wise doesn't make sense to pull out of my investments that are making more than 2.37...not much more, maybe 4%.

This trailers mission is to give me and the wifey "our" time together, and there's just enough room for some grandkids down the road to.

Blessings to all of you and I appreciate your advice...all of it :)

We are there as well. :-) We know what we want, and my local dealer isn't even in the ballpark. We'll be driving about 2 hours away when we buy.

I bought my last car from Texas and I'm in California. I did the entire deal by phone, email, and fax, and a truck delivered it to my house. I don't see any issue at all getting the TT where ever you feel comfortable and think you'll get good support. Post up when you get it!

Well since I started this post and it's gotten a little off track let me tell my "debt" story. The wifey and I purchased our first trailer a used pop-up for $5,000 and yes we financed it for about 3 years. I was working and she was home working with three little man-cubs. In the 5 years we had it, we put in over 125 nights in it. By Dave Ramsey standards we should have never bought it, but by the memories my grown sons speak about it was the second best thing we bought.

Which brings me to trailer #2. We had moved to central Texas and both had teaching jobs. We didn't make much, but we knew we loved to camp. Basically we still couldn't afford it according to Dave, but we bought a 23K new KZ and financed it for 10 (oh yea) years so we could manage the monthly payments. In those 10 years we amassed over 400 nights (yes I keep a log). Since we both taught we used the trailer during the summer to help us manage volunteering with boy scouts and 4H, along with 3 boys and 2 dogs we would live in the trailer while at scout camp (except when my troop was there).

Our most cherished memories we paid interest on, and now as the boys are moving out my wife and are getting the ultimate reward...memories and smiles. We didn't do anything "stupid" and we always managed, but it was worth any interest I paid since I'm getting it back again.

I found out today we can finance the one we're looking at with 2.37% which budget wise doesn't make sense to pull out of my investments that are making more than 2.37...not much more, maybe 4%.

This trailers mission is to give me and the wifey "our" time together, and there's just enough room for some grandkids down the road to.

Blessings to all of you and I appreciate your advice...all of it :)

Gdetrailer wrote:


For my TT, I bought a very old 1980s fixer for $700, gutted and rehabbed it myself, spent $4K in materials and have owned it for 10 yrs now..
A $200K RV for 10 yrs of ownership would have cost me $20K PER YR not including interest and other normal repairs..

That nearly $200K I would have spent on a RV went directly into my retirement investments which allows me to no longer HAVE to work.. Now all of my time is totally free to do what I want instead of working for the company.. No longer a slave to the time clock = PRICELESS!

Always helps to twist the numbers to something totally unrealistic to try to prove your way out of a story though...

But maybe I just haven't seen those $200k travel trailers you're using as an example. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've seen a $100k travel trailer. But I have seen alot of $10-30k travel trailers that might be a somewhat comparable albeit much nicer, and not $k in materials and countless hours as a fixer upper AND actually be made in this century.

That said, I agree with you in general and pretty much always search for the best overall "value". IE, last 2 campers, bought used (8-12 years old), used for a few years each, just basic maint for the most part and sold for more than purchase price.
Same ending, spent basically Zero $ on camper but had to spend money to save money. Less sweat equity in these.

Your approach is a very sound and responsible one that I admire and also try to emulate. If more people thought like you, less people would be broke, living week to week. It is just a bit unbecoming to appear to belittle someone else for buying a new travel trailer. And not necessarily financially irresponsible, given you know nothing about the OP's finances, want's or needs, or priorities. Nor is it any of yours or any of our business.

Gdetrailer wrote:


Some folks like myself REFUSE to waste hard earned money on an extravagant purchase of a $50K-$200K depreciating asset like a RV..



For instance, when I go to a car dealer for a new truck...

First statement is a bit hypocritical compared to later on in your post, no?

Gdetrailer wrote:

rlw999 wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
I am constantly amazed at the lengths that folks are willing to go to buy an ordinary common object like a RV..

One must ask themselves, "is this REALLY worth the hassle to get this one layout?"

Some people know what they want, and if they are going to spend $50K - $200K on it, they want what they want, not whatever happens to be local. Traveling half way across the country for something you're spending $100K on and might own for a decade seems reasonable.

Some folks like myself REFUSE to waste hard earned money on an extravagant purchase of a $50K-$200K depreciating asset like a RV..

Like I said, people want what they want. Some people can afford a $200K RV *and* retirement. Some may be willing to defer retirement to buy the RV. No one buys an RV because it's a good financial investment. $20K/year of depreciation is only a waste of money if you're not getting $20K/year of value out of it (and no one can determine that value except the owner)

And maybe people don't *need* a $200K RV, but there are certainly benefits to it -- those bells and whistles you don't want like slides, TV's and stereos and slides are things that some people *want*. Not everyone wants the same RV experience.

And the best thing about those $200K RV's is that in a few years I can buy it for $100K after someone's already eaten the initial depreciation and got most of the nagging warranty issues fixed.

Gdetrailer wrote:

rlw999 wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
I am constantly amazed at the lengths that folks are willing to go to buy an ordinary common object like a RV..

One must ask themselves, "is this REALLY worth the hassle to get this one layout?"

Some people know what they want, and if they are going to spend $50K - $200K on it, they want what they want, not whatever happens to be local. Traveling half way across the country for something you're spending $100K on and might own for a decade seems reasonable.

Some folks like myself REFUSE to waste hard earned money on an extravagant purchase of a $50K-$200K depreciating asset like a RV..

And some folks refuse to pass up an opportunity to provide financial advice to someone who didn't ask for it.

Sandia Man wrote:
The only reason I would make a purchase closer to home is to save the inconvenience of having to drive 450 miles,

Based on the miles on your truck, you appear to be one who is opposed to driving much at all, so makes sense.