Ordering a Chev 3500 (Oct 2023)
I've been bouncing around ideas for truck campers for a few years and finally decided on one. (Thanks to many on rv.net for the education.) As you all know it's not a great time to buy anything, espe...
Forum Discussion
mkirsch wrote:
Do you "save" $50,000, OR are you buying an old truck and getting $50,000 less value out of it?
Maybe but you also minimize your potential loss if you pay 30K vs 100K. That's assuming you buy a solid 30K truck. The 100K truck isn't new once you drive it off the lot. In 3 years, will you be able to tell the difference? That's up to you.
In the Northwest, it's pretty easy to find even 20 year old vehicles with almost no rust or body damage. There isn't a crate motor that cost anywhere near that much if we assume the biggest danger is the engine. Brakes, steering parts, and other consumables are common to be replaced based on mileage not age.
Is it a good idea to buy a new truck and put minimal miles on it? That's up to everyone to figure out. If you look at used RV ads, it seems most people put 4-5K per year on them. At that rate, it's 20 years to even put 100K on them. It might be similar for a truck that is only used to haul a TC.
I was once in the buy new group, and then one day I realized that I was trading in perfectly good vehicles. I figured there are other people doing the same thing. I've had good luck buying used for the past 20 years, but I could be lucky.
As always, YMMV.
