The Big Switch are we crazy ?????

[danewguy]

So we currently own a 2007 33ft Georgie Boy Class A which is our second RV the first being a 1999 31ft Gulfstream Conquest Class C. We know that in 10 years when we retire we will be purchasing a nice diesel pusher. With concerns of how the the Class A will hold up over the next 10 years we are considering lowering our payment by purchasing a brand new travel trailer to use over the next 10 years. Anyone out there ever done something like this? very torn.

[drsteve]

Gdetrailer wrote:

drsteve wrote:

This will also give you something with a lot more "trade in" value than say a 10 yr old travel trailer(which would be only a couple thousand dollars in 10 yrs)..

Someone hasn't priced ten year old trailers lately.

YOU, don't look in the RIGHT PLACES if you can't find a 10 yr old trailer for a couple of thousand..

Unlike MOST folks around this forum, I am NOT PICKY with floor plans, color or brands.

I take someone else's cast off "junk" and rebuild them to MY likes.

I spend no money on interest to a bank and in the process and have some pride of ownership.

ANYONE can go out and get a loan and buy their way into a NEW RV, very few are willing to go the extra mile and take junk and put some new life into it.

I REFUSE to give a rich banker more money in interest than I have to..

I have yet to find a POOR Bank manager.

The right places? Like where, a salvage yard? If you find a ten year old trailer for a couple thousand, you're looking at a neglected and abused piece of junk. Some of us would rather go camping than spend our time and money rebuilding a pile of scrap.

I was referring to an actual usable rig, rather than a project.

[Passin_Thru]

Either way you have a Motor and trannie. Can it have problems, Do Monkeys like peanuts? Take a look at Northwood and Airstream. The others I am wary of only because I have a Arctic Fox 31W. They are built to last 30 years.

[Captain_Happy]

I now have a 10 year old Winnebago vista. It has the original A/C, heater, water heater, stove, and refrigerator. It's got around 45,000 miles on her. And the way I see it, if one of these things goes bad, I'll just replace it with a new one. It's a lot cheaper then buying something newer that may be a P.O.S.

And buying a diesel pusher is one large expense. And if your now figuring on driven it well over 200,000 miles in 10 years, your kind of wasting your money.

[travelnutz]

danewguy ,

Makes very good sense to me!

You asked if anyone went from Class A to a TT and does it save money? Yes, we did but was not to save payment amounts as we always pay cash. Had 3 new Allegro MH's and had a pickup also plus a truck camper, a TT, and a 5th wheel at the same time with 2 of the 3 Allegro's. The cost of keeping the Class A's licensed and insured and on the road made the cost of the same for the TC and towables look like pennies on the dollar.

Got smart and sold the last Class A and went strictly to TT, 5th wheel, and always a TC as it's so great for mostly driving trips and being retired, there's only 2 of us going almost always. Still have the other towables when we want to take grandkids or others with us so what else would we need. Would never go back to a Class A or Class C as that is our choice. More usable room in a 5th wheel and only one engine and driveline to maintain or fix if needed and so much cheaper than a Class A. We winter for about 2-1/2 months in Florida as my wife is disabled and had so many surgeries and doesn't need to slip and fall on ice or snow.

Will it save you money? It sure does and lots! Not only in payment amounts being made but registration, insurance, and since new vs old, repairs that should be expected. Repairs to a Class A as it's motorized are usually an arm and 2 legs while repairs to the non-motorized TT are so cheao compared.

Just one example: Your MH is going to need a min of 1 new set of 6 very expensive tires while the TT will only need a set of 4 much less expensive tires as they start with new tires. Your tow vehicle sounds new which means both it and the TT being new will have a warranty and I'll bet your 10 year old MH doesn't! What good is the engine and drive line in your MH when it sits for long periods between using? Your pickup truck is just a normal nehicle to use even while the TT sits. Did I mention that toad you likely tow behind the MH and wear those tires too while not even in the toad. What it really means is that your truck affords you double duty while only costing you one for it's being used and worn.

both types of RV's have roofs and your MH roof is already 10 years old while the new TT roof is already new and that goes for all the appliances inside the RV's too. TT = much less investment and payment amounts and it's new. the MH = much higher payments and cost to get on the road and it just gets older year after year and YES, the overhanging thought of when is something very costly eventually going to fail and be fixed or replaced? It's a no brainer to me and we are in our 53rd year of lots of RV'ing and in all types!

[danewguy]

Gdetrailer wrote:

danewguy wrote:

Not really as concerned with the money side of it as I am the problems that might develop with the Class A which is already 10 years old. Our last rig went down hill fast at 10 years, rust in the compartments, roof issues, etc I guess I am just not sure even with the proper care if the A will last another 10 years

That makes NO logical sense.

That is like selling a 20yr old home just because the water heater might break, or a light bulb might quit.

Use what you have now, when it breaks, fix it. If it becomes a continual problem with chronic break downs or the repair costs start mounting up then trade it in for your retirement dream rig.

A ten year old trailer WILL have major ROT issues, rot in the roof, rot in the walls and rot in the floors.. Leaks happen, and most folks FAIL to do the REQUIRED MAINTENANCE which is inspect the roof YEARLY, replace any of the CRACKED caulking.. Most folks FAIL to recaulk the WINDOWS, DOORS, CORNER SIDE MOLDING.. All of that stuff DEPENDS YOU on being proactive by checking and replacing old hardened cracked caulking.

Failure to do the maintenance results in a rotted out trailer worth pennies on the dollar in just a couple of yrs.

Your last rig had rust in compartments due to WATER LEAKS and water leaks happen due to FAILURE to be proactive.

Your best bet is to learn to do the maintenance or continue to throw your money out the door.

I don't know about you, but I DON'T throw my money out the door, I have spent too many HARD YEARS OF WORK to do so.

Some folks would call me cheap, I call myself THRIFTY which is why at age 52, I can right now RETIRE and never work another day punching a time clock. I didn't get to this point buy spending a lot of money on depreciating assets like RVs.

Maybe you misunderstood, going from a 400 a month payment to a 200 a month payment over 10 years saves $24,000 that could be put towards a new Diesel Pusher. Additionally I figure repair bills and maintenance cost on the older rig will be higher then a brand new rig again saving money.

As far as maintenance, I have always done it and properly too. You can do all the maintenance you want but if something has a crappy design well ......

I think its great that you have yourself in a position to retire at an early age too many people are forced to work way too late in life and miss their chances to enjoy retirement. I myself can pack it in at the age of 50, civil service will never make you a millionaire but has its advantages.

My goal here was to see if anyone had made a similar decision and how it worked out for them.

Thanks for your input

[Gdetrailer]

danewguy wrote:

Not really as concerned with the money side of it as I am the problems that might develop with the Class A which is already 10 years old. Our last rig went down hill fast at 10 years, rust in the compartments, roof issues, etc I guess I am just not sure even with the proper care if the A will last another 10 years

That makes NO logical sense.

That is like selling a 20yr old home just because the water heater might break, or a light bulb might quit.

Use what you have now, when it breaks, fix it. If it becomes a continual problem with chronic break downs or the repair costs start mounting up then trade it in for your retirement dream rig.

A ten year old trailer WILL have major ROT issues, rot in the roof, rot in the walls and rot in the floors.. Leaks happen, and most folks FAIL to do the REQUIRED MAINTENANCE which is inspect the roof YEARLY, replace any of the CRACKED caulking.. Most folks FAIL to recaulk the WINDOWS, DOORS, CORNER SIDE MOLDING.. All of that stuff DEPENDS YOU on being proactive by checking and replacing old hardened cracked caulking.

Failure to do the maintenance results in a rotted out trailer worth pennies on the dollar in just a couple of yrs.

Your last rig had rust in compartments due to WATER LEAKS and water leaks happen due to FAILURE to be proactive.

Your best bet is to learn to do the maintenance or continue to throw your money out the door.

I don't know about you, but I DON'T throw my money out the door, I have spent too many HARD YEARS OF WORK to do so.

Some folks would call me cheap, I call myself THRIFTY which is why at age 52, I can right now RETIRE and never work another day punching a time clock. I didn't get to this point buy spending a lot of money on depreciating assets like RVs.

[Gdetrailer]

drsteve wrote:

This will also give you something with a lot more "trade in" value than say a 10 yr old travel trailer(which would be only a couple thousand dollars in 10 yrs)..

Someone hasn't priced ten year old trailers lately.

YOU, don't look in the RIGHT PLACES if you can't find a 10 yr old trailer for a couple of thousand..

Unlike MOST folks around this forum, I am NOT PICKY with floor plans, color or brands.

I take someone else's cast off "junk" and rebuild them to MY likes.

I spend no money on interest to a bank and in the process and have some pride of ownership.

ANYONE can go out and get a loan and buy their way into a NEW RV, very few are willing to go the extra mile and take junk and put some new life into it.

I REFUSE to give a rich banker more money in interest than I have to..

I have yet to find a POOR Bank manager.

[drsteve]

This will also give you something with a lot more "trade in" value than say a 10 yr old travel trailer(which would be only a couple thousand dollars in 10 yrs)..

Someone hasn't priced ten year old trailers lately.

[Snowman9000]

Makes sense to me. You bought the truck, go for it.

[downtheroad]

The only person that it has to make sense to is you.
I love spending other peoples' money...I say go for it.

[carringb]

Keep the motorhome. You're already past the step part of the depreciation curve, and buying a new TT would put you right at the top again. What you'd lost in depreciation in the first 3 years of most TTs, will pay for a lot of repairs and upgrades on your current coach. There's very few TTs with good resale, and even fewer with good build quality.

Now, if you asking about buying a new coach vs a new TT, I'd say go TT for sure, since the depreciation of a new coach the second you sign the paperwork, will be more than a new TT!

[timmac]

I still don't see where you will save money or headaches with future break downs, what if that TT is a lemon, spend a weekend and under coat your motorhome, next weekend seal the roof, next weekend change all the fluids and you should be fine, might cost a 1000 bucks to do that work but by far cheaper than selling it and buying something you might not like after 1 year..

To each there own.

[danewguy]

timmac wrote:

danewguy wrote:


Not really as concerned with the money side of it as I am the problems that might develop with the Class A which is already 10 years old. Our last rig went down hill fast at 10 years, rust in the compartments, roof issues, etc I guess I am just not sure even with the proper care if the A will last another 10 years

I believe most class A motorhomes went to plastic compartments in early 2000's to stop the rust issues, not sure if yours did, Fleetwood did, also just throw a coat or 2 on the roof, that will last 10 years.

Do you have a truck to tow that TT, if not there goes more money, going from a Class A to a TT you will hate yourself..

Yes actually we just purchased a new Chevy Silverado. Unfortunately we do not have plastic compartments, I wish we did.

[timmac]

danewguy wrote:


Not really as concerned with the money side of it as I am the problems that might develop with the Class A which is already 10 years old. Our last rig went down hill fast at 10 years, rust in the compartments, roof issues, etc I guess I am just not sure even with the proper care if the A will last another 10 years

I believe most class A motorhomes went to plastic compartments in early 2000's to stop the rust issues, not sure if yours did, Fleetwood did, also just throw a coat or 2 on the roof, that will last 10 years.

Do you have a truck to tow that TT, if not there goes more money, going from a Class A to a TT you will hate yourself..