ShaunaH
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Re: Trailer buying - need good resale value
FrankShore wrote: Buy a Lance TT, they have a very high resale value! Well, I actually found two Lance's nearby, and both are too heavy. Does light weight always mean crappy quality? I hate to buy a new TV but it might be worth it. Shauna381Views0likes0CommentsRe: Trailer buying - need good resale value
3oaks wrote: Personally, I wouldn't purchase any TT if the resale value was a big concern no matter what the time line was. (rapid depreciation and unknown status of the economy and RV market in the future being the main reason) Sure you can get more money for a higher end TT when you sell it, but you are also paying more for it when you purchase it. It's all relative. Yes, I know I'm going to take a big hit. I am concerned about going into a recession right when we are ready to sell...wish I was buying in a recession, but circumstances dictate that I do this soon.381Views0likes0CommentsRe: Trailer buying - need good resale value
Bionic Man wrote: Arctic Fox is a good suggestion. But any RV you buy is likely to depreciate a ton. I'd look for something that is 2-4 years old, in good condition, from a private party seller that needs to sell. Or a dealer that is going out of business, or has something that has been sitting on the lot for too long. If looking at dealers, I would try to find one in a more rural area with lower overhead. Our 1st 5er I bought from a small dealer in Casper, WY. We bought it for several thousand less than we could have bought it for in Denver. Actually used it for two years, and sold it for what I bought it for. You rarely "make money" on an RV purchase. But, as the saying goes, you make the money when you buy, not when you sell. Thanks, those are great tips! I certainly expect depreciation, just hoping to minimize it if possible. I'm used to buying cars and then running them til the wheels fall off, so buying with intent to sell in a year or two is new to me. Any good way to tell if something has been sitting on the dealers' lot forever?381Views0likes0CommentsRe: Trailer buying - need good resale value
djgarcia wrote: buying use trailer--- IMHO-- Pick out the trailer that meets your needs BUT before you buy it, take your potential trailer to a trusted RV repair shop and pay $200 to have your mechanic go completely through the trailer and check it from front to back, including all the systems to see what kind of shape the trailer is in and more importantly what has to be repaired and how much would it cost$$$$$$ Absolutely plan on this, been researching for months, but thanks anyway.177Views0likes0CommentsRe: Trailer buying - need good resale value
Huntindog wrote: Kind of an odd way to look at TTs. No matter what, it is how you spend money, not how you earn it. Getting something that may not be the best fit for how you will use it looking only at resale, will detract from your enjoyment while you are using it. That said, you want what is popular. That means yes to slides. Also, a popular floorplan will always be a best seller. You can determine this by surfing all of the manufacturers websites. If a floorplan is popular, everyone will be making one. BUT.... Just because it is popular doesn't mean it will be the best for you. I agree, but there may be some features that I don't care about but the majority of people do...so just don't want to get stuck with something hard to resell. For example, I could care less about having an oven...but not having one might put a lot of people off, I don't know.177Views0likes0CommentsTrailer buying - need good resale value
Hello all, I'm on the market for used bumper-pulled travel trailer. I will be full-timing for a year or 2 and then reselling (not trading in/up). Aside from the obvious (quality/no leaks/etc.) I was wondering if there are any particular brands, models, or features that will help with a resale (both dollar and time-wise). Or any to totally avoid? I had a newbie RV salesman mention he couldn't seem to GIVE away a motorhome without slides, any opinion on whether that might apply to trailers? Any other features that might help or hinder?7.7KViews0likes38CommentsRe: Looking to hire mentor/share expenses for 2-6 weeks
Shearwater wrote: Your process: 1. If you need internet access 9 to 5 M/F when will you travel? Will you be sitting in your RV every day pounding a keyboard? Why travel? Excellent point, and that has occurred to me. That's why I wanted to do a real trial run, not just a week vacation. Shearwater wrote: 2. Just about everyone (including me) suggests renting an RV for a week as the first step. Why are you so opposed to that? You may find that there is some aspect of RVing that is a dealbreaker and a weeks rental is a small investment to find that out. A week of living in an actual RV at actual campsites is a far better test of your compatibility with RVing than living in a confined space in your home. Plus, if you decide that this is a route that you want to follow, you will know a lot more about what you need to have in an RV. I have no problem renting for a week, I just wanted a longer test run. I've already done 7-10 days in RVs and it was fine....but what is livable for a week can become unbearable after a month or two. At any rate, I'm not going to do this, but got lots of other good ideas on this thread.390Views0likes0CommentsRe: Looking to hire mentor/share expenses for 2-6 weeks
Wow, this has been incredibly helpful, thanks for everyone that responded with advice. I have been given some great ideas/options that I am going to follow up on. The general consensus from senior members is that my original post is a REALLY BAD IDEA so I’m unlikely to go that route, short of being contacted by the ideal person in an ideal situation. When I posted this I knew it was unlikely that would happen, but I have sometimes been pleasantly surprised by the Internet….I might be contacted by someone and find out we share an alma mater, or they went to high school with my cousin, that sort of thing. I especially appreciate the people who were concerned about my welfare….none of us wants to seem some naïve or idealistic person get hurt. I promise I never intended to jump in some guys van with a salvage title! ;)_ That being said, I have been really fascinated by some of the responses. For those who share my interest in armchair psychology and sociology, you may be interested in my thoughts and questions…for those who find it boring, you probably can stop reading now. A little about my history/experience RVing: Most of my RV experience comes from long family vacations at campgrounds and RV parks along the West Coast in the 1980’s. We all idealize “the good old days” but I have very fond memories of those times and feeling like I really fit in with the RV crowd in general. Again, a total generalization, but basically people were friendly and easy-going, it was safe for us kids to roam around on our bikes, neighbors watched each other’s back, that type of thing. I mean, nobody was so stupid as to leave something of high value sitting on their picnic table for long, but you could run to the bathroom for a few and expect things to be where they were when you left. Walking to the bathrooms after dark didn’t mean packing a weapon or covering yourself in layers of bubble wrap and Kevlar! LOL As someone potentially looking to go full-time for a couple years, I’m curious to hear from the long-timers how much things have changed in the general community. Now, I’m of the opinion that we as a culture have changed significantly in our level of risk-tolerance and trust of people we don’t know well. As an earlier poster noted, parents keep their kids inside or within eyesight much more, etc. I’ve read a bit on this subject and it’s sometimes claimed that American society have been overcome with a “culture of fear”….despite the statistics indicating that we are safer from crime, especially violent crime, than we have been in many decades. Here’s an anecdote: Years ago I started having periods of high anxiety and panic attacks. Now, I was a born worrier…as a kid I was afraid of my own shadow! Anyway, an acquaintance who was a counselor suggested I quit watching the evening news every night for 2 weeks and see what happens. I was very surprised, but sure enough, within a month the anxiety and panic attacks had almost completely stopped. I’m now of the opinion that, for at least a subset of the population, watching televised news, especially right before bed, can cause us to become overcautious, even to the point of paranoia. I have also watched, first my grandparents, and now my parents, become avid TV news watchers (often the entire day) and gradually becoming more afraid of people and society. It has been sad to watch to watch formerly active, out-going people become afraid to leave the house because they are convinced there are a thousand boogey-men waiting for them outside! So, to reiterate, what has your experience/observations been? I see a few possibilities: 1. RV parks/campgrounds/rallies etc are genuinely less safe and friendly. This is certainly possible…sometimes the bad guys find a trusting community and spread the word about the “suckers” and before you know it one bad apple has turned into lots of bad apples. This is what happened to couchsurfing.com in the last 2 years. 2. The people in this particular Internet forum, or at least the ones most likely to pipe up, or overly cautious. 3. Things haven’t changed completely, RVing is still a cool lifestyle for friendly and adventurous people to meet others and have a good time. Do people still hang out on their sites and smile/strike up conversations with passersby? Or do most just keep to themselves or hole up in their RV? As a parent who might be bringing my son on occasion, how safe are the kiddos? Again, I know I’m speaking in generalities and there are always exceptions, but I’m genuinely interested what the culture is like now. Sorry for the long post, I’ll be shocked if anybody read this far!390Views0likes0CommentsRe: Looking to hire mentor/share expenses for 2-6 weeks
Gdetrailer wrote: ShaunaH wrote: BTW, I have to say I'm surprised by how many people are yelling "stranger danger!" among this group of RV'ers! I've slept in rooms with strangers many times....hostels, cruise ships, roomamte matching during travel....haven't been cut up into small pieces yet! I just don't see a potential rapist/murderer going to all the trouble I would be putting them through. I get in Ubers with driver strangers, have rented rooms from strangers....I don't get it. Living with a stranger IS a lot different than having a "Uber" driver pick you up, or renting a motel room from a stranger.. You are going to have to trust them explicitly with YOUR life, time, money, possessions.. They in turn must trust you with their stuff.. What you are proposing is more like stopping and picking up a hitch hiker then having them join you for the trip for several months.. There IS a certain amount of unneeded possible danger you are putting yourself into when picking up a stranger.. What could possibly go wrong.. Watch one of your local broadcast newscasts, around my local stations they spend the first 20 minutes talking about all the break ins, murders, shootings.. Most is due to folks looking for money to get drugs or drug deals that went sideways.. Then the newscast spends 1 minute on weather and several minutes on sports, the rest of the time is commercials.. We live in the real world, it is not always cuddly kittens and pretty colors in the sky all the time. Things can go wrong in a hurry. I appreciate your concern, I guess I just have a higher risk tolerance than many people. Wouldn't considering RVing alone around the country otherwise! I'll feel more at risk about inviting a "new acquaintance"/stranger over to my campsite for a cold beer.... I don't think it's like a hitchiker, I will be providing my employer info, references, college diplomas, provide phone numbers to my relatives and friends, hell whatever they want, and will expect the same until we are both 100% comfortable with the arrangement. I mean, everyone's a stranger until they're....not.200Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Feb 06, 202544,025 Posts
