OT: Buying a Used RV?

[Andrew_Lubow]

I've only tent camped so I have no idea what I'd be getting into if I decided to go this way. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Disney Campers]

visit this site: www.irv2.com you will get some good information on purchasign an rv, goto the Forums section of the site.

 

[TinkerbellRules]

If I were you, I'd look at purchasing used. We did and are very happy we did. It took a while to find the one we wanted, but paid a lot less $$ for it than a new one. It was only 2 yrs old anyway. What type of vehicle to you have to tow it with? That's extremely important as I'm sure you know. We found out our F150 supercab shortbed wouldn't tow as much as we thought so we traded it for a custom van. Talk about a huge change. The truck was red and awesome. We'll get one again someday The van is much more comfortable and roomier than the truck ever could be.

Good luck.

 

[Andrew_Lubow]

Tinkerbellrules, I'm open to all options trailer or something self contained like a motorhome but I'm totally uneducated to the pros and cons of either.. There are questions I have like how old a piece of equipment is too old to be practical? Do certain manufacturers have a better track record of reliability and parts availabilty should I need to do repairs down the road?

 

[Plan Man]

Don't get a very old rv - the newer models have much better equipment. Updated etc.

 

[TinkerbellRules]

I agree with slightly used RV's. It still feels and looks like new. We purchased a 1998 25' Nomad Lite (4,300 lbs)with bunks. Everyone thought it was brand new. The person who had it before took really good care of it. Saved about $4k by purchasing used.

First you need to decide what type of RV you want. Go to some camper shows in your area and/or dealers to get a feel for the RV's. If you purchase a MH, you'll want to look at the expense of towing a car behind it. I found out from a MH owner that Saturns and Hondas (I think) can be towed w/o those trailer things (just the bar thing... sorry I don't know the tech terms). Also, like my Dh also states - you'd have an extra vehicle to worry about with maintenance and repair.

If you purchase a TT, you'll obviously need something that can pull it. What type of vehicles do you have? Beware of all salespeople (car and RV) who will tell you "oh, it'll tow this, etc". They don't necessarily know or do and lie. We've had both happen. You need to do your research. Someone mentioned the above website. It's great for information.

As far as manufacturers go on TT, I didn't notice a big difference between any of them. They all have their little differences that they make sure to tell you about. We looked for over one year before we purchased.

Also, if you live in the city or a subdivision, look at what the ordinances and/or home owners associations (HOA)state on RV storage, etc. We found out our city and HOA are different. City: must be stored behind the front line of the house VS HOA: must be on concrete pad. The city said it should match the ordinance and we "overlooked" when the community was planned (I wonder what else was "overlooked). Anyway, we were okay with the HOA, but not the city. We've since found a person with a field who charges only $100/yr! Great! OH, the only way the city knows or cares if you park in front is if a neighbor complained. No one did, but they did complain about someone in our subdivision.

So, you have a lot to think about, don't you?

 

[TinkerbellRules]

I agree with slightly used RV's. It still feels and looks like new. We purchased a 1998 25' Nomad Lite (4,300 lbs)with bunks. Everyone thought it was brand new. The person who had it before took really good care of it. Saved about $4k by purchasing used.

First you need to decide what type of RV you want. Go to some camper shows in your area and/or dealers to get a feel for the RV's. If you purchase a MH, you'll want to look at the expense of towing a car behind it. I found out from a MH owner that Saturns and Hondas (I think) can be towed w/o those trailer things (just the bar thing... sorry I don't know the tech terms). If you purchase a TT, you'll obviously need something that can pull it. What type of vehicles do you have? Beware of all salespeople (car and RV) who will tell you "oh, it'll tow this, etc". They don't necessarily know or do and lie. We've had both happen. YOu need to do your research. Someone mentioned the above website. It's great for information.

As far as manufacturers go on TT, I didn't notice a big difference between any of them. They all have their little differences that they make sure to tell you about. WE looked for over one year before we purchased.

Also, if you live in the city or a subdivision, look at what the ordinances and/or home owners associations (HOA)state on RV storage, etc. We found out our city and HOA are different. City: must be stored behind the front line of the house VS HOA: must be on concrete pad. The city said it should match the ordinance and we "overlooked" when the community was planned (I wonder what else was "overlooked). Anyway, we were okay with the HOA, but not the city. We've since found a person with a field who charges only $100/yr! Great! OH, the only way the city knows or cares if you park in front is if a neighbor complained. No one did, but they did complain about someone in our subdivision.

So, you have a lot to think about, don't you?