Not a protected profession, one could use words like certified, institution, training, that's all meaningless.. I did it with E bikes in 2010.. international electric bike technical institution trained mechanic.. me and a guy I emailed in China..
We are full timers in a 45’ Class A diesel pusher. We bought a 9 year old very high end one (850k new) and paid 20%. Best decision ever. NEVER BUY A NEW RV!
@@toddlenard7602There actually is a “ten year rule” in RV parks? I have always been a used car kind of guy. My “new” cars have always been at least 5 years old. I would just have to use the street or highway rest areas then. (Please excuse me I am not an RVer )
@@toddlenard7602 Most parks will wave that rule if you send them pictures of the RV and they see it is well maintained. My Mom and Dad have a 10+ year old RV and it really isn't a issue. The RV parks just want to make sure you are not bringing in a piece of rolling junk.
My husband and I purchased a used F150 truck, then a used 12 year old slide in camper. For a year and a half, we traveled all over the upper East Coast, making modifications as needed. He retired on June 1sr, and we began a 15,000 mile adventure to Alaska . Began in Silver Spring, Maryland, ended in Bull Shoals, Arkansas, four months later. Now I am an 80 year old widow, and I would love to have that rig again, and just wander around Texas, where I now reside in Brownsville. I still remember most of that odyssey, and am so grateful we were able to make it!
One of the best tips I give potential RV buyers. Once you've narrowed down the make and model visit the largest dealer in your area but talk to customers in the service area early on a monday morning. You will get much more objective info on the manufacturers and the dealer than from people in a campground. Especially newer models.
Justin your delusional if you think spending 80 grand on that rv vs a house is the wise choice. 10 years down the road the RV will be absolutely worthless. The house will likely give you back every penny spent on it and then some. Not to mention the potential health issues of living in an RV full time.
@@JohnJohn-wr1jo except you don’t need 80 grand for a house. That’ll cover the down payment, fees, and the first year of repairs. Then you still have a mortgage. I might be exaggerating slightly, but not much.
You're Right Steve.. But, No matter what you buy. NEW or USED don't park or store it at home. I buy them and store them at the RV Park.. I own a few Travel Trailers and store them at a RV Resort in Myrtle Beach SC. Then I advertise them for rent on Craigslist and Word of mouth mostly. I have mostly repeat customers every year. The RV Resort stores, moves them and sets them up for a fee. You just have to keep up with the amount other rental properties are going for and under cut them a little. If something is or goes wrong with them the Resort has a repair shop and fixes them and sends me a bill. It's the easiest money I have ever made..
@@YeshuaKingMessiah except vacationing is a luxury and having a place to live isn't. Renting your RV to recoup some expenses (and provide others an affordable, convenient vacation) is hardly comparable to slumlording.
I'm glad I did it the almost genius way. I bought a 2021 RV last summer after researching for months. I bought from a good local dealer, and made the sale contingent on the report from a certified RV inspector that I hired. The inspection turned up only two minor things (some missing roof sealant which the dealer fixed, and a cracked shower head.) The inspection cost me around $500, but it was worth every penny. Only a year prior I went through a private seller, but it was an airplane I had inspected. The plane looked immaculate, had a recent $50k instrument upgrade, guaranteed no corrosion. Inspector called after 2 hours and told me essentially it was a great instrument panel that needed an entire new plane around it. I will always hire inspectors from now on.
On an airplane make sure ALL ADs have been complied with and have an AI not affiliated with the FBO inspect it. A customer of mine bought a Piper Apache years ago that supposedly had all of them done. During the annual inspection I found several major (and expensive) ADs had not been complied with.
@@DblIreTotally agree. The AI should not be affiliated with the FBO at all. It's like taking the car you want to buy and having it "inspected" by the dealer selling it.
My dad built an RV out of a 76 F450 dually flatbed. He used a slide in style camper but the truck didn’t have a box so he made extra storage areas on both sides. Our family took this all over the US. Some of the most memorable stops were DisneyWorld and Carlsbad Caverns. I still look back at the fun memories we made I will never forget.
@@asrielandfriends nice try but the definition of an RV is a recreational vehicle. The camper that he used was not removable in the sense as a normal slide in camper. You could argue any vehicle even with a slide in is an rv. Many companies build RVs that start out as trucks or vans that have permanent living quarters such as the one he built. The chassis was extended and had an extra sleeping area behind the cab which was accessible from both the camper and through the back of the cab. We called it “the dragon’s den”. It had storage areas in the floor. Call it a truck camper but every truck camper I have seen still has the bed which this truck never even had. Look up the definition of RV and you will see many iterations and this camper falls squarely in that definition. 😁
My $75,000 (60% of new) Mercedes chassis 10 year old RV can go anywhere and stay almost anywhere for less than 50 cents a mile. We got fed up with airlines, rental cars, restaurants, and motels/hotels than cost much more. 25,000 miles in 2 years. It has depreciated a few thousand dollars.
My little Fiberglass RV is nicknamed five star tent ! I use it a lot ! I love camping and been all over the country! I am very thrifty ! I took a 90 day trip around the east coast for 1900.00 bucks ! 👍😁
In 1975 my parents bought a new 30' Santa Fe travel trailer (division of Travel-Eze) They bought it to live in. After a year something misaligned on the floor, under the linoleum. It was going to require a trip to the factory. The factory was less than an hour away, in Sun Valley CA. Dad told the factory it would be difficult to transport because it was set up in a trailer park. The factory sent dad an agreement, signed by the company, that the warranty on the floor would be extended to lifetime. So sometime in the future when it was moved, he could take it in anytime. Dad was happy with that arrangement. It turned out it wasn't that big of a deal so he fixed it himself. It was great to know they had excellent service. Never see that today.
Don't be afraid to buy older if you are good with your hands. I found a 1998 Coachman with 16000 miles everything worked slight leak on roof. this RV has aluminum frame and high end parts!! living in it full time and have driven it across country several times with no problem. We are blessed.
Okay hear me out. Don't just rent one. Rent the exact one you are thinking of buying for several weeks. This will give you time to see if anything is wrong with it.
And if you aren't good with your hands, there is a TH-cam video for just about any RV repair on each specific video. Learn how to make your own repairs and you will save lots of money and not have it in for repairs for months.
My knee jerk reaction 😮 My Dad was a genius❤ He always bought used, and he shopped throughout Arizona. Always check to make sure it hasn't been in a flood.
I was going to buy an RV. Saw the original Lehto's Law video "Don't Buy an RV". Did some more research. Looked at the cheap way they are made. Never bought an RV. I did get a nice two room tent. Thank you Steve.
I watched another woman who was a nomadic worker and traveler..She bought both of my dream rigs. I'm talking top notch brands. She spent more than most in a first home. I quickly realized I would not be buying anything brand new..She was successful at getting warranty work done but boy was it ever a full time effort.
Steve, I bought my RV used at an estate sale. It was 7 years old and only had a little under 12k miles on it. Upon enquiring I found out it had made 3 trips to Florida and was shipped back after the man had a stroke on the 4th trip. It sat in a pole barn unused for 3 years. I knew what work it needed and picked it up for a little over half book value. Been a great home I've modified to meet my lifestyle and it's traveled over 60k miles in 5 years. I live in it nearly full time. PS; turned out the guy I was bidding against was a dealer, who likely would not have made the nearly $6k in repairs before selling.😮
I bought a park model rv in an rv park that was 5yo for pennies on the dollar. It was owned by an elderly couple and only used for one season because sadly the wife passed away. It’s been great, we put it on our own land and it’s a fun little getaway with all the comforts of home. Deals are out there, you just have to look for them.
When we were in them market for an RV, the best advice we ever got: 1. Get it inspected. It is worth the money. You might be able to leverage the price based on the inspection report. 2. Shop multiple dealers. Not every dealer is going to have crazy clauses like the one in the suit. 3. Be patient. the right RV will eventually come up. 4. Rent, rent, rent. You really don't know what will work for your family until you live with it. BTW, we are still in the number 3 phase.
@@jackschwartz1783 Exactly. If you have never driven a big vehicle, rent a big U-haul or a box truck, get full coverage, and drive it around the city for a day. People forget you are driving a big truck, and countless people damage RV's on the first day by running into awnings, drive throughs, etc. This is not like driving your VW or Kia around the city...
Lots of former truck drivers purchase RV's. I never considered that a former trucker like myself would utilize this training after years on the road. Your advice is good.@@redbaron6805
I've been trying to get a driver's seatbelt for my 2017 honda accord for 5 months now honda has been told me each month they tell me it's on nationwide back order with no eta is this eligible for class action lawsuit
We lived on a lake in Michigan, and my wife bought me a sailboat (a Sunfish, about $2,500, very very simple) for our 25th wedding anniversary. Great boat, lots of fun on our little lake. Whenever we'd travel (to Lake Tahoe, among others), I'd take a "sailing lesson" and enjoy the sailing experience for a few hours, pay a nominal sum, and leave the sailboat for the owner to maintain. We eventually moved to California (no private lakes without spending a literal fortune), and donated the sailboat to a Michigan charity before we left. We would *never* buy an RV!
Exactly. I bought a used 36’ RV and planned to use it to decide where I wanted to live and buy a house. Figured I needed it a year maximum. I sold it 17 years later after continuing living in it full time. It was great.
An old bachelor friend shopped in newspapers and found a gently used large towable. The unit was bought on the cheap, in the fall of the year. He has a friend that makes a living reworking most of the stuff on an RV. That man brought plumbing and electrical upto new conditions. Now my friend lives in this land yacht 12 months a year. He will move it to another state, when he retires. Everything you said is accurate.
im a mechanic for 45 yrs. i got a dbl slide toyhauler after 2 or 3 trips the brakes stopped working, i pulled all 4 wheels and found the wheel bearings had been greased so much it blew out the seals and covered the brake shoes. spent a day fixed it myself, an rv repair would have been thousands for all new brakes. warranty would take months and woulda prob been denied i couldn't have proved who pumped in to much grease. you need to be able to do alot yourself
Great you did. I have had RVs for 40 Yrs and if you cant work on it, you should not own it. Unless you spend a LOT of $$$. Might actually be a good business to get into with so many needing repairs.
Absolutely. If I counted up all the individual issues I had with our travel trailer, it would probably be 20+. Every single one of those issues was easily fixable in 20 minutes or less though. Could you imagine if I took it across town, to the dealer, all 20 times? I'd never see the thing.
EZ Lube grease fitting on end of spindle is goid for 2 things: grease on brakes or the rubber cap disintegrates and water gets in and rusts bearings. Pull wheels and drums/rotors and inspect brakes and pack bags every two years or 15k miles and put solid caps on, not the rubber access ones.
Steve, here at the left-coast in California, RVs have a nick-name. They're called "Earthquake Survival Kits." Also frequently, people who have homes (with yards and space for parking) will have a dedicated area for their RV. It's the perfect lodging for visiting family. It's so much easier to evict them then when they think they have tenant-rights.
My dad bought a used airstream when i was a kid.. Can't remember the length, but it was double axle & in great shape. We didn't have ac in our house back then, but I got busted hanging out in there with the ac blasting !!! That airstream would be worth 15 times what he paid for it had he kept it . He might have been more likely to keep it if I wouldn't have used it for my club house. (The TV got better reception too.)
Steve, you couldn’t be more right than you are on this one. I’ve been RVing for about 40 years. Let me tell you the last RV I bought was used. I bought it from an individual who had more money than he knew what to do with and paid a lot of money for the RV. He never used it, it still had the brand new stickers on the stove the oven because he never used them. RV pre-Covid now, will lose almost 50% of their value in the first three years. I paid less than half of what he paid for it, and it was almost 3 years old, and had been parked most of its life and was still virtually brand new. Defined them like this. It takes a lot of search but you can find them and it is absolutely the best way to buy an RV is to buy one used.
I did that too. Did a ton of research and then a never used two year old pre Covid LANCE showed up at a local lot. It’s Lances” biggest nicest model with a king bed! I love the layout. Got it for half the new price! We love this camper and we are BOTH retired maintenance mechanics, so upkeep is EASY compared to the homes we’ve worked on! So now we have an awesome camper that we take camping and the relatives can stay in when they visit that is really comfortable.
@@livesoutdoors1708thats awesome, id like to buy a nice one like that..but i just got a 95 itasca spirit 21 ft..runs but had unattended leak on ceiling and floor,but me taking the time w my son building it back up is cool bonding experience alot of us mis nowadays
Great advice on renting an RV Vs buying one. One other consideration, is all the problems that occur when an RV is parked. Tires can be dangerous because of their age. brake mechanisms may freeze up, seals on the slide outs go bad, rats may eat at your wiring. The motor should still be started a few times a year. The RV needs to be winterized, and a small leak which is common can cause major dry rot issues, and vent covers decay in the sun over time, and don't assume low milage on the motor means it's in good shape. The list possible issues goes on.
Last year a bought a new (to me) motorhome. I've owned RVs before so I'm not new the experience. The model I wanted was $139k (MSRP $164k) new at the local dealer. I found a private seller used one (with even more options), 5 yrs old, 12k miles, in perfect, like new, condition, $68k. I did all maintenance and repairs on my previous RVs myself so I know what needs to be checked. I took a couple of hours to thoroughly inspect the unit and found one issue (broken max-air fan) that I replaced after purchase. Several camping trips and almost at the end of what would have been the manufacturers new RV warranty period, and there have been no problems with the RV. Half the price (and no dealer fees) and zero issues! Love the RV, love the money left in my bank account.
Wow! That must have been thrilling! Not only the experience, but also the "cool factor" of a 1947 bus! Too bad you couldn't post pics here. What was the best thing about that vehicle, in your opinion?
A recently retired RV dealer told me that Cruise America has their rental RVs built to be more trouble free than the RVs you can buy new. They buy enough that they can spec better insulation, wiring, plumbing, door seals, etc. than the standard models. They usually replace them at three years old and sell the used ones. I've heard the same thing about U-Haul's RVs being built better than retail units. They won't be the fanciest or most luxurious models but everything works.
An inspection is a must for new or used RV's. I am so glad you mentioned it! A much quicker repair can be made by an RV tech, than waiting for warranty repairs.
Absolutely solid gold advice. We bought a 2003 Newmar Dutch Star in 2016 with 45k miles on it and we love it and still have it. Just got back from 9 days at Myrtle Beach Ocean Lakes campground(we love them too). Thanks Steve.
Looked for RV for 2 years, then lucked out a family member was upgrading to a bigger one and I bought theirs and was made aware of all repairs that were completed. This was the reason for taking 2 years to shop but Not buy. Just lucky no problems after using for 3 years.
Heck, I buy cars on the "2-5 years old" plan. In the first year, the "Oh my gosh it explodes on odd numbered Tuesdays!" problems are all evident, and most of the major recall-worthy problems have also been fixed (still worth checking that VIN, though). Additionally, the first owner has already taken the initial devaluation hit(s).
@@MonkeyJedi99That’s the way I have always done it. What I usually do is find a car I like then go rent one for a few days, if I like it I then look to buy one used.
I bought a used 2000 fifth wheel. It was quite pricey at 5K but seemed worth it at the time. I needed something and it was available. Now a few months later I don’t know if I like it too much. Bought it at the end of summer so haven’t had much time with it. So it’s my practice piece and if it lasts another five years then I’ll know what to look for and hopefully have the cash to buy it.
Some years ago, my wife and siblings were looking to buy a wheelchair accessible van to transport my father in law. We went to a place that specialized in them and I don't think there was a single vehicle on the lot that was legit. Many had underside rusting that had me believing they were Katrina cars and others had impossibly low odometers.
Low odometers can happen. I can imagine some handicapped people only using a vehicle to go to a dr once a month. My elderly mother has an 18 year old car with ~20k miles on it. It seems way to low and I'd suspect it had issues if I didn't know for a fact that she just never uses it.
They do alot of modifications on dose vans. I know they cut the body and raise the rear end. Once they cut underneath they compromised the protective spray. After they weld in the new lowered tub if they don't clean, prime and spray on new protective stuff it's just going to rust. Even if it doesn't get wet. Black spray paint is not going to cut it. I wonder what manufacturers warranty you lose once they cut into the body?
I just did that. I bought a USED carry on pickup truck camper for 7500 dollars in mint condition. The people I bought it off of paid 22,000 bucks for it new.
Absolutely correct... Research, social reviews, Inspect, video roof, buy used. My wife has serious health issues. We bought a Winnebago Navion motorhome This using this technique and couldn't be happier. Most don't understand the floorplan box on the Mercedes or four chassis mostly the same year after year with cosmetic touches made. The fewer slides, the more trouble free.
One thing that not many people consider when buying motorized RVs is engine access I don't know how many times I've tried to get to an access cover only to realize that it has been tiled/floored/carpeted over and has a closet built on top of it Also consider that with the diesels RVs, even the cost of regular maintenance is expensive- like $6-700+ oil changes for the larger 9+ liter engines not to mention the expense of repairing the emissions systems
Or buy an old school bus, spend 49 weeks fitting it out and then 3 weeks touring with it. BUT when you make the offer to purchase make a stipulation that the purchase is subject to your approval of lab oil tests done on the engine, gearbox and diff oil. These tests will show if there is excess metal present or contaminants which are a good indicator of the internal condition of those components and if the tests show problems you can cancel the purchase. In addition, during the 49 weeks you can check all the mechanical bits (which will give you at least some knowledge about how they work and how to disassemble and reassemble them in case they fail on the trip) and as you have done the conversion yourself you know exactly where everything is, how it is installed, what make and model it is and how to take it out and replace it on the side of the road should you have to. AND ALWAYS TAKE EVERY TOOL YOU WILL NEED. Leave just one of those tools at home and you can bet that it is THAT TOOL you will need a thousand miles down the road in the middle of a rainstorm at night. Remember Murphys Law??? Well Murphy was an optimist...
From an insurance point of view, you insure it for its actual value. Each year you have to report what its reduced value is. I had one customer bought a bus conversion for 800K. The following year it was worth 600K. If you insure it for more than it’s worth, you pay higher rates, but will only get paid for actual value.
The wife and I owned a small teardrop camper for 10 years and use it pretty frequently throughout the summer. We’re still camping, not RVing. The camper fits in the garage, has held up well, has aged very well, is all that we need as a couple. I’ve had people offer to buy it for about what I paid for new ($10K) since the new ones go double now. When we want to take her mom, we go online and rent a bigger trailer. The rental plus campground fees are less than the annual storage fees, and I don’t have to sweat every hail storm. I also haven’t found one that would ever buy, yet. Renting is the perfect scenario.
Owner of my 4th towable camping trailer here. I have owned a camping trailer of one kind or another since 1989. My advice: if you are not prepared to fix it yourself or don't know how to fix it, don't buy it. In the spring and fall, a weekend at a campground in a reasonable size tent is a pleasurable experience. You can get all of the gear you need for under $600. You won't have to pay insurance on it every year . . . you just need a place to store it. I still own 2 tents, one of which I purchased about 4 or 5 years ago and still use with some surplus cots and a portable propane stove I purchased to go with it. A little info for those like me who are foolish enough to not take my advice above. If you have a motorized unit and you have any issues with the chassis, drivetrain, or steering, do not take it to an RV dealer for repair. It is a medium duty truck. There are no medium duty truck mechanics at an RV dealer. There are no medium duty truck mechanics at the manufacturer of the RV. Take it to a shop that repairs medium duty trucks. For everything else in an RV, the stuff is divided into two groups: the walls, floor, roof, and cabinetry is the first group; the second group is the components and constitutes everything else (think microwave, fridge, furnace, water heater, AC, windows, roof vents, bathroom fan, toilet, sinks, shower, plumbing fixtures, water pump, 12 volt converter, light switches, gas bottles, propane plumbing, etc.). There are very few brands in the components industry. The RV manufacturer is simply an integrator of those components, and the same components will be used in nearly half of all of the brands of RVs. You can buy any of those components yourself off of the internet. You can buy repair parts off of the internet too. You can contact component manufacturers and talk to them too. You can call some of the RV manufacturers and they will tell you that you are not smart enough to change a light bulb and must take it back to the dealer you bought it from, pay $100, and wait 6 months for the light bulb to be changed. For the record, whenever I post a comment on a TH-cam video lately, I am accused of lying. So, I'm sure someone will say my statements above that I have owned 4 trailers since 1989 are also a lie. Well, here are some more statements I will make, which are purported to be fact, not my opinion that you can claim is a lie: 1. I changed the tires on my first popup by hand. 2. I have welded on the last three trailers I have owned, welded on 3 trailers owned by friends, and welded on one trailer my uncle owned. 3. I have modified two of my trailers to be able to use them for extended periods of below freezing temperatures without the plumbing and dump valves freezing up on me. 4. I have modified three of the trailers I have owned to be able to tow them on dirt roads that are in very bad shape. 5. I have run 12-volt power wires through the ceiling of two trailers in order to install powered roof vent fans and have installed a total of three of these powered vent fans. 6. I have installed 400 watts of solar panels on the roof of one trailer. 7. I have fabricated insulated battery compartments below the floor of two trailers and installed AGM batteries in them. 8. I have replaced suspension components on one trailer and added shock absorbers to it. 9. I have replaced the entry steps on one trailer. 10. I have removed and repaired the absorption refrigerator from one trailer, reinstalled it, and then replaced it with a 12-volt compressor refrigerator. 12. I have re-plumbed the water heater in one trailer. 13. I have replaced the built in microwave in one trailer. 14. I have repaired roof and window leaks in two trailers. 15. I have replaced trim on two trailers. 16. I have converted interior and exterior lights to LED lights on two trailers, to include conversion of the taillights to LED on both of those trailers. 17. I have installed a weight distribution hitch system on one trailer that has built in sway control. 18. I have replaced the braking system on one trailer. 19. I have replaced wheel bearings on two trailers. There are probably many more "lies" I cannot remember to tell. And what is the point of me telling all of these lies. Well not am I a blowhard, but I am trying to convince people if you are going to own an RV and it not be sitting at a dealer to be worked on all the time, you are going to have to step up and do a lot of work on it yourself. Next up: I am going to replace a window in a door that is leaking (I could fix the leak, but I decided to upgrade to a tinted window with built in shade instead) so I have a new lie I can tell.
David, I am proud to say that I have done every task that you have, except welding ( had a friend weld the aluminum door on my Coachman class C ). The travel trailer needed electrical upgrades and a pressure tank added to keep from running the pump after late night toilet use. I am now rebuilding the bedroom slide assembly on a 20 year old Neumar Class A coach. As long as you remember that you are owning a house that can do 60 MPH, accept that things WILL NEED SERVICE. That is truly the way to continue enjoying your rig, whatever it may be.
David, your points of "stay in a tent or fix it yourself", is nice but not an option for most people. You don't have to post a work resume to convince others that yours is the only advice to follow or that you are the only one who discovered Ebay/AMZN shopping. We're glad you're handy, but you missed one important fact: VACATIONERS CAN RENT someone else's RV and leave the maintenance to them. This especially makes sense if you do the TCO math against your rental trips per year. Happy Trails.
@@jr.6199 Thank you, but I'm quite disappointed that you failed to claim my "resume" is a lie. And everyone has to do it my way. I insist. It is the only way I can inflate my ego.
I am a fulltimer. I bought my RV from an estate sale. It was 23 years old but looked brand new inside. Your advice about an inspector is spot on! He found a few things wrong and helped me knock $3000 off the already low price. I wound up spending $13000 for the motorhome (31' diesel pusher), plus a pair of steer tires.
Unfortunately, a lot of campgrounds are adopting the 10 year old rule. If it's over that, you can't camp there. This is driven by supply and demand. Most around me have been 20 years. They are slowly going to 10 years.
@@dennisg.7498 I live in a "10-year-rule" campground...in my 26-year-old motorhome. The truth is that most campgrounds with that rule really just want to weed out junkers. Send them a picture of your rig, and they will often waive the rule.
I fell in love with Airstreams, for the Americana as much as the camping. So long story short, we bought a 1981 Airstream & made a project of renovating & remodeling it. Cost roughly $25,000 total. Great decision. It’s beautiful, structurally sound, has solid wood custom cabinets (husband is carpenter) & is debt free. We travel cross country in it, & use it as a guest house when we have company.
Very good advice from Mr Lehto! I shopped for an RV for a while and decided not even to buy a used one after looking into all the aspects. A few things Steve didn't mentioned are the costs RVs have even when you are not using them. You have to consider where you will store it when you are not using it. Go and price some covered and uncovered storage in your area. You also have to budget in annual maintenance, which often costs way more than most people think(for a big pusher motorhome $10k per year can be reality). The HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems in some of the big motorhomes are incredibly complex, way more complex than automobiles or houses and can be very specific to each manufacturers unit. One of the worst thing you can do for these complex systems is let them sit unused for long periods of time, they will start to deteriorate(seals dry out and leak, batteries go dead, refrigeration units loose charge, fluids properties deteriorate). Typically just when you want to use the darn thing is when you find out something is not working properly. Every part that is 'RV specific' costs more, is harder to source and finding shops that can accommodate these rigs with competent technicians to work on them in a timely manner is an even bigger challenge. Look on the forums specific for each of manufacturers rigs to find out the typical issues and owner experiences. After looking at the whole picture for my situation I decided to take all those 'money pit RV dollars' and put it in an SP500 index fund and let compounding do its thing. I figure with the money ahead I'll be rent an RV, however you may be surprised how expensive the total cost is to rent and use an RV when comparing the costs for a really nice BnB or hotel/resort. Do your homework and live your dream life.
I was advised to RENT one first, if I don’t like it, rent another. I said no, that’s too expensive! He explained depreciation on a $50,000 RV will cost you a bundle, way more than a rental.
@@Erin-Thor You can return the rental if it has any issues or you don't like it. You can't return an RV you just bought. Also, if a rental RV has a problem, that is the owners problem. If yours has a problem, then you own that problem and all the headaches of fixing it yourself.
@@redbaron6805 - Yes! And if one has a too small shower, you CAN get a different one. If you realize you don’t use the outside kitchen (we didn’t) you KNOW what you want or don’t. The Airstream was an RV park Queen, looked purdy, got lots of compliments, but boon-docking was difficult and you had unexpected expenses. Little things like in cold weather leaving the heater on would drain your batteries by morning. No room for a generator, and the older batteries do not like being totally depleted and had to be replaced often. Want to warm up breakfast, you can’t use the microwave on battery as the inverter was 1000w, and would shut off a moment after the microwave came on. I have a long list, LOL!
@@Erin-Thor Yeah, for something like that, you probably had to get a small inverter generator that you could put in a trunk or a closet somewhere. Something like the Honda 1000i or 2200i. They can run for like 8 hours on 1/2 gallon of fuel...
I have always told people that - rent instead of buy. Once you buy you have to have somewhere to park and store it, maintain it, etc...etc... Probably way cheaper to rent unless you are going to use it far more than the average. I still use a tent...air mattress, electric heater, big tent, and I am good to go...easy to store, easy for me to put up, fits in my suv...when I am camping I am not spending time inside anyway... I am hiking or fishing or hunting or sitting around a fire...last place I want to be is inside a mobile home. Unless it is raining...and then I am sitting in a friends RV ;-)
Professor Lehto spittin’ facts! Saved me from making a huge mistake buying an RV a few years ago. My wife wanted to pull the trigger, and I thank goodness every day we didn’t do it. I just wish everyone who was even thinking of buying an RV watched your video.
Steve, awesome advice. I live in Myrtle Beach South Carolina and surrounded by several mega RV campgrounds. They all offer long term storage for those that return for future visits, another cost. BTW, I sold RV’s for a large dealer here and would never buy a new RV. We received bonuses for pushing certain models and steering customers away from the “used stuff” that we had in the back forty. And yes, the service department was always backed up!
Last summer my wife and I bought an RV. DAILY, I'm glad I bought the RV we bought., because Every. Single, Day. I get on the iinternet, read all the forums, read all the FaceBook groups and I see the experiences and problems that other people have with their RVs, and I'm glad we made the decision we did. We bought an RV as a pre-retirement test, to spend the next 3-5 years before retirement using it, see if we like it and if it's something we'd like to do when we retire. So far it's going great, we spent several weeks last summer tinkering with our new toy and camping in local camp grounds. Oh yes, we bought out RV used from a private party , I inspected it myself, yes, it needs some work here and there, it's 28 years old, it has none of the things that I see everyone having issues with every day. It's got no slides, it's got no electric awnings, it's got no fancy electronics. It's got a big ass fully mechanical diesel engine, no electronics, no emissions etc. The best part is, we're into it cheap enough that if it dies on the side of the road we can just walk away.
A tin hallway Yuck I can’t imagine one without slides 3 minimum, 2 in main cabin opp sides and 1 in bedrm to give u room to walk around but have a great queen bed
@@YeshuaKingMessiah We're not square dancing, and how much room do you need once you're sitting? Space?, you got the whole world right outside your door.
@@tomkrause62 families don’t sit, although older folk might mainly. Kids move all the time. Plus there’s just sooo much more room, 4’ across (2’ each slide), to have stuff and just live w/o feeling claustrophobic. My kids square dance at times, sure! It’s great w/pets too, they can lay out of the way…
That rental advice is great and can definitely apply to more than just RVs, I know so many people that own huge pickups under the excuse of needing to move something like a couch once a year or less. Uhaul will rent you a pickup for $20 a day. What you save on gas from not driving a pickup will more than make up for that rental fee.
Exactly. And Home Depot, Lowe's and others to that also. The case for owning a truck to pick up a couch or a washer or dryer once a year is basically non existent.
Good point. I have a coworker that bought a large pickup under the excuse that she will need it to move the large camper she lives in. I told her to NOT buy that expensive truck. What she needed was a inexpensive compact car. She would save a ton on money. Then when ahe needed to move the camper either hire the work done or rent a large Uhaul. The truck had some mechanical problems and was in the shop for warranty repairs when she found out that the RV park she rented from went bankrupt. So, she needed to move the trailer but had no truck. She paid a guy to move the camper, level it, and hook it up for roughly one months truck payment. People never listen.
@@windmillacres679 Yep. I really really REALLY need that tool, which I have used a total of one time in the last decade, but if I get it now, I'll totally use it all the time. People buy pick up trucks all the time as they think they need to haul and tow things, but 75% of truck owners never haul or tow anything with their trucks, as in ever. Which explains empty pick up trucks hauling one person to work on a daily basis...
@@barrybolton1396 Most rental trucks come with tow hitches. Even most rental SUV's come with tow hitches. So, unless you are towing a 5th wheel, towing isn't much of an issue...
I figured that advice out just listening to you rant on RVs. I bought one 10yrs old, I have loved it and can count on one hand how many simple fix problems I've had with it. Not even motor or drive train issues.
You could add one more.. If you buy it, share it. I owned a small airplane myself and now share it inside an LLC with 4 other guys. I use it just as much and I’m paying a fifth of the costs and pulled a huge chunk of money out of it to use for other things. Our group has been together for 10 years with no problem. We live in a sharing economy. Take advantage of it.
I borrowed a friend's 24 foot travel trailer and figured out that it was much bigger than I needed. So now I give people the same advice that you're giving - rent first. Not just because you might or might not like RVing, but also because you might think you know what you want but will figure out what you really want though experience. Great video. Thanks!
My uncle bought a motor home rental business in the late 60's. He fazed out rental portion and remained a repair shop that my cousin now operates. I spent much time working on coaches & trailers. If stored for periods of time, much more repairs are needed to keep these vehicles running. You just can't pull them out of storage and use them. My advice is just rent one , you're money ahead in the short and long term. If you really want to own a rv,Steve is correct, buy a used one, but by all means have it inspected, get it in writing, then be prepared to spend a fortune maintaining your purchase....RF
I bought a two year old tent trailer for $1200 in 1985. Got a good deal. Passed it on to my son who now uses it with my grandkids. It was worth every dime.
Rented a 40’ diesel pusher for my step dad after he had a stroke because it’s what he wanted so we could take a family trip together. We loved it. 3,600+ miles round trip. Absolutely loved it! It was great for all of us and had enough room for him even being walker dependent at the time. I found the big advantage to renting was we were able to determine what we would want in an RV or not want if we ever bought one! The owners we rented it from told us they rented as well before buying so they would have a better idea of what they were looking for in an RV.
I did a 7200 mile circuit of the USA just before COVID started. If I had someone to share it with, it probably would have been the highlight of my life.
Great advice, Steve ! I followed your advice (almost 30 yrs ago) and bought a coach after speaking with owners at campgrounds :) Ended up buying a used Country Coach Concept and have circumnavigated our beautifull country many times now, 27 years later. Still runs like a top after the first owners debugged it :)
My brother bought a RV directly from the factory skipping the dealership. It was bought in Ohio and delivered to Auburn where it stays. It had a few bugs but my brother after talking to the factory fixed it. He didn't need parts so it wasn't too bad. My brother has three pugs that they travel with and it was difficult finding motels and AirB&B to rent that were dog friendly. His daughter attends school there so he goes to all the home games and a lot of sporting events. He didn't have a vehicle to tow it with so delivery was perfect. In the end it's working out cheaper than renting rooms.
We bought a new RV (bumper pull) back in 2020, I did a ton of research watching TH-cam videos not only the types of RV's but how to fix issues. The RV we bought was a good basic style with very few bells and whistles. The fridge failed in the 1st 2 months; our dealer fixed it within 2 weeks. Been a happy camper ever since. BTW the same camper we bought for under 25K cost over twice that now.
I worked at a huge car dealership in the late 90's. Salesmen would damage new vehicles all the time and 1 of 2 things would happen. 1. If it were minor they had a guy that worked in the repair shop on site that did small dent and touch-up repairs. 2. If the damage was severe the vehicle would go straight to the shop "on the lot" and later that week it would be back in the inventory sold as new. If you aren't getting a vehicle of any kind inspected before purchase you aren't just a fool you are a mark. They are counting on you to do nothing until it's too late.
We purchased a used RV last August. The dealership made sure all the mechanics worked properly, and their lead mechanic advised us on what would possibly go out in the next few years. We now live full time in our RV. As my husband works on temporary contracts just like the majority of our neighbors in the camp.
I just saw a video from an RV channel that recomend buying used and not for this reason. The reason was quality. The older ones before 2020 were of better quality which is kind of mind blowing because if you have ever tore an RV apart material quality has never been to high. More than likely private party would get you a better deal than a dealer. Buy the way Thor Industries Inc of Indiana owns a majority of RV companies. They also control componet industries.
The reason is simple. There was a massive demand for RV's during the pandemic, with months or years long backlogs. So, they were being built and shipped as fast as possible, and the construction quality was dismal. A friend bought a pandemic model, and all the plumbing leaked, floor had a problem, slide outs didn't work, A/C failed, engine had a recall, generator had a problem etc. etc. It was barely assembled, if you want to call it that.
Talking about renting makes me think of the Car Talk guys when someone would call in about what vehicle to keep. The person would ask if they should keep their pickup, and Click & Clack would ask how often they carried around plywood and other loads, and if it was infrequent they would ask why not just rent a pickup when they needed to move a big load, and otherwise not deal with the bad handling of an empty pickup.
I’ve driven pickups since 1993. Small ones, big ones, gas, diesel. Currently a 2007 Chevy Crew cab I’ll keep till I die or it dies. Cost me $38k back then. I’ve hauled kids, lumber, concrete, dump runs, and towed trailer’s many times across the western US. I can’t think of NOT owning it. Fits me well, rides like a Cadillac.
I bought a 4 year old hail damaged RV for less than 1/4 of the new price. I've had a couple of very minor issues that were very easy to fix myself. Great purchase!
I have two aunts and a grandma who spent lots of time in RVs. The "buy one a year old" is what they said over and over and over. Very sound and perfect advice
I bought a used one last year, to live in full time because I can't afford a home anymore. I work full time and yeah it sucks. But I'm not on the street...
Had an RV when I lived in Brussels ... best days were date of purchase/date of sale ... as you rightly state. Enjoyed touring Europe in her (from KOA type camp grounds to being in a Chateau with hook up) ... wonderful memories. But my fav memory was when living in Israel and went on "home leave" to DFW area and made a rental agreement via phone. Arrived in DFW and the rental dealer (new/used/rentals) and my RV wasn't ready to roll. After waiting for a long period, asked for the Manager and explained the lengthy trip me and my family had just made from Ben Gurion ... to which the Manager replied: "Sir, being overseas you might not know that "Jesus" has shown up in Waco ... and the FBI has commandeered your RV". No choice but to take a beat up rattle trap for our excursion ... another element to "Renting". LOL
We bought a used 2020 Class C with 6,000 miles on it last February and used it 80 nights last year. I already have 34 nights booked for this year. It is the best way to escape for a weekend, we just love it. We bought from a consignment dealer and had an inspection before the purchase. Best $800 we could have spent.
Great advice... I bought a used Airstream trailer, that still had warranty left because I live within a couple hours of the factory in Ohio. It has increased in value since I bought it three years ago... win for me, win for the next owner when I sell it... All the bugs worked out.
Mike, We were shopping 3 to 5 year old Airstreams and Olivers the last 6 months. The Airstreams are a dime a dozen compared with the Oliver's which are still difficult to find. What we learned through this process is that 90% of the Airstream owners, in my opinion, are basing their values on 2 things. The "vintage" reputation that was built on generations of quality builds which is absolutely not the case anymore. And the perception that were still in a strong sellers market. We have looked at 5 Airstream units during this period. Each owner eventually explained that they would consider taking less than asking, a few dropping the price over 20%. One of whom practically begged me to make him any offer and admitting that he was desperate to sell. We are still looking, but have decided to go with the Oliver.
John, The Oliver RV's are a great product. I looked for a used one in the spring of 2020 but could not find one that fit my budget. I'm a solo camper and as I mentioned bought the Airstream Basecamp X. It has worked out well for me, easy to tow and I didn't have to buy a new vehicle to tow it. I camp at least a couple of months a year, hopefully more this year. Best of luck to you finding an Oliver. Mike@@JohnJohn-wr1jo
I am a DIY person. Started in tents, bought a 25 year old popup. Replaced it with a 25' box travel trailer. Sold it at 14 years old. Converted a cargo trailer into a toy hauler. Now I am on the cusp of retirement and will either buy a used toy hauler, or build out a larger cargo trailer.
I will say he is correct about talking to other RV'ers. I just did this yesterday and the owner talked my ears off. I learned a lot about a dealerI was thinking about buying from and about that particular model of travel trailer.
Steve: Timing is everything. We saw your "insane" video just in time to avoid buying a new RV. But we did buy one, used, a real cream puff, and were happy to find that we had inadvertently done everything your "genius" video suggested. It looks like a three-year-old rig is the sweet spot where depreciation has lowered the price, debugging is fairly complete, appliances still work, and safety features are fairly current. That, and the stock market was at a record high, so a perfect time to lock in some profits. We're damn near getting the RV for free!
most RV parks have a regulation that says your RV cannot be more than 10 years old. Some parks enforce this some do not. So if you buy a used RV more than 10 years old, the RV park may not allow you to stay there.
The ten year rule, is generally only used for seasonal sites/permanent sites in campgrounds. Last thing an owner wants is someone walking away from a worthless rv and leaving them to dispose of it. It's a problem in parks that have turned into full time, low cost housing alternates vs camping.
I have a 21 year old, C class that I keep nice. Still looks new, and is super reliable!! Most 10 year rule campgrounds will gladly have me, if I send them a picture of my coach. Never had a problem.
State parks, federal forest campgrounds, and blm do not enforce a ten year rule. I've called up privately owned rv parks in advance to make sure they'll take me and I have never seen that rule enforced.
OMG I am laughing so hard I cannot breath! As the purchaser of two new RVs all I can say in between fits of uncontrollable laughter that 1) I have violated all your RV purchasing rules; 2) you are 100% spot on correct in everything you said; 3) I am not worthy!!! Dude, you made my day and as a former UPer the saying "Trolls live under the bridge" has never been funnier. Thanks for one of the best RV comedy routines ever, even if you are 100% right... Best, -Mark
Have lived the RV life off and on since the 1970’s, even lived full time in a 1954 Spartan Royal Mansion. I will tell you I both love it, and hate it at the same time. What got me started with the RV life, was my dad buying one to live in when the phone company sent him to wherever, Texas as an equipment installer. The advantage which is why he bought the travel trailer, was that he could save money staying in an RV park over staying in a hotel which he hated doing. He could also write the cost of the RV off on taxes as a business expense since it was a work related expense. Buying used is not a bad thing, especially if the RV is in need of a restoration. As you get to restore the RV with features, and functions you want instead of buying one built with inferior parts and poor insulation.
My motorhome is for sale. I just returned from my RV storage area; started it, ran the engine, ran the generator, wiped/cleaned a little bit of the exterior. We enjoyed using it for travel but my wife died a few months ago and I'm not going to use it by myself. I'll take a financial beating when I sell it but my rving days are over.
In spite of All this Great advice. I still want my RV. Have had 4 over the past 30 yrs. All were great and sold when needed more/less room. Just love having our home tagging along behind us, with our own bed, couch, food, pillows, blankets, clean shower… Can’t stand hotels anymore, even the $$$$ ones. Love to arrive at the campground and walk all over after a long drive. EZ to unwind and relax.
NO, NO, NO! Buy it new. You really need to have a new RV... that way you are not competing with me buying my next used RV. Lehto, you are driving up the prices of the used market. Stop it. LOL
I bought a van (2018 new RAM Promaster 3500, Tall and Extra long) and had two young men build a bed, kitchenette, insulation, walls, flooring and ceiling. Another guy installed my solar, plug outlets, batteries, 30 amp hook-up. And yet another guy built a composting toilet. There are things I'd like to change around in the van now that I used it 5 summers @ 3-4 months at a time, but the only big mistake I feel I've made was buying an ARB refrigerator. One of the most expensive camping 12 volt fridges, and it didn't last. Next refrig will likely be a 4.5 star Chinese refrigerator from Amazon that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Oh, and I had windows put in the van sliding door and across from the slider so they match each side and a Swing-a Way cargo box on the back. I did make the mistake of buying the black cargo box... be sure you purchase the white cargo box so that everything in the cargo carrier doesn't burn your hands because it's sooo hot inside. My remedy to cool down the interior of the cargo box was to paint Henry's roof coating - Dura Bright on the outside of the cargo carrier. lol... Live and learn. No regrets other than that.
You are absolutely right. We picked the Travel Trailer we wanted and then looked for a used one of the same model. So we got a 2008 for $6,400 in 2015. All the cabinets are solid wood. It looked almost brand new. We have used it for all these years with no major problems. They made them good back then. We have looked at newer ones but have never come across a floor plan we like better than ours. Nor have we found one that was built better. We use ours more than most since my boyfriend got 7 weeks vacation plus Holidays and we went on 7 to 9 trips per year. We have been all over the country in it. Our longest trip was from Arkansas to Utah and Idaho for 3 months. We mostly stay in State and National Parks, COE Campgrounds, and we also boondock a lot. My boyfriend is building the inside of our home here in Arkansas so we've actually been living it it for 2 years now. It has been the best investment we ever made. We have currently spent 1,230 nights that we actually slept in the trailer and we love it just as much as the day we got it. I have kept a log of where we slept in it since the day we got it. We did have to replace the microwave and the kitchen faucet and the awning and of course tires.
Well we bought our 1st rv new off the lot. Not alot of bells and whistles just a basic entry profile travel trailer. (I had a class C before and it was great and definitely got used over 88k miles before marriage). So very little research on TT's but we jumped in and couldn't be happier once we got past the learning curve. That's our boondocking rig. Still have it after 8 years and lots of miles. We even rented it out for 2 years with no issues. With all that experience and knowledge we still took 3 years of research and questions before we bought our 40' 5th wheel heavy cruiser...used! Got our 3500 to pull it used. Again couldn't be happier. No issues except for normal wear and tear with all repaired DYI. Do we "put to sea" in the cruiser often? No, just occasionally. Have we been lucky with our rigs? YES! Your advice is spot on. I would add attending University of TH-cam. Lots of good info out there. Also be prepared to get to know how to use a screwdriver and wrench. Owners will save lots of $$ by doing their own repairs. Many upkeep and repairs are well within an average person skill set.
Another great one. "3 to 4 weeks per year" (average). Anyone who's seen my comments on this channel about RVs knows we bought a new RV (in 2021), so I have a personal position on many things RV. From what I've seen both while RVing, and while living in our last house, where there were a lot of RVs in the neighborhood, that seems quite believable. We saw RVs that didn't leave the driveway for years. We talk to RVers who have been in the same *site* in the same campground for years. We, OTOH, have been living full-time in ours for just under 3 years, with one night away (in a motel while it was in the shop for free repairs) during that time. Especially with motorhomes, it seems ridiculous to me to just let it sit, but that's very often what happens. The tires dry rot, the bearings dry out, the roof leaks, parts are damaged by UV, all while the owner gets no use from it. Imagine what the fuel and oil in the engine look like after a few years. Buying used...that's what we intended. But then COVID hit. We thought, or at least I thought, that with so many people having their jobs at risk, the RV market would go soft. After all, if you aren't confident of making next month's grocery purchases, you shouldn't buy a luxury item. Wrong. It became a seller's market, both in the new and used worlds. We wanted to get a used model, for exactly the reasons Steve states. Instead, we found high prices on used models, and long wait times on new ones. We got lucky, and found one that was special ordered, then the buyers backed out on the deal. So we got it new for a great price. We also got lucky, in that it hasn't had a lot of problems. "Hire an inspector"...LOL, once again, Steve shows what an expert he is. For those buying used RVs, unless you're a real expert, absolutely *hire an inspector*. For those buying new units, however, where the manufacturer will do a full inspection before releasing it, and the dealer will do another full inspection before selling it, I advise you to *hire an inspector*. There's an organization that will help you find a qualified inspector. I don't know if a link will work here, but it's the National R V Inspection organization, and their URL is their initials, with the org top-level, nrvia (dot) org. It will cost you hundreds, may save you tens of thousands, and/or a lot of grief. FTR, I say the same about houses, except that the org I mention can't help.. With cars, you really only need to do it with used, whether or not they're labeled "certified pre-owned" or similar. Rentals...here I must differ with Steve, at least to an extent. Yes, you can rent an RV, and there is *some* variation in the kind of RV available for rent. But if you want anything like the experience you will have with your own RV, it's quite likely you won't be able to rent one at all like it. That said, we *did* rent one that was *not* like ours, to get a general feel for it. We also rented a tiny home for a similar reason. We had to use a *lot* of imagination to extrapolate from those experiences and get an idea of what owning and living in one would be like. Unfortunately, I suspect that a lot of people could rent something for two or three weeks, enjoy it, but not have the ability to project what it would be like to truly live in it full-time. If you're not living in your RV full time, it's very much a luxury item, and even more likely to develop serious problems over time, as you won't be there to see the small problems. The whole definition thing, Steve has also nailed. An "RV" is not synonymous with "motorhome", nor does it really mean "recreational vehicle" (that would apply to a dirt bike, or a Skidoo), but rather it means a vehicle meant to be lived in. Motorhomes, trailers, even truck campers, are all RVs, with the variations within those classes, as are various "regular" vehicles converted for being lived in. Our RV is a "Fifth Wheel Toy Hauler". Others we see include pop-ups, class-A diesel pushers, teardrops, and more. Side note: while ours came with a big-screen TV on the outside, we got rid of that. But we do have a big-screen TV inside, as well as a convection microwave, regular oven, four-place stove, double sink kitchen, shower, flush toilet, central heating and cooling, and other things we never had while tent camping. We generally don't consider it camping. Steve also nails it about what RVers are like. We've given *so* many tours of our rig! And we've talked about our rig, had others talk about theirs. Be warned, there are some people who bought an RV ignorantly, were blind-sided by the problems, and are negative about everything. But most will tell you the good and the bad. I can show you examples of fundamentally stupid design/layout decisions, and describe our work-arounds or fixes. Steve also nails it about the warranties. Like most, ours came with a bunch of different warranties, with different lengths and terms, and we haven't tried to use any of those. It isn't worth it. IMO, the extended warranties are even worse, though some swear by them. Instead, expect to have problems, and deal with them yourself when possible, pay a mobile RV tech when it's out of your league (I've done that once), take it to RV dealers or manufacturers only when you know it will be worked on quickly. And research a *lot* before buying, so you're ready.
We bought one pretty reasonable at a wholesale auction. In my year of ownership I have learned a lot. Most important is that almost everything on the RV is cheap and easy to fix. If its something I don't feel comfortable fixing there are a ton of people out there that work on these things other than the dealer and most things seem to be pretty affordable. It is a lot of work but we have made some great family memories. I agree with Steve, get one cheap or rent one to make sure its for you, don't let the dealers bend you over. Most important, have fun and make those family memories!
Being a retired RVIA Master Certified RV tech of 45+ years, I can fully endorse Steve's philosophy on RVs.
I've worked in the RV industry for 25 years. RVIA is a joke and it hasn't been around for 45 years.
@@asrielandfriends yep the industry is full of liars!
@@asrielandfriendscan I ask you a question regarding a 2017 tv I recently purchased?
@@asrielandfriends 2024-1974 is 50 years.
Not a protected profession, one could use words like certified, institution, training, that's all meaningless..
I did it with E bikes in 2010.. international electric bike technical institution trained mechanic.. me and a guy I emailed in China..
We are full timers in a 45’ Class A diesel pusher. We bought a 9 year old very high end one (850k new) and paid 20%. Best decision ever. NEVER BUY A NEW RV!
What are you going to do about the 10-year rule in most rv parks?
A well kept older unit rarely is not allowed in, but you need to verify with each park.
@@toddlenard7602 What is this 10 year rule?
@@toddlenard7602There actually is a “ten year rule” in RV parks? I have always been a used car kind of guy. My “new” cars have always been at least 5 years old.
I would just have to use the street or highway rest areas then. (Please excuse me I am not an RVer )
@@toddlenard7602 Most parks will wave that rule if you send them pictures of the RV and they see it is well maintained. My Mom and Dad have a 10+ year old RV and it really isn't a issue. The RV parks just want to make sure you are not bringing in a piece of rolling junk.
My husband and I purchased a used F150 truck, then a used 12 year old slide in camper. For a year and a half, we traveled all over the upper East Coast, making modifications as needed. He retired on June 1sr, and we began a 15,000 mile adventure to Alaska . Began in Silver Spring, Maryland, ended in Bull Shoals, Arkansas, four months later. Now I am an 80 year old widow, and I would love to have that rig again, and just wander around Texas, where I now reside in Brownsville. I still remember most of that odyssey, and am so grateful we were able to make it!
God bless, sounds like you both had a wonderful life together.
Summary:
-Talk to rv owners at a campground
-rent the one you like
-if it checks out, buy it used and hire an inspector.
Love it. Thanks man
Only reason we're buying 80k RVs is because a crap house starts at 300k and the bank won't lend
@@Justinlearns no arguments there
One of the best tips I give potential RV buyers. Once you've narrowed down the make and model visit the largest dealer in your area but talk to customers in the service area early on a monday morning. You will get much more objective info on the manufacturers and the dealer than from people in a campground. Especially newer models.
Justin your delusional if you think spending 80 grand on that rv vs a house is the wise choice. 10 years down the road the RV will be absolutely worthless. The house will likely give you back every penny spent on it and then some. Not to mention the potential health issues of living in an RV full time.
@@JohnJohn-wr1jo except you don’t need 80 grand for a house. That’ll cover the down payment, fees, and the first year of repairs. Then you still have a mortgage. I might be exaggerating slightly, but not much.
You're Right Steve.. But, No matter what you buy. NEW or USED don't park or store it at home.
I buy them and store them at the RV Park..
I own a few Travel Trailers and store them at a RV Resort in Myrtle Beach SC.
Then I advertise them for rent on Craigslist and Word of mouth mostly. I have mostly repeat customers every year.
The RV Resort stores, moves them and sets them up for a fee. You just have to keep up with the amount other rental properties are going for and under cut them a little.
If something is or goes wrong with them the Resort has a repair shop and fixes them and sends me a bill.
It's the easiest money I have ever made..
Being a landlord always is
I live 45 mins from there.... Good Idea....
@@YeshuaKingMessiah except vacationing is a luxury and having a place to live isn't. Renting your RV to recoup some expenses (and provide others an affordable, convenient vacation) is hardly comparable to slumlording.
Ty. That’s a really good idea renting them out like you do.
I'm glad I did it the almost genius way. I bought a 2021 RV last summer after researching for months. I bought from a good local dealer, and made the sale contingent on the report from a certified RV inspector that I hired. The inspection turned up only two minor things (some missing roof sealant which the dealer fixed, and a cracked shower head.) The inspection cost me around $500, but it was worth every penny. Only a year prior I went through a private seller, but it was an airplane I had inspected. The plane looked immaculate, had a recent $50k instrument upgrade, guaranteed no corrosion. Inspector called after 2 hours and told me essentially it was a great instrument panel that needed an entire new plane around it. I will always hire inspectors from now on.
On an airplane make sure ALL ADs have been complied with and have an AI not affiliated with the FBO inspect it. A customer of mine bought a Piper Apache years ago that supposedly had all of them done. During the annual inspection I found several major (and expensive) ADs had not been complied with.
I would say you were a genius...two times over!
@@DblIreTotally agree. The AI should not be affiliated with the FBO at all. It's like taking the car you want to buy and having it "inspected" by the dealer selling it.
Missing roof sealant is not minor
In this case it was minor. A few cracks, and there was no water intrusion. Quick repair for the dealer.@@bigguyinalittleboat7927
I rented an RV once. 500 miles was enough to convince me that I never wanted to own one, or drive one again.
Nice job. That was a much cheaper lesson than buying.
Enjoy your lockdowns :)
They’re not for wimps.
@henlofren7321 I have multiple cars and extra income from not having an rv, I'm not locked down anywhere :)
@@fat_basturd5345and presumably not for people that don't enjoy driving an annoyingly large vehicle either
My wife was thinking of us buying an RV.
After watching videos from you and a few others, she changed her mind. Thankfully.
Same😁
You can rent them.
I've always thought it's cheaper to stay at the Hilton.
@@truthsRsung Yes, or "rent" one from someone that you trust each other.
@@the_mowron Make a commercial jet into an RV like Elvis. It's cheaper.
My dad built an RV out of a 76 F450 dually flatbed. He used a slide in style camper but the truck didn’t have a box so he made extra storage areas on both sides. Our family took this all over the US. Some of the most memorable stops were DisneyWorld and Carlsbad Caverns. I still look back at the fun memories we made I will never forget.
That is not an RV. That is a truck camper.
@@asrielandfriends nice try but the definition of an RV is a recreational vehicle. The camper that he used was not removable in the sense as a normal slide in camper. You could argue any vehicle even with a slide in is an rv. Many companies build RVs that start out as trucks or vans that have permanent living quarters such as the one he built. The chassis was extended and had an extra sleeping area behind the cab which was accessible from both the camper and through the back of the cab. We called it “the dragon’s den”. It had storage areas in the floor. Call it a truck camper but every truck camper I have seen still has the bed which this truck never even had. Look up the definition of RV and you will see many iterations and this camper falls squarely in that definition. 😁
@@supersportimpalass In the 60s and 70s people would strip and customize standard vans, called them a fuck truck.
@@GeorgeKennedy-u4r That was mid-70's. Been there, and in high school with my '63 Club Wagon, did that.
My wife and I tried full time RVing for 3 years and this man speaks the truth! Don't buy new...
For decades I've often said , "Think of all the five-star vacations you could get for the price of an RV!"
My $75,000 (60% of new) Mercedes chassis 10 year old RV can go anywhere and stay almost anywhere for less than 50 cents a mile. We got fed up with airlines, rental cars, restaurants, and motels/hotels than cost much more. 25,000 miles in 2 years. It has depreciated a few thousand dollars.
One thing about an RV (or a Van for that matter), you sleep in your own bed.@@idadho
@@pcatful Yes, amazing memory foam with my sheets, blanket, and pillow.
My little Fiberglass RV is nicknamed five star tent ! I use it a lot ! I love camping and been all over the country! I am very thrifty ! I took a 90 day trip around the east coast for 1900.00 bucks ! 👍😁
@@ralphp3057 what brand?
In 1975 my parents bought a new 30' Santa Fe travel trailer (division of Travel-Eze) They bought it to live in. After a year something misaligned on the floor, under the linoleum. It was going to require a trip to the factory. The factory was less than an hour away, in Sun Valley CA. Dad told the factory it would be difficult to transport because it was set up in a trailer park. The factory sent dad an agreement, signed by the company, that the warranty on the floor would be extended to lifetime. So sometime in the future when it was moved, he could take it in anytime. Dad was happy with that arrangement. It turned out it wasn't that big of a deal so he fixed it himself. It was great to know they had excellent service. Never see that today.
Thank You Sir, ALWAYS have Solutions.
Don't be afraid to buy older if you are good with your hands. I found a 1998 Coachman with 16000 miles everything worked slight leak on roof. this RV has aluminum frame and high end parts!! living in it full time and have driven it across country several times with no problem. We are blessed.
By the way we paid only $7000. DEAL
Okay hear me out. Don't just rent one. Rent the exact one you are thinking of buying for several weeks. This will give you time to see if anything is wrong with it.
And if you aren't good with your hands, there is a TH-cam video for just about any RV repair on each specific video. Learn how to make your own repairs and you will save lots of money and not have it in for repairs for months.
Na, I rather visit other countries with the same money or less
My knee jerk reaction 😮
My Dad was a genius❤
He always bought used, and he shopped throughout Arizona. Always check to make sure it hasn't been in a flood.
Also no salt on the roads in AZ. Got to check the tires for reticulation from the sun even if the miles are low.
I definitely recommend buying used. Steve is correct. I got a 75000.00 unit for 42000 and all the bugs are gone. Living in it full time and loving it!
That's a lot cheaper than buying a house then being stuck with the taxes and horrible neighbors.
What make/model/year?
I was going to buy an RV. Saw the original Lehto's Law video "Don't Buy an RV". Did some more research. Looked at the cheap way they are made. Never bought an RV. I did get a nice two room tent. Thank you Steve.
I watched another woman who was a nomadic worker and traveler..She bought both of my dream rigs. I'm talking top notch brands. She spent more than most in a first home.
I quickly realized I would not be buying anything brand new..She was successful at getting warranty work done but boy was it ever a full time effort.
Steve, I bought my RV used at an estate sale. It was 7 years old and only had a little under 12k miles on it. Upon enquiring I found out it had made 3 trips to Florida and was shipped back after the man had a stroke on the 4th trip. It sat in a pole barn unused for 3 years. I knew what work it needed and picked it up for a little over half book value. Been a great home I've modified to meet my lifestyle and it's traveled over 60k miles in 5 years. I live in it nearly full time. PS; turned out the guy I was bidding against was a dealer, who likely would not have made the nearly $6k in repairs before selling.😮
that said, buying a used one in a snowbird state is a good deal, because then they don't have shipping costs.
I bought a park model rv in an rv park that was 5yo for pennies on the dollar. It was owned by an elderly couple and only used for one season because sadly the wife passed away. It’s been great, we put it on our own land and it’s a fun little getaway with all the comforts of home. Deals are out there, you just have to look for them.
When we were in them market for an RV, the best advice we ever got:
1. Get it inspected. It is worth the money. You might be able to leverage the price based on the inspection report.
2. Shop multiple dealers. Not every dealer is going to have crazy clauses like the one in the suit.
3. Be patient. the right RV will eventually come up.
4. Rent, rent, rent. You really don't know what will work for your family until you live with it.
BTW, we are still in the number 3 phase.
Shouldn't 3 and 4 be reversed...? Should rent a few models first, then look to buy the one you like...
One more rule. Practice driving it BRFORE you go on vacation.
@@jackschwartz1783 Exactly.
If you have never driven a big vehicle, rent a big U-haul or a box truck, get full coverage, and drive it around the city for a day.
People forget you are driving a big truck, and countless people damage RV's on the first day by running into awnings, drive throughs, etc.
This is not like driving your VW or Kia around the city...
Lots of former truck drivers purchase RV's. I never considered that a former trucker like myself would utilize this training after years on the road. Your advice is good.@@redbaron6805
Or take it on an overnight someplace nearby (the shakeout) before taking it on a long trip.@@jackschwartz1783
An inspection by someone with the proper certification is absolutely the best money an RV buyer could ever hope to spend when making their purchase.
The other bonus to buying used is if you decide you don't like it, you can resell it without losing a bunch of money.
In Michigan, the same advice applies to sailboat ownership.
I've been trying to get a driver's seatbelt for my 2017 honda accord for 5 months now honda has been told me each month they tell me it's on nationwide back order with no eta is this eligible for class action lawsuit
What's the old adage? Never buy a boat, just have a friend with one.
What are the two happiest moments in a boat owner’s life?
Boat = bust out another thousand.
We lived on a lake in Michigan, and my wife bought me a sailboat (a Sunfish, about $2,500, very very simple) for our 25th wedding anniversary. Great boat, lots of fun on our little lake. Whenever we'd travel (to Lake Tahoe, among others), I'd take a "sailing lesson" and enjoy the sailing experience for a few hours, pay a nominal sum, and leave the sailboat for the owner to maintain.
We eventually moved to California (no private lakes without spending a literal fortune), and donated the sailboat to a Michigan charity before we left.
We would *never* buy an RV!
If it fly's, floats, drives, or f**ks...it's cheaper to rent.
Especially the latter one. No child support involved.
amen
😂 facts
@@stevenwoodward5923
Most of the time on the last one. Except Hunter Biden. 🤡🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That was my grandfather’s saying. He had a plane boat rv and was on his third wife.
Get a Lego model? It's completely customizable that way, and retains it's value if you save the box and instructions.
I like tiny homes but that seems like a challenge.
That's how I amassed a fleet of lethal combat spaceships!
Can be reassembled into caltrops.
@@mgancarzjr You mean disassembled.
Also the tires don't age out.
Exactly. I bought a used 36’ RV and planned to use it to decide where I wanted to live and buy a house. Figured I needed it a year maximum. I sold it 17 years later after continuing living in it full time. It was great.
An old bachelor friend shopped in newspapers and found a gently used large towable. The unit was bought on the cheap, in the fall of the year. He has a friend that makes a living reworking most of the stuff on an RV. That man brought plumbing and electrical upto new conditions. Now my friend lives in this land yacht 12 months a year. He will move it to another state, when he retires. Everything you said is accurate.
im a mechanic for 45 yrs. i got a dbl slide toyhauler after 2 or 3 trips the brakes stopped working, i pulled all 4 wheels and found the wheel bearings had been greased so much it blew out the seals and covered the brake shoes. spent a day fixed it myself, an rv repair would have been thousands for all new brakes. warranty would take months and woulda prob been denied i couldn't have proved who pumped in to much grease. you need to be able to do alot yourself
Great you did. I have had RVs for 40 Yrs and if you cant work on it, you should not own it. Unless you spend a LOT of $$$. Might actually be a good business to get into
with so many needing repairs.
Absolutely. If I counted up all the individual issues I had with our travel trailer, it would probably be 20+. Every single one of those issues was easily fixable in 20 minutes or less though. Could you imagine if I took it across town, to the dealer, all 20 times? I'd never see the thing.
EZ Lube grease fitting on end of spindle is goid for 2 things: grease on brakes or the rubber cap disintegrates and water gets in and rusts bearings. Pull wheels and drums/rotors and inspect brakes and pack bags every two years or 15k miles and put solid caps on, not the rubber access ones.
(non American here). Please explain "Toy hauler". I've heard it used on various RV TH-cams but NEVER actually heard it defined what they mean. Thanks
@@KiwiCatherineJemmaA camper with a "garage" section in back for quads etc.
Steve, here at the left-coast in California, RVs have a nick-name. They're called "Earthquake Survival Kits." Also frequently, people who have homes (with yards and space for parking) will have a dedicated area for their RV. It's the perfect lodging for visiting family. It's so much easier to evict them then when they think they have tenant-rights.
In the Midwest, they are called tornado magnets.
True! Our RV is our spare room and is always packed and ready to use as a bug out.
@@alrifr5786 Moreso mobile homes than untethered RVs.
My dad bought a used airstream when i was a kid..
Can't remember the length, but it was double axle & in great shape.
We didn't have ac in our house back then, but I got busted hanging out in there with the ac blasting !!!
That airstream would be worth 15 times what he paid for it had he kept it .
He might have been more likely to keep it if I wouldn't have used it for my club house.
(The TV got better reception too.)
For us in the California fire zone, we used ours as our home for 2 months during the Camp Fire.
Steve, you couldn’t be more right than you are on this one. I’ve been RVing for about 40 years. Let me tell you the last RV I bought was used. I bought it from an individual who had more money than he knew what to do with and paid a lot of money for the RV. He never used it, it still had the brand new stickers on the stove the oven because he never used them. RV pre-Covid now, will lose almost 50% of their value in the first three years. I paid less than half of what he paid for it, and it was almost 3 years old, and had been parked most of its life and was still virtually brand new. Defined them like this. It takes a lot of search but you can find them and it is absolutely the best way to buy an RV is to buy one used.
I did that too. Did a ton of research and then a never used two year old pre Covid LANCE showed up at a local lot. It’s Lances” biggest nicest model with a king bed! I love the layout. Got it for half the new price! We love this camper and we are BOTH retired maintenance mechanics, so upkeep is EASY compared to the homes we’ve worked on! So now we have an awesome camper that we take camping and the relatives can stay in when they visit that is really comfortable.
@@livesoutdoors1708thats awesome, id like to buy a nice one like that..but i just got a 95 itasca spirit 21 ft..runs but had unattended leak on ceiling and floor,but me taking the time w my son building it back up is cool bonding experience alot of us mis nowadays
Great advice on renting an RV Vs buying one. One other consideration, is all the problems that occur when an RV is parked. Tires can be dangerous because of their age. brake mechanisms may freeze up, seals on the slide outs go bad, rats may eat at your wiring. The motor should still be started a few times a year. The RV needs to be winterized, and a small leak which is common can cause major dry rot issues, and vent covers decay in the sun over time, and don't assume low milage on the motor means it's in good shape. The list possible issues goes on.
Last year a bought a new (to me) motorhome. I've owned RVs before so I'm not new the experience. The model I wanted was $139k (MSRP $164k) new at the local dealer. I found a private seller used one (with even more options), 5 yrs old, 12k miles, in perfect, like new, condition, $68k. I did all maintenance and repairs on my previous RVs myself so I know what needs to be checked. I took a couple of hours to thoroughly inspect the unit and found one issue (broken max-air fan) that I replaced after purchase. Several camping trips and almost at the end of what would have been the manufacturers new RV warranty period, and there have been no problems with the RV. Half the price (and no dealer fees) and zero issues! Love the RV, love the money left in my bank account.
Just buy winebego
Vintage bus conversions ;) we lived full time in ours for years and loved it. It’s over 75 years old. 1947 GM
Wow! That must have been thrilling! Not only the experience, but also the "cool factor" of a 1947 bus! Too bad you couldn't post pics here. What was the best thing about that vehicle, in your opinion?
Did you happen to buy it from a man named Knute Edwards?
A recently retired RV dealer told me that Cruise America has their rental RVs built to be more trouble free than the RVs you can buy new. They buy enough that they can spec better insulation, wiring, plumbing, door seals, etc. than the standard models. They usually replace them at three years old and sell the used ones. I've heard the same thing about U-Haul's RVs being built better than retail units. They won't be the fanciest or most luxurious models but everything works.
We have a CA. It's been great.
Uhaul has RV's, or are you saying their box trucks?
@@aaron___6014 Uhaul used to have RVs. I don't know if they still do.
The one big issue is the mileage is pretty high.
@@dreamzofhorses not an issue. just broken in and always serviced by Ford mechanics.
An inspection is a must for new or used RV's. I am so glad you mentioned it! A much quicker repair can be made by an RV tech, than waiting for warranty repairs.
Absolutely solid gold advice. We bought a 2003 Newmar Dutch Star in 2016 with 45k miles on it and we love it and still have it. Just got back from 9 days at Myrtle Beach Ocean Lakes campground(we love them too). Thanks Steve.
I have zero interest in RVs but just wanted to hear your rant Steve… You did not disappoint 😁👏
My father had one, they are trash, they constantly break down
Looked for RV for 2 years, then lucked out a family member was upgrading to a bigger one and I bought theirs and was made aware of all repairs that were completed. This was the reason for taking 2 years to shop but Not buy. Just lucky no problems after using for 3 years.
Heck, I buy cars on the "2-5 years old" plan.
In the first year, the "Oh my gosh it explodes on odd numbered Tuesdays!" problems are all evident, and most of the major recall-worthy problems have also been fixed (still worth checking that VIN, though).
Additionally, the first owner has already taken the initial devaluation hit(s).
@@MonkeyJedi99That’s the way I have always done it. What I usually do is find a car I like then go rent one for a few days, if I like it I then look to buy one used.
This is so simple and so brilliant!
I bought a used 2000 fifth wheel. It was quite pricey at 5K but seemed worth it at the time. I needed something and it was available. Now a few months later I don’t know if I like it too much. Bought it at the end of summer so haven’t had much time with it. So it’s my practice piece and if it lasts another five years then I’ll know what to look for and hopefully have the cash to buy it.
Some years ago, my wife and siblings were looking to buy a wheelchair accessible van to transport my father in law. We went to a place that specialized in them and I don't think there was a single vehicle on the lot that was legit. Many had underside rusting that had me believing they were Katrina cars and others had impossibly low odometers.
Low odometers can happen. I can imagine some handicapped people only using a vehicle to go to a dr once a month. My elderly mother has an 18 year old car with ~20k miles on it. It seems way to low and I'd suspect it had issues if I didn't know for a fact that she just never uses it.
They do alot of modifications on dose vans. I know they cut the body and raise the rear end. Once they cut underneath they compromised the protective spray. After they weld in the new lowered tub if they don't clean, prime and spray on new protective stuff it's just going to rust. Even if it doesn't get wet. Black spray paint is not going to cut it.
I wonder what manufacturers warranty you lose once they cut into the body?
Forty-nine, Steve. Three from fifty-two is forty-nine.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
He’s a busy man
Some of us engineers knew that one right off the top of our head .
i had to grab a pencil...
More like Mensa Mike
I just did that. I bought a USED carry on pickup truck camper for 7500 dollars in mint condition. The people I bought it off of paid 22,000 bucks for it new.
Absolutely correct... Research, social reviews, Inspect, video roof, buy used. My wife has serious health issues. We bought a Winnebago Navion motorhome This using this technique and couldn't be happier. Most don't understand the floorplan box on the Mercedes or four chassis mostly the same year after year with cosmetic touches made. The fewer slides, the more trouble free.
One thing that not many people consider when buying motorized RVs is engine access
I don't know how many times I've tried to get to an access cover only to realize that it has been tiled/floored/carpeted over and has a closet built on top of it
Also consider that with the diesels RVs, even the cost of regular maintenance is expensive- like $6-700+ oil changes for the larger 9+ liter engines not to mention the expense of repairing the emissions systems
Or buy an old school bus, spend 49 weeks fitting it out and then 3 weeks touring with it.
BUT when you make the offer to purchase make a stipulation that the purchase is subject to your approval of lab oil tests done on the engine, gearbox and diff oil.
These tests will show if there is excess metal present or contaminants which are a good indicator of the internal condition of those components and if the tests show problems you can cancel the purchase.
In addition, during the 49 weeks you can check all the mechanical bits (which will give you at least some knowledge about how they work and how to disassemble and reassemble them in case they fail on the trip) and as you have done the conversion yourself you know exactly where everything is, how it is installed, what make and model it is and how to take it out and replace it on the side of the road should you have to.
AND ALWAYS TAKE EVERY TOOL YOU WILL NEED.
Leave just one of those tools at home and you can bet that it is THAT TOOL you will need a thousand miles down the road in the middle of a rainstorm at night.
Remember Murphys Law???
Well Murphy was an optimist...
Add O’Toole’s commentary on Murphy’s Law: As O’Toole said, “And at the worst possible time!”
Be sure to get the vehicle weighed when you self build & have everything level & spaced out so one side isn't heavier than the other.
From an insurance point of view, you insure it for its actual value. Each year you have to report what its reduced value is. I had one customer bought a bus conversion for 800K. The following year it was worth 600K. If you insure it for more than it’s worth, you pay higher rates, but will only get paid for actual value.
The wife and I owned a small teardrop camper for 10 years and use it pretty frequently throughout the summer. We’re still camping, not RVing. The camper fits in the garage, has held up well, has aged very well, is all that we need as a couple. I’ve had people offer to buy it for about what I paid for new ($10K) since the new ones go double now.
When we want to take her mom, we go online and rent a bigger trailer. The rental plus campground fees are less than the annual storage fees, and I don’t have to sweat every hail storm. I also haven’t found one that would ever buy, yet. Renting is the perfect scenario.
I bought a two year old RV, always garaged, with 4,000 miles on it. I still had to fix many manufacturing defects, but I saved a bunch of money.
Owner of my 4th towable camping trailer here. I have owned a camping trailer of one kind or another since 1989. My advice: if you are not prepared to fix it yourself or don't know how to fix it, don't buy it. In the spring and fall, a weekend at a campground in a reasonable size tent is a pleasurable experience. You can get all of the gear you need for under $600. You won't have to pay insurance on it every year . . . you just need a place to store it. I still own 2 tents, one of which I purchased about 4 or 5 years ago and still use with some surplus cots and a portable propane stove I purchased to go with it.
A little info for those like me who are foolish enough to not take my advice above. If you have a motorized unit and you have any issues with the chassis, drivetrain, or steering, do not take it to an RV dealer for repair. It is a medium duty truck. There are no medium duty truck mechanics at an RV dealer. There are no medium duty truck mechanics at the manufacturer of the RV. Take it to a shop that repairs medium duty trucks.
For everything else in an RV, the stuff is divided into two groups: the walls, floor, roof, and cabinetry is the first group; the second group is the components and constitutes everything else (think microwave, fridge, furnace, water heater, AC, windows, roof vents, bathroom fan, toilet, sinks, shower, plumbing fixtures, water pump, 12 volt converter, light switches, gas bottles, propane plumbing, etc.). There are very few brands in the components industry. The RV manufacturer is simply an integrator of those components, and the same components will be used in nearly half of all of the brands of RVs. You can buy any of those components yourself off of the internet. You can buy repair parts off of the internet too. You can contact component manufacturers and talk to them too. You can call some of the RV manufacturers and they will tell you that you are not smart enough to change a light bulb and must take it back to the dealer you bought it from, pay $100, and wait 6 months for the light bulb to be changed.
For the record, whenever I post a comment on a TH-cam video lately, I am accused of lying. So, I'm sure someone will say my statements above that I have owned 4 trailers since 1989 are also a lie. Well, here are some more statements I will make, which are purported to be fact, not my opinion that you can claim is a lie:
1. I changed the tires on my first popup by hand.
2. I have welded on the last three trailers I have owned, welded on 3 trailers owned by friends, and welded on one trailer my uncle owned.
3. I have modified two of my trailers to be able to use them for extended periods of below freezing temperatures without the plumbing and dump valves freezing up on me.
4. I have modified three of the trailers I have owned to be able to tow them on dirt roads that are in very bad shape.
5. I have run 12-volt power wires through the ceiling of two trailers in order to install powered roof vent fans and have installed a total of three of these powered vent fans.
6. I have installed 400 watts of solar panels on the roof of one trailer.
7. I have fabricated insulated battery compartments below the floor of two trailers and installed AGM batteries in them.
8. I have replaced suspension components on one trailer and added shock absorbers to it.
9. I have replaced the entry steps on one trailer.
10. I have removed and repaired the absorption refrigerator from one trailer, reinstalled it, and then replaced it with a 12-volt compressor refrigerator.
12. I have re-plumbed the water heater in one trailer.
13. I have replaced the built in microwave in one trailer.
14. I have repaired roof and window leaks in two trailers.
15. I have replaced trim on two trailers.
16. I have converted interior and exterior lights to LED lights on two trailers, to include conversion of the taillights to LED on both of those trailers.
17. I have installed a weight distribution hitch system on one trailer that has built in sway control.
18. I have replaced the braking system on one trailer.
19. I have replaced wheel bearings on two trailers.
There are probably many more "lies" I cannot remember to tell. And what is the point of me telling all of these lies. Well not am I a blowhard, but I am trying to convince people if you are going to own an RV and it not be sitting at a dealer to be worked on all the time, you are going to have to step up and do a lot of work on it yourself.
Next up: I am going to replace a window in a door that is leaking (I could fix the leak, but I decided to upgrade to a tinted window with built in shade instead) so I have a new lie I can tell.
David, I am proud to say that I have done every task that you have, except welding ( had a friend weld the aluminum door on my Coachman class C ). The travel trailer needed electrical upgrades and a pressure tank added to keep from running the pump after late night toilet use. I am now rebuilding the bedroom slide assembly on a 20 year old Neumar Class A coach. As long as you remember that you are owning a house that can do 60 MPH, accept that things WILL NEED SERVICE. That is truly the way to continue enjoying your rig, whatever it may be.
@@andyevans2336 TH-cam won't let me give this reply two thumbs up, so multiply mine by two.
David, your points of "stay in a tent or fix it yourself", is nice but not an option for most people. You don't have to post a work resume to convince others that yours is the only advice to follow or that you are the only one who discovered Ebay/AMZN shopping. We're glad you're handy, but you missed one important fact: VACATIONERS CAN RENT someone else's RV and leave the maintenance to them. This especially makes sense if you do the TCO math against your rental trips per year. Happy Trails.
@@jr.6199 Thank you, but I'm quite disappointed that you failed to claim my "resume" is a lie. And everyone has to do it my way. I insist. It is the only way I can inflate my ego.
YOU'RE LYING, but I'm only joking
I am a fulltimer. I bought my RV from an estate sale. It was 23 years old but looked brand new inside. Your advice about an inspector is spot on! He found a few things wrong and helped me knock $3000 off the already low price. I wound up spending $13000 for the motorhome (31' diesel pusher), plus a pair of steer tires.
you will spend more on this then buying new!
Unfortunately, a lot of campgrounds are adopting the 10 year old rule. If it's over that, you can't camp there. This is driven by supply and demand. Most around me have been 20 years. They are slowly going to 10 years.
@@dennisg.7498that sucks
But thanks for the info
@@dennisg.7498 I live in a "10-year-rule" campground...in my 26-year-old motorhome. The truth is that most campgrounds with that rule really just want to weed out junkers. Send them a picture of your rig, and they will often waive the rule.
I fell in love with Airstreams, for the Americana as much as the camping. So long story short, we bought a 1981 Airstream & made a project of renovating & remodeling it. Cost roughly $25,000 total. Great decision. It’s beautiful, structurally sound, has solid wood custom cabinets (husband is carpenter) & is debt free. We travel cross country in it, & use it as a guest house when we have company.
Very good advice from Mr Lehto! I shopped for an RV for a while and decided not even to buy a used one after looking into all the aspects. A few things Steve didn't mentioned are the costs RVs have even when you are not using them. You have to consider where you will store it when you are not using it. Go and price some covered and uncovered storage in your area. You also have to budget in annual maintenance, which often costs way more than most people think(for a big pusher motorhome $10k per year can be reality). The HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems in some of the big motorhomes are incredibly complex, way more complex than automobiles or houses and can be very specific to each manufacturers unit. One of the worst thing you can do for these complex systems is let them sit unused for long periods of time, they will start to deteriorate(seals dry out and leak, batteries go dead, refrigeration units loose charge, fluids properties deteriorate). Typically just when you want to use the darn thing is when you find out something is not working properly. Every part that is 'RV specific' costs more, is harder to source and finding shops that can accommodate these rigs with competent technicians to work on them in a timely manner is an even bigger challenge. Look on the forums specific for each of manufacturers rigs to find out the typical issues and owner experiences. After looking at the whole picture for my situation I decided to take all those 'money pit RV dollars' and put it in an SP500 index fund and let compounding do its thing. I figure with the money ahead I'll be rent an RV, however you may be surprised how expensive the total cost is to rent and use an RV when comparing the costs for a really nice BnB or hotel/resort. Do your homework and live your dream life.
Just a reflection (I bought a used RV that I'm super happy with) - this advice works great for newer vehicles, too.
I was advised to RENT one first, if I don’t like it, rent another. I said no, that’s too expensive! He explained depreciation on a $50,000 RV will cost you a bundle, way more than a rental.
@@Erin-Thor You can return the rental if it has any issues or you don't like it. You can't return an RV you just bought. Also, if a rental RV has a problem, that is the owners problem. If yours has a problem, then you own that problem and all the headaches of fixing it yourself.
@@redbaron6805 - Yes! And if one has a too small shower, you CAN get a different one. If you realize you don’t use the outside kitchen (we didn’t) you KNOW what you want or don’t. The Airstream was an RV park Queen, looked purdy, got lots of compliments, but boon-docking was difficult and you had unexpected expenses. Little things like in cold weather leaving the heater on would drain your batteries by morning. No room for a generator, and the older batteries do not like being totally depleted and had to be replaced often. Want to warm up breakfast, you can’t use the microwave on battery as the inverter was 1000w, and would shut off a moment after the microwave came on. I have a long list, LOL!
@@Erin-Thor Yeah, for something like that, you probably had to get a small inverter generator that you could put in a trunk or a closet somewhere.
Something like the Honda 1000i or 2200i.
They can run for like 8 hours on 1/2 gallon of fuel...
I have always told people that - rent instead of buy. Once you buy you have to have somewhere to park and store it, maintain it, etc...etc... Probably way cheaper to rent unless you are going to use it far more than the average. I still use a tent...air mattress, electric heater, big tent, and I am good to go...easy to store, easy for me to put up, fits in my suv...when I am camping I am not spending time inside anyway... I am hiking or fishing or hunting or sitting around a fire...last place I want to be is inside a mobile home. Unless it is raining...and then I am sitting in a friends RV ;-)
Professor Lehto spittin’ facts! Saved me from making a huge mistake buying an RV a few years ago. My wife wanted to pull the trigger, and I thank goodness every day we didn’t do it. I just wish everyone who was even thinking of buying an RV watched your video.
Steve, awesome advice. I live in Myrtle Beach South Carolina and surrounded by several mega RV campgrounds. They all offer long term storage for those that return for future visits, another cost. BTW, I sold RV’s for a large dealer here and would never buy a new RV. We received bonuses for pushing certain models and steering customers away from the “used stuff” that we had in the back forty. And yes, the service department was always backed up!
Last summer my wife and I bought an RV. DAILY, I'm glad I bought the RV we bought., because Every. Single, Day. I get on the iinternet, read all the forums, read all the FaceBook groups and I see the experiences and problems that other people have with their RVs, and I'm glad we made the decision we did. We bought an RV as a pre-retirement test, to spend the next 3-5 years before retirement using it, see if we like it and if it's something we'd like to do when we retire. So far it's going great, we spent several weeks last summer tinkering with our new toy and camping in local camp grounds. Oh yes, we bought out RV used from a private party , I inspected it myself, yes, it needs some work here and there, it's 28 years old, it has none of the things that I see everyone having issues with every day. It's got no slides, it's got no electric awnings, it's got no fancy electronics. It's got a big ass fully mechanical diesel engine, no electronics, no emissions etc. The best part is, we're into it cheap enough that if it dies on the side of the road we can just walk away.
A tin hallway
Yuck
I can’t imagine one without slides
3 minimum, 2 in main cabin opp sides and 1 in bedrm to give u room to walk around but have a great queen bed
@@YeshuaKingMessiah We're not square dancing, and how much room do you need once you're sitting? Space?, you got the whole world right outside your door.
@@tomkrause62 families don’t sit, although older folk might mainly. Kids move all the time. Plus there’s just sooo much more room, 4’ across (2’ each slide), to have stuff and just live w/o feeling claustrophobic. My kids square dance at times, sure! It’s great w/pets too, they can lay out of the way…
he convinced me! I just bought 2!
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That rental advice is great and can definitely apply to more than just RVs, I know so many people that own huge pickups under the excuse of needing to move something like a couch once a year or less. Uhaul will rent you a pickup for $20 a day. What you save on gas from not driving a pickup will more than make up for that rental fee.
Exactly. And Home Depot, Lowe's and others to that also. The case for owning a truck to pick up a couch or a washer or dryer once a year is basically non existent.
Good point.
I have a coworker that bought a large pickup under the excuse that she will need it to move the large camper she lives in.
I told her to NOT buy that expensive truck. What she needed was a inexpensive compact car. She would save a ton on money.
Then when ahe needed to move the camper either hire the work done or rent a large Uhaul.
The truck had some mechanical problems and was in the shop for warranty repairs when she found out that the RV park she rented from went bankrupt.
So, she needed to move the trailer but had no truck.
She paid a guy to move the camper, level it, and hook it up for roughly one months truck payment.
People never listen.
@@windmillacres679 Yep. I really really REALLY need that tool, which I have used a total of one time in the last decade, but if I get it now, I'll totally use it all the time.
People buy pick up trucks all the time as they think they need to haul and tow things, but 75% of truck owners never haul or tow anything with their trucks, as in ever.
Which explains empty pick up trucks hauling one person to work on a daily basis...
You can't tow with rental trucks
@@barrybolton1396 Most rental trucks come with tow hitches. Even most rental SUV's come with tow hitches.
So, unless you are towing a 5th wheel, towing isn't much of an issue...
I figured that advice out just listening to you rant on RVs. I bought one 10yrs old, I have loved it and can count on one hand how many simple fix problems I've had with it. Not even motor or drive train issues.
Some RV Parks won’t allow RVs in them that are 10 years or older. At least that’s a issue in Southern California.
You could add one more.. If you buy it, share it. I owned a small airplane myself and now share it inside an LLC with 4 other guys. I use it just as much and I’m paying a fifth of the costs and pulled a huge chunk of money out of it to use for other things. Our group has been together for 10 years with no problem. We live in a sharing economy. Take advantage of it.
I borrowed a friend's 24 foot travel trailer and figured out that it was much bigger than I needed. So now I give people the same advice that you're giving - rent first. Not just because you might or might not like RVing, but also because you might think you know what you want but will figure out what you really want though experience. Great video. Thanks!
My uncle bought a motor home rental business in the late 60's. He fazed out rental portion and remained a repair shop that my cousin now operates. I spent much time working on coaches & trailers. If stored for periods of time, much more repairs are needed to keep these vehicles running. You just can't pull them out of storage and use them. My advice is just rent one , you're money ahead in the short and long term. If you really want to own a rv,Steve is correct, buy a used one, but by all means have it inspected, get it in writing, then be prepared to spend a fortune maintaining your purchase....RF
I bought a two year old tent trailer for $1200 in 1985. Got a good deal. Passed it on to my son who now uses it with my grandkids. It was worth every dime.
Ben poking out of the top from behind the "coast guard" plaque (behind Steve's left arm).
Good eye!
@@wendellworth353 I came to say the same thing.
Rented a 40’ diesel pusher for my step dad after he had a stroke because it’s what he wanted so we could take a family trip together. We loved it. 3,600+ miles round trip. Absolutely loved it! It was great for all of us and had enough room for him even being walker dependent at the time. I found the big advantage to renting was we were able to determine what we would want in an RV or not want if we ever bought one! The owners we rented it from told us they rented as well before buying so they would have a better idea of what they were looking for in an RV.
I did a 7200 mile circuit of the USA just before COVID started. If I had someone to share it with, it probably would have been the highlight of my life.
Great advice, Steve !
I followed your advice (almost 30 yrs ago) and bought a coach after speaking with owners at campgrounds :) Ended up buying a used Country Coach Concept and have circumnavigated our beautifull country many times now, 27 years later. Still runs like a top after the first owners debugged it :)
My brother bought a RV directly from the factory skipping the dealership. It was bought in Ohio and delivered to Auburn where it stays. It had a few bugs but my brother after talking to the factory fixed it. He didn't need parts so it wasn't too bad. My brother has three pugs that they travel with and it was difficult finding motels and AirB&B to rent that were dog friendly. His daughter attends school there so he goes to all the home games and a lot of sporting events. He didn't have a vehicle to tow it with so delivery was perfect. In the end it's working out cheaper than renting rooms.
We bought a new RV (bumper pull) back in 2020, I did a ton of research watching TH-cam videos not only the types of RV's but how to fix issues. The RV we bought was a good basic style with very few bells and whistles. The fridge failed in the 1st 2 months; our dealer fixed it within 2 weeks. Been a happy camper ever since. BTW the same camper we bought for under 25K cost over twice that now.
I worked at a huge car dealership in the late 90's. Salesmen would damage new vehicles all the time and 1 of 2 things would happen. 1. If it were minor they had a guy that worked in the repair shop on site that did small dent and touch-up repairs. 2. If the damage was severe the vehicle would go straight to the shop "on the lot" and later that week it would be back in the inventory sold as new. If you aren't getting a vehicle of any kind inspected before purchase you aren't just a fool you are a mark. They are counting on you to do nothing until it's too late.
We purchased a used RV last August. The dealership made sure all the mechanics worked properly, and their lead mechanic advised us on what would possibly go out in the next few years. We now live full time in our RV. As my husband works on temporary contracts just like the majority of our neighbors in the camp.
What dealership did you purchase from?
I half expected this to be a 4-second video of Steve saying "Don't."
I just saw a video from an RV channel that recomend buying used and not for this reason. The reason was quality. The older ones before 2020 were of better quality which is kind of mind blowing because if you have ever tore an RV apart material quality has never been to high. More than likely private party would get you a better deal than a dealer. Buy the way Thor Industries Inc of Indiana owns a majority of RV companies. They also control componet industries.
The reason is simple. There was a massive demand for RV's during the pandemic, with months or years long backlogs. So, they were being built and shipped as fast as possible, and the construction quality was dismal.
A friend bought a pandemic model, and all the plumbing leaked, floor had a problem, slide outs didn't work, A/C failed, engine had a recall, generator had a problem etc. etc. It was barely assembled, if you want to call it that.
Talking about renting makes me think of the Car Talk guys when someone would call in about what vehicle to keep. The person would ask if they should keep their pickup, and Click & Clack would ask how often they carried around plywood and other loads, and if it was infrequent they would ask why not just rent a pickup when they needed to move a big load, and otherwise not deal with the bad handling of an empty pickup.
I’ve driven pickups since 1993. Small ones, big ones, gas, diesel. Currently a 2007 Chevy Crew cab I’ll keep till I die or it dies. Cost me $38k back then. I’ve hauled kids, lumber, concrete, dump runs, and towed trailer’s many times across the western US. I can’t think of NOT owning it. Fits me well, rides like a Cadillac.
I bought a 4 year old hail damaged RV for less than 1/4 of the new price. I've had a couple of very minor issues that were very easy to fix myself. Great purchase!
I have two aunts and a grandma who spent lots of time in RVs. The "buy one a year old" is what they said over and over and over. Very sound and perfect advice
Thank you Steve, I bought a used RV. This is fairly common knowledge in the RVing public.
The flaw in this logic is that people sell RVs when the cost of the repairs is too great
I bought a used one last year, to live in full time because I can't afford a home anymore. I work full time and yeah it sucks. But I'm not on the street...
Stay safe out there! I hope the cops don't hassle you.
Had an RV when I lived in Brussels ... best days were date of purchase/date of sale ... as you rightly state. Enjoyed touring Europe in her (from KOA type camp grounds to being in a Chateau with hook up) ... wonderful memories. But my fav memory was when living in Israel and went on "home leave" to DFW area and made a rental agreement via phone. Arrived in DFW and the rental dealer (new/used/rentals) and my RV wasn't ready to roll. After waiting for a long period, asked for the Manager and explained the lengthy trip me and my family had just made from Ben Gurion ... to which the Manager replied: "Sir, being overseas you might not know that "Jesus" has shown up in Waco ... and the FBI has commandeered your RV". No choice but to take a beat up rattle trap for our excursion ... another element to "Renting". LOL
We bought a used 2020 Class C with 6,000 miles on it last February and used it 80 nights last year. I already have 34 nights booked for this year. It is the best way to escape for a weekend, we just love it. We bought from a consignment dealer and had an inspection before the purchase. Best $800 we could have spent.
Great advice... I bought a used Airstream trailer, that still had warranty left because I live within a couple hours of the factory in Ohio. It has increased in value since I bought it three years ago... win for me, win for the next owner when I sell it... All the bugs worked out.
Mike, We were shopping 3 to 5 year old Airstreams and Olivers the last 6 months. The Airstreams are a dime a dozen compared with the Oliver's which are still difficult to find. What we learned through this process is that 90% of the Airstream owners, in my opinion, are basing their values on 2 things. The "vintage" reputation that was built on generations of quality builds which is absolutely not the case anymore. And the perception that were still in a strong sellers market. We have looked at 5 Airstream units during this period. Each owner eventually explained that they would consider taking less than asking, a few dropping the price over 20%. One of whom practically begged me to make him any offer and admitting that he was desperate to sell. We are still looking, but have decided to go with the Oliver.
John,
The Oliver RV's are a great product. I looked for a used one in the spring of 2020 but could not find one that fit my budget. I'm a solo camper and as I mentioned bought the Airstream Basecamp X. It has worked out well for me, easy to tow and I didn't have to buy a new vehicle to tow it. I camp at least a couple of months a year, hopefully more this year.
Best of luck to you finding an Oliver. Mike@@JohnJohn-wr1jo
I'm a certified RV inspector and this is great advice! 💯🔥
I am a DIY person. Started in tents, bought a 25 year old popup. Replaced it with a 25' box travel trailer. Sold it at 14 years old. Converted a cargo trailer into a toy hauler.
Now I am on the cusp of retirement and will either buy a used toy hauler, or build out a larger cargo trailer.
I will say he is correct about talking to other RV'ers. I just did this yesterday and the owner talked my ears off. I learned a lot about a dealerI was thinking about buying from and about that particular model of travel trailer.
excellent video Steve! thank you!!
1. Buy used.
2. Get it inspected.
3. Get it detailed.
You're welcome.
As a native to northern Indiana (RV Industry Mecca), it’s hilarious how much contempt Steve has for the mere notion of spending time here lol.
Would you want to travel hundreds of miles to test drive a car?
So true…I have been told to buy use and never new.
Steve: Timing is everything. We saw your "insane" video just in time to avoid buying a new RV. But we did buy one, used, a real cream puff, and were happy to find that we had inadvertently done everything your "genius" video suggested. It looks like a three-year-old rig is the sweet spot where depreciation has lowered the price, debugging is fairly complete, appliances still work, and safety features are fairly current. That, and the stock market was at a record high, so a perfect time to lock in some profits. We're damn near getting the RV for free!
most RV parks have a regulation that says your RV cannot be more than 10 years old. Some parks enforce this some do not. So if you buy a used RV more than 10 years old, the RV park may not allow you to stay there.
The ten year rule, is generally only used for seasonal sites/permanent sites in campgrounds. Last thing an owner wants is someone walking away from a worthless rv and leaving them to dispose of it. It's a problem in parks that have turned into full time, low cost housing alternates vs camping.
I have a 21 year old, C class that I keep nice.
Still looks new, and is super reliable!!
Most 10 year rule campgrounds will gladly have me, if I send them a picture of my coach.
Never had a problem.
Easy solution: Park your RV on the roadside outside of the park: ie in public parking.
State parks, federal forest campgrounds, and blm do not enforce a ten year rule. I've called up privately owned rv parks in advance to make sure they'll take me and I have never seen that rule enforced.
OMG I am laughing so hard I cannot breath! As the purchaser of two new RVs all I can say in between fits of uncontrollable laughter that 1) I have violated all your RV purchasing rules; 2) you are 100% spot on correct in everything you said; 3) I am not worthy!!!
Dude, you made my day and as a former UPer the saying "Trolls live under the bridge" has never been funnier. Thanks for one of the best RV comedy routines ever, even if you are 100% right...
Best,
-Mark
Do not buy an RV in the first place?
That's what I EXPECTED the video to say :P
I actually love my small fiberglass Casita ! I am retired and we use it about 12 to 16 weeks a year ! The majority of the people don’t do small !!! 😬
Have lived the RV life off and on since the 1970’s, even lived full time in a 1954 Spartan Royal Mansion. I will tell you I both love it, and hate it at the same time. What got me started with the RV life, was my dad buying one to live in when the phone company sent him to wherever, Texas as an equipment installer. The advantage which is why he bought the travel trailer, was that he could save money staying in an RV park over staying in a hotel which he hated doing. He could also write the cost of the RV off on taxes as a business expense since it was a work related expense. Buying used is not a bad thing, especially if the RV is in need of a restoration. As you get to restore the RV with features, and functions you want instead of buying one built with inferior parts and poor insulation.
Get a rich friend to buy it for you? (looking at you Clarence)
😂😂😂😂😂 The supreme court knows the best way to buy an RV. 😂😂😂
Heck, with the money hunter blew up his nose, you could have bought 6 or 8 rvs. And one for the big guy!
My motorhome is for sale. I just returned from my RV storage area; started it, ran the engine, ran the generator, wiped/cleaned a little bit of the exterior. We enjoyed using it for travel but my wife died a few months ago and I'm not going to use it by myself. I'll take a financial beating when I sell it but my rving days are over.
In spite of All this Great advice. I still want my RV. Have had 4 over the past 30 yrs. All were great and sold when needed more/less room. Just love having our home tagging along behind us, with our own bed, couch, food, pillows, blankets, clean shower… Can’t stand hotels anymore, even the $$$$ ones. Love to arrive at the campground and walk all over after a long drive. EZ to unwind and relax.
NO, NO, NO! Buy it new. You really need to have a new RV... that way you are not competing with me buying my next used RV. Lehto, you are driving up the prices of the used market. Stop it. LOL
I bought a van (2018 new RAM Promaster 3500, Tall and Extra long) and had two young men build a bed, kitchenette, insulation, walls, flooring and ceiling. Another guy installed my solar, plug outlets, batteries, 30 amp hook-up. And yet another guy built a composting toilet. There are things I'd like to change around in the van now that I used it 5 summers @ 3-4 months at a time, but the only big mistake I feel I've made was buying an ARB refrigerator. One of the most expensive camping 12 volt fridges, and it didn't last. Next refrig will likely be a 4.5 star Chinese refrigerator from Amazon that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Oh, and I had windows put in the van sliding door and across from the slider so they match each side and a Swing-a Way cargo box on the back. I did make the mistake of buying the black cargo box... be sure you purchase the white cargo box so that everything in the cargo carrier doesn't burn your hands because it's sooo hot inside. My remedy to cool down the interior of the cargo box was to paint Henry's roof coating - Dura Bright on the outside of the cargo carrier. lol... Live and learn. No regrets other than that.
You are absolutely right. We picked the Travel Trailer we wanted and then looked for a used one of the same model. So we got a 2008 for $6,400 in 2015. All the cabinets are solid wood. It looked almost brand new. We have used it for all these years with no major problems. They made them good back then. We have looked at newer ones but have never come across a floor plan we like better than ours. Nor have we found one that was built better. We use ours more than most since my boyfriend got 7 weeks vacation plus Holidays and we went on 7 to 9 trips per year. We have been all over the country in it. Our longest trip was from Arkansas to Utah and Idaho for 3 months. We mostly stay in State and National Parks, COE Campgrounds, and we also boondock a lot. My boyfriend is building the inside of our home here in Arkansas so we've actually been living it it for 2 years now. It has been the best investment we ever made. We have currently spent 1,230 nights that we actually slept in the trailer and we love it just as much as the day we got it. I have kept a log of where we slept in it since the day we got it. We did have to replace the microwave and the kitchen faucet and the awning and of course tires.
Well we bought our 1st rv new off the lot. Not alot of bells and whistles just a basic entry profile travel trailer. (I had a class C before and it was great and definitely got used over 88k miles before marriage). So very little research on TT's but we jumped in and couldn't be happier once we got past the learning curve. That's our boondocking rig. Still have it after 8 years and lots of miles. We even rented it out for 2 years with no issues. With all that experience and knowledge we still took 3 years of research and questions before we bought our 40' 5th wheel heavy cruiser...used! Got our 3500 to pull it used. Again couldn't be happier. No issues except for normal wear and tear with all repaired DYI. Do we "put to sea" in the cruiser often? No, just occasionally. Have we been lucky with our rigs? YES! Your advice is spot on. I would add attending University of TH-cam. Lots of good info out there. Also be prepared to get to know how to use a screwdriver and wrench. Owners will save lots of $$ by doing their own repairs. Many upkeep and repairs are well within an average person skill set.
Another great one. "3 to 4 weeks per year" (average). Anyone who's seen my comments on this channel about RVs knows we bought a new RV (in 2021), so I have a personal position on many things RV. From what I've seen both while RVing, and while living in our last house, where there were a lot of RVs in the neighborhood, that seems quite believable. We saw RVs that didn't leave the driveway for years. We talk to RVers who have been in the same *site* in the same campground for years. We, OTOH, have been living full-time in ours for just under 3 years, with one night away (in a motel while it was in the shop for free repairs) during that time. Especially with motorhomes, it seems ridiculous to me to just let it sit, but that's very often what happens. The tires dry rot, the bearings dry out, the roof leaks, parts are damaged by UV, all while the owner gets no use from it. Imagine what the fuel and oil in the engine look like after a few years.
Buying used...that's what we intended. But then COVID hit. We thought, or at least I thought, that with so many people having their jobs at risk, the RV market would go soft. After all, if you aren't confident of making next month's grocery purchases, you shouldn't buy a luxury item. Wrong. It became a seller's market, both in the new and used worlds. We wanted to get a used model, for exactly the reasons Steve states. Instead, we found high prices on used models, and long wait times on new ones. We got lucky, and found one that was special ordered, then the buyers backed out on the deal. So we got it new for a great price. We also got lucky, in that it hasn't had a lot of problems.
"Hire an inspector"...LOL, once again, Steve shows what an expert he is. For those buying used RVs, unless you're a real expert, absolutely *hire an inspector*. For those buying new units, however, where the manufacturer will do a full inspection before releasing it, and the dealer will do another full inspection before selling it, I advise you to *hire an inspector*. There's an organization that will help you find a qualified inspector. I don't know if a link will work here, but it's the National R V Inspection organization, and their URL is their initials, with the org top-level, nrvia (dot) org. It will cost you hundreds, may save you tens of thousands, and/or a lot of grief. FTR, I say the same about houses, except that the org I mention can't help.. With cars, you really only need to do it with used, whether or not they're labeled "certified pre-owned" or similar.
Rentals...here I must differ with Steve, at least to an extent. Yes, you can rent an RV, and there is *some* variation in the kind of RV available for rent. But if you want anything like the experience you will have with your own RV, it's quite likely you won't be able to rent one at all like it. That said, we *did* rent one that was *not* like ours, to get a general feel for it. We also rented a tiny home for a similar reason. We had to use a *lot* of imagination to extrapolate from those experiences and get an idea of what owning and living in one would be like. Unfortunately, I suspect that a lot of people could rent something for two or three weeks, enjoy it, but not have the ability to project what it would be like to truly live in it full-time. If you're not living in your RV full time, it's very much a luxury item, and even more likely to develop serious problems over time, as you won't be there to see the small problems.
The whole definition thing, Steve has also nailed. An "RV" is not synonymous with "motorhome", nor does it really mean "recreational vehicle" (that would apply to a dirt bike, or a Skidoo), but rather it means a vehicle meant to be lived in. Motorhomes, trailers, even truck campers, are all RVs, with the variations within those classes, as are various "regular" vehicles converted for being lived in. Our RV is a "Fifth Wheel Toy Hauler". Others we see include pop-ups, class-A diesel pushers, teardrops, and more. Side note: while ours came with a big-screen TV on the outside, we got rid of that. But we do have a big-screen TV inside, as well as a convection microwave, regular oven, four-place stove, double sink kitchen, shower, flush toilet, central heating and cooling, and other things we never had while tent camping. We generally don't consider it camping.
Steve also nails it about what RVers are like. We've given *so* many tours of our rig! And we've talked about our rig, had others talk about theirs. Be warned, there are some people who bought an RV ignorantly, were blind-sided by the problems, and are negative about everything. But most will tell you the good and the bad. I can show you examples of fundamentally stupid design/layout decisions, and describe our work-arounds or fixes.
Steve also nails it about the warranties. Like most, ours came with a bunch of different warranties, with different lengths and terms, and we haven't tried to use any of those. It isn't worth it. IMO, the extended warranties are even worse, though some swear by them. Instead, expect to have problems, and deal with them yourself when possible, pay a mobile RV tech when it's out of your league (I've done that once), take it to RV dealers or manufacturers only when you know it will be worked on quickly. And research a *lot* before buying, so you're ready.
You might want to write a book...
@@jr.6199 LOL. Yeah, that was kind of long. Thanks for the laugh, even if it was at my own expense.
We bought one pretty reasonable at a wholesale auction. In my year of ownership I have learned a lot. Most important is that almost everything on the RV is cheap and easy to fix. If its something I don't feel comfortable fixing there are a ton of people out there that work on these things other than the dealer and most things seem to be pretty affordable. It is a lot of work but we have made some great family memories. I agree with Steve, get one cheap or rent one to make sure its for you, don't let the dealers bend you over. Most important, have fun and make those family memories!