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“Buy used. Depreciation is YUGE!”

Buying used is great advice. I’ve been RVing for 8 years. Bought a very lightly used 3 year old travel trailer. Still have it and I spend 150 days a year on the road. The good thing for people willing to consider used is many “newbies” buy new and then discover after 4-5 trips out they don’t like it. Hence there are many slightly used RV’s on the market at a steep discount from new.

I’ve observed newbies who discover they like the RV lifestyle rarely keep their first RV more than 2-3 years. They change type - i.e trailer to motorhome or motorhome to 5th wheel, or they trade to a larger or smaller model of what they have. Rarely do people buy something that suits them perfectly the first time. This is another reason to buy used, if you like RVing but decide you’d rather have a travel trailer than the motorhome you bought, you can get most or all of what you paid back if you sell within a year or two.

Some brands hold more value after the initial depreciation than others. Airstream, Grand Design, Arctic Fox and Casita are examples in the travel trailer and 5th wheel universe. In Class A motorhomes the Tiffin, Newmar, and Winnebago models are typically considered more desirable than the Thor brands or Forest River brands. In the Class B and C motorhome market the Leisure travel vans, particularly the Unity line, are well regarded and the company has a substantial backlog. Airstream’s class B offering is also popular but comes new at a very high premium price.

One thing to consider when choosing type of RV. If your motorhome has a mechanical failure and takes several days for repair, your living quarters go to the shop. If the pickup you are pulling your travel trailer or 5th wheel goes to the shop for a few days, you can rent a car and continue to enjoy your RV at a nearby campground while your tow vehicle is being repaired. That has happened to me twice.

If you buy a towable (travel trailer or 5th wheel) make sure your tow vehicle is adequate. Don’t look just at the towing capacity, look also at the GVWR rating.

Spend some time on the RV forums (iRV2forum.com/forums, rvvillage.com, Airsforums.com) for the brands you are considering to see what problems owners are experiencing as well as their thoughts on different sizes and floorplans.

There are a number of full time RV owners putting out very good videos on YouTube. These videos cover different aspects of the RV lifestyle, various popular destinations, as well as the pros and cons of various models. Check out these channels - Long, Long Honeymoon (Airstream trailer); You, Me, and the RV (Tiffin Class A Motorhome); Keep Your Daydream (Grand Design travel trailer), Changing Lanes (Grand Design 5th Wheel), I’m Not Lost I’m RVing (Class B motorhome). A few hours subscribing to and watching these YouTube channels will give you a good feel for the RV life and the various alternatives.

RV owners are for the most part very friendly and helpful. We’ve made some great new friends in the past 8 years. Actually, the social dimension of RVing is something we did not anticipate and is actually the best part of RV life. There are many conservatives in the RV community.