Reader’s Corner – Should she rent before she buys?
We are considering buying our first RV but after shopping we’re overwhelmed by the many choices. Do you think it’s a good idea to rent before buying? — Holly S., Farmington, NM
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Reference to your question on renting an RV. Absolutely! Don’t buy something and then find out you don’t like it. An RV is not an investment, you won’t get your money back out of it later on. I have gone through a few units and you always loose on the selling end. Find what you want and then buy. That is the only way to go. Good luck
Holly,
My husband and I have been Rving since 1978. We just purchased a new 2007 36ft. Class C RV to replace our 1978 23ft. Class C. I would recommend renting a unit exactly like you want to buy. I wish we had rented one like our New 2007. We have found several things we do not like. The batteries are hard to get at to check the water level, the kitchen cupboards are about useless for what I like to pack, the cupboards in the back bedroom are hard to get the drawers out to check the water pump even when the slide is out and the list goes on! My husband looked this RV over with a fine tooth comb, but in a few hours it is hard to “check” everything and know if you like it!—and we are seasoned RVers! I would not want anyone to have to sleep on the sofa bed more than an hour. We laid on it but that is not enough to know how it sleeps.
Also note how the lower outside storage doors are trimmed. The new 2007 are not trimmed with anything and they are rusting already on the edges because the paint has begun to chip off!
We had many problems with our new 2007 RV with things not being done right when it was constructed at the factory!!! Like the cold water was not hooked up to the shower, the DVD player in the media center did not work and it took four replacements to get one that worked, the outside radio did not work and had to be replaced, rear break lights were not hooked up securely and the wires came unconnected, one of the slide outs had construction problems, and the list went on to be 18 items! We only found all these malfunctions during our first 1 week trip. They were all taken care of under the warranty, but it cost us the time of travel and gas for about three 2hr trips (one way) to the dealer to have things replaced and on one trip for the slide warranty work we had to leave the RV for three weeks until they got parts to replace the damaged ones. That meant driving a second vehicle twice to get us back and forth! And it kept us from taking a Fall trip as we had planned.
All these problems and our RV is a high-end brand! It says in the warranty they replace items that are not working, but it also says they are not responsible for your time and gas getting it back for service! I can understand that, but when a unit has so many major things wrong, they should meet you half way on the travel expenses?? The factory takes no responsibility for their goofs. The dealer is supposed to have found anything that is wrong from the factory when they take delivery and do their inspection of the unit. If they do not find factory goofs it is the dealer’s job to fix the problems and send the bill to the factory for warranty work! We actually live closer to the factory than the dealer, but the factory will not do anything for us. They have a repair shop, but it is for the direst problems. It takes months to get a service date! Of course when we bought our unit they told us we could go to the factory service center for anything!
We figure in five years we will trade it in and then be more careful and take even more time than we did in choosing which RV we will buy. Next time we will have it in writing that the dealer will pay our gas cost for the first year warranty work or we go elsewhere to buy it. And I would insist staying in it overnight before taking it off the lot! Hopefully in five years a dealer will be closer to where we live.
Also, I think I would be inclined another time to buy a lightly used and very clean unit from a reliable older couple who no longer can use their RV. Maybe all the kinks would be worked out. Still you need to take your time to look it over and test drive it. Hopefully they would let you spend the night in it without taking it off their property? We have a good local mechanic that could do minor repairs, but with a NEW unit you want the work to be done at the dealer while it is under warranty!
We still have our 1978 and actually like it better overall! The only thing we like better about the new one is the rear bed! In the old one we had to sleep above the cab. (getting too old to do that any longer!)
Even though gas prices are high, we like traveling in a RV. Motel rooms are expensive and eating out is expensive. Having your own bed and bathroom with you and not having to carry luggage in and out of a motel room are also a big plus to traveling in a RV for a couple or family.
We had planned to buy a Class A, but found they do not sleep as many as a Class C, even if they are the same length. So if it is sleeping room you want consider that. Maybe you are looking at a trailer, a fifth wheel, or one of the big 40+ft “greyhound” types of class A and this sleeping consideration would not apply? My husband also did not like driving the 32 to 36 ft. Class A’s because he felt he had no protection if we were in a head-on crash?? Our Class C has a Kodiak truck which gives him more motor up front, a little more than just the windshield.
We like a motorhome instead of a trailer or fifth-wheel because when you stop to gas up or camp your are right in the living area and can get snacks, use the bathroom, get beds made etc. With the pull type trailer, in hot or cold weather it is uncomfortable to get in to eat etc. You have to wait for it to warm up or cool down before getting in.
Just my 2 cents, hope it helps. I hope more people share their comments! It is tough to know what to choose!
Nanna
Yes, I would recommend you rent one for a weekend close to home and try it out at a state park or near by campground. Camping is allot of fun, but if you are not retired and can only get away a few weeks a year, it is a hugh investment. Understand you will never get back as much money from your camper as you put into it. We started with a 30 ft trailer no slides, moved up to a 5th wheel w/ 2 slides and now just bought our first motorhome w/2 slides. I enjoy the motor home more. having a trailer was scarey on the road with the other big trucks, the 5th wheel was much better to pull, but I like the big rig for travel as I can see more in front of us and just feel more secure when on the road. We travel with 2 small dogs and the bigger rig is better when we are in a campsite. Also I am an earlybird and my husband likes to sleep in, so I can shut the slide door to the bedroom and have my coffee up front and he can sleep. In two yr we will be retiring for the second time and plan to hit the road. Once we see all that God has created, then we look to do some work at a campground during the year. There will always be good and bad to camping, but that is just the way life is. People are much more friendly when camping, then just staying in a motel.
Happy Camping to All.
I would suggest renting one out first — some people are RV people, some just aren’t.
Things that you may want to consider befor making a decision to rent vs. buy are as follows:
If you have truly decided to buy a RV I would not suggest renting one first. If you are undecided about owning a RV then I suggest you rent one or two or three before you buy.
Renting a RV can be a “turn-off” if the unit you rent is not exactly what you have decided you need for space and travel. If you rent a RV and have “trouble” with it (possibly because you do not know exactly how to operate it) you may decide that all RV’s are trouble. Will you take along family or guest (Kids/Grandkids)? If yes, make sure the unit you are wanting to purchase has enough “comfortable” sleeping space.
Never expect an “outing” to be totally trouble free. Things will go wrong! A camp site may have only 30 amp service when you need 50 (never camp in the “hot climate” areas of the country in the Summer unless you can get “full” electric service or plan to run your generator 24/7). If you expect things to go wrong and it does, you will be in a better frame of mind to handle it with a cool head. If nothing goes wrong then you are a “happy camper”.
If you have decided that you really do want a RV, find the one you like best then make the best deal you can (you may want to see http://www.rv.org for resources). If it is new, read the warranty closely. If it is used and comes without a warranty, try to negotiate some warranty with the seller. This is the best time (2008) to buy a RV that I remember and the worst time to sell one. RVing is not all about “carefree” living. It is about getting away from routine long enough to regain your sanity! As a (lengthy) last note, be sure that you get a “full” demo of the RV before you buy one and that means opening/operating every compartment, slide, bed, generator, compressor, gas tanks, TV equipment (including any and all antenna), motors, circuit breakers, furnace, A/C and radio as well as anything else that moves.
Have fun. I know you will.
Do rent before you buy. Also consider a good used late model of your liking as you will lose a minimum of 25 to 30 % from the first turn of the key on a new one. If you do decide to purchase used, don’t consider one from the North.( I would recommend one from the dry Southwest) The winters alone create a bad environment for rust prevention as well a need for a perfect winterizing regimen that most owners don’t do. Lastly, use an inspection list and do a complete run thru using it as a guide. Good luck and have a great time RVing.
I would definitely recommend renting before buying. Be sure that you
can live with the ‘practical’ side of RVing like emptying the tanks,
etc. If you are a couple this could be fine. If you’re alone, then
think about it. I must say that renting can cost as much as being
pampered at a 4 star hotel when you consider all expenses. However,
you will not get that ‘being out there’ feeling. I travel the country
extensively (15 times so that would be 30 considering back and forth).
I’ve tried an old Toyata RV and, as I should have realized, buying
second hand from a private person, the repairs were dismal and what
choice did I have out in the middle of Nevada? I also purchased a
little pop up and sold it after one trip. too much for me as I am
alone. Now I have my retirement car.. a little 4 cylinder thing which
should work for me with gas prices what they are. Keep in mind the
mileage that a motorized RV will cost. I am looking for a little
motorcycle camper unit that I can pull. In the meantime, I go to
Campgrounds and get ‘camping cabins.’ They are at least 50% less than
motel/hotel rates and I am right out there in the desert sunsets
and/or the tall pines depending on where I am that day.
Good luck.
Hi I am replying to the subject of Rent an Rv before buying…I am currently renting what is supposed to be affordable living for seniors in Phx.,Az. and the rent keeps jumping …I have been looking for a rental rv co. in and near Albq.,N.M. I can save a couple hundred dollars on rent /month as opposed to this arrangement in senior apts. I missed out on a park in Albq as i do not have an rv at the time…I have had travel trailers, motor homes and fifth wheels and enjoy that lifestyle that doesn’t cause you to MOVE furniture from place to place..I had a full time job in Albq. and living in a 23′ Catalina Sport and loving it…then my kids decided to move to The Valley of the Sun…not what it used to be…can’t live in an RV here when it is 112-116 deg….Thanks for the newsletter…K.L
Try and borrow a Rv from a friend or go with him on a ride,also find a recreation place near by and rent a motorhome,very expensive,also if you buy have a friend that knows about RV,RV dealers can’t be trusted any more, and put it in writing,also have it fixed before you drive it out,because once they got your money,or contract,they don’t do half the things they said,also some are charging over 100.00 a hour and have people that don’t no working on your motorhome,it happened to me. Frank
To Holly of Farmington, NM. I rented for two years before bying my first RV (a travel trailer) and the experiences were invaluable in learning what was involved in towing a trailer and what we liked and did’nt like about the features and experiences of trailering. When we did buy, I feel we made a much better choice for our family.
Holly: Yes she should rent one for a week or month and try it out. If you rent and spend $500 for a week or two you will know if you are going to like it or not. If you buy one you could very easilly have a $1,000 a month payment for several years. Jay Ingle
Just a quick blog for the lady from NM on the decision to rent before buying a new motor home. Sometimes when you rent the renter doesn’t go entirely over the entire system and the instruction booklets are torn or destroyed. If you have a new one most companies require instruction booklets be given and retained with the vehicle. Also with a new one the salesman will be more willing to answer the numerous question involved. Comes down to 6 of one thing or half dozen of another. Have fun.
From an owner who is on his 6th motorhome:
YES!!!
Rent before buying.
The total cost of owning a motorhome is hugely expensive for most normal people with a normal amount of money.
Take an “inexpensive” used $30,000 motorhome.
First year depreciation:$10,000(subsequent years about $3,000)
interest/money cost: $3,000
Maint/storage/repairs/insur/registration: $1,000 – $5,000
Fuel @ 25¢-50¢ per mile: $1,000 – $5,000
TOTAL $10,000 – $20,000 per year
Do you REALLY want to spend $10,000 , or more, per year on something that costs that much whether you use it or not?
The rule of thumb is that you need to use your motorhome at least 4 months (120 days) per year for it to be a cost-effective “investment”.
Rentals are FAR cheaper than ownership for most people, and they don’t box you into a long-term commitment. Also, renting solves the storage and maintenance problems (which are FAR greater than for normal cars).
RVs can be fun and they can be frustrating, but they are always VERY expensive. We generally enjoy ours, and it is an essential tool in our work. But RENT before you leap. Renting an RV is the cheapest and wisest thing you can ever do!
Dave
Reply to Holly,
What you should do is research the Rvs, figure what features are essential for you to have, then narrow it down to those rvs that have those features, find the best quality you can get for your money online then go to your local dealer to see if they will match the lowest price, they will of course.
Renting could help because some things you’ll figure out right away what you like or dislike.
We really wanted a 7 ft ceiling pano window and queen size bed 2 slide outs and full body paint.
We love our Rv.
Holly of Farmington definatly rent an RV before you buy we love ours but it is a big expenditure to sit in the drive and not use you have to get ready by loading all you need and plan menu’s as the refrigerater does not hold as much we also eat out quite a lot we rented in 1977 and bought our first in1978 and were full timing for over 3 years till my husband had health problems but hope to be on the road again soon Angela
Yes, I would highly recommend renting several types, sizes and etc. It is so
costly to buy one and later find out you wish you had something different. I
made that mistake of buying what I thought I wanted twice.. my suggestion is
to rent and use often and talk to other campers and see f they will let you
look through their trailer and tell you what they like and what they don’t
like. The majority of the campers I talk to have something they don’t like
or something they don’t have that they wish they did… rent-rent-rent
We rented a pop up before purchasing to see if that was the way to go after years of tent camping. We found that we were tired of waking up to find it had rained during the night and everything we had outside was wet. We loved the idea of being up off the ground. We immediately bought one. That was the only time we rented first. We eventually moved to a travel trailer and now have our first fifth wheel. There didn’t seem to be any reason to rent first for those. We already knew what we needed. We just had to find the one with the options we thought were most important.
Hi…we too were so excited to enter the RV lifestyle and jumped in before we did our homework. I think when we walked onto the RV sales lot, they saw “sucker” on our foreheads and now we are paying for it. All of the posts above are so true.
You cannot possibly know if you’re going to like the RV in the 2 or 3 hours that you spend looking at it on the lot. My head was in the clouds because I was so excited to be buying my first motorhome that I couldn’t tell you what amenities it had…only that it was big and pretty! Well…2 years later, I still find things I would have looked for and bought another unit. Also, make sure you buy a brand that is reputable and reliable. We have friends that purchased a National RV and now that company is bankrupt…what do you do for warranty work?
I also don’t think that buying new is a really good idea, as we did. The RV is not an investment because we couldn’t get near out of it what we have put into it in just 2 years.
You also have to think of the long-term obligations of owning the motorhome…maintenance, repair work (it’s so expensive), storage in the winter months (if you don’t live in it), RV insurance (OMG it’s so expensive)and a long list of other incidentals that we never thought of when purchasing our coach. And just when you think something should be covered on your extended warranty…it seems there’s always a loophole voiding the warranty so guess who pays to have it fixed…you! We have also found that there are lots of things that go wrong in owning a motorhome…we were in a hailstorm last month and it busted out 2 solar panels on top of the coach…lots of rain…lots of problems…very expensive!! I guess I think you should just have a reserve of money that can be set aside for these problems you don’t expect!
Definitely…try renting a coach that you would be interested in purchasing…maybe two or three different ones to see if you like it. Give yourself two or three trips and see if you still have that same enthusiasm for it.
Don’t get me wrong…we love being able to use our motorhome…we still have full-time jobs, but being able to go to the lake or on week long vacations in our motorhome is awesome. There’s nothing better than loading up the dogs and hitting the open road…plus you have your own bed to sleep in!!
We can’t wait to be “full-time” rvers when we retire!! Good luck to you and I hope that you find the dream RV you are looking for in the future!!
Holly:
Answer these questions before you rent or buy;
1 Is this your home or your vacation?
If it is your home rent first the same model you are thinking of buyingor possably the unit you are looking at from a private party may rent it to you with proof of insurance and some cash as a deposit.
Vacation consider how often you will use it and where it will be stored when not in use. The second being the big one lonely units seem to atract outsiders who think they can help themselves to your things. If you have a seasonal lot somewhere you may want to look at a fifth wheel or travel trailer the cost less and are easier to maintain. I have done this many years and have loved every season. Whatever you choose have fun with it and we will see you out there.
We recently purchased our first ever camper\rv. A Class A diesel pusher. I own numerous businesses and am very mechanically inclined and consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about mechanical equipment and large vehicles. I would recommend at minimum a trial weekend from the dealer. We didn’t and I wish we had. I would try and “get with knowledgable experienced” campers that can fill you in on the mechanical side of the equipment you are purchasing. Bad windows, battery age, etc. This way you have an opportunity to learn the things that may be wrong, etc. so you can make a smart buy and get your monies worth. If the dealer doesn’t offer an extended warrantee – be leary as he doesn’t want to write a bad policy and lose money on it. Ask for all service records and request full disclosure on the vehicle that way if they hide somethimg you can still hold them accountable. Once you purchase it – use it right away so you can get the “bugs” taken care of before the dealer doesn’t stand behind it…
Holly,
Everything above is perfectly true, You want to rent first regardless, and you want to buy used to begin with. And you want to define what you’re going to be comfortable doing. Some would prefer to pull, others want no part of that. But perhaps the biggest question to be asked is what are you going want to be doing with this RV? Weekend trips? Full-time touring? Retirement lifestyle? All three of these RVing activites really require an entirely different approach to identifying what kind of coach you would want. From what I read in (and into) your request, that’s a question You’ve not really asked yet, and it is perhaps the most significant question you need to answer. RV’s are just another, smaller, portable comfort zone. They are beautiful for the first two weeks you own it, no doubt. But after the first light bulg burns out and the drawer handle breaks, reality sets in and they become a utility you have to live with. The successful utilization of an RV is totally dependant on your attention to your defined needs. Thats where you really need to “experiance” your RV needs. Anything less turns “Utility” into “Futility”. I would state that 90% of those who’ve tried Rving, and failed, never asked this question of themselves to begin with. There is a magic with living with and in an RV, but it will alays require compromize.
Holly,
Also, take into mind where you would like to camp. Those 40′ diesel pushers are pretty and roomy, but some campgrounds will only allow 30′ or shorter if you like beaches, or national parks.
I would find out about the niceties that campers work around like nto generators or general noise after 10pm.
It’s not just the rv, but the lifestyle. We’ve gone to Canada and were very happy in our 32′. In fact, we wouldn’t have wanted one any longer, though a slide would have been nice. The beaches on California’s coast are breathtaking, but over 30′ and you are not allowed. We wanted the real beach experience and not an “rv camp” (and yes, we sneaked in to a couple at 32′ but generally it is not a good idea. Others uphold the rules, we all should.)
Your pets are welcome usually in rv parks so you don’t have to give up pets.
There are campground memberships, but they are spendy and maintenance on them is just as costly. We found that they did not work for us, as we wanted to be with family and friends. Many friends belonged to another co-op. It just wasn’t feasable. It’s nice to make new friends, but to keep the old ones is just as important.
When you buy, figure in “maintenaince insurance.” if it’s any class except a trailer or 5th wheel. A travel trailer with no motor is less expensive and are looking pretty good these days. That’s what we just purchased. You don’t have to tow a car or go without a vehicle on the road.Upon arrival at camp, We just park, unplug, level and are able to leave if we so desire. I love antiqueing and I have a whole truck bed to bring home my goodies.
Those are the things you wnat to learn about before buying your rv. How comfortable are you driving a 40′er or 34′ or whatever, what storage space do you need, and do you want to park under the trees on sand or on pavement? Those things really matter.