Rent or purchase?

My wife, my 12 year old son and I are planning to travel from Dallas to Mount Rushmore this summer and I went online to rent an RV for 9 nights. I was looking at a class C. After the rental and additional mileage charge, I was looking at approx $2,400 for a one time rent. I started looking at older used RV's and was surprised that there are several available in the $7,500 - $10,000 range. My question is are these typically more trouble than they are worth or are they reasonably reliable? My thought is that we have always talked about getting an RV when we retire (still about 17 years away) but it would be best to try it out for a few vacations first. If we absolutely hate it, I could always sell it when I return and still come out ahead rather than paying the $2,400 rental charge. The one I am considering is a 1993 Fleetwood Tioga Cass C (I think it is a 27'). It started right up, the appliances all work, and it has a generator. However, its nearly 25 years old. I don't want this vacation to be the one where we talk about how I stranded the family in the middle of nowhere because I bought a $7,500 RV. Thoughts?

I guess it depends on how much you would use it.
If your plan was to go on just one trip this year and you don't think you would use it again this year, then I wouldn't buy one NOW.

Also you normally get what you pay for and buying a 25 year old RV is not something I would do.
Have you REALLY researched RV's or just start looking after hearing a $2400 price to rent.  Some people look for years.  Just saying......
But others might buy something that old and have it work out fine.

Paying $2400 to rent one might be a high price BUT it also might tell you IF that size and make of RV was for you.
That's got to be worth something, especially if it keeps you from making a mistake.

Good luck.

paulcharbo said:

  I don't want this vacation to be the one where we talk about how I stranded the family in the middle of nowhere because I bought a $7,500 RV. Thoughts?

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  Thats exactly what will happen
Rent - see if you like RVing, see if you like the coach, then look at something nicer if you see it in your plans.  No $7,500 RV is going to be turn key.

I was in a similar place to you not all that long ago, in my case I have been wanting a motorhome, but my wife was not so sure about it.  I knew renting was not the right option for us as I am sure my wife would hate the typical rental motorhome with too many beds and too small of bathroom, etc.  So instead we agreed to buy one and try it for a few years then either sell it or keep it, and that is where we are now.

In the course of shopping over 4 or 5 months I started by looking at a $5,000 21 year old class A for sale locally, and over time found that the entry level price to buy a functional motorhome is something over $10,000, functional being a low bar meaning not pretty, but not falling apart and reasonably roadworthy, in the long run I ended up spending twice that on my 2002 Safari Trek.  Even though my Trek was in very good condition for the age and the previous owner had spent nearly $10,000 in upgrade parts alone since 2014 in the first 4 months of ownership I have spent another $3,500 much of it on small items, and I still don't have everything just the way I want.

Another thing to consider is cost of ownership, there are things like insurance (mine runs $85 per month), where are you going to keep the motorhome, depending on where you live simple outdoor storage runs $50 per month or more, add to that extra charges for electricity to keep the batteries charged and vents running to keep the mildew out, $100+ is typical for covered storage, and indoor storage may run $200 a month or higher.  Longer term look at having to replace a $3,000+ set of tires every 7 years as they age out, as well as $500 worth of batteries about as often.  Then of course there are expenses that pop up, not only do you have the engine and drivetrain stuff like a typical vehicle, you also have appliances like the refrigerator ($1,500) or the roof top air conditioner (another $1,500)  ....

There are plenty of functional rigs under $10,000 on the market. You just have to go looking. They are there. It's a buyers market too.

Most have no slides and they don't come with this week's latest and greatest gigantic TV.

The bargains abound because so many folks do insist on the latest and greatest, overlooking the used bargains.

I am always checking out bargains. I have friends who always show up in a different rig. They keep paying cash for old rigs, enjoying them while they look for the next bargain. Sure they sometimes have to fix this and that, but they've been RVing for over 30 years without ever financing anything. Some of their grown kids have bought their old bargains while they moved on to the next one.

On the phone last week the wife said to me "I think we've been through 3 more rigs since we saw you last!" and we had a great giggle about that.

At the beach I met another happy couple in a "classic" rig. They were on their 8th weekend camping. They had bought an old motorhome for $1500 then jokingly said they signed up for AAA roadside assistance next. They had gone camping every weekend for 8 weekends in a row, and still everything was functioning and working. They were going to slap new tires on it next and go on a week long vacation. They said heck, they would have gotten into RVing sooner if they had realized how an "old rig" will take you to the same places as a new rig.  ;D

So start chasing down bargains. You might be surprised at what you find. It may take awhile, but they are there for the asking.

I gotta agree with Mermaid about the solid bargains available, but it's tough for a newbie to recognize potential problems. Without any Rving experience, buying an older one is mostly a crap shoot. It can also take months of searching to find a prize one, though you may stumble into it on Day One.

The biggest problem I see with buying for a short duration trip is the hassle & cost of getting started. Insurance, tag & title, perhaps buying hoses and such, etc. And then selling again afterwards. If using it for a few months it probably works out, but for a 9 day trip?

RVs are expensive to own and expensive to maintain & to operate. And depreciation is a killer.  That's what the high rental rates are telling you.

The one I am considering is a 1993 Fleetwood Tioga Cass C (I think it is a 27'). It started right up, the appliances all work, and it has a generator.

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Do take careful note of all the comments above. Certainly there is a chance that this one is the "Day One" rig Gary mentioned, but I suspect you may not quite have the knowledge and background to be sure of that. At the very least, use the buying checklist in our library (link near the top of the page), but if you can get it inspected by someone who knows RVs (perhaps a mobile RV tech), you can be better informed. After all, there are many hidden problems that could be there, such as wet/moldy walls (internally), delamination of the fiberglass, shoddy repairs that aren't in visible places, etc.

Then note that there could still be problems waiting to happen, and it could be soon (or it could be a year or three away -- no way to tell), and be prepared to sink more money into the rig. Check the age of the tires -- are they 7 or more years old?

Then sit in the rig while visualizing living in it, figuring how you folks fit in the bed(s), how cooking and eating might work, what you might do for spending several evenings in there (TV, games, reading, etc.), how you'll do in a solid week of rain, and so on. Does it suit you in that regard?

Best of luck.

One thing no-one has mentioned so far is that some campgrounds don't allow anything over 10 years old. Worth being aware of.

WOW! You all gave me so much to think about. We have talked about getting an RV for years but we just weren't in a place to do so. Now that our son is a little older we are willing to put a little cash in just to see if it strikes our fancy like we think it will. I'm not willing to go into debt for anything (with the exception of our current mortgage) but I don't mind a project of spending money each month getting it truly road worthy - brakes, tires, belts, hoses, etc. As a matter of fact, I might actually enjoy that.
I just can't handle a true money pit (flashes of Tom Hanks and Shelley Long are going through my mind right now). We looked at the insurance and the cost of storage and we are prepared for that.
You all gave me a lot to think about and I will have to give you an update when I finally make my decision. Thank you for your input!

Buying one makes sense if you think the longer term possibilities are fairly good, and that re-selling it after the trip is a fallback rather than your intended plan. It's just the "buy & sell in two weeks" scenario that seems dubious.

However, I think you need to adjust your thinking a bit lot. You talk about fixing brakes & belts, but that's only a small part of a used RV. You are buying a furnished house as well as a vehicle, so you need to think about the roof, the windows, appliances, flooring and upholstery, cabinetry, etc.

paulcharbo said:

The one I am considering is a 1993 Fleetwood Tioga Cass C (I think it is a 27'). It started right up, the appliances all work, and it has a generator. However, its nearly 25 years old. I don't want this vacation to be the one where we talk about how I stranded the family in the middle of nowhere because I bought a $7,500 RV. Thoughts?

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Might be overpriced, on the other hand I have a 1994 Class C Tioga 28 feet. It was a very good year for Fleetwood. Seems their mid 90's rigs were built with some quality.

Mine has been in use 24/7 fulltiming use since I bought it in 2009. Lots of folks told me I was crazy to buy a 15 year old rig, but I paid cash and I've been fixing this and that. Everything works, I am having a blast!

It does give you the option of having nice weekend get-aways after the vacation.

I was able to put collision and comprehensive insurance on mine, total insurance is only $350 a year, my taxes and tags are a joke to pay, around $30.

If you would be considering later selling whatever motorhome thinking that you "might come out ahead...." with very few instances, you would be lucky to recoup any money you put into it, minus depreciation, and would, most likely, again, with a few exceptions, take a monetary loss. A motorhome is not a wise investment of your money, and you would be wiser to just plunk down the rental charge for a one-time deal and walk away from it. Buying it is another world, and you may find it to be an albatross around you neck!!

Gary RVer Emeritus said:

I gotta agree with Mermaid about the solid bargains available, but it's tough for a newbie to recognize potential problems. Without any Rving experience, buying an older one is mostly a crap shoot. It can also take months of searching to find a prize one, though you may stumble into it on Day One.

The biggest problem I see with buying for a short duration trip is the hassle & cost of getting started. Insurance, tag & title, perhaps buying hoses and such, etc. And then selling again afterwards. If using it for a few months it probably works out, but for a 9 day trip?

RVs are expensive to own and expensive to maintain & to operate. And depreciation is a killer.  That's what the high rental rates are telling you.

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Yes there will be some pretty good  hassle getting started.  Depreciation should be almost non-existent at the $7500 price point although Gary is right on with the more expensive models. 

The other thing to consider is where are you picking up the motorhome.  Are you going to have to lug all your stuff to it?

One other reason we bought to try it out (although we were in the $30,000 price area) is the feeling of ownership rather than feeling like we are driving a hotel room.

I honestly don't think we would have enjoyed a rental.  We love our own even though it is not top of the line anything!!





Edit: Moderator moved end-quote tag to correct place

jackiemac said:

One thing no-one has mentioned so far is that some campgrounds don't allow anything over 10 years old. Worth being aware of.

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Is this very common?  I have heard of this but never seen it.

Your 12 year old will think it is the coolest thing he has ever had!  Just don't tell him it isn't new and he won't know the difference.  Mine don't!

KandT said:

Is this very common?  I have heard of this but never seen it.

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No, except in some high-end parks.

You guys are great! Lots of great tips. I probably didn't explain myself upfront when I said I might come out ahead if I sold it. I mean if I buy it for $7,500 and sell it for $6,000 I saved about $1,000 over the $2,400 rental. But trust me, that is just a fall back. I am expecting to love it. My wife and I test drove one tonight and it started right up, the generator cranked up immediately, all the appliances worked and it drove great. We ended up putting a $100 deposit down and I plan to pick it up on Friday. We decided on the 1994 Ford Shasta Travelmaster (its quite a bit smaller at 23' but we were able to drive it quite easily). The link to the motor home is here (I got him down to $7,500). Any glaring issues I'm missing since at this point I'm only out $100?
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/rvs/6001237845.html

Well it obviously has had some water damage, the extent of it is unknown and so are the quality of the repairs.  It is a small class C, so you need to ask if you can comfortably live in it?  The Ford engine of that era was a bit under powered, but again this is a small class C so that should not be as big of an issue as when you see a 32 Ft class A powered by the same engine.


Overall it does not look too bad for $7,500 (you might try to talk him down more though),  although I suspect you could find something much nicer, maybe a bit bigger and about 5-8 years newer for a couple of thousand dollars more.

Here are a couple of potential examples (note I said potential since these are online ads)

http://polk.bookoo.com/i/62817440 

http://polk.bookoo.com/i/61863158  (this one is a bit higher priced, but is in my town, if you are interested in it and want someone to take a look at it before making a 6 hour drive let me know, given the covered shed in the background I suspect it was treated well)

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/rvs/6015620951.html

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/rvs/6015351198.html

https://shreveport.craigslist.org/rvs/6015159436.html

https://easttexas.craigslist.org/rvs/5993848521.html


Are some of these scams, maybe, but none had any big warming flags to me and this was just the stuff I could spot in 10 minutes of shopping

paulcharbo said:

You guys are great! Lots of great tips. I probably didn't explain myself upfront when I said I might come out ahead if I sold it. I mean if I buy it for $7,500 and sell it for $6,000 I saved about $1,000 over the $2,400 rental. But trust me, that is just a fall back. I am expecting to love it. My wife and I test drove one tonight and it started right up, the generator cranked up immediately, all the appliances worked and it drove great. We ended up putting a $100 deposit down and I plan to pick it up on Friday. We decided on the 1994 Ford Shasta Travelmaster (its quite a bit smaller at 23' but we were able to drive it quite easily). The link to the motor home is here (I got him down to $7,500). Any glaring issues I'm missing since at this point I'm only out $100?
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/rvs/6001237845.html

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Looks like a nice little home. Hopefully you dont kill each other after the end of the 9 days!

If you buy an RV and do that trip to Mt Rushmore be sure your insurance covers towing for a long distance, like several hundred miles.

Also do a little research on places that will work on the driveline of whatever chassis you buy along the route you plan to take.  Call a few of them and ask how long it will take them to begin work on your disabled RV. 

My hard earned advice for a trip that long...Rent.