We?ve been shopping for our forever RV for a while now. Forever for us means about 10 years. We?re looking to spend $60,000 tops for a 30-33 foot Class A with the V10. We probably will buy private. Annually we'll do 8 weeks in Florida and 4 weeks here and there around New England. We don't plan to tow. There are two things that are on our must have list. The kitchen must be on the driver side and the outside won't be white. We see low end models like ACE and FR3 but would we be better off to go a few years older and get something with a more quality build? I can fix cheap furniture and stuff like that I but won't be fixing sway bar issues, wiring harnesses and jacks that won't retract.
Forever RV Search
- Thread starter Bruce M.
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Gary RV_Wizard
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My preference is for the older but better grade rig. Usually there is a lot of details that are simply done better, e.g. better grades of cabinetry, upholstery, more insulation & wiring and plumbing, etc. An RV has a lot of places where cheap design and workmanship can be hidden to keep the price down. Also, a higher end model is more likely to have a chassis that is properly sized for the size & weight, whereas cheaper models often skimp there as well.
grashley
Well-known member
Gary RV_Wizard said:
I agree 1000% !!! Quality really matters if you plan to keep it long term. Plan to travel a bit to get the perfect camper! The internet is your friend.
Here's a followup. What if I bumped up to $80,000 and bought a pusher? At the end of 10 years would a pusher have less depreciation and the resale get me a good chunk of my additional $20,000 back or am I dreaming? The extra maintenance cost does scare me a little but might not be a deal breaker. I will need a good chunk of that $20,000 back. We don't need the torque, I'm talking resale dollars.
Larry N.
Well-known member
Probably not -- the older rigs get closer and closer to each other in value, even though they may have cost hundreds of thousands difference when new. You certainly won't get most of it back after 10 years, though maybe a few thousand. You might look at the NADA and compare similar models 10 years apart, say from a 2009 Monaco Dynasty to one from 1999. Of course you must keep in mind that NADA isn't the "bible" that it is for cars, but it
's a starting place. You can also look for similar models 10 years apart on the PPL web site.
Dreamsend
Well-known member
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MedfordRV said:
IMO highly unlikely, but crystal balls get very murky 10 years out. But consider $20,000 in 2008 requires $23,600 today to get the same buying power due to inflation. And that is with extremely tame inflation that we all can only assume will hopefully continue over the next 10 years. RVs are not an investment, they are a depreciating asset, and you should expect to be "paying" for the fact you own and use it for that ten years, i.e. depreciates due to use.
Additionally, one cannot reliably predict the used RV market that far out, but with the large number of people in a certain age group entering this life style right now, there could be a large sellers market at that time -- meaning prices could be lower if there aren't enough buyers. Or, we could be in a recessionary phase or interest in the RV lifestyle might decline within the next half generation. Just too many things can happen to predict what the RV market will be. If your financial planing indicates you'll need that $20,000 in the next 10 years, you may wish to invest it otherwise.
SeilerBird
Well-known member
In my opinion the OP is beating a dead horse. No one can predict how much anything will be worth in ten years time. Pure guesswork. An RV is NOT an investment. Consider any money you put into it has gone into a black hole. 20 year old RVs are basically worthless.
DearMissMermaid
Well-known member
SeilerBird said:
It's all about maintenance and condition. There are 20 year old RV's in terrific shape that are not worthless.
My 1994 rig sold in 36 hours on craigslist in 2018. It sold for $500 less than I had paid for it in 2009. But It was in better shape in 2018 that it was in 2009 other than the mileage. I had maintained it nicely and sold it with some extra accoutrements that weren't there when I bought it.
Larry N.
Well-known member
MedfordRV said:
Probably not much more, provided that it was properly cared for. Other factors are generally more important than whether it towed or didn't, or how much.
grashley
Well-known member
Ideally, I would like to see all maintenance records to verify how it was maintained. I would also inspect it VERY carefully. That is far more important than if it was towing something. If it has been maintained, 50,000 miles is nicely broken in.
