Does it make sense to own a motorhome?

FL-Joe said:

RVs are horrible investments.  They all get bad fuel economy, drop in value quickly, require constant upkeep, and are expensive to insure. 

The OP made some very good points about limited RV renting for short periods of travel each year.  I'm sure it would be cheaper than ownership, unless you rented for longer than 40 to 50 days probably.

But if you rent an RV for 30 days is that really like traveling in your own RV?  Do you really have all your "stuff" with you and do you feel like it is your "home away from home" while doing a short term rental?  I doubt it would be the same.  Money wise you would certainly be better off traveling in a vehicle and spending $100 to $125 per night on motels IMHO.

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nobody buys any RV as an  "investment".  I bought our used RV a a means to travel and to that end it is perfect.  We can stay in Florida or Arizona for months at time in high quality RV parks way cheaper than any rental or AirBnb type places in same locations during peak seasonal months. We travel with our pets, which is real problematic with rentals most every where.  The big upside? Our fellow RV'ers we meet everywhere we go, We are all part of gang of people with lots of knowledge and living of life.

Goes back to what you want as well as your own skills and knowledge.  If the  you are "unhandy", owning an RV rarely makes sense if you have to pay for everything that needs to be done. If you don;t like people, then RV parks are not for you.

NY_Dutch said:

I think there are far too many variables involved to come up with a "one size fits all" answer to your question. Even if you only assess the financial considerations there will still be too many variables. Realistically, you can only answer from your own perspective and situation. Buying a $20,000 used motorhome versus a $200,000 new motorhome for instance, would require an entirely different set of calculations. Disposable income is another big factor in the decision process. If that $20,000 represents "pocket change" in your financial situation, that would be significantly different from someone that sees $20,000 as a major purchase. And the same goes for the $200,000 RV of course...

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He is spot on.  Everyone's situation is totally different.  A business owner I just talked to recently started getting away for a month or so each year to travel in their first TT toy hauler.  They used to travel for a month all over on their motorcycle and stay in motels.  Now with their first ever RV they are hauling the bike and staying at Walmarts and BLM lands. 

For them this new RV travel is a lot cheaper than they way they did it before.  With not much money invested in their first RV it would make zero financial sense for them to ever rent for a month instead of owning.

Owning vs. "owing" is a factor as well. When you buy something in cash (i.e. you can actually afford it) and gently used, then you really aren't losing much value by keeping it -- even with limited use, unless you want/need the resale cash for something else.

I bought our Suburban and trailer for ~$15k combined about 4 years ago. I could probably sell them for about $12k combined today. We are weekend/vacationers and at first used the rig several times per year (including annual weeklong vacations), but this past summer was BUSY and we only did a short vacation. 1 use, 4 days. But I'm not going to sell it, at least not yet. It costs me very little to keep (about $125 annually for insurance and registration) and we like having the camping option at any given time. It's parked in our side driveway at home, has all our "stuff" in it, and I almost consider it an extension to our residence. Sometimes I use it as a getaway or quiet place to hang out for awhile. It's definitely a toy, but I bought smart and can afford it without any impact on the rest of our budget or wealth-building potential.

Life stages are what have brought us in and out of RV ownership over the years too. With our kids getting into Jr. High / HS age, school activities are picking up (including summers) and that takes away from available camping time. We sold our first motorhome to help pay off our student loan debt, and may eventually do the same with the current trailer to finish paying off our S&B house. But after that, and as the kids start driving and doing "their own thing", I'd imagine we'll save up cash and buy/own again. That just has a different feeling then renting someone else's stuff whenever we want to hit the road.

I'm right with Scottydl, could not have said it better  )
We had Class C probably 12 years, but when kids hit Middle school and beyond, no time.  Sports consumed us, summer travel leagues especially.  Sold it, stopped camping for a few years.  Kids migrated to college, no sports or kids, bought a TT and stow it beside the garage.  Use it maybe 6-8X a year, mostly 3-4 day extended weekends, one week trip.  We camp often with other friends with similar situation as us. Ironically, the adult kids still find a way to attend, probably the great food and free alcohol, lol.  Kids expand their families, I might consider a larger TT or 5r, it would be used, and just a place to gather and share good times.  I don't ever see us traveling the West, we tend to jet across country and rent a car, stay in lodges and the like.  Owning a 'motor' home is a bit different.  The maintenance and upkeep is much more involved.   

I would be the first to admit that owning any type of RV is a horrible investment if you measured it financially. But we figured out long ago that for us, the RV has provided a wealth of life experiences that can not be duplicated sitting home watching nature and travel programs on TV. 

We started Rving as a curiosity, and over time it morphed into a hobby, to a passion, and a lifestyle.  No amount of money in the bank could ever replace the memories, experiences, and friends we have made from all the places that we have visited, and all the ones that we are yet to experience.

In the end it's all a personal decision based on what is right for you. I don't try to convince anyone to become a RVer, we just share experiences. 

If I knew what I know now, when I bought my first motorhome and was only going to use it for 3 or 4 weeks a year, I'd rent.  Aside from purchase price, there are other considerations for a prospective purchaser.  First and foremost, where are you going to park it.  That cost alone in Los Angeles for uncovered parking is between $150 and $250 a month.  So unless you live in the boonies, or can't park it at the house, rent.  Then there's maintenance.  Once a year and not a big deal.  But if the motorhome is only used on weekends or maybe one trip for 3 or 4 weeks then mileage will be pretty low  So if on average 1,500 a year for 10 years, then 15,000 miles in total.  Still it will need replacement for barely used tires and batteries.  Think new tires and batteries from the get to.  Then after 5 to 7 years, another set.  And what about towing.  A tow bar and base plate for the toad.  A braking system for the toad.  We don't even have to talk about the expense of traveling.  It's already a don't buy decision. 

But this is all based on what I know after owning RV's for 10 years.  If I was new, I'd probably buy.  But that's only because I can afford it and want it. 

garyb1st said:

If I knew what I know now, when I bought my first motorhome and was only going to use it for 3 or 4 weeks a year, I'd rent.  Aside from purchase price, there are other considerations for a prospective purchaser.  First and foremost, where are you going to park it.  That cost alone in Los Angeles for uncovered parking is between $150 and $250 a month.  So unless you live in the boonies, or can't park it at the house, rent.  Then there's maintenance.  Once a year and not a big deal.  But if the motorhome is only used on weekends or maybe one trip for 3 or 4 weeks then mileage will be pretty low  So if on average 1,500 a year for 10 years, then 15,000 miles in total.  Still it will need replacement for barely used tires and batteries.  Think new tires and batteries from the get to.  Then after 5 to 7 years, another set.  And what about towing.  A tow bar and base plate for the toad.  A braking system for the toad.  We don't even have to talk about the expense of traveling.  It's already a don't buy decision. 

But this is all based on what I know after owning RV's for 10 years.  If I was new, I'd probably buy.  But that's only because I can afford it and want it.

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Like I said too many variables. I have totally secure storage for $35/ month and it's 5 minutes from my house AND directly across from our local PD. The other factor is your expertise with maintaining. If you have to pay others to do that, it's way more costly.

So far,we have averaged 10-14 days per year.  Probably doesn't make one bit of sense.  Bigger truck needed.  Nope,no rational reason at all.  But we can take our dog.  And I always wanted an RV.  Lol.  The idea of taking some comforts of home is kind of priceless though.  Yes,it can be hard to reach your destination and still have to set up,no matter how exhausting the day was.

We did a fair amount of tent camping when I was little.  Turns out that camping is way more fun when you are a kid.  The adults are working their butts off!  No wonder they sit around the campfire with adult beverages.

If we had to pay for storage,it would be a game changer.  It blocks half the driveway but oh well.  I hope we can spend more time in it when my husband retires.  I don't know that we would travel for months and all over the country but hope to see some new things.

We plan to buy a used 5th wheel in about 16 months to use initially as a mobile condo in the tween time from listing our current house until we can move in to the next one. We figure it could be up to 9 months. Initially we would locate not far from current house while stuff gets moved out. Later, we would locate near the next house while building or renovating.
We figured rather than paying to stay in hotels or renting a short term apartment, buying the rv makes financial sense as we have to spend for somewhere to live, we might as well end up with something we can use afterward to see the country.

It also depends on your climate. If you can camp year round without driving too far it will get used way more often.

Of course it doesn't make sense to own a motorhome, that's why we do it. ;D