Hi we are New Zealanders arriving in LA in April. We are holidaying for a five week period. We are interested in purchasing an RV and then returning it back to the seller afterwards to sell on. We think this is a better option than rental because it is less expensive than renting. We do not know if this is legal or possible? We have an address we can use for insurance purposes. This vehicle would have to be registered and in road worthy condition. The prices we have been looking at are between $3,000 and $4,000 (we have been looking on ebay and craigs list). We have heard that taxes are expensive in LA? Are we better to have a look in another State? We would appreciate any advice on insurance etc, kind regards Smithy and family.
New Zealanders on holiday
- Thread starter Smithy
- Start date
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SeilerBird
Well-known member
It is legal for you to buy an RV, use it for 5 weeks and then resell it. California is probably not the best place to do this. Taxes and registration are relatively high in California. Las Vegas or Phoenix would be a better option. Very few dealers sell RVs in your price range, you would probably have to get one from a private party.
But the real issue is how much would it cost you to get a $4000 RV roadworthy. I spent the last six months shopping for an RV and I ended up with one that cost $6500. The generator didn't work, the furnace and water heater needed to be repaired and there are a hundred little repairs I have made in the two months since I bought it. I realize most ads claim "everything works". And in most cases most everything doesn't work. It will take a lot of time to buy an RV and get it smogged (and if it doesn't pass smog...?), registered and road worthy. Then to sell it you would have to find a consignment lot that you can trust. Figure at least one week out of your five dealing with buying and selling. I think renting might be a better option for you.
But the real issue is how much would it cost you to get a $4000 RV roadworthy. I spent the last six months shopping for an RV and I ended up with one that cost $6500. The generator didn't work, the furnace and water heater needed to be repaired and there are a hundred little repairs I have made in the two months since I bought it. I realize most ads claim "everything works". And in most cases most everything doesn't work. It will take a lot of time to buy an RV and get it smogged (and if it doesn't pass smog...?), registered and road worthy. Then to sell it you would have to find a consignment lot that you can trust. Figure at least one week out of your five dealing with buying and selling. I think renting might be a better option for you.
Hi thank you for the reply. We had friends that went to the US last year and found one for $4,500, they travelled around for 4 months. I'm guessing they got lucky and we could be unrealistic. If you can suggest any reasonably priced RV rental places it would be much appreciated. Cheers Smithy
