Utclmjmpr said:
You should not Evan use the word "investment" in the same sentence with an RV of any kind.. They depreciated like a falling rock and require ongoing maintenance, used or not, to even hold a fraction of their worth..Full timing in one accelerates the depreciation
of the unit and shows in many ways when time to trade or sell.>>>Dan ( I am not "down" on RV ownership like it may sound,,Ive owned several over the 40 years of traveling all over the US and Canada in motorhomes and still do..)
Uh - Could not agree more - RV's are only behind boats in terms of "investments" of a financial kind. Can I give you a quick example??
I planning a trip to Fort Wilderness (Disney's RV Park). Fuel to get there and back will be about $900-$1000. This trip we are not towing our Accord so we have a car rental when we get there. It is $170 a night for a premium space (You could find a place for less than $45 though but we are going with friends yada yada yada. I probably should get two new chassis batts but seem are limping by on using the Aux. battery switch but they will be $100 a piece and I will need them soon.
I spent about $3600 for 6 new Michellins when I bought the used coach (you could get cheaper tires though but I would like to keep these tires 7-8 years. It takes a ridiculous amount of oil and needs changed every 10-12,000 miles for the diesel.
There are tons of things to break and you will need to be learn to be handy because the dealers are a pain to get to and in and out of even if you are willing to pay their price.
I won't go into constant maintenance like checking 6 tire pressures frequently and then pulling batts out to keep them charged if you can't keep it at your house and have to $37 a month to store it at an RV storage lot. Oh insurance isn't free either.
Now the great side. My family and I will forget the pain in the rump and remember the great times we have had everywhere from Florida to Wyoming - and we are just starting.
I love it. Mine is a 36 foot class A. It is a great size for us right now and I bought it with 15k miles on it.
Overall, it can be a blessing or a curse. If you panic over every problem then maybe not for you. I would never buy an RV that left me financially strapped because you will have lots of extra bills to pay.
Enjoy if it is right for you - Oh and I LOVE boats too. That saddest thing to see though is someone who gets in over their head on any toys - They end up losing their rump and not having any fun.