A few questions

[bizstepp]

Hi!

I have already received some good advice from you guys - you are great!  I have some more ???

1.  I will be traveling in my RV with my son and dog - I am a single female.  Will I be safe? 
2.  Other than the cost of financing the RV, what can I expect my monthly costs to be in terms of camp fees, hook-up fees, etc.
3.  If I do buy and RV and sell it again in a year - how much will it depreciate - or better, how much money will I lose?

You all talked me into buying instead of leasing for a year, but am curious how difficult it will be to resell and how much I may lose...

Thanks all!

Elizabeth

 

[woodartist]

Don't know if you have seen this thread....http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php?topic=6801.0

 

[Wendy]

Shop, shop, shop. When looking for an RV, either used or new, shop around and find the one that works for you (length, floorplan, extras, etc.) and is a good deal. Our latest motorhome was a new Winnebago but it was a previous year's model so we bought it brand new for what we would have had to pay for the same unit used. A year after we bought it, the blue book on it was the same as we paid for it. But you have to figure that if you buy new, it's going to depreciate as soon as you sign the papers.

On camping cost, we average about $10 a night for camping. We stay at $30/night campgrounds. We also stay in WalMart parking lots, in friends' driveways, and at federal and state campgrounds with no hookups.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

1.  I will be traveling in my RV with my son and dog - I am a single female.  Will I be safe?

RVing is one of the safest pursuits around - the incidence of crime in campgrounds or agaist Rvers on the road is incredibly low. And Rvers tend to look out for each other and readily lend a helping hand.  That said, you still have to pay attention to your surroundings and avoid situations that appear uncomfortable to you. One of the advantages of an RV is that you can easily move it to another location if you don't like where you are.

2.  Other than the cost of financing the RV, what can I expect my monthly costs to be in terms of camp fees, hook-up fees, etc.

Unanswerable, since it depends almost entirelyon your wants, needs and spending habits. If you want to stay in a nice campground every night, expect to pay $25-$40 per night. If you want to econimise more, you can find places for $20/night or less. Many of us use enough free or low cost places (e.g. Walmart parking lots, truck stops, and friends driveways) to bring the average cost down to around $13/night for extended travel. Discount camping programs such as Passport America (50% discount) help a lot if yoo are willing to make your travel plans around the location of the discount campgrounds.  Meal costs vary tremendously and are totally up to you.  Fuel costs depend on the rig you choose and how far you travel.  Laundry costs will fairly high if you are using laundromats weekly.

3.  If I do buy and RV and sell it again in a year - how much will it depreciate - or better, how much money will I lose?

If you buy new, figure on 40% or more depreciation in the retail price. Probably less on a used rig. Rvs can be hard to re-sell, so don't expect to get your money back in a few weeks.  Flks often accept below NADA retail prices when selling, in an atempt to get their money back sooner. This essentially increases the depreciation cost.  Folks we know of have had their rigs on the market for a year or even more before selling. Diesel Pusher motorhomes used to be the easiest to re-sell, but with diesel costs so high its hard to forecast next year.  A dealer may buy your rig from you, but the price will be very low - probably the low wholesale NADA book price at best.

 

[Shayne]

One thing for sure as soon as you start camping make sure you purchase a Passport AMerica membership about 4 bucks? ?but it's half price in a ton of campgrounds. and perhaps the best of the bunch when it comes to memberships.  AMENDED  $44  not $4 as Wendy caught me trying to save you some money. LOL

 

[Wendy]

One thing for sure as soon as you start camping make sure you purchase a Passport AMerica membership about 4 bucks? ?but it's half price in a ton of campgrounds. and perhaps the best of the bunch when it comes to memberships.

Oops, think you dropped a digit, Shayne. Passport membership is $44.

 

[Shayne]

OOPS  shame on these keyboards  I thought I tyuped it right  must by the keyboard  Lol