5 Must-Know Tips When Purchasing a New RV

My husband and I have had our fair share of experiences when purchasing a new RV. We started off considering a travel trailer, however, by the time we left the dealership, my husband really had his eye on purchasing a Fifth-wheel. I had other thoughts and always liked motorhomes that you could just start up the engine and drive away. I’ll share a few tips in this post on things we learned along the way, including 5 MUST KNOWS when purchasing a New RV.

There are several things to know about the different type recreational vehicles (RV) when considering what will best fit your family’s needs. Here are a few considerations:

• What type unit best suits your needs?

• What size unit will you need?

• What your intended use is (i.e. occasional travel or full-timer)?

TYPE: Let’s start with this topic because there are different type RV’s and they all have pros and cons to each. At the end of the day, it all comes down to preference, however, these are generally the different type RV’s that are on the market right now: Popup Campers, Travel Trailers, Fifth-Wheels, Class A, B and Class C. There are a few more types but these are the predominant ones at the dealers that most folks consider.

• POPUP’S are like an awesome self-contained fun in a box unit! They are a very compact towable type RV that opens and folds back down completely like a beautiful origami of sorts. The top shell goes up and side canvas unfolds in the space usually set up for sleeping. Within these units are generally a small kitchenette for cooking and a very small refrigerator. There units are great to just go on a quick trip without much fuss to them. The downside is they do not generally have a bathroom and they are rather small.

• TRAVEL TRAILERS are great because they are the fully contained space that is stationary, meaning it does not fold down, however, they usually have all the conveniences of home. These type units generally have a nice little kitchen and it’s own bathroom. These RV’s come in quite a range of sizes. Some, but not all, come with slide-outs that extend on one side of the unit creating even more livable space. These are popular but you must have a vehicle with a hitch to tow it with.

• FIFTH-WHEELS are like the mack-daddy of the tow behind RV’s. These come in an array of sizes and will blow your mind with the amenities that come on the inside. Some features may include an island in the kitchen, full size refrigerators, upstairs bedroom(s), loft space for the kids or storage and many, if not all, have slide-outs which opens up the livable space even more. The size of these units vary and consideration must be given as to what you are going to pull this bad-boy with. These units require a heavy duty truck to haul them and you have to install a special hitch usually on the inside of the truck bed in order to haul these. You also have to consider the size of the unit because all trucks have certain tow capacities.
• MOTORHOMES are units that have an engine. These units come in a Class-A, B and C. There may be other variations but these are the ones you generally see on the road. Now, a Class-A motorhome can either come in gas or diesel. A gas unit is more affordable but diesel has more power, if you will. The Class-A has the most livable space of all three type motorhomes and many people choose to be “full-timers” and live in these units. You can also tow a vehicle or other things behind these type units with ease. Class-B more often than not the size of a van. True some are a bit larger but they have a completely different set up and the least livable space in my opinion. They are relatively easy to drive. Class-C are a very popular style motorhome. It offers space and the convenience of a Class-A, however, it has a stationary overhead bunk unlike the Class-A. These units can come in an array of sizes and can can also easy tow your vehicle, boat or other fun camping toys.

SIZE: Quite honestly, I didn’t even think this was a factor when we started looking at RV’s. I learned by doing a little research and talking with various salespersons different things to keep in mind when looking at the size of the unit. If you are purchasing a tow-behind type unit of any sort, you absolutely have to make sure your vehicle can handle the weight being towed or you can really damage your vehicle. If you are purchasing a motorhome, you have to consider size when traveling as some places such as the Grand Canyon, has restrictions on the size of the unit you take there. Also too, you have to consider where you hope to travel, as there is different terrain, tunnels, curvy roads. Some RV parks only allow certain age/type/model of recreational vehicles as well.

INTENDED USE: What’s your vision? Where do you see yourself with your new RV? Do you see yourself going on family vacations and if so, how many people would that generally encompass? Do you intend to travel abroad and live in your unit full-time? You really can do either in many of the units but you really want to think about what options and features your unit has so it suits your needs. Consider how many persons a unit sleeps, what cooking equipment is installed, the AC and heating is important and what type gas and tank capacity does it have. All these things are important to think about before signing on the dotted line.

5-MUST KNOW TIPS WHEN PURCHASING A NEW RV

1. Probably THE most important tip of all, bring a note pad and look at each unit very carefully before leaving that dealership and signing any documents. Do not get so caught up in how beautiful the unit is that you are like a deer in headlights. Once you have found the unit you like, the dealerships will generally give you a good hour or two of dedicated time showing you how to use all features. Once you do this, allow your advisor to give you some time to really look over everything yourself. They will want you to tell them anything you may spot that needs correction before you drive it off their lot. IF you don’t catch something, chances are they may not fix it later. Look at the tires, look at the engine, look at the window dressings or cornices. Test every light switch and try everything while you are there. Look at the underside of cabinets to see if any light switches are missing a cover. Look for any signs of water damage which can include staining of ANY SORT on wood and window treatments (windows are areas that can sometimes leak if not sealed properly). If anything looks out of the ordinary, question it. These units are brought to the dealerships by drivers from the plant when they are new so they may have picked up a nail or screw in a tire. Check your tires because once you drive off the lot, they will not admit that it happened there. If you are purchasing a used unit, the same holds true, except you may not have a warranty on the unit as they generally offer them for new units. Make absolutely sure you know the limitations and exclusions of your warranties that come with your RV because if you are outside of that period, you will be stuck holding the bag so to speak and have to pay for your own repairs.
2. Consider the future servicing needs for your unit. Where you are purchasing from? Is the dealer local or is the dealership in another state, offering to fly you in for free to come see their RV’s? Whether a shiny new unit in a box as I say, or just new to you used RV, consider the distance to the dealership where you purchased your unit because at some point in time you will need to service your RV. We have found that some dealerships only service units they sold at their dealership or they take preference to ones that were sold from their lot. What this means is you may want to inquire at your dealer or in your vicinity who services RVs and what their limitations may be.
3. What can replacement parts potentially cost on your RV? Ah, the RV’s sure are beautiful but they can be expensive to fix. If a storm or something happened to your unit, good chance you may need to replace some parts of your RV. The cost of these parts may weigh into your decision when purchasing the type and size of an RV. Many of the units come with slides, as discussed previously, as well as beautiful awnings. Both of these can easily cost $2,500 or more to fix. One tire alone on our RV is at least $600. So you definitely have to have a little savings set aside to fix things when they break.
4. What type of leveling system does your unit have. Many units have automatic leveling jacks and others have jacks that have to put down manually with a crank. Do you have the ability to put your jacks down manually if need be? It can be a challenge for some.
5. If your unit is gas or diesel driven, what is the gas tank capacity. This is the stickler. This is the make or break because if you cannot afford to fill up your unit, the purchase was all for naught. The gas prices currently aren’t too bad, but if the economy changed and gas prices go up to $4.00 again, driving your 80-plus gallon size bus may require you to re-think that purchase.

Most, if not all RV’s have some type of issue or another when you first by them. The reason is the industry is so hot right now and the manufacturers are turning them out at lightning speed. The workers, as I understand it, are paid a piece-rate. So the faster they work the quicker they turn the RV’s out for a sale. That being said, have patience. Try not to get overly frustrated with the issues that come up. Once the kinks are worked out, you should be able to get out there and enjoy your RV experience!

All in all, we love our RV. We initially purchased a Class-C and loved it until we went on a trip with the kids and realized we needed more space. After four months and a mere 1,000 miles on it, we traded up for a bigger Class-A RV. We love the open space of our unit and it’s been great if we ever have to flee a hurricane since we live in South Florida.

We have found many awesome forums where folks are so helpful when you have a question or an issue with your RV. Here are a few forums:

• http://irv2.com
• http://rvforum.net
• http://rvnetwork.com
• http://rvtalk.com
• http://rvusa.com

There are also some great Groups on FaceBook that are specific to your make and model RV, so definitely search them out because everyone has experience to share since they own the same or similar type RV you have.

The vast majority of folks who love the outdoors and love to RV will be so super friendly and always willing to offer helpful advice.

We absolutely love the RV life! I hope you enjoyed this read and hope it offered some helpful tips. Feel free to leave your comments or reply.

HAPPY CAMPING!

If you enjoyed this read, please check out my other posts.