I would like your advice on 5th Wheel guys

[NewBlackDak]

Your definitely not the only one.

Our first was a great TT, it just had the wrong floor plan for us. Being newbies, we didn't have a clue how important thefloor plan was. That one lasted 1 season.

TT #2 was a bunk house. Loved it, but two yrs later daughter was in college and doing her own thing. Didn't need a bunkhouse.

3rd RV is our current 5er. This will be our 3rd season with it. that's 3 RV,s in 4 yrs. Guess I was off a yr when I said 3 in 5yrs. Lol..... So no you're not the only one, you're just trying to catch up to me.

Wow, we must have done well. Bought '14 in '13, and paid it off in '15. It's a bunkhouse, and we have 5 kids. Mighty tempted by a toy hauler, but building a house has been cramping my style since last December.


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[Bigdaddy]

Your definitely not the only one.

Our first was a great TT, it just had the wrong floor plan for us. Being newbies, we didn't have a clue how important thefloor plan was. That one lasted 1 season.

TT #2 was a bunk house. Loved it, but two yrs later daughter was in college and doing her own thing. Didn't need a bunkhouse.

3rd RV is our current 5er. This will be our 3rd season with it. that's 3 RV,s in 4 yrs. Guess I was off a yr when I said 3 in 5yrs. Lol..... So no you're not the only one, you're just trying to catch up to me.

This is so funny, thank you for a good laugh, it does make me feel better those we are still trying to find someone that will work with us.

I do have a few dealers that might bit but I will know more in a few days.

 

[GsRAM]

I've always heard when buying a new rv, one should expect 30% off msrp or so. Is that about right? I've never owned a new rv, but have been considering one.

Just tough to pull the trigger on a new rig that will only get used maybe 8 times per year or so.

I actually prefer my current rig and those from the 80s and early 90s if you can find a good one without much water damage.

Back then the oems were not as concerned about weight, so they were built much heavier and more importantly with a one piece aluminum roof and not the crappy rubber/tpo they use today where your lucky to get 10-15 yrs out of it, then it's shot and the cost of a new roof is more than the rig is worth by then.

More modern day "throw away" BS in my opinion. A way for them to get folks to buy new rigs every 12 yrs or so (that's what most of the new roofs are warranteed for. ) a way for them to print their own money

Maybe someday I'll buy a new rv, but they are such a horrible investment (worse than a new car) I've just not been able to do it. Their value drops off like the sinking titanic. Lol, but we don't rv because it's cheap anyway.

My 1989 skyline layton is still wearing her original one piece aluminum roof. 28 years now and still looking good. No coating, bare aluminum. I just keep all the seams tight with dicor and she's good to go. Sits all year long uncovered too. A new camper would probably be on it's 3 roof at least by now. Lol

If i was older and full timing it may be different, but for now, go ahead guys, keep up with the average for most folks who buy new ones every 3 yrs. More good used campers for me to look at. Lol

 

[Bigdaddy]

And that is just it, we all are different all around what's good for one it's not good for the other, what's one like the other don't. I've been wanted one for about 20 + years and now I'm able to get what I dream of.

This is my dream before I leave God green earth, and I figure since you can't take it with you I want to live life to the fullest, when I die and go meet with God my maker I would have live to how I like to.

The 5th Wheel that we would like to get are planning on getting it soon, life for my wife and I have been very good, God have bless my wife and I in a big way. Last year along we bought a 2016 2500 6.4L ram, she bought a 2016 Buick Enclave and a 2016 TT, money is not a problem so we love it.

 

[GsRAM]

And that is just it, we all are different all around what's good for one it's not good for the other, what's one like the other don't. I've been wanted one for about 20 + years and now I'm able to get what I dream of.

This is my dream before I leave God green earth, and I figure since you can't take it with you I want to live life to the fullest, when I die and go meet with God my maker I would have live to how I like to.

The 5th Wheel that we would like to get are planning on getting it soon, life for my wife and I have been very good, God have bless my wife and I in a big way. Last year along we bought a 2016 2500 6.4L ram, she bought a 2016 Buick Enclave and a 2016 TT, money is not a problem so we love it.

Hi BD,

i can't argue anything you stated. It's great that the Lord has blessed you to be able to get the things you want. That is excellent. I wish you nothing but the best.

Your very correct. Different strokes for different folks. If i had the financial means to buy a new camper every 5yrs or so, the construction of newer rigs probably would not bother me as much. I feel very blessed that my wife was able to buy a new 16 Chevrolet equinox, and i was able to buy my new ram last week after just getting the Chevrolet new in may of 2015. We are also Very fortunate and blessed indeed.

It just bothers me when a manufacturer seems to i use a roof material with such a finite life. Oh well. It is what it is. Well, airstream is one exception, but they are out of my price range. But they are neat.

I'm glad your living your dream. Your right, we leave this world with exactly what we come into it with.

If i live to retirement age and am still physically independent, I'd like to buy a class A and tour the county. We'll see if that happens someday, Lord willing

 

[mtofell]

I've bought two new RVs in the last 5 years - first was a Salem (Forest River) TT with an MSRP of 27xxx, I paid 20K out the door and got a decent WDH included and installed - I was reasonably happy. It turned out to be a great trailer and I sold it after 3.5 years of use for 16K (and gave away the WDH with it). So, 4K "loss" after 3.5 years of use.

Next came my current 5th wheel - Keystone Hideout. MSRP @ 47xxx - I paid 32xxx and got some credit towards the hitch and install. I still have that unit and wish I used it more but don't worry too much. From some casual looking after a year I could probably Craigslist it for a few thousand less than I paid, especially at the right time of year.

Point being that 99% of the depreciation horror stories are from folks that paid WAY too much going in. Yes, RVs depreciate. But not nearly as bad as many non-educated, non-skilled buyers will lead you to believe.

Buying RVs and cars is a battle. You MUST do your research, price shop across the country, and decide what a reasonable price is. Once you walk on the lot EVERY person you meet has one goal - to get as much of YOUR money as possible. They are masters at deception and pretending to be nice. I get it - they are trying to make a living just like everyone else. That's just the game and you must watch out for yourself 100% of the time.

Car/RV buying is actually a difficult thing for me as I tend to be non-confrontational. But, I've done it enough times over the years that I almost take on an alter-ego. Once the decision is made to purchase I have the wife and kids take off in a separate car and I get to work with the man in the cubicle. It's really not too hard. Just go armed with some internet printouts of the same units at rock bottom prices a few hundred miles away. Of course, I don't want to drive 300 miles but would if I have to. It works EVERY time.

 

[GsRAM]

I've bought two new RVs in the last 5 years - first was a Salem (Forest River) TT with an MSRP of 27xxx, I paid 20K out the door and got a decent WDH included and installed - I was reasonably happy. It turned out to be a great trailer and I sold it after 3.5 years of use for 16K (and gave away the WDH with it). So, 4K "loss" after 3.5 years of use.

Next came my current 5th wheel - Keystone Hideout. MSRP @ 47xxx - I paid 32xxx and got some credit towards the hitch and install. I still have that unit and wish I used it more but don't worry too much. From some casual looking after a year I could probably Craigslist it for a few thousand less than I paid, especially at the right time of year.

Point being that 99% of the depreciation horror stories are from folks that paid WAY too much going in. Yes, RVs depreciate. But not nearly as bad as many non-educated, non-skilled buyers will lead you to believe.

Buying RVs and cars is a battle. You MUST do your research, price shop across the country, and decide what a reasonable price is. Once you walk on the lot EVERY person you meet has one goal - to get as much of YOUR money as possible. They are masters at deception and pretending to be nice. I get it - they are trying to make a living just like everyone else. That's just the game and you must watch out for yourself 100% of the time.

Car/RV buying is actually a difficult thing for me as I tend to be non-confrontational. But, I've done it enough times over the years that I almost take on an alter-ego. Once the decision is made to purchase I have the wife and kids take off in a separate car and I get to work with the man in the cubicle. It's really not too hard. Just go armed with some internet printouts of the same units at rock bottom prices a few hundred miles away. Of course, I don't want to drive 300 miles but would if I have to. It works EVERY time.

I respect your opinion, but still maintain that RVs are among the worst when it comes to depreciation compared to other vehicles. And I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent and educated person. To each their own. All i know is the rv industry produces several hundred thousand RVs each year. I honestly don't know where they all go. The market is saturated with them. You mention Craigslist. I've looked at several that were listed there. A lot of them had water damage, some were ok. Mostly lower priced units. I doubt you could list yours there and get what you think you could, but you never know. It just takes one person to love it.

That's the problem with RVs, if you're not super diligent with maintaining the roof seams, they will eventually leak and rigs with water damage have even worse value. Airstream I'm sure holds their value more than most. But if we're talking about standard stick built units, not so much, in my opinion.

Again, we don't RV because it's cheap. It's worth it to me for the family time, which is priceless to me.

I understand your point about buying at the right price and that certainly helps, no doubt. I went to a large RV show last year and there were some deals to be had there. We were looking at a coachman Catalina with an msrp over $20k. (Could have been $25k) I don't remember the exact figure, but i could have bought that for just under $13k total out including my trailer (which is not worth much) .

It was nice, but didn't have a roof ladder, which I'd really like to have.

It's fun to discuss this stuff and get different points of view, that's for sure. Campers in general are friendly, helpful folks and that's one of many reasons i love camping.

Have a good Sunday guys.
-G

 

[BlkZrx]

It only cost $300 to have my 24 foot TT roof recoated a couple years ago, half of that if you do it yourself. Cheap insurance if you do it every 5 or 6 years. Roof life is quite a bit longer with covered storage..

 

[GsRAM]

It only cost $300 to have my 24 foot TT roof recoated a couple years ago, half of that if you do it yourself. Cheap insurance if you do it every 5 or 6 years. Roof life is quite a bit longer with covered storage..

Is your roof rubber or aluminum? If rubber, that's not bad at all, but from what i understand, you have to be very careful what you put on a rubber roof or it can do more harm than good.

 

[BlkZrx]

Rubber roof, most RV's have had rubber EDPM coated roofs for quite a while. It's recommended they get cleaned a couple times a year and never use a product with petroleum distillate on them.

 

[mowin]

Yes, everything needs a new roof at some point in its life.

Asphalt shingles only last 30 yrs or so. Then your house needs a new roof.

Only difference, my house doesn't deprecate like a RV. ..

 

[GsRAM]

Rubber roof, most RV's have had rubber EDPM coated roofs for quite a while. It's recommended they get cleaned a couple times a year and never use a product with petroleum distillate on them.

Ok, thanks. That's what i remeber reading now. Yes, most use rubber or TPO now, which is why I'm stuck in the 80s . Lol.

 

[GsRAM]

Yes, everything needs a new roof at some point in its life.

Asphalt shingles only last 30 yrs or so. Then your house needs a new roof.

Only difference, my house doesn't deprecate like a RV. ..

Correct, but that was part of what i was getting at prior. My 1989 Layton is still wearing it's original one piece aluminim roof, no coating and still looks great. I wish they would still offer it as an option. I'd bet the OEMs would get lots of requests for them.

 

[mtofell]

I respect your opinion, but still maintain that RVs are among the worst when it comes to depreciation compared to other vehicles.

Oh yeah - no argument with that. I wasn't trying to argue otherwise.... just encouraging people to do everything they can to minimize it.

Problem with RV purchases as a whole is they are a luxury/impulse purchase. We humans tend to lose our minds in such cases.

At an RV show I got to talking with a salesmen about the HUGE gap between MSRP and purchase price. He told me it's for when people come back to upgrade in 2 years and are totally upside-down. Many lenders will finance on the MSRP so it gives them a bunch more flexibility to make another sale.

 

[Bigdaddy]

Well guys I install some firestone air bags on my ram this week and I love them so far.

 

[GsRAM]

Well guys I install some firestone air bags on my ram this week and I love them so far.

Nice BD! I've heard good things about them

 

[GsRAM]

Oh yeah - no argument with that. I wasn't trying to argue otherwise.... just encouraging people to do everything they can to minimize it.

Problem with RV purchases as a whole is they are a luxury/impulse purchase. We humans tend to lose our minds in such cases.

At an RV show I got to talking with a salesmen about the HUGE gap between MSRP and purchase price. He told me it's for when people come back to upgrade in 2 years and are totally upside-down. Many lenders will finance on the MSRP so it gives them a bunch more flexibility to make another sale.

Good deal. I completely agree you cannot overpay or it makes that depreciation hit significantly worse.

Interesting the explication you were given for the big gap in pricing.

Do you find based on your experience that when all is said and done your around 30% under msrp? That's the figure i keep hearing when you buy new
Thanks

 

[mowin]

Good deal. I completely agree you cannot overpay or it makes that depreciation hit significantly worse.

Interesting the explication you were given for the big gap in pricing.

Do you find based on your experience that when all is said and done your around 30% under msrp? That's the figure i keep hearing when you buy new
Thanks

I think it depends on location, and if it's a new model or a floor plan thats discontinued.

Friends of ours picked up a previous yr discontinued model for close to 40% off MSRP.

If you shop used, I think you may top that on a 2-3 yr old model.

 

[GsRAM]

I think it depends on location, and if it's a new model or a floor plan thats discontinued.

Friends of ours picked up a previous yr discontinued model for close to 40% off MSRP.

If you shop used, I think you may top that on a 2-3 yr old model.

Interesting info, thanks. If i ever spend that kind of money on an rv, i may just go new. That way I'll at least have 12 yrs of roof warranty and could potentially have it that long

 

[smurfs_of_war]

Having bought 2 new TT's in the last 7 years, I'll never buy another new one. RV dealers suck worse then any auto dealer I've dealt with. And I've dealt with numerous quality and build issues with both TT'S. From now on it will be a 3 or 4 year old unit that's been debugged by the previous owners..

This is sound. For something that will only get used a handful of times per year and otherwise sit, rot and cost money- why eat the depreciation? And in the handful of trips that you take, it may not have enough use time for any warranty issues to pop up before the warranty is up.

Ours right now was 5 years old when we bought it- 10 years old now. It's likely going on it's last season coming up. The next one will be a 5th, but I am way to Scotch to spend that kind of money. Again, we'll grab a "seasoned" unit and enjoy the hell out of it. All we do is sleep in it- so who cares?