RV's . give me the good and bad of owning one

Originally Posted by Imp4
An RV is much like a boat or a pool or a hot tub.
It is a fantastic thing for your neighbor to own.

And I have always found it odd that people mention staying in a Walmart parking lot. I get it that it can be done at no cost, but you get hammered in costs on everything else about owning one.
And you are still in a Walmart parking lot, which may or may not be the safest place in the world but it is surely not the most picturesque....




The Walmarts around here have lots of RVs parked in them but those people are not travelers.

RVs are everywhere. Parking lots, parks, and in neighborhoods too. Literally thousands of them and none of them travel the country.
 
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Don't know we've some interesting things at Walmart parking lots
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Canada Walmarts are the best, and never stay at Walmarts in rednecks town or Arkansas.
 
That's not camping, that's glamping
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+1 on the need to tow a smaller vehicle behind your RV. Some roads through the mountains and canyons have length/height restrictions - but generally speaking it will be a lot easier using a smaller car on a day-to-day basis if you set your RV site up.

Originally Posted by Imp4
And I have always found it odd that people mention staying in a Walmart parking lot. I get it that it can be done at no cost, but you get hammered in costs on everything else about owning one.
And you are still in a Walmart parking lot, which may or may not be the safest place in the world but it is surely not the most picturesque....


In a pinch people can use walmart parking lots as a place to sleep for the next leg of their journey or to take a break for a bit. Definitely not picturesque but it's a decent all-in-one pitstop sort of deal since walmart's inventory is pretty broad.
 
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Originally Posted by WhyMe
buddy of mine inherited a RV from his folks after they passed . he brought it up from SoCal where its been all its life. its a 99 with only 20k on it. for whatever reason this is the only RV i have ever really had time to look and feel since i have been helping him do some maintainance stuff to it.

it a lot roomier than i thought it would be. has most of the stuff needed to live while camping. now i got the itch to buy one. So you guys with Rv experience , please educate me on the pros and cons of owning one. beat some sense into me if its a foolish endeavor

here is one for sale just like my friend has

https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/rvd/d/tacoma-great-deal-sold-coachman/7062531497.html


An RV is a hole in the air to pore money into . If you can afford it and want it , go for it . Otherwise , run . Use those funds to pay down debt or increase savings .
 
RVs can be fun, once you get the kinks worked out. I've learned from my own experiences and from others that all RVs are built to the same low standards. I have a popup camper I bought slightly used at 2 years old. Between fixing leaky water lines, a leaky drain line, a leaky filler hose to the water tank, dodgy wiring, and a torn axle seal, it's astounding that the build quality is that poor. Former father-in-law bought a shiny new 5th wheel, and the third time out with it his toilet backed up. Seems somebody had the brilliant idea of having the toilet drain go UP a slight incline to the black tank, and well, the solid stuff didn't go up the the incline. He fixed it himself, but he found out lots of other owners of that model were having the same issue.

If you're handy, they aren't hard to repair, but as others have said, caulking may crack and you may have roof leaks. The foam gasket around the roof air conditioner units will need periodic replacing. I eventually had to replace the flexible drain line to the sink that folds over; the old one cracked after it flexed enough times. Had to add some elbows to the gas lines because the hoses made sharp bends in places and kinked. I also re-did the 12 volt wiring after finding that somebody took all the 12 volt grounds and tried jamming them under one wire nut. It sorta held together with half a roll of electrical tape wrapped around it, but eventually things fell apart.

Oh yeah, RVs have those propane leak detectors, and they only last about 10 years. Newer ones actually start reminding you to replace them after 10 years, older ones might start giving you false alarms after they reach that age, say at 2 AM when you're asleep. Ask me how I know...
 
I have a 32' travel trailer and we have a seasonal lot near Cape Henlopen, Delaware, (Milton). Cost $2200.00 a year. We pay electric, $30.00- $40.00 a month, 7 months a year. Insurance about $180.00 a year. During summer we're at the beach every weekend, Thursday to Sunday, having surf tags we drive right on, within 50' of the ocean. As for problems, I had to replace the 20 year old water heater, about $450.00. We're looking to buy a new TT now. They've come a long way. Keeping it at the campground year round has it's advantages. Me and the wife love it. I imagine the cost to stay 1 week at any of the beach hotels would run over $1000.00 or a rental house. We live about 1 hour from the campground.
 
Ive owned motorhomes, travel trailers, pop ups, for many years. Here is my advice;

If you are not a handyman, or not mechanically inclined, it will be MUCH cheaper staying in a hotel.
If you can fix most thing, electrical, brakes, wheel bearings, roof leaks, delaminating side walls, window shades, door and locks, etc, AND dont mind having to do some of these repairs while you are camping, then maybe dig into it further.

Even the best ever built RV's will need repair.

But they are also a GREAT way to see the country.
 
Maintenance...maintenance and more maintenance. And the good is when you are done maintaining or fixing it you can go lots of places.
 
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I've had travel trailers for 20 years or so. If you just park them in the open in the sun, then yes lots of maintenance. Really before you buy one , you should sort out storage. I have a metal shed now an a roof. Oriented north and south that keeps the sun off it. Roof needs less maintenance. My 05 jayco 23b always looked new. I keep it spray waxed. Clean the roof once a year. Grease the axles once or twice a year. Winterizing takes about 15 minutes.
 
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Rent one for a week and see if you and your loved ones like it before you spend big bucks buying one.

Seems they depreciate horribly, build quality is a mixed bag, and of course, you have to have a place to store it.

So while it may seem expensive to rent one for a week, it's a lot less expensive than buying one and finding out you don't care for them and taking a bath on selling it on.
 
Originally Posted by javacontour
Rent one for a week and see if you and your loved ones like it before you spend big bucks buying one.

Seems they depreciate horribly, build quality is a mixed bag, and of course, you have to have a place to store it.

So while it may seem expensive to rent one for a week, it's a lot less expensive than buying one and finding out you don't care for them and taking a bath on selling it on.


This.
 
I can Priceline a lot of nice hotel rooms for a lot of nights before the cost of buying, operating, maintaining, and parking an RV of any kind makes sense.
 
Get a camper and a pickup truck. You decouple the living area from the mobility area. Much more convenient and efficient.

With an RV, if the mobility section breaks down, your living section is grounded until it's fixed. Plus, you may need a small vehicle in tow otherwise you are dragging it everywhere with you.
 
Originally Posted by khittner
I can Priceline a lot of nice hotel rooms for a lot of nights before the cost of buying, operating, maintaining, and parking an RV of any kind makes sense.


It's not cheaper. It's only if you enjoy it. Sitting around the campfire with your kids and dogs. Kids can run around. Cooking meals with a group.

We camp with a group of 3 to 4 couples, that's more fun.
 
I've done the math several times and it just doesn't make sense unless you spend a couple of months or more per year in it. Given the cost of a decent unit I would just rent one for a week or two and save the payments for the 11 months you just mow around it.

The only way an ‘RV' makes sense to me is a truck camper so I can tow my boat behind me and then pull it up onshore at a waterfront campsite.
 
Originally Posted by 4WD
Huh, I live half my life in nice hotels …



That's because you are so bourgeoisie 4wd
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Originally Posted by 4WD
Nah, the company pays for nice hotels, on my dime it's likely Best Western, LoL



Well well....

Let me restate that.... You are so welfare 4wd
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