Thinking about buying a new RV. Any advice? (1 Viewer)

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staphory

staphory

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So my wife and I have been thinking about buying a new RV. We have been thinking about it for about two years and are in a position to potentially get one sometime this summer. We have been watching YouTube and some videos are helpful. Thing is, we haven’t used one before and don’t know what we don’t know.
We intend to use it about one weekend a month ( more during football season) and probably a full week once ore twice a year.
We think we want a Forest River Vibe 28 RB or a Grand Design Transcend. We don’t have kids so we have no need for a bunk house model.
We are aware that these things break and all that goes along with that.
So, any advice?
 
As someone who was talked into buying a travel trailer, then a 5th wheeler... I suggest don't. They are absolute junk in every aspect.

I lucked out and was able to sell mine for almost what we paid because everyone wants one. Maybe if you can pay cash, it's a different story. Having to owe on it was I think P'Oed me off with how poorly built they were.
 
jrdbrn said:
As someone who was talked into buying a travel trailer, then a 5th wheeler... I suggest don't. They are absolute junk in every aspect.

I lucked out and was able to sell mine for almost what we paid because everyone wants one. Maybe if you can pay cash, it's a different story. Having to owe on it was I think P'Oed me off with how poorly built they were.
Click to expand...
why is that? my grandparents pulled an Avion trailer for decades - i don't remember them having much trouble (my grandfather would not have complained about it outloud, but would not have suffered a clunker for long at all)
i loved that thing and always dream of retiring to one (which my wife has told me is not happening, so...)
 
jrdbrn said:
As someone who was talked into buying a travel trailer, then a 5th wheeler... I suggest don't. They are absolute junk in every aspect.

I lucked out and was able to sell mine for almost what we paid because everyone wants one. Maybe if you can pay cash, it's a different story. Having to owe on it was I think P'Oed me off with how poorly built they were.
Click to expand...
Well, I am going into it willingly and I know that they are all just different levels of junk. I figure knowing that beforehand helps. I’m pretty handy at DIY so I can repair most things.
sorry you had a bad experience.
 
1. It is not a buyers market right now.
2. RV manufacturers cannot get insulation and glue as of the last couple of weeks.
3. RV sales are through the roof. They're not going to come down and the markup is ridiculous, to say the least.

They're already cheaply made and this info doesn't put any confidence in my buying situation.
We're in the same boat as you.
However, we bought a used unit about 4 years ago and even though I've made most of the repairs myself, they need constant attention.
If you don't have a way to cover it and protect it from the rain and sun, it will be an even costlier decision.

We do love it and we enjoy camping very much.
The more you educate yourself on the realities of RV'ing, the better off you'll be.

We're going to wait at least another year until the RV manufacturers get back to normal and the prices drop back to pre-Covid prices.

Feel free to PM me if you like.
 
My advice... Go for a Fiberglass model with a cold weather package and auto-leveling jacks... Stay away from aluminum models with exposed hoses and pipes... Everything else is a matter of preference, price point, and personal function. Also, make certain you have more than enough truck to not just pull it, but pull it safely and easily. (That Forest River Vibe 28RB is close to 10k lbs and it's a bumper pull, you'll need a weight distribution hitch, and pulling it with a 1/2 ton truck is possible, but can get scary at high speeds - I bought a Diesel to pull mine - night and day) Invest in a cover. Good luck.
 
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Infoman said:
My advice... Go for a Fiberglass model with a cold weather package and auto-leveling jacks... Stay away from aluminum models with exposed hoses and pipes... Everything else is a matter of preference, price point, and personal function. Also, make certain you have more than enough truck to not just pull it, but pull it safely and easily. Invest in a cover. Good luck.
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Amen!
 
staphory said:
Well, I am going into it willingly and I know that they are all just different levels of junk. I figure knowing that beforehand helps. I’m pretty handy at DIY so I can repair most things.
sorry you had a bad experience.
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The key to rv happiness is called maintenance. 90% of the issues can be prevented or limited by doing your maintenance religiously. We have a 2010 KZ 5th wheel that has been heavily used for 11 years. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. My kids have basically grown up camping. We do 2 weeks in va beach every July along with multiple weekends in PA. Plus I use it every weekend oct-jan. It's been used haha.
My advice on picking one is to pick one that will suite you guys 5-10 years from now. I know that sounds ridiculous but my point is to think ahead. Also....look for exactly the things that you want. RV's are built with just about any configuration you can dream up. Unfortunately you're probably not truly going to learn what options are most important to you until you've owned one.

We just started looking for our next one. My wife and I will sit and cast youtube to the tv and watch walk throughs for hours haha. Right now this one seems to be the front runner. The issue we have is no dedicated bedroom for the kids so not sure if this one will make the final cut but we want a toy hauler this time and living area and kitchen seem to be the most important things and this one has those in spades.

Cedar Creek 385TH - Forest River RV

Details, floorplan, specifications, and more about the Cedar Creek 385TH Fifth Wheels.
forestriverinc.com
 
Swampy Saint said:
1. It is not a buyers market right now.
2. RV manufacturers cannot get insulation and glue as of the last couple of weeks.
3. RV sales are through the roof. They're not going to come down and the markup is ridiculous, to say the least.
Click to expand...




This is exactly what i logged in to say.. OP, if you can somehow go back to 2019 and buy an RV, then do that... Otherwise, I’d wait.

That said, all my life i have been a fan of Class C RV’s, like the one that Kenny Rogers as Brewster Baker drove in the movie that was on HBO incessantly in the early 80s, Six Pack.... but as of late, i have really gotten into Class B camper vans.. specifically, the Winnebago Travato... they are on the Ram Promaster chassis; any Dodge dealer can work on them, they can fit into a regular parking spot or driveway and they average over 20 mpg on the highway, which is EXCEPTIONAL for an RV.. i see them on RV Trader all the time, here is an example of a nice one.. they are not cheap.



.



 
0rion said:
The key to rv happiness is called maintenance. 90% of the issues can be prevented or limited by doing your maintenance religiously. We have a 2010 KZ 5th wheel that has been heavily used for 11 years. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. My kids have basically grown up camping. We do 2 weeks in va beach every July along with multiple weekends in PA. Plus I use it every weekend oct-jan. It's been used haha.
My advice on picking one is to pick one that will suite you guys 5-10 years from now. I know that sounds ridiculous but my point is to think ahead. Also....look for exactly the things that you want. RV's are built with just about any configuration you can dream up. Unfortunately you're probably not truly going to learn what options are most important to you until you've owned one.

We just started looking for our next one. My wife and I will sit and cast youtube to the tv and watch walk throughs for hours haha. Right now this one seems to be the front runner. The issue we have is no dedicated bedroom for the kids so not sure if this one will make the final cut but we want a toy hauler this time and living area and kitchen seem to be the most important things and this one has those in spades.

Cedar Creek 385TH - Forest River RV

Details, floorplan, specifications, and more about the Cedar Creek 385TH Fifth Wheels.
forestriverinc.com
Click to expand...

That thing is insane.
 

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