Chickery's Travels

Chickery's Travels logo. A blue-green Earth globe with continents surrounded by dots with an arrow denoting movement or travel and "Chickery's Travels" as part of the dotted circle. Next to this is a photo of their blue and white Arctic Fox 5th Wheel with the awning out.
  • Home
  • Campground Reviews
    • Alternatives To National Park Campgrounds
    • Best Luxury RV Resorts For All RV Types
    • Best Waterfront Campgrounds For Every Budget
    • Alabama
      • Gunter Hill Campground (Montgomery, Alabama)
    • Arizona
      • Best Campgrounds in Arizona
      • Aspen Campground (Payson, Arizona)
      • LazyDays KOA (Tucson, Arizona)
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, AZ)
    • Arkansas
      • Catherine’s Landing (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
      • Downtown Riverside RV Park (Little Rock, Arkansas)
    • California
      • Best Campgrounds in California
      • Crescent City Redwoods KOA (Crescent City, California)
      • Sea Breeze RV Park (Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station)
    • Delaware
      • Cape Henlopen State Park (Lewes, Delaware)
    • Florida
      • Best Campgrounds in Florida
      • Blue Angel Naval Recreation Area (Pensacola, FL)
      • Jonathan Dickinson State Park (Southeast FL)
      • LazyDays RV Resort (Tampa, FL)
      • MacDill AFB FamCamp (Tampa, FL)
      • Military Camping in Key West
      • Patrick AFB FamCamp (Cocoa Beach, FL)
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, FL)
      • Walt Disney World’s Fort Wilderness (Orlando, FL)
        • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
        • Chickery’s Travels Podcast Episode 5: Fort Wilderness Campground Review
    • Maryland
      • Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)
    • Michigan
      • Port Huron KOA (Kimball, Michigan)
    • Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
      • Boondocking Near Las Vegas
    • New Hampshire
      • Lincoln / Woodstock KOA (New Hampshire)
    • New York
      • Round Pond Recreation Area (West Point, NY)
    • North Carolina
      • Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA (Coinjock, North Carolina)
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma City East KOA (Choctaw, Oklahoma)
    • Texas
      • Best Campgrounds in Texas
      • Alsatian RV Resort (Castroville, Texas)
      • Maverick Ranch (Lajitas, Texas)
      • Texas Wine Country Jellystone (Fredericksburg, Texas)
    • Tennessee
      • Camp Margaritaville (Pigeon Forge, TN)
      • Crossville I-40 KOA (Crossville, TN)
      • Midway RV Park (Memphis, TN)
    • Virginia
      • Complete Guide to Camping at Shenandoah National Park
      • Fort Belvoir Travel Camp (Alexandria, VA)
      • Harrisonburg / Shenandoah Valley KOA (Broadway, Virginia)
      • Luray KOA (Luray, Virginia)
      • Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA (Monroe, Virginia)
      • Shenandoah River State Park (Bentonville, Virginia)
    • Washington
      • Crescent Bar RV Resort (Quincy, Washington)
    • West Virginia
      • Harper’s Ferry KOA (Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia)
  • USA
    • Arizona
      • Apache Trail: A Crazy, Scary, Beautiful Drive
      • Lost Dutchman State Park (Phoenix, Arizona)
      • Phoenix Faves
    • District of Columbia
      • Budget Friendly Fun in Washington D.C.
      • Favorite Hikes near Washington DC
      • Indoor Skydiving and TopGolf: Just Another Day of Family Fun!
    • Florida
      • Best Walt Disney World Festivals For Adults
      • Blowing Rocks Preserve – Jupiter Island, Florida
      • Bok Tower Gardens
      • Daytona Beach – The World’s Most Famous Beach
      • Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
      • Gasparilla – Tampa’s Pirate Invasion
      • 3 Days on the Nature Coast 
      • Florida Freshwater Springs on the Nature Coast
      • Halloween at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
      • Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral
      • Island Hopping at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Parks
      • Must See Sights in St. Augustine, FL – America’s Oldest City
      • Rainbow Springs State Park & Campground (Ocala, Florida)
      • Sunny Sarasota
      • Tampa
        • Get Back to Nature in Tampa Bay
        • Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Spring Training in Tampa, FL
        • The 5 Best Beaches in the Tampa Bay Area
        • Why We Love Tampa
      • Tarpon Springs – The Gulf Coast Town with Greek Flavor
      • Top 5 Things to Do on Florida’s Space Coast
      • What Not to Do When Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
      • Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure
    • Georgia
      • Visiting Atlanta? Don’t Miss These Civil Rights Museums
    • Illinois
      • One Day In The Windy City – Chicago Itinerary
    • Maine
      • Coastal Maine Vacation
      • Monhegan Island Maine
      • Two Days in Acadia National Park
    • Nevada
      • Planning an RV Trip to Nevada
      • Las Vegas RV Campgrounds: Nellis Air Force Base and Lake Mead RV Village
    • Tennessee
      • Burgess Falls: 3 For 1 Waterfall Special
      • National Civil Rights Museum – Memphis, TN
      • Window Cliffs, TN – I’m Not Afraid of Heights, But I am Afraid of Falling!
      • WWII History in Tennessee
    • Texas
      • Best Eats in Fredericksburg
      • Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of Texas Hill Country
  • RV Resources
    • 3 Simple Steps to Find the Best RV Campgrounds
    • 5 Years Full-Time RV: Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret
    • Boondocking – What We Learned From Our First Dry Camping Experience
    • Tips for Boondocking Success
    • Essential RV Gear
      • Essential RV Gear Guide
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • RV Must Have: Tire Pressure Monitoring System
      • RV SnapPads Product Review
      • RVLOCK Keyless Entry Door Handle Installation and Review
      • Shop “RV Local” With TechnoRV
      • Top RV Gadgets & Accessories
      • WeBoost Cellular Booster Review
    • Living in an RV
      • 9 Lessons From 2 1/2 Years on the Road
      • Biggest Regret Full-Time RV Living
      • Dealing with my Biggest Full-Time Travel Struggle, Missing Family While Traveling
      • Downsizing: 3 Areas That Make The Biggest Impact
      • Full-Time RV: 2019 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV: 2018 Year in Review
      • Full-Time RV Travel – 2017 Year In Review
      • How Full-Time RVers Celebrate the Holidays
      • How to Prepare for Full-Time RV Travel
      • Internet Solutions for RV Travelers
      • Learn How to RV Full-Time
      • Living in a Tiny, Traveling Home
      • Making Friends (and reconnecting with old friends) While Traveling Full-Time
      • Pros & Cons of Full-Time RV Travel
      • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
      • Short-Term RV Storage: Leaving The RV Behind
      • Top 3 Lessons Learned & Biggest Regret: 3 Years Full-Time RV Living
      • What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing – Stories from the Road
      • What You Need To Know Before Selling Everything And Moving To An RV
      • Why We Are Traveling Full-Time In Our RV
    • Maintenance Tips
      • DIY Power Upgrade – “Solar Ready” Arctic Fox Fifth Wheel
      • DIY RV Power & Solar Upgrade
      • Easy DIY Project to Protect Your RV Water System
      • An Easy Way to Protect Your RV Water Heater
      • How to Reduce the Likelihood of Tire Blowouts on your RV
      • Odor Free RV Black Tank Tips
      • RV Condensation: What It Is, What It Does, and How To Stop It
      • RV Roofs – What You Need to Know
    • Must Read Books Before Becoming A Full-time RVer
    • RV Organization & Storage Ideas
    • RV Remodel
      • Planning an RV Remodel
      • RV Kitchen Cooking Videos
      • Painting Your RV Interior
      • Update the RV Kitchen – Backsplashes & More
      • Updating Your RV Window Treatments
      • RV Bedroom Makeover
      • RV Remodel Costs with Before & After Photos
      • Vintage Camper Renovation
    • RV Holiday Tour – Decorating Our Small Space
    • RV Hurricane Evacuation
    • RV Misery Can Be Overcome By The Generosity Of Others
    • How Book Readers Can Space and Weight in the RV
    • Slow Travel
    • Small Kitchen Cooking
      • Cooking Videos
      • Eating Healthy on Travel Days
    • Staying Healthy
      • Traveling with Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, and Other Chronic Pain Conditions
    • Trip Planning
    • Traveling with Pets
      • RVing with Your Cat
      • Traveling with Restricted Breed Dogs
    • Why I Prefer RV Travel Over Flying
    • Your Guide To Planning The Best Family Vacation This Summer
  • Travel Finance
    • 5 Tips to Save on RV Travel
    • 5 Ways to Fund Full-Time Travel
    • Full-Time RV Expenses
      • Annual Full-Time RV Expenses – The Big Three
    • Five Credit Card Strategies To Improve Travel
    • How Much Do Campgrounds Cost?
    • How Much Does it Cost to RV Full-Time?
    • How to Camp for Free
    • How to Start a Profitable Blog
    • How to Save Money on RV Fuel Costs
    • How to Save on Food While Camping
    • How We Earn A Living While Traveling Full-Time (And How You Can Too)
    • How We Paid $139,000 of Debt in 2 Years While Full-Time RVing
    • Learn How to Finance Your Dreams
    • The Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Traveling Full-Time
    • Roadmap to Financial Freedom
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report April 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report May 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report June 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report July 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report August 2018
      • Roadmap to Financial Freedom: Accountability Report September/October 2018
    • RV Purchasing
      • RV Purchasing: Understanding RV Types
      • Benefits of Renting an RV
      • Should I Buy A New or Used RV?
      • The Costs of RV Ownership
      • The True Cost of Financing an RV
      • Attend An RV Show – Even If You Already Own An RV | Exciting Reasons Why
    • Save Money Using the Public Library (On More Than Just Books)
  • Military Travel
    • Guide To Using Military Campgrounds
    • Health Care for Retired Military Full-Time RVers
    • Why Military Retirees Should Fly Space-A
  • About Us
    • RV Shows We’re Attending
    • Contact Us
    • Follow Us
    • Why We Are Full-Time RVers

August 11, 2017 by Guest Post 13 Comments

Should I Buy A New or Used RV?

710 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

I see the question of buying a new or used RV on social media quite frequently. I am writing this article to capture my thoughts and research on the topic. Ultimately, it is a personal decision that the buyer(s) will have to make. However, being informed can help you make the best decision for your needs and desires.

Click here to download your FREE RV Shopping Tips!

  • COST
  • Depreciation
  • Dealer Discounts
  • Availability
  • Condition of New and Used
  • Our Experience
  • It’s Up to You
  • Want to Learn More?
  • Related posts:

COST

The first factor, most of the time, is the price. There is no doubt that a used RV will be less than a new one. Just like anything on wheels, an RV will depreciate very quickly once it is driven off the lot. According to a New York Times article, the average new RV loses 25% – 40% of its value almost immediately. They also report that good brands hold their values for the next two years, but drop after that and be worth 35% – 50% of their original values after 5 years.

Depreciation

Here’s a comparison from the NADA guide of four 2019 RV models: a 5th wheel/toy hauler, a diesel class A, a class C, and a travel trailer. The used price is the national average used sales price in 2021.

RV Price New 2019 Used Price 2021
2019 Heartland Cyclone 4200 $101,577 $59,900
2019 Tiffin Phaeton 36GH $310,697 $227,250
2019 Winnebago Aspect M-30J-Ford $109,991 $80,600
2019 Keystone RV Cougar Series M-29 RBK $38,085 $23,850

The depreciation over two years for the 4 RVs averaged 33%. The 5th wheel/toy hauler had the highest depreciation at 41%. The diesel class A and the class C, both had a depreciation of about 27%.

Dealer Discounts

To offset the depreciation a little, many dealers will discount below the suggested retail price. Sometimes you can get large discounts on new RVs at RV shows such as the one in Hershey, PA, and the RV Super Show in Tampa, FL. Many times these discounts can add up to several thousand dollars, but you have to be patient and seek out the deals. You can also get discounts off of the suggested prices of used RVs, but often they will not be as significant as the discounts on new RVs.

Availability

Numerous reports, and my personal experience in buying our RV, indicate that many people trade in or sell their RVs after the first 2 years of ownership. This leaves a lot of RVs available in that sweet spot of depreciation of 2-3 years old. Many will be only slightly used and in great shape.

Condition of New and Used

Most people think that a new RV will not have any problems. That is definitely not the case. I know that in our first year after purchase, we had a lot of warranty work done. We also fixed a lot of minor things ourselves to avoid the hassle. These vehicles are assembled in a “factory” and then put on the road to travel at highway speeds and through rough campground roads. Anything that was not tightened down or had faulty parts should be discovered in that first year. Many dealers will recommend taking that weekend “shake-down” cruise to discover any immediate problems. Needless to say, the first year of owning a new RV requires patience and consistent inspection and repair. Especially since you want to take advantage of the original warranty, and identify any issues before it expires.

With a slightly used, 2 year-old, RV, the problems with the manufacturing should be resolved. This will leave you with only routine maintenance, assuming the RV was taken care by the previous owners. If you are not buying it from a reputable dealer that performs a thorough inspection, take it to someone who will. This will allow you to identify many of the problems before you decide to purchase.

Our Experience

We looked for many years before purchasing our RV. I still feel like we made a mistake. We purchased a new 2015 Heartland Cyclone 4200. The first year was just as I described above. We had several items that needed repair, tightening down, or replacing during the first several months. We even lived in the maintenance bay at the dealership for a few days while they performed warranty work. As we sit today, our RV is worth 41% less than when we bought it but is still in fantastic shape as you can see in this video. We take good care of it and make sure all of the maintenance is performed. It is in almost the same condition as it was when we purchased it, but the market value has dropped by almost half. I would purchase it used today for the recommended price and feel good about the deal.

It’s Up to You

In the end, it comes down to personal feelings and convictions. I know there are some that will never want to put their butt on the same toilet as someone else or sleep in a bed that has been slept in by someone else. For them, purchasing new is worth the peace of mind. Also, the fear of something going wrong with a used RV (especially without a warranty) is a factor for some. There is no need to judge anyone’s reasons for their purchasing decisions. It is how they feel about it that matters.

For us, if we ever buy another RV, we’ve decided to seek out a 2-year-old diesel class A. We will be sure to get it thoroughly inspected before the purchase. The drop in value those first two years is just not worth it to us when we know that many of these trade-ins have not been used very much.

Want to Learn More?

Full-Time RV Finance: Learn tips for budgeting for full-time travel, earning an income on the road, and implementing techniques for saving on campgrounds and more!If you’d like to learn more about saving for your RV purchase, budgeting for the RV lifestyle, earning an income on the road, and minimizing expenses on RV travel check out our book Full-Time RV Finance (available on Amazon).

Wondering if you should buy a new or used RV? How do you know which camper is the best for you? Read our tips and for purchasing an RV, motorhome, travel trailer, or camper.

SaveSave

Related posts:

How to Keep Your RV Cool in the Summer
What We Wish We Knew Before Full-Time RVing – Stories from the Road

Filed Under: Purchasing New or Used, RV Resources Tagged With: Buy A New or Used RV, buy rv, buy used rv, buying a rv, buying a used rv, buying rv, Buying RVs, buying used rv, finding the right rv, how to buy a rv, new or used RV, new rv vs used rv, new vs used rv, old rv vs new rv, Purchase RV, purchase used rv, purchasing rv, purchasing used rv, rv buy, rv new vs used, rv purchase, rv shopping tips, shopping for rvs, things to consider when you're buying an rv, tips for buying an rv, used rv, what to consider before you buy an rv, which rv is right for me

Comments

  1. Karrie says

    August 17, 2017 at 2:13 am

    Why would you get a motor home if you decide to purchase another RV? Just curious. Karrie

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 17, 2017 at 8:57 am

      We’re not sure yet. There are things we love about both. We love the feel of the fifth wheel when we are parked, but it would be nice to have a car instead of a truck to drive around town. If we got a motorhome, it would be the Tiffin Phaeton. However, it is much more expensive than even the high end fifth wheels, and we’re not sure we want to spend that much money. We’ve looked and other motorhomes and the Tiffin Phaeton is the only one we’d consider over our fifth wheel.

      Reply
      • tazman says

        January 7, 2019 at 1:16 pm

        Take a hard look at the Winnebago Forza 38R we bought ours over the Phaeton, we did not want all the wood up grades. bigger engine ( but a Banks Water/Methanol system push a button and 1700 more Horses and about 400 ft pounds the cost about $1600 plus install) Cummings engine, Allison Trans, and Freightliner chassis. for about have the cost of a Phaeton,

        Reply
        • Julie Chickery says

          January 7, 2019 at 11:40 pm

          Love this timing! We were actually looking at Forza’s this week!

          Reply
  2. Karrie Sims says

    August 17, 2017 at 2:15 am

    Why would you get a motor home if you decide to purchase another RV? Just curious. Karrie

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 20, 2017 at 9:05 pm

      We are still undecided if our next RV will be a motor home or another fifth wheel. We do know it will likely be something around 36′. We really like the Tiffin Phaeton, but they are so expensive to us.

      Reply
  3. d says

    August 17, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    We are not full time, but so far we have bought new, and sold the first 2: 1990 (in 1989) Alpine Light Camper 9′ (resold at 80% purchase price in 1995), 1994 Travel Trailer with Slide (purchased 2003 end of season don’t remember brand, sold in 2005, 55% of value; hubby did live in this one for 24 months for work). Currently own 2008 Komfort Travel Trailer 24′ with slide; and is still in excellent shape, well okay needs new batteries. First 2 we started looking for used ones. MOST were open door, and immediately turn around and “nope”, didn’t even look inside. Don’t know if it is the area we live in or what. Obviously good used RV’s are available, see above. But you can’t be picky on floor plans and those that are available get grabbed in private sales very quickly. Both the ones we sold went within days of placing the Ad. Your mileage may vary.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      August 17, 2017 at 10:39 pm

      I’m glad you had good luck with your resales. I have seen a lot of comments from people on Facebook who really have to search hard to find the best “used” RVs.

      Reply
  4. Yoshiko Flora says

    October 19, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    Thanks for the tip about checking whether the used RV one will buy has routine maintenance history in order to avoid getting more money out just to get it back into working shape. If I were to sell an RV, I would not only get a printed list of its maintenance history but have an expert help out in selling it. That way, one can identify parts to be fixed before the sell and know the right price that can get one’s return of investment on it.

    Reply
    • Julie Chickery says

      October 21, 2018 at 11:29 am

      Great advice!

      Reply
  5. Ellie Davis says

    November 19, 2018 at 9:47 pm

    Thank you for pointing out that when it comes to buying an RV you need to get what is best for you. My husband and I are wanting to buy an RV and need to find the best one for us. Hopefully, we can do some research and find the right RV to travel the country in.

    Reply
  6. Skylar Williams says

    December 11, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    I like that you mentioned that an older RV will most likely have the beginning issues taken care of. My brother loves camping and he wants to invest in a fifth wheel, but he couldn’t decide if he wanted to buy used or new. In my opinion, he should be a used fifth wheel.

    Reply
  7. Bloggin Brandi says

    June 1, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    I always say buying an Rv is like buying a house you have to turn into a home. There is no perfect RV. You have to find one that has potential. Have a list of must haves and wants. Buy the right RV for your lifestyle and budget not for anyone else. If they want to come visit you’ll make room or they can get a hotel.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Signup to receive weekly updates and exclusive free content only available to subscribers!

Privacy Policy

Travel Schedule

Recently
Cape Henlopen State Park, DE

Currently
Front Royal, VA

Next Stops
Alaska

 

Notice

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Email

710 shares

Free RV camping guide with over 30 pages of tips and worksheets

Download Now

Never see this message again.

x
x