Are you having trouble making a decision about which RV or maybe which type of RV to buy?
Whether you're buying an RV for the very first time, or whether it's your second or third RV, there is always something to learn.
We have learned a lot in our RV buying experience and we wanted to share what we've learned in the 3 different buying experiences. We learned something in each of them that may help you not have to buy three RVs to get it right.
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What We Learned About Buying An RV
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Know Your Primary Purpose
RVs can be used for practically anything you want to use them for - tailgating, weekend camping, destination camping, part-time travel, full-time travel, living stationary ....you get the picture.
While the flexibility of of how to use your RV is wonderful, you really need to focus in on the primary purpose of using your RV.
So picking an RV designed for the purpose of how you want to use it is very important. If you're just weekend camping or a vacationer, the RV that you're going to use to going to just sit at a destination and go back home is going to be totally different than the RV that you may choose to live full-time in.
If you want wanting to travel and only spend a few days at each location, you may not want a huge RV. Bigger RVs are more to handle, difficult to get in and out of campgrounds and maneuver on secondary roads. You could be unhappy buying a 45ft 5th wheel if your goal is traveling often. Bigger also limits you to finding campgrounds you feel comfortable parking in.
So knowing your primary purpose to start out is going to make a huge difference and narrowing down your choice.
But here's the caveat. Maybe you think you want to vacation and do weekend camping now, but in the back of your head, you're like, Hmm..... maybe I want to full-time someday. Maybe it's something that you've thought about a lot but are not ready to do quite yet. You may consider looking at your RV purchase from the full-time perspective so you don't want to make a change later on.
If you nail down your primary purpose you can avoid over buying or under buying depending on your situation. This is the first mistake to avoid when shopping for your RV.
BRyan Street
Where the Streets wander
"If you nail down your primary purpose you can avoid over buying or under buying depending on your situation and needs."
It's Not All About The Floorplan
After finding your primary purpose and identify your RV type, then you're going to think about the floor plan.
The floorplan is generally what people always get wrapped up in when making a decision.
There's so many more important things than a floor plan. Yes, The floor plan is important and, and you need to think about that when you are shopping. But if you pick the RV strictly by the floor plan, you could end up with something you're not enjoying it down the road.
We challenge you to look at three things:
Quality
Quality is probably the number one thing you should consider buying the RV. Because when you actually take the time to go and sit in different RVs you are going to see that they may have a different feel.
You can experience the difference in craftsmanship by sitting in each rig for a little bit and really look at the details. Each manufacturer has different fit and finishes. You may choose to buy an RV that is better built because as you drive down the road things are vibrating. RVs are like rolling earthquakes and the better the quality the less wear and tear you will experience from your travels.
Choosing quality first could eliminate some of the problems as you go down the road.
Service
Service is very important no matter what RV you buy, if you can't get good service, it's not worth it.
The bottom line, is if you can't get it in and repaired and get it repaired correctly, then you can't use your RV.
Research the dealer and repair facilities available to you before you purchase.
Is the dealer you're purchasing from going to be able to service you adequately? Where are you going to take your RV to get repaired and who is going to stand behind it? Does the manufacturer have an opportunity to service your rig if you went to them? These are things to consider about the RV you are purchasing.
Experience
All of these tips lead back to the whole RV experience and what you want to experience with your RV lifestyle.
If it's travel, or it's a home away from home, or one of the many different ways to enjoy your RV, you don't want to feeling like you chose the wrong RV. and end up not having a good overall RV experience.
Quality and service can make or break your RV lifestyle experience.
Bryan Street
Where the
Streets wander
"Service after the sale should be on the top of your list.
If you can't get your RV fixed
you can't use it."
Need help taming the RV decision making overwhelm?
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Include Upgrades In Your Purchase
After purchasing our first RV we started to put some upgrades on our rig. Things that would make the whole RV experience better. Things like suspension upgrades, endless hot water and solar are nice upgrades to have.
It costs a lot of money out of pocket to add these to an existing RV. So when we purchased our most recent RV we included these upgrades in the purchase. We negotiated at the table for them and for the most part got the labor to install them included in our purchase price. This then got included in our finance deal and we were not out of our savings to have them done.
This could make a difference for you in your next RV purchase. Learn about things you may want to add to your RV. Depending on your purpose you can add what you need when you buy and save some money in the long run.
These tips can help you narrow your focus in your RV buying decision. Choosing quality, service and experience can shortcut your, your RV buying decisions. Having these tips and different perspectives that you can glean from will make a difference in getting and RV you like and will keep.
The adage says that it takes about three times to get the actual RV that you like would love to have and, and live with for a long time. But there are some of us who cannot afford to learn these financial lessons.
We hope these tips can eliminate regrets or mistakes with having a well thought out plan to make your RV purchase.
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