Usually when people come over to buy our items off of Craigslist they ask about our RV parked out front. I would say about half of them think we’re crazy and the other half are really into the idea. For those that are into the idea here is the first installment of our how-to series.
In my opinion, there are 3 major factors to consider when choosing an RV:
1. Budget – This single factor can go a long way in helping you narrow your selection. If you can only get financing for $75,000, then you shouldn’t waste your time looking at $300,000 RVs. Luckily, (depending on how you look at it), RVs are like cars and they lose a lot of their value when they are driven off of the lot. Therefore if you have your eye a $300,000 new model, you should be able to find a used one that’s two or three years old for $150,000 – $200,000, maybe even less if you look in the right places.
2. Destination – Remember Microsoft’s old slogan, “Where do you want to go today?” CM and I eventually want to go RVing in Europe. Having spent some time in Italy, we know that the roads are very narrow. That meant that we needed an RV that was both narrow and short. When looking at different RVs, keep in mind where you will be driving it.
3. Time – How much time do you plan on spending in the RV? When we first started thinking about RVs, we wanted a Toyota RV. We liked them because they are small, they get good gas mileage and we are fans of Japanese engines. Toyota RVs were made during the 80s and the 90s, and as a result, they are very inexpensive. However, after visiting 3 different ones that were for sale locally, we decided that while they would be great for weekend excursions, they were too small for extended trips. So try to figure out how often you plan on using your RV and take that into consideration when choosing an RV.
While there are many other factors that helped us to choose our RV, I would say that these three carried the most weight.
July 6th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
very good point I had not thought of – but I still think the original poster was closer to the answer..
August 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Wow, this is a good blog! I know exactly what you mean about selling your stuff with an RV in the driveway, I went through the same process, and just about wveryone who came over to buy something asked me what the deal was, and when I told them I was selling everything and going on the road, they gave me a funny look.
Of course, a lot of them also mumbled something about wishing they could do the same thing!
Aaron- http://trailertrashtraveler.com – Exploring America on the Cheap!