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RV or to not RV

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rv_ton

RVF Newbee
Joined
Dec 20, 2020
Messages
2
Hello,
Good day/evening...
Does anyone have a good estimate of how much time (in days or months per year) someone has to spend RV'ing to justify buying an RV versus renting an RV?
Just as an example, if I RV only 3 months per year, I might be financially better off just renting an RV.

Thanks.

rv_ton
 
Welcome @rv_ton to the forum. Purchasing an RV is more a life style decision. Do you you want to pack and unpack the RV every time you use it? Do you want to sleep in someone else’s bed? Looking at it strictly from a financial aspect I doubt many of us would purchase. I knew I would take a big depreciation hit but felt the advantages of owning and the life style was worth it and something I could afford.
 
Probably too many variables to give you any type of answer. Owning, or renting an RV for that matter, is not cheap.

I suppose you should ask yourself, is it cheaper to rent a car or just go ahead and buy a car? Obviously it is better to purchase a car, which is a depreciating asset. Remember, any company who rents RVs are not only paying for the RV, the maintenance, the insurance, but they are making a healthy profit also.

For us, one of the main draws to living and traveling in our RV is that it is our home. Renting an RV would never work for me.
 
I agree with NWIP. We rented for 3 years before buying and found the hassle of packing and unpacking to be a real downer. Being "spur of the moment people" we also really disliked the issue of having to reserve rental units so far ahead of time. As former cruising boat owners we understood the depreciating asset issue but also like NWIP felt that the advantage of owing outweighed the negatives especially since we live in the Eastern Sierra's near Lake Tahoe and are 1 hour or less from numerous really great RVing areas. We did however benefit from renting as it allowed us to experience a number of different units which helped us decide what we wanted and didn't want in an RV.
 
First you need to determine what type of RVing you want to do. For example, are you interested in state and national parks? That could limit the size you’re looking for. Are you interested in boondocking or glamping. That could shift your attention to either more self sustainable systems (i.e. solar panels, generator, etc.) or higher end creature comforts such as washer/dryer, dishwasher, etc. How many people do you need to take along? Will it be one, two, ten?
In our situation it’s myself and my wife with the occasional grandchild or two. We opted to buy a custom ordered Rockwood 2205s Mini Lite travel trailer. A nice middle of the road system that allows us to set up camp just about anyplace and then use the tow vehicle to explore. This is not our first RV so by now we had a good idea what would work for us. And, by owning vs renting we can keep it ready to go so much less logistical planning.
 
Have you spent any time in an RV, or camping at all? Perhaps you should rent one a few times to see whether or not you would like it. Rent a different type each time, trailer , Class C, Class A. Get a good feel for what you like and dislike, and how different floor plans work for you.

Visit many dealers, and walk through sit, lay down, etc. Ask if you could live in this arrangement for any length of time.

How often do you plan to use it? If you only use it once or twice a year, perhaps renting is the way to go, assuming you don't mind the inconveniences mentioned above. If you want to use it every weekend, then you will no doubt want to buy.

Do you have a safe place to store it when not in use? Or will you have to pay to store it somewhere?

Are you handy with tools, electricity etc? Or in addition to the cost of the RV, and the cost of camping and traveling, can you afford to pay some $50 to several hundred dollars each time something needs fixing (which is regularly).

That being said, with this COVID stuff, I don't even want to stay in a hotel room, these days.

I know I asked all questions, but hopefully as you answer these for yourself the answer, for you, will become obvious.
 
Thanks for all the great responses. I'll try to summarize some thoughts I have about RV'ing:
1.) Definitely want to rent at first to see if I like the experience and, if so, what RV to buy.
2.) I don't have the big budget to buy the high models nor do I want to tow a car around.
3.) Currently it is just for me but might include a grandchild in the future.
4.) It will not be a lifestyle change per se -- just want to be able to take off several months per year and visit National Parks and National Recreational Areas, mostly out west. Possibly also west Canada -- think roughly the center of both USA and Canada and then go westward. :)
5.) The COVID situation will most likely (hopefully) clear up soon so I don't think that factors into the equation long term (but who knows...).
6.) Also, any ideas about buying used (and inspected) versus buying "new"?

With the above updated information, I think rental is the way to go for a year or so. If I find myself in the RV more than at my home, its time to buy.
Any feedback would be appreciated?
Thanks
 
We have been planning transitioning from tent camping to RVing for 11 years. Previously, we tried a travel trailer, but it literally fell apart on us. This summer will be the perfect time for us to take a cross country trip, as we have 2 months of vacation time together as a family. We thought about renting, but in the end, our 10k or 12k rental for an RV, where we have nothing in the end but photos and memories, vs. buying, where we have something to use next year, and the next, and so on, well, we didn't think renting was best for us. I know...renting means the headaches don't belong to us, but then, neither does the RV in the end. Financially, I don't know. I just don't like shelling out thousands of dollars and not coming home with something. Ask me again in September. I might be singing a different tune.
 
We have been planning transitioning from tent camping to RVing for 11 years. Previously, we tried a travel trailer, but it literally fell apart on us. This summer will be the perfect time for us to take a cross country trip, as we have 2 months of vacation time together as a family. We thought about renting, but in the end, our 10k or 12k rental for an RV, where we have nothing in the end but photos and memories, vs. buying, where we have something to use next year, and the next, and so on, well, we didn't think renting was best for us. I know...renting means the headaches don't belong to us, but then, neither does the RV in the end. Financially, I don't know. I just don't like shelling out thousands of dollars and not coming home with something. Ask me again in September. I might be singing a different tune.
I think you are correct.

Probably about the minimum you can rent a small Class C is around $4,000 to $4,500 per month. If you are out on the road for a couple summer months that is a lot of money. I'm guessing the average payment most folks would be making on a small Class C would be somewhere in the range of $300 to $400 per month. So even if I only used it 2 months a year I would rather pay out $5,000 to $6,000 in payments, insurance, and maintenance rather than $8,000 or $9,000 in rent money.
 
As NWIP stated, it is a lifestyle so doing it as a cheaper alternative to let’s say, renting a house or rental condo, it could be or it could be a wash. We usually rent a large house on a nice well established family oriented island on the east every year. The cost is about $3000 for the week. Owning our own RV and being able to go to multiple destinations, roughly $4500 to $5000 per year. However, that is more than just one week.

So it cost more but gives us more time vacationing at different spots. Plus as stated, sleeping in our beds and not someone else’s not knowing what their hygiene practices are!

It is not a cost saving practice that far outweighs renting, however, it is ours and we do not pay someone else to get excessively rich off us. Campgrounds are still fairly economical for what you get and the camping culture is, well, fun to be a part of.
 

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