Too old to purchase RV?

[sooz]

My husband and I have been camping since we were married 47 years ago. He is soon to be 69 and I just turned 65. We started out with a tent, went to a pop up, bought a very used 1977 Winnebago that my hubby rebuilt, purchased a 1998 Coachman class C, now looking to buy a gently used class A. I keep putting the brakes on when we find one. Some of the thoughts that are going through my head; suppose we purchase one and our health fails, we will have to finance and probably never pay it off, is it a good financial decision? We can afford it and have been saving for the down payment, I just can't bring myself to make the purchase. It's not my husband, it's me! Has anyone else felt this way and still made the purchase? Were there regrets? Hoping someone can ease my mind. Thanks!

 

[Joe Hogan]

You only live once. Enjoy each day as it’s your last. Someday it will be.

 

[Retired]

We are 60/55. We bought used and paid cash. Less cost, but I am able to do most repairs myself.

 

[rjwilliams11741]

At 69 and 65 you are spring chickens. I of course don't know your health profile but if it's reasonably good you probably have another 10 to 15 years to enjoy your rig. I will be 80 and my wife 79 this year and my age I am certainly not willing to put myself through "RV Yoga" or climbing on the roof any longer but I still perform a lot of the simple repair and maintenance work. Mostly because I enjoy it. Remember you will never regret what you did do as much as you will look back regret what you didn't do.

 

[Scooterfan]

You've plenty of RVing years left. Consider the reality of each type of RV before a purchase. Trailers and fifth wheels take more effort to set up (IMHO) than a MH does. Also, don't buy new...look around (take your time) for a decent used coach (perhaps wait until after summer). Stay less than 10 years old to get decent financing. Maybe rent a few times to see if it's something you will enjoy and determine what you like and don't like about MH set-ups. If nothing else, this process is fun. Good luck.

 

[gibsito]

You made me laugh with your question, "Is it a good financial decision?" The answer is "no." Buying a depreciating asset like an RV is rarely a good financial decision, and especially so if it is financed. But the question is, "Is it worth it to you?" You said you could afford it, meaning, I assume, that you can afford the monthly payments. Only you and your husband can answer the question as to whether it makes sense for you. I would never do it, simply because it would be too expensive financially to be worth it to me, even though I could easily afford it. Like Retired, I would not give up on the idea but instead would buy used, pay cash and do the repairs myself (which is what I have done for the past 30 years or so). That makes it much more affordable and "worth it" to me, because maintaining it is part of the fun for me, and it doesn't hurt nearly as much financially. But we're all different.

I wouldn't think twice about your ages. I'm almost 68 and don't plan on giving up RVing anytime soon. But I have no health issues either and work actively to maintain that. If your health is good and you don't mind the large financial hit (depreciation, interest, fees, fees and more fees), go for it.

 

[CURMUDGEON]

My husband and I have been camping since we were married 47 years ago. He is soon to be 69 and I just turned 65. We started out with a tent, went to a pop up, bought a very used 1977 Winnebago that my hubby rebuilt, purchased a 1998 Coachman class C, now looking to buy a gently used class A. I keep putting the brakes on when we find one. Some of the thoughts that are going through my head; suppose we purchase one and our health fails, we will have to finance and probably never pay it off, is it a good financial decision? We can afford it and have been saving for the down payment, I just can't bring myself to make the purchase. It's not my husband, it's me! Has anyone else felt this way and still made the purchase? Were there regrets? Hoping someone can ease my mind. Thanks!

We also started out with a tent, then a 22ft HiLo,, which we sold for a hunting camp
Then a 36ft 5th wheel and a F-250, both used but in great shape. We bought this rig about six weeks after I retired.. After putting 40,000 miles on this rig, I had some health problems that included dying, and having a pacemaker put in. The cardiologist told me to find a good recliner chair as that was where I would live for as long as I had left. So we soldythe 5th wheel and truck, and actually recovered our investment. After six month, a change of cardiologist) and a "go enjoy life" diagnosis, we bought a good used truck and a 25ft towable. We kept it for about a year, then sold it and bought a 28 ft trailer. We have enjoyed the newer trailer and have done some remodeling to it.
We talked about a class C, then a class A, but so far have not convinced each other that we need one or can afford one.
I am 74 years old, and my wife is 75. We have plans for about six-eight trips this year, mostly in Texas and less than 300 -miles from home.

 

[Jack L]

I am 85 and my wife is 83 and we graduated in camping/RV'ing the way you did.
Two years ago we bought a new 39 foot travel trailer.
The big difference between you and ourselves, is everything we own is fully paid for and we don't own a dime to anyone, so hell would have to freeze over before we financed anything, so with that said, my advice would be don't do it if you have to finance it

Jack L

 

[AbdRahim]

I got my first RV at 60. I was at a campground and was called a kid by an 85 year old in a big DP. Financially, the question is, can you pay it off and manage any medical expense that you might incur. If you need to finance it, long term (10-15 years), as opposed to closing to finance, perhaps something less expensive would better suit your comfort level. You need to have maintenance money set aside for any possible major expense in addition to the payments.

Life is unpredictable. I was trying to wait until I was over 70 to move to a class A. In the last 5 years, I lost 4 really good friends. After the third, who was only four months older than me, I decided to go for it. It is not an investment. It is a pleasure. You only live once, and what you don’t enjoy, you will leave to someone else to enjoy. Not an easy decision, I know. Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide.

I hope I will be able to buy another at 80, but if not, I am thankful for what I have been able to enjoy.

 

[Goldscooby]

My wife and I are both 58 years old. I know we are not as old as people here but I wanted to relate my story. My wife and I rented a small 23 ft camper in September and had a great time in it. I decided (with my lovely wife of 33 years) to buy an RV even though we are not retired and we don't know what the future will bring. I decided to just go for it, I broke my 401K to pay for it and will be hit with a crap load of taxes because I am not 59 1/2 years old. My friends and my parents think we are crazy. But the moral of my story is I didn't want to be that guy in 20 years that would have said hey why didn't I try RVing when I could have.