Community Forums

chuckster52 · 01-13-2018, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanslam

So far the responses do not seem to be too scientific. It appears it's all want based responses. Which of course I totally understand. But of course I was hoping to hear the five year or under 50,000 miles is the time to sell. Not because I am looking to get rid of my current ride. But because I didn't want to miss out on the right time to sell. So I guess I will keep my little peace of joy until a "Sweat Deal" comes along on something better.

I always thought that exactly...and of coarse you get more the newer they are when you trade.....but have traded them 55,000 miles 5 yrs old and almost 8 yrs with 100,000 miles...not a big difference..
the biggest factor seems to be...the Mfg of the motorhome.....I had 2 that the dealers came right out and told me the only way I'd get a decent deal,was to sell my coach and come in without a trade...they didn't want that BRAND as a trade....C

Crasher · 01-13-2018, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanslam

So far the responses do not seem to be too scientific. It appears it's all want based responses. Which of course I totally understand. But of course I was hoping to hear the five year or under 50,000 miles is the time to sell. Not because I am looking to get rid of my current ride. But because I didn't want to miss out on the right time to sell. So I guess I will keep my little peace of joy until a "Sweat Deal" comes along on something better.

There is no way to justify having a motorhome other than "I Want One". When it came to replacing one, at least with me, that "Want" emotion comes front and center and until it was satisfied, I wasn't happy. Once that desire emotion stepped up, I could come up with all kinds of reasons to trade for a "Better" ride. We've all done it. I was cautious enough not to go into long term debt on any of them, but I do scratch my head thinking "WOW" when I add up what I have spent on motorhomes in the last 20+ years. At least on this last coach, I can blame it on my wife. She said it was only money and that made it OK.

rewillia · 01-13-2018, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanslam

Is there a sweet spot in motorhome ownership time frame where it makes sense to trade in?

In some aspects, the "sweet spot" as you refer to it may be when they are approaching ≳10-years of age as lenders typically will not finance them or at least a wider majority of those coaches placing them into a cash buyer only market. In fact, it may be sooner than that such as the case for trading at 5-7 years as the Dealers are similarly aware of the financing challenges that lie ahead and don't want to deal with something they can't easily flip - in most cases resulting in the trade in values diminishing significantly for older coaches (owing to the dealer's expectation of having to wholesale such units).

IMO, The same logic in terms of the true cost of ownership can be applied in terms of buying new vs. used. There is no magic pill albeit many will argue these points. From my perspective its a pay me now or pay me later fact of life. Furthermore, there are likely many to be found that tend to trade every 2-years just to try and stay within those age variables, i.e. they buy 2-3 year old pre-owns, then trade off them for another in 2-3 years for a similar pre-owned unit which in fact if one is up for that degree of change frequency may indeed be another form of "sweet spot".

Fiesta48 · 01-13-2018, 11:32 AM

We have more disposible income now than ever before, after being retired 15 years. Now 70. I want, don't need, a newer more expensive motorhome. We looked a Amer. Eagle. for another $250k.
But wife likes our present Discovery very much, the Eagle had less storage, and I would have to start all over again fixing everything.
So what did we do? Bought a 5th wheel and Pick Up for my SIL.

tropical36 · 01-13-2018, 01:51 PM

There is no sweet spot for, moving up and coming out ahead monetarily, so like said, it's a want thing and with our present rig, it's most likely going to be a question of which one of us is built the best, for longevity at this point. I do get the feeling, that with the right care to the coach, it will outlast me, no matter what the care or at least until I can no longer drive it.

Arizona · 01-13-2018, 02:26 PM

A lot of people will keep buying every two years or so as long as they can pay the payment and never plan to pay any motorhome off. People do it with cars too. What really scares them is a big repair bill or new tires because that’s not built into the monthly budget.
Kind of like leasing except when the traveling is done it goes back to the bank.

SeeTheUSA · 01-13-2018, 02:29 PM

We get a new one when the current one gets dirty.

chunker · 01-13-2018, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

X2

Our friends always say......."You can't spend other people's money!"

Tell that to governments of all levels.

tropical36 · 01-13-2018, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arizona

A lot of people will keep buying every two years or so as long as they can pay the payment and never plan to pay any motorhome off. People do it with cars too. What really scares them is a big repair bill or new tires because that’s not built into the monthly budget.
Kind of like leasing except when the traveling is done it goes back to the bank.

I call leasing, a form of renting and just one step away from the bank owning it.
Knew more than one who traded and financed so often, they were never paying for the one they were driving, but for one that they had owned (the banks actually), years before. Don't think they ever fully understood the concept, either.

Arkie_ENT · 01-13-2018, 10:46 PM

I tell my wife this is ABSOLUTELY the last one I'll buy!

bluepill · 01-13-2018, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeeTheUSA

We get a new one when the current one gets dirty.

In the 1960's we used to say "Time to trade it in - the ash tray is almost full"

I have a lot of motorcycle rider friends who are always changing rides. Yeah, under $20K is not the same as $200K, but they always loose money from depreciation and sales tax. I was very happy to buy a 2 year old bike with 5600 miles for half of what the previous owner paid new.

His loss = My gain.

Bubba1 · 01-13-2018, 11:28 PM

We're on our third RV in 19 years of RVing, so not quite the "every 1 to 5 years." But we've traded mainly to upgrade to bigger, badder, faster RV's. Our first RV was a travel trailer. After about six months of ownership and use, we decided we wanted a motorhome for the added storage and convenience. It was a gas coach and we loved the livability of the floorplan. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a maintenance nightmare. After 3 years of fighting with the manufacturer of the house portion and the chassis manufacturer over the issues we were having with that particular motorhome, we traded it for our current DP. We've had it for 15 years and still love it. However, we would love to have some of the newer technology that is available in the newer coaches. If the wife and I found one with a floorplan we both liked, we would trade in a heartbeat...if it was within our budget of course!!

SCVJeff · 01-13-2018, 11:50 PM

In the fortunate position of money not being the object..... We like what we have. I have done a LOT of mods and added gadgets to this coach to make it "livable" and "cool", and these are things that I couldn't get buying new. So... it's a project, and it's fun. If/ when we change coaches it will be because I can't upgrade this one any further. Then, maybe..

momdoc · 01-14-2018, 05:08 AM

Funny when we lived in the US I had to have a new car every 2 years or so. Now here in the islands it is not the same. Currently we have 2 cars here. One is a 1997 Jeep Wrangler and the other a 2005 Nissan X-Trail. Happy with both.

We currently have our 1 year old Class C for sale and the reason is that we are having so much fun living in it for half the year (other half is in the Dominican Republic) that we need more room. So upgrading to a new coach.