RV and resale value - is it worth improving

[Durango Dave]

Hi since this is my first RV i wanted to find out what the facts say about updating what i have vrs getting another one.

So this RV (2007 5th wheel) i consider my home, i dont see it any different than if i purchases a home that has a foundation. Maybe banks and other companies do but i dont, its just that mine is mobile.

So i see it as a long term investment. Now with that frame of mind i do like to improve on my home within limits of course, i dont want to make it so unique that if i do decide to sell one day that its not sellable.

But with some improvements i expect the value to go up just like any home. I do have some long term goals under this bucket list and some of them may be quite expensive (such as improving the insulation inside all the walls, roof, and floor one day).

My question is do i have the right mindset looking at this as an investment or is this more of a disposable living space that when you want more (or differrent) you just sell and buy something else?

Thanks

[cmbaker82]

People value these more like a used car. The prices drop dramatically. Just look at the ones that are for sale. You can easily put more into upgrading and repairing then you will ever get back out of it.

[Frank Tamez]

Originally Posted by Durango Dave

is this more of a disposable living space that when you want more (or different) you just sell (usually at a huge loss) and buy something else?

Thanks

There... Fixed it for you

[Stripe34]

As far as I've seen & heard, chances are that most buyers wouldn't value your improvements enough for you to recoup any of your costs for them.

The standard advice I've seen is for rv owners to only spend $ on what we want, use, and enjoy: not on improvements with intent to increase rv value only.

Will be interested to hear other replies.

[Pricejh]

I hate to be a spoil sport, but... RVs are kind of like mobile homes when it comes to valuation. They tend to depreciate over time. Unlike land, we can make more trailers and RVs without much effort. Sorry.

Over tome, the depreciation curve tends to flatten and it won't loose much more value so long as you maintain it well.

[JohnBoyToo]

And whose to say YOUR upgrades are what a buyer wants...

[Durango Dave]

So more or less its like the old wagon trains coming out west. They drove them till the wheels broke or fell off and that is where they settled down.

PS.. For the younger crowd that does not know, thats why you see broken wagon wheels in peoples yards - its a symbolic representation...

[Durango Dave]

Originally Posted by JohnBoyToo

And whose to say YOUR upgrades are what a buyer wants...

If the upgrades are things like extra insulation, more storage space, rubber roof and such, then most everyone would like it.

The only thing that i did which might limit my resell is the dinette desk conversion.

[Spk64]

I think the biggest thing to help resale is good maintenance with records. This will most likely sway the smart buyer more so than an upgrade. A clean well maintained unit should standout in the crowd the older they get.
We have added quite a few upgrades to our coach but mainly for our own enjoyment and comfort. Those will be lost expenses when we sell.
All bets are off on a trade in, none of the above matters much at that level.

[WendyG]

Don't kid yourself....If you want a home that might appreciate as you do your improvements, then buy sticks and bricks, not an rv.
RV's depreciate. RV's lived in full time may depreciate even more.
If you want to improve the insulation for your own comfort, great. Same with cosmetic upgrades.

[biggcrisp]

The way I look at this subject is: me and the rv are both depreciating...hopefully the wife isn't paying attention. If she is, I could end up getting my knees replaced and or maybe a new rv.

[Durango Dave]

Well im guessing that as long as they are maintained well, its not like they are bio-degradable, they should last 50+ years.

[biggcrisp]

The glues that bind them together is literally age rated for 20 - 30 years.

Look at the post where guys are completely gutting their rigs.

[Durango Dave]

Originally Posted by biggcrisp

The glues that bind them together is literally age rated for 20 - 30 years.

So lets say conservatively 25 years, its already 10 years old so that gives me another 15 years (depending on location, humidity and such) that i can totally depend on it.

That puts me at 68 years old, a bit too young to cash it in but alittle too old to keep up the maintanance. If i could get to 78 in this unit then i would just plan on living in this the rest of my life and handing it down to my kids when im gone. Not that i plan to cash it in at 78 but with my health the way it is at 53 i dont expect to make it to 80 to be honest.

What im trying to do is decide if i should put some money back for another RV or just plan my life around this one.

Im assuming that water lines and connections used in an RV have a very long life span. I would be more concerned about the appliances and the roof structure.

As far as the AC goes a new one of the same model is about $500 and im thinking the only real things that could happen to the AC would be a freon leak or a fan motor burn out which either of those is not too expensive to fix. I was even thinking about possibly carrying a spare fan motor with me while they are still available at a decent price, and not wait for them to be so rare that they are overly pricey.