To buy or not to buy.........and then;

[LoonyBin]

OK, here I am..........been thinking I really wanted to buy a 5er. Found the floorplan we wanted and started doing all the research.

Thanks to many of you and reading on this site, I find there are many other manufacturers that may have better quality than what I thought I wanted.

So, after more thinking (I know, that is dangerous) we starting figuring how much we would actually be using it, the cost of storing it, etc.,etc.

So, if I rent a nice class A and want to head out for a month, it will run us around $3500 for the rental. Do that a couple of times a year and we would be into it around $10K a year with airfares to rental locations, etc. to do the rental thing.

If I want to have a 5er, it looks like I would invest around 100K for TV and trailer.

Hmmm, $30-$50 across 5 years using someone elses nice MH each year with no headaches, dealing with dealers and service people, etc.

Since the wife enjoys the "on the road" experience, but not nearly as much as I do, I really see us only being on the road 3-4 months total per year and that may only last 3-5 years.

That's $20K a year!!! I can rent nice RVs for that, now can't I?

So, my question is................Do I want to purchase? Emotionally, yes. Is it the best way to spend our hard earned retirement money?

Did anyone else go through this and rent for months within a year before taking the plunge?

My wife must be home May and June. I can talk her into a month or so in July/August/September. September/October is very nice around our home here, NC and then she wants to be back home for Christmas holidays and then spend a month in Florida during January.

Any help would be most appreciated!!!!!

Jack

[LoonyBin]

OK, here I am..........been thinking I really wanted to buy a 5er. Found the floorplan we wanted and started doing all the research.

Thanks to many of you and reading on this site, I find there are many other manufacturers that may have better quality than what I thought I wanted.

So, after more thinking (I know, that is dangerous) we starting figuring how much we would actually be using it, the cost of storing it, etc.,etc.

So, if I rent a nice class A and want to head out for a month, it will run us around $3500 for the rental. Do that a couple of times a year and we would be into it around $10K a year with airfares to rental locations, etc. to do the rental thing.

If I want to have a 5er, it looks like I would invest around 100K for TV and trailer.

Hmmm, $30-$50 across 5 years using someone elses nice MH each year with no headaches, dealing with dealers and service people, etc.

Since the wife enjoys the "on the road" experience, but not nearly as much as I do, I really see us only being on the road 3-4 months total per year and that may only last 3-5 years.

That's $20K a year!!! I can rent nice RVs for that, now can't I?

So, my question is................Do I want to purchase? Emotionally, yes. Is it the best way to spend our hard earned retirement money?

Did anyone else go through this and rent for months within a year before taking the plunge?

My wife must be home May and June. I can talk her into a month or so in July/August/September. September/October is very nice around our home here, NC and then she wants to be back home for Christmas holidays and then spend a month in Florida during January.

Any help would be most appreciated!!!!!

Jack

[Hitchhiker]

You might want to consider the residual equity in a $100K 5th wheel/tow vehicle investment after five years as opposed to renting a MH.

[JavaJelly]

The math will never work out. For what I spend a year on my coach (maintenance, insurance, fuel, camping fees, depreciation, COC on money spent, etc) divided by the number of nights I use it. I could stay in the absolute best hotel in any city, eat at the best restaurants, etc.

I believe owning the coach/5er is about freedom, convenience, family time, meeting people and a hobby. I stopped doing the math.

Renting is fine, except you'll never get the features you want as most rentals are sparsely appointed.

I'm not saying what you're proposing is bad, I just stopped looking for a purely financial rational reason to own my coach.

[GaryKD]

Scott is right. There is no math or business case for having a coach. It is a way of life. Whatever way of life each of us chooses, there is a cost and there are benefits. I have never seen a hearse with a luggage rack.

[LoonyBin]

I just want to further say that I realize it is not a math or business decision, but how did you get the bug and make the decision to buy?

[Stormin]

Go for it. You can always go back to what ypur doing now.

[Hitchhiker]

We bought our first RV in 1972 because we enjoyed taking the kids camping on weekends and taking vacations in our own RV. Over the years it has become a part of our lifestyle, I can't imagine not having one.

[Colette and Joe]

Jack
The life style is priceless!!!!
We started do to lots of travel to family's, weddings and graduations and we uncomfortable staying in others homes. We like to rise early, have our coffee, and sit around in what ever Can't do that in someone else's place.
And motels were always terrible traveling with a dog.
We have never regretted our choice and would NEVER travel any other way.
We also would not get to see as much of this country as we have if we had to plan on other means of travel.
Also, once you are active on the forum and learn to join in on some of the impromptu rallies, we all love any excuse to go, even if it is close by, and spend a weekend with our fellow rving friends.
No better way to retire, even with a home base, house.

[JavaJelly]

Loony,

All cases are different. For me, it can be summed up w/the sign-off of one of our members. I apologize for not remembering who.

The gist of the message is, "when we are camping we eat all of our meals together."

I guess you could call it inescapable quality time w/my kids.

Secondly, it is more comfortable in your coach than any hotel room.

Third, the people you meet are generally genuine and friendly. Name the last time you struck up a conversation w/the folks in the hotel room next to you.

[GaryKD]

We bought for the same reason as Richard. The reason was to have our kids see the USA before they went to college (10 year plan). We got it all done except for Alaska. We have our current coach to ensure our grand children see the USA before they go to college (7-12 year plan). Once that is done, I will go full time, forever. When it is time, bury the coach with me in it.

What happened during the kids tour of the USA was I fell in love,,,,,with RVing. The people, places, different things to do around every bend and over every hill. Variety is the spice of life. RVing sure has variety.

Loony, determine what you want out of RVing. What do you want to enjoy?
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>going it alone
<LI>caravans
<LI>rallies
<LI>clubs
<LI>friends & relatives
<LI>family
<LI>birds of a feather
<LI>seeing the USA
<LI>seeing sights you learned about in school
<LI>etc.[/list]There are many ways to enjoy RVing. The freedom to choose can sometimes be a roadblock to making a choice. For me, I keep making choices and go doing different things. I'm going to experience all RVing has to offer. For the last 29 years, it has only gotten better.

[Pusherman]

Loony--

I agree with all the above posts. It's a lifestyle which can't be matched.

One way to 'work the math' may be to purchase a 2-3 year old coach/5'er, letting someone else deal with the initial depreciation. After 3-5 years, you may be surprised how 'little' you paid for this wonderful lifestyle.

There are a lot of used RV's out there which had a lot of tender loving care and can be had for a reasonable price. Also, the original owner will have worked out all the bugs.

[woodworker414]

We travel in a large side door entry TC. We had a Holiday Rambler 36' 5er, we loved it. I got the bug to have a MH,we got that. Then decided that wasn't what we wanted,sold it. Went without a rv for a while, then I wanted to get back into it. Decided that a TC would be the way to go, good thing because I was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration, can't safely drive anymore, the DW doesn't mind driving the TC, she said that she probably would not drive a 5er. So the TC works for us real well, we can still go. I have a adversion to motels, I have to many war storis about motels. With our own rv we KNOW how clean the bathroom and the bed is, that is very important to us. Plus we always the unit when we are traveling, have use of all the facilities when we are sightseeing. Some place to take a comfortable rest when needed. To me its the only way to travel, and ITS ALL MINE. The only way I would have it. So I guess what I'm saying is, I would rather own my own unit.I looked into renting, it scared me, for that kind of money I could buy a nice used unit. My buddy just late last year bought a real nice used 32' 5er, it looks brand new. They are out there,just have go looking. Good Luck on your decision.
Bill

[LoonyBin]

Well, I can't thank you all enough for sharing your "side of the story".

It looks to me like I have all of the symptoms of a "road warrior".

I love to drive, I love to camp and I love the little gadgets and improvements you can make to your camp vehicle when you want to.

I can relate to many of the comments:

I have been on the road with travel for the past 20 years and I have seen every type of hotel/motel you can imagine. I have been robbed at gun point and awakened to gun shots in the middle of the night. I have stayed in the cleanest and nicest places as well.

But, I have never had a conversation with the person in the room next door!

We will continue to camp in our Pop Up while watching all new and inovative changes take place in the RVs.

Best calculation (and to keep the marriage together) it looks like the big purchase time will be November/December 2009.

I have the BUG to full-time......the DW has the bug to part-time............

Anyone out there interested in taking the wife in on trade?