Just need to vent

[Smmast]

I have been doing my research for over a year now, only to hear today..."but will we use it enough at this point in our lives (still working full time) to justify the expense?"
Wind taken right out of sails when faced with what is probably a very fair question. Guess it just gives me more time to save and research, but i'm still pretty bummed today. Thanks for listening and all the great info.

[biggcrisp]

At 55 and 40 (something). We knew it would be sitting in the driveway more than anything else. I'm actually glad that we went ahead because it gives me time for mods and fine tuning everything.

Plus they are not getting any cheaper. Though newer might have better innovations...or maybe not?

[LarrytheBear]

You don't have to invest too much to get an RV that is good for weekend and vacation use. Great for enjoyment and learning.

Most people do not regret starting too soon. They regret not starting sooner.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by LarrytheBear

Most people do not regret starting too soon. They regret not starting sooner.

Yep, late DW never got a chance to really enjoy what she worked all her life for.

[nothermark]

Originally Posted by Smmast

I have been doing my research for over a year now, only to hear today..."but will we use it enough at this point in our lives (still working full time) to justify the expense?"
Wind taken right out of sails when faced with what is probably a very fair question. Guess it just gives me more time to save and research, but i'm still pretty bummed today. Thanks for listening and all the great info.

That would make me wonder how much it would get used after retirement. Some folks like to travel, some really do not want to leave home.

It might partly depend on how old you are and what you want to buy. I can easily see why dropping the cost of a new 40 ft DP would be different from buying a used gasser you could use to find out if you liked RV living. The depreciation on the DP would be less than the cost of the gas unit. Camped within a few hundred miles from home to work out the other issues around RV ownership won't matter that much what you are driving. Anything is a total difference from a motel room.

[rmbmrm]

We went back and forth for over a year about the same thing. Like your spouse, I was in the 'but will we use it enough' camp. Finally decided that while we won't use it as much now, we have the chance to spread out the payments for it while we are still working and be able to buy something a little higher value that we first were thinking.

Now I'm glad we did that, as we also get to 'practice' a bit before we hit the road for longer trips. We are also outfitting it while our income is higher than it will be in retirement.

[Kenaleslie]

We have a older class a new tires new air springs new front springs good generator. full of gas . insurance payed for a year no payments. Dont have to worry about sides leaking or not working. We can leave and come back when we wont. Trying to say why have to sell your house for a down payment in a new rig.then 6 to 8 months being repaired so you can use it for a few weeks before something else breaks that you have to borrow money to fix. We keep our 1997 mod with no leaks no slides and no problems and most of all no payments

[Tha_Rooster]

Originally Posted by Smmast

I have been doing my research for over a year now, only to hear today..."but will we use it enough at this point in our lives (still working full time) to justify the expense?"
Wind taken right out of sails when faced with what is probably a very fair question. Guess it just gives me more time to save and research, but i'm still pretty bummed today. Thanks for listening and all the great info.

Kinda hard to justify any wants.

[jimcumminsw]

Before both of us retired, we would take two weeks in the summer and travel somewhere. We would than camp at least once a month for a long weekend near where we lived. We both love fall camping so, we would spend four or five days in the late fall somewhere camping.

Now that we are retired and have been for 10 years. We still take long weekends once a month (four or five days) and camp somewhere. We than take 3 to 4 week trip to some destination. That's about all of the traveling we do now. We are so busy now doing other things that we need to schedule our camping time.

Remember it is not the destination but the journey getting there that is the fun part. Take your time and enjoy what you can enjoy for the time you have. You do not need to use the trailer every day just to enjoy getting away from every day life.

[pbucha]

All good arguments and replies. We will buy next month or early September. It was me wanting to buy cheap while the wife has been pushing for the high end DP. I am in her camp now. Wondering if the questions and resistance would be the same if it were a vacation home that was used 6-10 times per year? I've started thinking about it as a vacation home on wheels. Somehow that helps me justify $200k. I'll be darned if I'm leaving all our money for the kids! Time to use it while we are able.

[WanderingUSA]

Originally Posted by Smmast

"but will we use it enough at this point in our lives (still working full time) to justify the expense?"

This is an interesting dilemma and I feel your pain. There's quite a few opinions on this and I'll provide mine.

Just about anything that has tires and consumes fuel will depreciate the moment you take title. There's also the associated overhead such as insurance that will need to be paid even if you're not using it. I'm not one to buy something I'm not planning on using. When it comes to mechanical things, if they aren't being used, they have a habit of creating problems.

I'll ask if you've figured out where it will be stored when it's not in use and if it will be sheltered or in the elements?

Originally Posted by biggcrisp

Plus they are not getting any cheaper. Though newer might have better innovations...or maybe not?

I wouldn't be so quick to say they aren't getting any cheaper. Maybe today that's the case. This industry has experiencing record sales over the past few years and at some point, the market could become saturated with more sellers than buyers. When and if that happens, like anything else, what goes up must come down. Just like it did in 2007, the buyers who saved and can afford to pay cash could have some great opportunities on both new and pre-owned models.

Just my opinion.

[Sweetbriar]

Originally Posted by Smmast

I have been doing my research for over a year now, only to hear today..."but will we use it enough at this point in our lives (still working full time) to justify the expense?"
Wind taken right out of sails when faced with what is probably a very fair question. Guess it just gives me more time to save and research, but i'm still pretty bummed today. Thanks for listening and all the great info.

Only you can answer the question. When we jumped in with both feet going from nothing to a used gas Class A we committed to getting out at least every other weekend from Easter until Thanksgiving and two weeks each summer. Still working full time.

Fast forward six years, 42,000 miles, 26 states and two Canadian Provinces later we're still going strong with our original commitment. We're also counting down to when we're ready for a bigger coach, retirement and heading out not on 14 day adventures but 90 days without a schedule. The coach has been a bit of an expense but 75% of it, other than fuel and CG fees, was optional stuff to make the coach just a bit more comfortable when on the road.

[MSHappyCampers]

My advice would be to start out with a travel trailer or 5th wheel for a while to be sure both of you really enjoy the experience! We pulled 5ers for 12 years before getting the MH. Back then we were still working and could only camp on weekends and a couple of weeks vacation.

After retiring and deciding that we wanted to travel around the country, we thought that the motorhome would be a better choice! We love it, but would do the same thing if we had it to do over!

[Waiter21]

One of the advantages of buying an older MH, when it sits for 9 month out of the year, its a little more palatable if I only have $15k sitting out there.