Advantages of New Vs Used ?

wadetech · 09-29-2011, 06:26 AM

Just wondering what your thoughts are on Buying New vs Used? After purchasing a brand new 2011 Zinger, I am starting to thing that it may have been better for us to purchase used ( 1 or 2 Yrs old ) advantages would be... All the kinks and pains would be gone, let someone else have the headache of dealing with Factory Warranty....Extended Warrantys are covered by any RV Dealer. Disadvantages are: Ya never know who or what has been in the trailer, what patches have been made, How many miles are on it, or what damage has been covered up.

For the better part, we are happy we bought new...but we have had a few hic cups along the way....

Should be some interesting replies....Cheers

Keep On Camping

Sirsea · 09-29-2011, 07:01 AM

Travel trailers are just like boats, regardless of whether you buy new or used there will be problems and I don't think you ever get all the kinks out. In December 2009 we bought a new Denali 292 bumper tow and immediately had a list of things to get fixed. In December 2010 we traded it on a new Cruiser 335 5th Wheel and had problems on Day 1. We have about 13,500 miles on it now and it goes back to the dealer when we return to Texas in a couple of weeks.

r2millers · 09-29-2011, 08:19 AM

We bought used and are glad we did. Did a lot ofresearch on what we wanted and found a unit 5 years old but in great condition. Once you start everything up, look at the scratches or lack thereof on the cabinets, etc, you can get a pretty good idea of how "well" it was used. The generator hours, tire wear, roof condition, etc.

If you can find a good used one and save about 40% of one new, you can buy a lot of fuel to go.

Texas1949 · 09-29-2011, 11:24 AM

I just bought a 2006 29RK, it is in great shape shape and I saved a ton of money from the price of a new one.
I did have to look to find this unit and had a lot of help form forum members Larry and Keith.

pulpwood007 · 09-29-2011, 11:27 AM

25 years ago there were great buys in used travel trailers, especially if you had cash. Of course they were much less expensive than now (in dollars) so the sales tax was less as well. You could grab a good buy on a slightly used trailer, use it a few years, and almost get your money back and move on to another. We made some great deals!

Long term financing has really taken the value out of used trailers. Folks overpay for a trailer based on the monthly payment alone. They get ready to sell it in 4 or 5 years and they owe more than it's worth. They simply can't afford to sell it for less than they owe on it. Same way with cars.

I bought a new trailer 2 years ago from an internet dealer in Ohio for about $4K more than local used 3 year old trailers. I wish the old days were still around.

sking · 09-29-2011, 02:21 PM

I bought new and worked out all the kinks, my TT is way cleaner than it was when I bought it. Whoever gets mine when I sell it will get a nice unit.

hhh · 09-29-2011, 03:48 PM

Yes, if you buy new it does take a season's use to work the kinks out. But if you buy a 5 year old trailer, in 5 years it is then 10 years old. What I have found is a 10 year old unit, unless it is in perfect shape, has little value.

artgpo · 09-30-2011, 02:03 AM

I agree with hhh. With new, even if there are issues, there is a warranty. Buy used and you get an opportunity to buy an extended warranty, some which covers little of that which the new does. Plus there can be a high deductible.

In five years my five year old Cruiser will be worth 40% of its purchase price. A five year old used Cruiser in five more years is work 0.

rock1424 · 09-30-2011, 04:03 AM

My brother just this summer bought an '02 Nash TT and got a killer deal on really nice trailer. He had to look long and hard as everything he looked at, until he found this one, was in pretty rough shape. The one he found had been turned into a dealer for a trade in from the original owner (clean one owner

) and was much cleaner and in far better shape than any of the newer rigs he had looked at. He has of course had to do some minor repairs and still has to get the awning either repaired or replaced. He also bought an extended warranty so if he has any major components go out in the next three years he'll be covered.

scott · 09-30-2011, 04:18 AM

We bought a 2 year old Paradise Point and have been very happy with it for the last 5 seasons. We got lucky and did not have to search to far or to long to find the hidden gem. Ours was purchased new by a retired couple that had itmoved from their barnto a summer spot for 2 summers before they traded it in on a larger unit. I've had a few things that needed attention but nothing major. You can get a good deal on a used RV but you will have to look at LOTS of units which requires some travel. Unless you get lucky and find a good one early. Good luck in your search.

r2millers · 09-30-2011, 04:27 AM

I hear you guys on the new units, however, when you spend 40-60% of the original value, it's nice to not have a monthly payment and in five years, I can afford to give it away if I want.

lizzy · 11-08-2011, 12:34 PM

we are thinking of buying a used 2005 cruiser cf26rk from the original owner and it will be our first 5th wheel. I am a little nervous but your comments make me feel a little better, thanks.

Sportsfan949 · 11-08-2011, 10:33 PM

We looked at used 5th wheels and I was amazed at how unkept most were. Severely amature modifications were really bad. The things people do to such huge investments is amazing (ie. adding satellite wiring and attaching black coax down the interior panels in plain view, 1/2 inch holes to attach ?? to the interior panels, carpets never cleaned, etc.) I agree with saving money but if I am going to have the trailer for 5 or more years I want them to be comfortable years.

Just my 2cents. If you find a real good and clean used one then don't wait to long to make the deal. They are few and far between. Good Luck.

WoodedOne · 11-08-2011, 10:42 PM

Prior to our purchase of a new Cruiser 5er, we worked our way up the RV chain by purchasing fairly new, beautifully kept RVs (first a pop-up, then a travel trailer.) This allowed us to do two things:

1) Convinced ourselves, before going all-in on abrand new RV,that we did the right thing by going larger;

2) Enabled us to get our money back (other than upgrades we put on them) when selling!! Yes, both of them sold for exactly what we paid for them 2 yrs earlier!

Once you've looked at several used RV's, it doesn't take much time at all to identify when one has been babied and cared for properly. As an earlier poster stated, that's when you need to act quickly.

And if you continue to take care of it, it WILL sell quickly when you are ready to invest in new. (Don't bother withtrading in at a dealer, as they don't much value the condition. Private parties sure do.)

ewbldavis · 11-09-2011, 02:23 AM

I think it depends on what you find and what you are looking for.

We looked at used travel trailers, but the floorplan we wanted seemed to cost as much or more for a used one than a new one. We are glad we bought new (Zinger 27BHSE). The main lesson we learned is to buy the unit you actually look at. We ordered one, and it was NOT the same as the one we looked at. It is just a fact that manufacturers keep "updating"...sometimes a step backwards before on forward.

Another comment - pop-ups definitely go used. We had ours 4 years and sold it for what we paid. No way would I drop 5-6K for a pop-up.

Pull Dog · 11-20-2011, 12:14 AM

The only things I buy new is clothes, home furnishings and food. All my vehicles, boats and 5th wheel were bought used. We had a discussion about this just the other day and I added up the savings from buying my truck, wife's Ford Escape, 29' Crossroads 5th wheel and my 22' Sea Ray all slightly used but in excellent condition. I figure I saved at least $60k all together considering what I would have paid for brand new. Recreation toys have a profound depreciation schedule. Boats in particular do not wear out.......they die of neglect and abuse. About the same way with RV's. With todays Internet search web sites you can find exactly what you are looking for and if willing to drive into another state you can save a bundle of cash. Most things on RV's and recreation toys can be repaired yourself without a master mechanic certification. I like to buy motor vechicles with a least part of the original factory warranty just in case there is something major wrong I don't see. Without the Internet search tool it would be hard to buy exactlywhat you want.

NH Horseman · 11-20-2011, 05:19 AM

Couple thoughts. 1. Used campers are "one of a kind". 2. New campers you can get from many dealers/places. 3. Why was the used one traded or why is it for sale? 4. New units have kinks, hopefully used ones have them worked out. 5. And, I know DW would say "who slept in my bed"? If you trade often, used is the way to go. If you're going to keep it a long time, new is my option. I bought a 17 foot Shasta in 1971 for $1100.00, used it for 18 years and sold it for $900.00.

FSuperDuty · 11-21-2011, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WoodedOne

Once you've looked at several used RV's, it doesn't take much time at all to identify when one has been babied and cared for properly. As an earlier poster stated, that's when you need to act quickly.

And if you continue to take care of it, it WILL sell quickly when you are ready to invest in new. (Don't bother withtrading in at a dealer, as they don't much value the condition. Private parties sure do.)

Ditto on that. Our (used) 2008 we just bought is another step along the journey. This is our 4th camper and after having looked at so many used units over the years I knew to jump on this one and grab the deal. Furthermore, our 2002 Wildcat was not worth zero and I took good care of it - priced it right, got it super clean and sold it on craigslist in 2 days.

I also prefer to look for well cared for used units because of the nature of the RV warranty and what I'll call the "headache" period I've noticed ... people buying new and then having to run back to the dealer for things (or fix it themselves). No thanks. I've seen enough and done enough homework to shop used.

On the other hand if I had the means, then new is what I'd do. Get to spec out exactly what you want, if you've got a good dealer then a good buying experience and relationship, knowing it's yours first, having a warranty, getting the newest features ...

Financially had I bought a new Cruiser I could not afford to upgrade my truck in a few years. It all depends I guess.

anaro · 11-21-2011, 11:12 AM

As a first time buyer, we debated long and hard on new vs used and looked around a lot. What we found was on a used unit that was 1-3 years old, the dealerships were asking almost as much as what we paid for a new trailer. I know we will take a big depreciation hit on the new trailer but we also planned very carefully and researched a lot so that we would have a 10 yr trailer w/ our 1st trailer (and after 1 season, we still feel it is our 10 yr TT!). Asa newbie, it is some comfort to have the 2 yr warranty to repair things that pop up as we are still figuring out this rv'ing thing and don't want to have to figure out how to fix everything right now. Yes we have had in the shop to get a few kinks worked out and have a couple more to let them work on during the winter, but nothing that is so major that it really bothers us. This is better than a newbie trying to find any signs ofleaks on used and having no clue what looks normal vs bad.

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