When to say goodbye

artgpo · 09-01-2012, 12:10 AM

I had a notion to move to another RV, something motorized. Earlier this week my wife and I visited a huge motorized dealer in Alvarado, TX. I had seen a Thor Class C online that interested me. We saw several variations of this model as well as a couple of other Class C models, several Class As and a hybrid A/C. We even looked at a used front diesel engine 37' model that was top of the line when it was new.

My biggest surprise was when I got an estimated trade in value for our Cruiser! Our just three year old Cruiser was appraised, sight unseen, to be a couplethousand dollars less than half of what we paid in August, 2009. I knew RVs depreciated but did not realized how much and how fast. At least my Silverado has great retained value......if diesel fuel goes back down in cost.

It seems to me that the best course of action for us is to keep the Cruiser until the extended warranty expires in a few years. At that time we'll make a decision. Just as with a motor vehicle the only way to get your money's worth is to hang on until the cost of ownership exceeds what is reasonable. How can it be cost effective to trade your RV every three years and take a 55% hit? Perhaps we just do not need to have the newest thing on the market?

BipeFlier · 09-01-2012, 01:20 AM

For the most part any RV is a "toy" and you are going to take a bath regardless of how long you keep it or how you dispose of it. Don't waste your time trying to make it a paying proposition, just get what you can afford, not necessarily what you "want". Lots of folks let their "wants" over rule what they can afford and get in way too deep.

NorskeNY · 09-01-2012, 01:38 AM

If you go to class A or C go diesel.
I had a gass'er class A for 13 years - went to a fifth wheel for more room and I purchased a diesel truck - best of both worlds. We pulled a tow vehicle with a motor home - flat tow or tow dolly.

RVs like a boat are a money pit - but we like taking our "home on wheels" with us when we travel.

Edited by: NorskeNY

artgpo · 09-01-2012, 02:09 AM

We did our homework, or so we thought, back in 2009. Our Cruiser was bought with family in mind. Our truck was bought first with the knowledge of just how large and heavy we wanted to go. We have learned much since 2009. Had we spent more time looking at all kinds of RVs I think we would have bought a large Class C or possible a Class A. One thing I am certain of is that used is the way to go. Late model motorized RVs can be had for the same or less than we paid for our truck/Cruiser combination. We are home...less and less these days...and we normally have no need for such a large truck. Most of the time the truck sits in the garage. The truck has just under 41,000 miles in three years, very low for a diesel pickup. It would have been far better to have the RV in storage when not being used than an occasional use of my truck.
We realize that the RV is nothing we needed but something we wanted. As you can see from my signature we use it...a whole lot. Volunteering last year and workcamping this year. 2013 is unknown at this point but probably something of the same duration.
And yes Bob, I enjoy sleeping in my own bed while on the road.

**Lloyd** · 09-01-2012, 04:46 AM

I guess it's different strokes for different folks.
We have owned two class Cs, and one class A. This cruiser is our second 5er.
Myself, I would "never" go back to a MH. I understand that not everybody reasons things out the same way.

cwit · 09-01-2012, 06:52 AM

I'm another one that wants a motor home. I'm thinking of a 34 to 36 ft class A.

Dayle1 · 09-01-2012, 07:48 AM

Art,

I've kept fivers for as little as 3 yrs and as long as 7 yrs, didn't matter, resale has been 50% in all cases. Also, cost of a new (or used) unit will always be greater than the cost of maintenance on the old unit.

Regarding any MH, remember you can't fill up the fuel tank or the propane tank without driving the unit to the fuel station. This can be an issue when parked for a long time. I've been on a number of long volunteer jobs where the MH guys start worrying about running out of propane. I can still change the tires on the fiver or tv, but not on a MH. But what I dislike about all class A's and most class C's is coming in at the end of the day with dirty/muddy work clothes and having to go thru the living and kitchen areas before getting to the bathroom.

What is nice about a MH is having the outside mirrors always pointed in the right direction. One other tradeoff is traveling in hot weather, the need to run the generator (fuel costs) in order to run the roof A/C, but at least the unit is cool when you reach your destination.

**Lloyd** · 09-01-2012, 12:39 PM

Larry made a good point in his post regarding the LP and fuel. I had that exact situation when we had one.
Another issue I have with them is you have two (2) engines and drive trains to maintain. If you have a toad on behind you can't back yourself out of a situation you might get into with out unhooking the toad, drive that out, then the MH, then get hooked back up. If you are using a trailer to haul, then you will stand a better chance.
Art, as you can see, I'm no longer a big fan of MHs.

geondebi · 09-01-2012, 02:13 PM

When we were looking for our first rv we kept an open mind on a 5er or MH. We had friends that had MH went to 5er's and 5er's that went to MH's. Bottom line is we wanted something to drive when we got to the park and just thought using the truck as my daily driver and to pull the 5er. each to there own and have to pay the price. My PP is 6 years and plan to pull it till the wheels fall off.

artgpo · 09-02-2012, 02:57 AM

Guys,
Thanks for the input and opinion. We have no intention of selling/trading/junking the Cruiser at least until 2017 when our extended warranty expires. Once we reach that point we'll see. Hopefully we'llboth enjoy good health and have the desire to continue RVing.

One thing I respectfully disagree withLarry about is selling the RV every couple of years. Say your RV cost $30,000 new and you sell it three years later for $15,000. That is $5,000 a year in depreciation. If you take a few week long trips each year that becomes very costly. We paid $30,000 for our Cruiser in August, 2009 and were just offered $13,000 in trade. I also realize that you buy an RV for pleasure but you have to be practical as well.
Since buying the three new La Z Boy pieces our comfort level has increased dramatically. The furniture in the entry level Class A models and some Class C models we saw are the same crummy pieces as were originally in our Cruiser.
Until 2017 it is this Cruiser for us.

hondavalk · 02-20-2013, 09:54 PM

Sell your trailer yourself. I sold my old trailer on Craigs List within a week for over 3 times what the dealer had offered in trade.

tator447 · 02-21-2013, 12:33 AM

Hondavalk,
Where are you and what unit did you sell. I am looking at going to a 5th wheel, but they want to knock 25% off my 2012 unit in trade-in...that is a deal breaker to me...I have less then 2,000 miles on it and have kept it well, and had no problems with it. The only reason I have never had a garage said is because I am not a salesman nor do I like dickering with people. If I have a year old $800 TV and I ask $500 and someone says $300-400 I get insulted and walk away. I am not a negotiater...if I were a SWAT member in a hostage situation there would be a lot of dead bad guys ..

well, you get my point. Give me an idea how you handled this please, maybe I can kill two birds without throwing any stones

Thanks,
Jim

longhauler · 02-21-2013, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tator447

Hondavalk,
Where are you and what unit did you sell. I am looking at going to a 5th wheel, but they want to knock 25% off my 2012 unit in trade-in...that is a deal breaker to me...I have less then 2,000 miles on it and have kept it well, and had no problems with it. The only reason I have never had a garage said is because I am not a salesman nor do I like dickering with people. If I have a year old $800 TV and I ask $500 and someone says $300-400 I get insulted and walk away. I am not a negotiater...if I were a SWAT member in a hostage situation there would be a lot of dead bad guys ..

well, you get my point. Give me an idea how you handled this please, maybe I can kill two birds without throwing any stones

Thanks,
Jim

You should of been on a SWAT Team I like your thinking.

gball · 02-21-2013, 01:41 AM

Jim:

Selling your trailer yourself is really no different than negotiating with the dealer when you purchased the unit. Only this time you are the dealer so to speak. Just remember that most everyone will want to negotiate the price some. You can establish a price for your unit by viewing the NADA website (www.nadaguides.com/RV). Since you have kept the unit in good condition and it is relatively new you might want to price it close to the top of the highest value shown. Then establish a price that you are willing to sell at and go from there. When we purchased our current unit I sold our 2005 CF29RK by listing it on Craig's list. I listed it at $17,900 and sold it for $16,500 cash so about a 10% discount. You can also advertise it in your local newspaper. Just remember that it may take some time for it to sell (although our unit did sell within 30 days). If someone makes an offer much lower than you are willing to take just tell them that that is an offer you are not willing to accept. You can then either tell them what you will take or terminate the negotiations. The main thing is to keep cool and not be insulted if that happens. It is human nature to offer less than you are willing to pay.

Good luck in your endeavors to sell the unit.

ewbldavis · 02-21-2013, 02:22 AM

Unless you buy an older used unit, you will bathe in it.

Unfortunately, it is worse the higher-end your unit is. We only paid $11,000 for our Zinger (new). We could likely sell it for close to this much (outright only) as older, similar units are still $10-13K at stealerships. I imagine a higher end unit, like a Cruiser, drops more quickly in value.

Only used pop-ups hold up value. We used ours for 4 years and sold it for what we paid.

**Lloyd** · 02-21-2013, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tator447

Hondavalk,
Where are you and what unit did you sell. I am looking at going to a 5th wheel, but they want to knock 25% off my 2012 unit in trade-in...that is a deal breaker to me...I have less then 2,000 miles on it and have kept it well, and had no problems with it. The only reason I have never had a garage said is because I am not a salesman nor do I like dickering with people. If I have a year old $800 TV and I ask $500 and someone says $300-400 I get insulted and walk away. I am not a negotiater...if I were a SWAT member in a hostage situation there would be a lot of dead bad guys ..

well, you get my point. Give me an idea how you handled this please, maybe I can kill two birds without throwing any stones

Thanks,
Jim

Jim, normally we can figure on taking a bath if we sell our rig when it's as new as yours. I talked with my dealer when ours was either one or two years old. The salesman told me right out---Lloyd, you are going to take a real beating if you trade now!!
Have you ever went to the NADA site and priced your unit?? Some times that can be a real eye opener. We decided to keep ours and I'm glad we did. It has everything we need.
You have a real nice unit, and I would encourage you to use it at least another year for a couple different reasons. One being you won't take quite the beating getting rid of it. Two, you will have a year of full timing under your belt, and better able to decide just what you and the wife think is necessary to have to be comfortable.

jmsrbrt · 02-21-2013, 03:51 AM

I must not be thinking straight...I plan on driving the wheels off of my 5th wheel. But then I tend to buy things and drive them until they die. Only way to get my money back.

mwebber78 · 02-21-2013, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artgpo

I had a notion to move to another RV, something motorized. Earlier this week my wife and I visited a huge motorized dealer in Alvarado, TX. I had seen a Thor Class C online that interested me. We saw several variations of this model as well as a couple of other Class C models, several Class As and a hybrid A/C. We even looked at a used front diesel engine 37' model that was top of the line when it was new.

My biggest surprise was when I got an estimated trade in value for our Cruiser! Our just three year old Cruiser was appraised, sight unseen, to be a couplethousand dollars less than half of what we paid in August, 2009. I knew RVs depreciated but did not realized how much and how fast. At least my Silverado has great retained value......if diesel fuel goes back down in cost.

It seems to me that the best course of action for us is to keep the Cruiser until the extended warranty expires in a few years. At that time we'll make a decision. Just as with a motor vehicle the only way to get your money's worth is to hang on until the cost of ownership exceeds what is reasonable. How can it be cost effective to trade your RV every three years and take a 55% hit? Perhaps we just do not need to have the newest thing on the market?

Your going to get, at best, wholesale on a trade if you expect them to move the needle on the new units price. I have never "traded in" a unit, I have always taken the steps to sell a unit on my own accord.

Inall cases, I have netted several thousand more then a dealer wholesale trade. Another factor in the overall cost of an RV is the term you financed at. Most people sign onto a 15-10 year loan term, essentially you pay little to no $$ to the actual value of the RV - your giving away money to the bank. Once you stack up a dealer RV wholesale trade in value, the amount of money you've paid in finance charges, and depreciation most folks are WAY upside down in the value.

Best of luck no matter what you choose.

anaro · 02-21-2013, 11:09 AM

How do you sell a TT on Craigslist if the bank owns the title? I know I would be Leary of giving someone money and then waiting for a title to be mailed to me.

mwebber78 · 02-21-2013, 11:17 AM

anaro -

There are a few options, a bill of sale and contract is a good place to start along with a local buyer. A notary can also offer advice onhow to secure a sale with verification of identity to both parties which can make everyone feel "safe" with the sale.

One common option is a partial payment to clear the lien until the note is released by the bank at which time the sale is completed and remainder of the balance is paid.This is the scenario that I prefer and that I have used in the past.

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