# New vs. Used



## HoneyDoo

Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated! My wife wants to bite the bullet, and buy a brand new, all the bells and whistles travel trailer...I on the other hand, want to look at a gently used model...Maybe a few years old. It will mostly be stationary, in a park @ the coast..., but occasionally short camping trips with the kids...We are looking at something 35' plus with a bunkroom. I have a 3/4 ton diesel truck. Thanks in advance!


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## Bobby

When you buy new you lose as soon as you drive it off the lot. Also you will have all kinds of bugs to work out. They are not made like a car. They have lots of manufacturer problems. Get one a couple years old and get a extended warranty. PPL is a good place to look at used. No pressure salemen.


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## djwag94

Bobby said:


> When you buy new you lose as soon as you drive it off the lot. Also you will have all kinds of bugs to work out. They are not made like a car. They have lots of manufacturer problems. Get one a couple years old and get a extended warranty. *PPL is a good place to look at used*. No pressure salemen.


^

This & you have one in NB.

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/5thwheel/5th-wheel-trailers.php


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## TX1823

For what you're describing, I'd be considering a gently used camper, especially if you're going to be leaving it at the coast. Like stated before, the new ones depreciate immediately, and unless you know exactly what you want, plan on keeping it along time, and plan on taking it on longer trips, I don't think I'd spend the money on a new one. A lot of folks purchase a camper or boat with a certain idea or expectation in mind, only to realize the camper or boat doesn't fit the need. If you buy used, you'll be in a much better position to get free from it.

I'd definitely go to PPL and look around. Buying used does not mean you don't get the bells and whistles. It just means you don't pay the higher cost associated with a new purchase. At PPL you can get a good feel of the difference from one manufacturer (and/or floorplan) to another, without having to drive excessively and deal with pushy salesman. If you are considering an extended warranty, I'd definitely research the different ones out there. Several of them will not be available when you call them from the side of the highway! and you'll be stuck scratching your head wondering what you spent several thousand dollars on.

All that being said, we purchased our camper (new) a few years ago and to this day, we have not had buyer's remorse one time. I'm also a little OCD on the maintenance with my vehicles, tractor, trailers, etc. and I gained a little piece of mind with purchasing new. I know what has been done to our camper from day one, and I keep a log of anything and everything done to it. Our kids are 7, 8, and 10, and our camper fits what we need now and what we may need or want in 5 years from now. My parents have a fifth wheel they bought used a couple of years ago and have had to replace the A/C unit, a cracked wheel, and a few minor things here and there. My dad did not want a "new" camper payment, and new these things could go out at any time. My in-laws purchased a used RV a year ago and have also had minor things go wrong. There warranty covered some of the things, and did not cover other things...


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## dk2429

We looked for about a year and a half for a use one like you are describing that was half way decent. Every time the ad on craigslist said "mint condition, ready to go, etc..," it was opposite of that. I remember the one that was craziest was when I walked around the side of the bed, I fell straight through the floor. "Mint condition."

Ended up buying brand new from Terry Vaughn in Alvin.


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## HoneyDoo

*New vs. used*

Thanks for all the good advice! It is, very much appreciated!


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## texasfish2252

First make up your mind on what brand and model you want, and then check the websites constantly. I was dead set on a 2013 and up Rockwood 8312SS and one day it appeared on PPL, went and took a look, and made an offer. I had to replace a couple of maintenance items that cost me about 200 dollars but everything else was in mint condition. It still had the floor protection in some spots. Buy a gently used one and let somebody else take the initial hit.


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## WineyFishrman

Rv trader along with Ppl are great sites to check,,, don't lose all the money on new,,,, rvs depreciate enough as it is.. If you patient you can find what you want at vast savings.


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## sea hunt 202

I would go to ppl and pick one out wait a few weeks and the price will drop, and they always do bargin. We bought 3 there and sold them within 1500 of what we paid for it.


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## FISHINGARTIST

Buy new. Trailers are like cars. They get beat up going down the road and a lot of people that buy them don't know how to drive them. We bought new after looking at all the options. We have a 2016 chapparal 390qsmb 40ft long with 4 slides and a center bunk room which I use for an office. Mid profile height. Has a washer drier and tows great with my f250 with airbags. I get 13mpg towing it. Steel frame with aluminum shell. Been full timing it for a year and haven't had any problems.


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## INDIANAINTEXAS

If you've never had an RV. Knowing what to look for without some advice is---well not smart. If your in the Austin-SanAntiono area there are several very good dealers there. Let them know what your doing and they'll keep an eye out for you if they get something in used don't call but go in and let them know your a buyer if they get in what are looking for. PPL is strictly a broker for consignment trailers they aren't concerned about your needs and what might suit you. But if you are knowledgeable and they have what your looking for they are fairly priced.


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## sferg

Keep in mind the average 5th wheel will lose 50% of its value in the first 48 months. after that the depreciation is much slower. Don't be in a hurry to buy, spend 8 weekends looking for the floor plan you decide on. Don't even consider a camper who's owner will not set up and show all systems operating. Check the heater, a/c, hot water heater on both gas and electric as well as refrigerator on both gas and electric. Open the power control center, Inspect the fuse holders. Are they burnt and melted. Take a ladder ( don't trust the cargo ladder, I just don't trust those flimsy things) and inspect the roof. IS it clean or is it black? Inspect the lap sealant around the vents on roof and the seams at the from and rear of the trailer. also look for repairs. Check for soft spots on roof and on slide outs. If an owner doesn't want you to inspect the roof, he has something to hide or knows of a issue. I get on my roof and wash it twice a year and inspect the seams and all lap sealer. Note, brakes and bearings usually are not an issue unless the camper has been parked where water came up into the drums, then the laminated friction material will separate ( glued) from the shoe itself. There are so many issues that can be hiding, not only on a used camper but a brand new unit as well, but At least the new has warranty.


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## detnight

There are a lot of people that buy a RV and take one trip and then it sits for years. The family two doors down from me bought a RV three years ago and took one trip and it has been sitting ever since. I have bought 2 RVs in the last 4yrs (21ft and a 32ft 5th wheel ). The 21ft is a 2007 and had never left the house. It had a water leak is the reason he never used it. Cost me forty dollars to fix. After buying the 32ft Fifth wheel I learned a lot about what to look for in buying. Never trust anything the owner says no matter how old they are. They will lie, but for 4000 I have put 500 in it and still need the repair one wall. But if you can do all the work yourself it is worth it. I have learned a lot about my RV. also REPLACE the tires.


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## Ray Priess

Definitely go the good used route or take a financial beating quickly.


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## BobBobber

New Rvs are full of toxic fumes from materials they use. Go inside one on a hot summer day. Your eyes will sting and breathing is difficult.

Six years or more is usually enough for them to air out.

Rvs from the north are in better condition. Campgrounds are open only about 5 months, due to water and sewer lines freezing. Seldom find an RV that was "lived in" to the point of deteriorating.

We bought ours from a Michigan couple who wintered in Rockport. In Michigan, they stored it under a roof. Condition was great. They decided to buy a condo in Arizona retirement community and live there full time.

Rule out one owned by smokers and pet owners. They're nearly impossible to clean well and smell fresh.

You can find good deals on great units. Scout around to find the one or two that will meet your needs. Then look just for those. You will be amazed at how many of what you want will begin showing up. Don't waste time looking at others you didn't like. Once you crossed them off your list, don't go back. Narrower choices will make your task easier and less stressful. Keep your target in sight.


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## Hunter11

> New Rvs are full of toxic fumes from materials they use. Go inside one on a hot summer day. Your eyes will sting and breathing is difficult.


Maybe El Cheapo or FEMA units. Our last three 5th wheels have been new and we have not had this issue. If you are looking at new units that have toxic fume issues walk away.


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## BobBobber

Hunter11 said:


> Maybe El Cheapo or FEMA units. Our last three 5th wheels have been new and we have not had this issue. If you are looking at new units that have toxic fume issues walk away.


Good to hear. What brands did you buy that didn't smell toxic? That'd be good to share in this thread. Last RV show we went to, the insides of many took your breath away, not from beauty, but from smells.


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## Hunter11

The last two were a Heartland Landmark and our current unit which is a DRV Mobile Suites. No issues with any toxic fumes in either. We picked the MS up and immediately left for a one month trip.


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## Mr. Breeze

From what I have read online, they do not last long if you park them near the coast.


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## BobBobber

Mr. Breeze said:


> From what I have read online, they do not last long if you park them near the coast.


True. Most of the permanent RVers along the coast have corrosion problems everywhere. I have seen entire hitch frames from trailer to coupling with corrosion holes thru the steel I-beams. Aluminum window frames were pitted from corrosion. It's beautiful to look out your window and see the surf or Gulf, but you pay an awful price for that view. To some people, it's worth it, especially if they have considerable disposable income. For me, nope.

Even fiberglass RVs have steel carriages underbelly and all the fastening screws are painted steel. We replaced all of our screws on the outside with stainless when we lived in Corpus Christi. More than 200. There are also different grades of stainless. Cannot remember which one was the best for corrosion problems, but we special-ordered that one from Fastenall Think it cost more than $1 per screw. BTW, many of the screws we replaced were rusted badly. Some heads snapped off when we tried to remove them. We drilled a new hole right alongside those and inserted a stainless. If we had left the factory screws, in time, the moldings and fiberglass sides would have become loose, leaked and ruined the RV, because the original screws no longer had any holding power.


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## bigfishtx

Hunter11 said:


> The last two were a Heartland Landmark and our current unit which is a DRV Mobile Suites. No issues with any toxic fumes in either. We picked the MS up and immediately left for a one month trip.


43' Mobile Suite here. We got it two days after it arrived from the factory and it has never had any bad fumes or smells.


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