Buying New Camper Advice

[406LIFE]

Been borrowing the parents camper for 5 years. Time to buy our own. Got one picked out, just shopping price now.

Extended warranty worth It?
Stuff to ask for in negotiation?
What wasn't worth worrying about?
You should know this before buying...

That kind of stuff is what I'm looking for. Thanks.

 

[Steiny]

I think you would be crazy to buy a new one. You can find one less than 5 years old with very little use or wear for 1/2 to 2/3 the price of new.
Craigslist is slammed full of used campers for sale. And don't borrow money for one, it's a toy, pay cash or don't buy.

Most anything short of serious structural damage can be fixed without breaking the bank.

 

[LaSportsman]

Truck camper, travel trailer, fifth wheel? All have different questions.

In general, don't buy new. Most folks have many warranty issues and then fight the dealer to get them done while not using camper in first year. 3-4 year old saves you depreciation and many problems worked out.

Negotiate out the door price to avoid add-ins.

Full walk through of all systems. If buying in cold weather, wait until you can test all water systems.

Really learn your camper. You pretty much need to be a DIYer but if you e been borrowing parent's, you probably know that.

If buying used, have third party inspector with roof and water damage being biggest items.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Been borrowing the parents camper for 5 years.

Might be less expensive to treat the parents to a vacation trip (air, rail, or ship) during the time(s) you plan to borrow the camper each season. 'Keeps them happy too.

 

[JLDemo]

We're looking at upgrading from our camper as well and have looked far and wide at both used and new. I see no problem buying new. You'll save money on used but you're buying used problems. With new you're going to be paying too much, that's a given, it's a trade off only you will have to stomach. I could go on and on about pro's and con's of buying a new vs old or old vs new, but to answer your questions from my experience:

1. Extended warranty isn't worth it, the money you pay vs the odds you'll use it isn't in your favor. Especially with a new buy. I paid for it once and never used it, that cash could've paid for a lot of new gear!

2. Negotiate the inclusions. Electric awning? (yuppie maybe, but it's nice!) Drop hitch? Plug-in hookups? Full propane tanks? Batteries for smoke/carbon detectors? Tire chalks? Spare tire cover? Tool kit? Gift card to a outdoor store? (You're going to shit when you see how much stuff you'll need) Store credit for maintenance or other gifts? Lots of things to negotiate, these are just ideas to get the wheels turning.

3. Extended warranty wasn't worth it, factory warranty covered the big ticket items anyways. Anything that went wrong was self inflected.

4. You should seriously take a used camper to a RV shop and have them do a complete inspection. Do not buy in the winter. It's too easy to hide the negatives. Make sure you have the correct hitch with drop on it. Our first camper we bought was used and ended up driving to southern Missouri to get the deal we wanted. Drove all the way down there and had to get a deeper drop hitch to level the camper out during tow. Also make sure you have the correct plug-in for the truck to camper. Another added expense that we didn't count on.

In the end new vs used is up to you, we've had both and had good luck on both. Paid too much for new but found the floor plan that worked best for our family, used we got a screaming deal but settled for the price over floor plan. No matter what you buy, be sure to look out of state and be willing to drive to get the deal. The same new camper there might be 5k cheaper in Missouri at a different dealer. Same with used. Good luck!

 

[buckbull]

Campers are almost as bad as boats (Break Out Another Thousand). I went in halves with my sister on our camper to help with the costs. It mostly stays at our hunting property but we do take it out a couple times a year. I think you might be better off to just offer to pay for some maintenance on your parents camper or storage if they are paying for that.

 

[grizzly_]

Get two 6V batteries instead of two 12V batteries. There are many articles from people that know more about batteries than I do as to why. But from experience, they do perform better.

 

[Southern Elk]

Do not buy new! Like it was mentioned above, you can find one that's a few years old for half the price of a new one. Get one with a slide out. It makes it feel much bigger and gives you some room to move around.

 

[idnative1948]

Somebody else asked, so I will also. When you say camper, I think of the camper you load in a truck. If you are talking about travel trailers I could help, having owned four of them over my life. Brother has a dedicated hunting trailer also.

 

[Muskeez]

Good thoughts above! I will add that I have bought a new TT and a used 5th wheel. 5th wheel pulls SO much better. The new TT I swore was built on a Friday afternoon at 3 pm before a holiday and all the employees couldn't wait to get home! SO MANY things done half-azzed. I was constantly fixing silly things myself that first year because it was easier than driving an hour to the dealer, leaving it there and picking it up again in a week.
All campers should come with a notepad on the counter for you to keep a list of what you need to fix before the next trip, that's just the way camper/toy life is.
I like Steiny's advice best in regards to finances. And agree that slightly used is usually the best option. Go through any camper with a fine toothed comb, and don't be bashful about making the dealer fix any issues or if buying private ask for discount for all the flaws you find while realizing you are buying a used product that will have a few cosmetic defects, that's bond to happen.
Happy Shopping

 

[Muskeez]

Roll the awning out and check for tears, and mold spots. They suck to clean. Test hot water heater and all plumbing.

 

[RO1459]

There is a forum out there called The RV Forum and they can and will help you from everything from the tow vehicle to the way to know which RV is right for you. They are very friendly and knowledgeable. Good Luck.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Buy used. Its unreal how much cheaper they are used. Oh ya, and pay cash dont finance anything......

I had a friend pick up a camper for 5K the other day that was 5 years old. Brand new it was 40K......its in CHERRY condition and was garage kept. The deals are out there if you are willing to look for them.

 

[Frenchy]

I too am in the pay cash for used camp. Sucks making monthly payments on something that you MIGHT use 10-20 nights a year!

 

[Gr8bawana]

Buying a used camper that is even 2-3 years old will save you thousands as opposed to a new one and still be like brand new. Most will have been used very little.
We were in no hurry to buy so we looked around and got lucky and found one with a floor plan that was perfect for us with bunk beds in the rear and master bedroom in the front.
When I bought my trailer it had only been used once and was basically still new. It still had the original tires on it which looked brand new, everything worked perfectly, the guy and his wife threw in all the dishes, pots and pans and even the equalizer hitch and bars.

 

[CampRipleyLF]

As mentioned before, I'd look into used. You can finder cheaper and just as good in quality on craigslist in no time.

 

[Jim/Wa]

If you do consider an extended warranty, look carefully at what it covers. Most of the big ticket items in a camper -- AC, fridge, H2O heater, awning, etc -- are covered by individual manufacturer warranties. Even the undercarriage will have a separate warranty.

Also, realize the the number one killer of campers is water damage. Roofs leak, seams leak. If going the used route be sure to check for interior mold, swelling of walls, ceiling stains, and so on.

 

[Speeddmn]

if it has a generator, how many hours can tell you how the camper was used, lots of hours usually means roughing it in the woods w/o any hookups. Low hours means they may have taken it easy and been to lots of rv parks etc..

Also i'll 12th (ish) the pay as much cash as ya can. I have a 27ft toy hauler bumper pull, I like it, don't love it. Wish it had slides, wish we didn't get the dinner style table set up.... List goes on and on.

 

[glass eye]

If shopping for used, don't overlook screaming deals too good to be true. My brother picked up an awesome cab over for free. He figured it was junk because the ad said free, but it was an old lady that wanted it gone because a bum started sleeping in it and she was afraid to confront him.

 

[LaSportsman]

There is a caveat on the generator statement. A generator needs to run under a load on a regular basis. If not, it will have issues.

Tires are another issue. Tires age out before they wear out on RVs.5-7 years is max. The sunnier the climate, the shorter the life. Check the codes for manufacturer dates.