What should I consider when buying an RV?

• Determine the total price you are prepared to pay for the complete package including all special equipment & accessories ready for your trip - and more importantly stick to it.
• Determine what you must have and more importantly why, e.g.
  • a boat/motorcycle/push bike etc (depending on size this may mean you must buy a motorhome which you can use to tow a trailer or a tow unit that you can put the boat on the top)
  • amount of living area, size bed, refrigerator, etc
  • aesthetics - colours of upholstery, curtain, flooring, cupboards etc., 
  • a 4 wheel drive because you want to go to certain out of the way places etc
  • special equipment for those places, solar cells, extra batteries, generators etc 
  • creature comforts you cant do without; air conditioning, TV, microwave, toilet/shower, sporting/recreational equipment
  • automatic transmission (because of license requirements or capability - remember both of you might need to be capable of driving it if you are going to out of the way places) 
  • items for special needs, e.g. occupational, health, religious, etc
• Discuss what both of you do not want and more importantly why not - narrow down your choices and be specific (and everyone is different on these - many people will say the exact opposite) e.g.
  • not a motorhome because one has to pack it up every time one moves
  • not a caravan because they are too hard to tow
  • not a pop top caravan because they have to be put up and down all the time
  • A tow unit/caravan/motorhome not over a particular size - because of say fuel economy, towing rating of the vehicle, or what you feel you can handle, where you can store it when not in us
•  If you haven't experienced the type of RV or the type of traveling you intend, where possible, rent similar RVs to that which you are considering and try to simulate the type of traveling you intend. You will be amazed at how different your experience will be compared to how you imagined it.
• Once you have determined what you absolutely must have in the RV, not forgetting clothes, cutlery, crockery, cleaning equipment, tools, etc. Determine what will go where and then make sure it fits and doesn't take you over weight. Remember you will have to take extra water, provisions, fuel etc in certain places and that on most dual axle caravans you have a 400kg limit! Your water alone in some places might use up 100kg of that. Chances are that you will find that you will have to reconsider what you intended to take.
• Try to buy when others are selling and not when everyone else is buying. You will have a bigger choice and likely get a better deal. Many people, especially grey nomads tend to sell in October/November following returning from the Northern winter.
• Think of the broader picture -
  • Just because you are in a different place you will still have the same likes and dislikes, interests and will probably want to continue doing many of them while you travel. So allow for that when planning where you go and what you take (and more importantly what you don't take), e.g. if you haven't found time for the last 20 years to play golf chances are you will not need to take you golf clubs.  
  • Just because you have an RV it does not stop you from using other forms of accommodation - I remember times when dad wants an RV for this reason or that but mum likes to stay at motels/hotel/B&Bs etc (not necessarily all the time) so she does not want to buy an RV. Just because you have an RV does not mean that you cant stay at a motel etc. Once dad understood mum's holiday needs e.g. to stay in motels/resorts etc for some of the time, mum was quite happy to buy the RV and stopped finding excuses why she didn't like the last one she saw.
  •  Years ago my wife and I wanted to tour around the Northern Territory and we wanted to rent a motorhome for a number of reasons. So we rented a "C" Class with the bed over the cab. What we discovered was that the height of the roof above the bed was so low it was claustrophobic and in the heat of the NT, unbearable. We also found that for us they were too underpowered, dropping down gears and speed on every little hill. We never traveled in a "C" Class again. But we did not know that until we tried!! The "C" class however is fine for many people traveling in colder areas or with air conditioning always available or where there is another comfortable bed to use, and that are not in a hurry.
  • Following that trip around NT in the "C" class we decided to motel/hotel/B&B around Tasmania. Everything had to be planned in detail because we had to be at the particular booked accommodation at a particular time. Many of the places we wanted to see we couldn't because from a distance we couldn't make it work. Also after about 10 days living out of suitcases and in different beds every other night we became quite exhausted and ended up cutting it short. We never did another trip like that again either. Nothing gives you the flexibility of an RV. You don't have to plan your trip to the last detail because no matter where you end up you always have accommodation.
  • Your RV will be your home while you travel and women will consider it such. If mum has particular standards for her home she is likely to have the same for the RV. If aesthetics are important they will be in the RV too. How an RV looks, especially the inside, can often be as important as how it operates. If the aesthetics are wrong often other aspects of the RV will be used as excuses. If mum does not like green/red/blue/brown it will not matter if everything else is OK
  • Remember that an RV will always be a compromise, you will not always have everything you want (otherwise you would have to put wheels under your house and try to tow it).
  • The cost of fuel while significant on a long trip will be of minor consequence to your total costs. Consider that most RVs will range from between 15 - 20 litre/100km. So there will only be about 5 litres/100km difference. On a 20,000km trip where fuel is about $1.40/litre it will make only $1400 difference between best and the worst. The depreciation on your rig and other costs, insurance, registration, service etc are likely to be many times more. The savings a good RV will deliver on accommodation will be many times more, not to mention the flexibility and access provided. 
  • Diesels are great on fuel economy especially the new "common rail" turbo diesels offered in the new 4X4 pickups like the Navara, Rodeo, Ranger etc. We regularly get reports of better than 10 litres per 100 km - not towing. That is amazing fuel economy from relatively large & heavy 4X4s. They also tend to get quite amazing torque from them too. Around 400 nm of torque at around 2000 revs has now become quite normal. You would have to go to a big six petrol to get that much torque. But diesel fuel will often cost more, especially in out of the way places. Parts, insurance, service and other costs may also be more. Petrol vehicles can often be quite suitable, give more power and be less expensive to run when all things are considered. Don't rule out LPG either, especially dual fuel vehicles. Price differentials are getting greater and availability is getting better. It is likely to become more popular as petrol/diesel rises in price. Remember you can always convert a petrol vehicle to LPG.
•  Resale value - Eventually you will be selling your RV so what you can get for it and how long it will take is important. Factors to consider when buying ...
  • The longer you intend keeping your RV the less important the resale becomes. If you intend using your rig for a long time, the more suited your rig, the more you will use it and the better value it will provide you. When buying the right RV for that big trip, sure it is important to consider its resale value but not at the expense of buying what you need.
  • Good late model, popular RVs are hard to find, hold their value and are generally easy to sell.
  • Do you sell to the public or sell back to a dealer? This will depend on: how much of a hurry you are in, what dealers are offering, what the units are selling for to the public and how popular your unit is and how easily it will sell, whether you feel confident in selling to the public etc.
  • Do you sell the rig complete or break it up. If you intend selling it to the public and have lots of accessories, and modifications to your RV it may be better to try at least initially to sell it complete.
  • What time of the year do I sell - February to April is often a good time for selling an RV designed for extended travel - many "Grey Nomads" head north for the winter. Towards the end of the year can also be a good time with people wanting to take off south.