RV and vandwellers wiki

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====== Purchasing the RV ======

===== Buying New =====

Don't by a new RV!

Purchasing a Brand New RV is an //incredibly// bad idea.  Not only do they depreciate like a rock, but even brand new they typically aren't built very well. [[https://www.rvtravel.com/pathetic-quality-rv-dealers-fed-manufacturers-producing-1017b/|This has gotten even worse in the last couple of years.]] To make it worse, the sort of "lemon" and consumer-protection laws that protect you from bad cars typically don't cover RVs.  [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP_u2JR51_Y|Here's an excellent video from a consumer protection attorney explaining why]].

There is some debate about the value of [[rv:extended warranty|extended warranties]].

Buying a new //van// is a slightly different story. It's still not a great financial decision (especially if you're financing), but they don't have the precipitous deprecation that RVs do.  However, you can still expect to lose 50% of the value of a new vehicle within the first four years. 

For some people, this loss of value is an acceptable trade-off if it means they get exactly the van that they want (especially if they have some specialized or esoteric configuration options).  However, unless you are someone to whom losing ~$6,000/year is acceptable, buying used (even slightly used) is almost always the better chose.

===== Buying Used =====

The sweet spot for buying a used RV or Van is typically 3-4 years old. You've let someone else take the biggest chunk of depreciation hit, but you're still enjoying a modern vehicle that has likely good reliability.

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