Is Now The Right Time To Buy An RV?

"Buying an RV in a tough economy"

Is Now the Right Time to Buy an RV?

By Alan Wiener, Editor of Everything About RVing.com

The recent volatile fuel prices and the falling value of homes have impacted both RV owners and the Recreation Vehicle  Industry. Even some major major Recreation Vehicle manufacturers have shut their doors permanently.

Quite a few people who recently bought new Recreation Vehicles at the highest monthly payments that they could qualify for are now regretting their decision to get the Recreation Vehicle of their dreams. In other words they over bought their Recreation Vehicle and they are now paying the price for it.

Is this all doom and gloom for RVers and potential RVers? The answer is a resounding NO! If you were ever thinking about buying an Recreation Vehicle or upgrading to a different class of RV, now is the time to do it. Because this is where the basic concept of Supply and Demand (also known as price and demand) you learned in your Economics class in high school kicks in. To put it in RV terms, when fuel is high, the demand for RVs goes down.

With less demand, the RV dealers are going to do everything they can to get rid of those new RVs (in other words they will accept less money for them). The high fuel prices have also caused panic amongst some current RV owners. These owners have hastily made the decision to sell their RVs because they believe that they will no longer be able to afford to use them.

This has created a buyer's market for RVs. Whether you are planning to buy a new or used RV, you will be able to get a lot more for your money. Of course you are going to have to still negotiate the best price you can for what you want, but now more than ever you are in the driver's seat during these negotiations. Depending on what type of RV you are going to buy, the money you save on the purchase price could pay for your fuel for quite awhile.

In some cases you may have to finance your RV purchase. When financing, remember the finance company will give you a loan for as much as you want (based on your credit). But, just because they are going to give you that much credit does not mean that you have to use that much credit. You might believe you can afford the monthly payments. But, you need to ask yourself if you can comfortably afford the monthly RV Loan payments and still have money left over to pay for the other costs of owning an RV such as fuel, maintenance, storage and of course camping. In other words don't overbuy.

Now, let's address the concerns of the cost of going camping in your new RV. The biggest cost, depending on the type of RV you have will be fuel. This would be a major concern if you are planning a 3,500-mile cross-country trip. Now, even for the most avid RVer is not the time to spend the summer seeing the whole US (unless you have deep pockets).

Getting away from it all and camping does not require traveling 100s or 1000s of miles. Look around within a 50-, 60- or 70-mile radius of where you live and you will be surprised at all of the places there are to camp. Remember, the whole point of RVing and camping is to relax and enjoy your surroundings. I guarantee you there is no mileage limit on relaxation. Whether you are 25 miles from home or 2,500 miles from home, you can and should relax: after all, that is what the RVing Lifestyle is all about.

Our family has been RVing for 35 years, and we have been all over the US and Canada and have enjoyed every minute of it. Have we changed our RVing habits as a result of the economic crunch? YES, we are not planning to travel 1000s of miles right now. Have we given up RVing? NO, we just go camping closer to home at places we have not been to before. This change in our habits has not diminished our zeal for nor enjoyment of RVing.

For tips on buying and RV check out the Buying An RV and Financing An RV sections of our website.

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