Buying a New or Used RV: How to Decide

Are you interested in buying a recreational vehicle, better known as an RV, soon? Before you do, you’ll need to make a very difficult decision.

You’re going to have to decide if you want to invest in a new or used RV. You can drive either a new recreational vehicle or a used recreational vehicle off a recreational vehicle dealer’s lot and start putting it to good use right away.

But ideally, you should choose which direction you’re going to plan to go in prior to heading out to buy a recreational vehicle. It’ll make the process go so much smoother than it would otherwise.

So today, we’re going to take a look at some of the factors you’ll want to consider when you’re trying to decide between a new or used RV. Learn all about them below and think about them as you set out to make a final decision.

How Are You Planning On Using an RV?

Once you drive off in a recreational vehicle after buying it, what exactly are you going to use it for? That’s a question that you should ask yourself almost right away when you’re in the market for one.

If you plan on spending the next few years driving an RV all across the country, you’re going to put your fair share of miles on it. In this case, buying a new RV might be in your best interest. It’ll be able to handle everything that you’re going to inevitably throw at it in the years to come.

But if, on the other hand, you only plan on spending the next few years driving an RV around in your state from time to time, you might not need to spend the money that it’ll take to buy a new RV. You can get away with buying a used RV since you aren’t going to put too many miles on it.

At the end of the day, it depends largely on what you want to use an RV for. The more that you’re going to use it, the newer it should be.

What Is Your Budget for Buying an RV?

If you know that you’re going to be buying either a new or used RV soon, you should come up with a budget for it. You should check out your financial situation and see what you can afford to spend on a recreational vehicle ahead of time.

RVs can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to well over $100,000 depending on everything from how big they are to which features they have inside. The cost of an RV is also going to be dependent on whether it’s new or used.

If you buy a brand-new RV, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to see a high price tag on it. It might not be in the budget for you.

Used RVs, meanwhile, tend to be available for just a fraction of what new ones cost. It could make it easier for you to pay for one.

Your budget is something you should always take into consideration when you’re having the new or used RV debate. It’s going to guide you in the right direction.

Which Features Do You Want an RV to Have?

Another thing that you should do before you buy a recreational vehicle is sit down and create a list of the features that you want your RV to have. You should let your imagination run wild as you jot down the features that you’d like to see in an RV.

You can then use this list of features to narrow down your RV options. You can also use it to determine whether a new or used RV would be a better fit for you.

If you have a lot of newer features on your list that are absolutely must-have items, you might be looking at buying a new RV as opposed to a used one. If you don’t have too many newer features at all, a used RV might do the trick.

Either way, you can Google “RV for sale Boise” to find RVs that meet your requirements in no time at all.

How Long Will You Keep an RV?

If you’re already planning to get rid of an RV before you even buy it, buying one might not be the right move for you to make. But at the same time, you should have some general idea as to how long you’ll want to keep an RV around before getting rid of it.

If you’re going to plan to keep an RV for the next 20 years, it might make all the sense in the world to buy one new and grow old with it. But if you know you’re only going to have an RV for a few years at most, that might be a good reason to go with a used RV that you can resell once you’re all done with it.

Are You OK With Doing Some Work On an RV?

Regardless of whether you buy a new or used RV, you’ll likely need to do some work on it at some point. But there’s a greater chance of you having to do some work on a used RV versus a new one.

This is one more aspect of things that you should remember when you’re shopping for an RV. Make sure you’re prepared to do work on an RV if you go the used route.

Would a New or Used Recreational Vehicle Be Your Best Option?

Now that you know about some of the factors you should consider when deciding between a new or used RV, get out there and begin shopping for your preferred option. You’ll have a blast taking tours of all the RVs available in this day and age.

Choose the right RV and you’ll be able to enjoy it in the coming years. You’ll be glad that you took the time to make the right decision for your specific situation. Get more great tips on buying a recreational vehicle by reading some of the other articles on our blog.