RV Pricing
 

First time really looking at campers.
Mostly tent camped with Scouts.

This just happened to pop up, so I looked.

Winnebago Hike 100...I was thinking, 'thats a nice cheap little camper...'. $30-50k. Wha???

A. The low end seems way high for what it is and
B. The range?!? Crazy.

https://www.rvtrader.com/Winnebago-Hike-100-Travel-Trailer/rvs-for-sale?type=Travel%20Trailer%7C198073&make=Winnebago %7C2307464&model=HIKE%20100%7C764984946

Whatever you do, don't buy new. Depreciation is like 30% on Day 1.

LOTS of good used setups for half price out there.

Yeah we still seem to be living in covid pricing...
I just sold a Casita for 2k more than I bought it for 2 years ago. It was a very nice trailer that I put money into but still...?

Small well built trailers seem to be bringing a premium as it does not take an expensive tow vehicle to get it down the road. And it's just a couple these days... not many having kids for whatever reason..

I have two RVs and both were preowned when we purchased them. One we've had for 9 years and the other we purchased just as the pandemic hit so we got a great deal. RVs depreciate quite a bit except for now. I'd make bank and can start up a bidding war. We love to camp though so we will keep them until I can no longer drive.

I am in the middle of a 4,000 mile round trip from CO to FL (will start a separate thread on it) pulling my 2011 Raptor toy hauler with 2 Harley’s (one in the camper and one in the truck bed)…. my buddy and I were commenting on how much inventory there is at the RV Dealers. At some point I would think prices have to stabilize.

I will say though that listed prices are never what they will actually sell it to you for. Mine was listed at $55K and we payed a little less than $30K and I was brand new.

I never got RVing. Caravanning.
I want a good bed.
I really don't want to haul my house.
I like to drive fast
Can imagine fuel consumption.

I'm with Jeremy Clarkson in this one.

We got our 2003 Winnebago Vista about 4 years ago for $23k with 32k miles on it. Was offered $35k cash two years ago at the height of covid, and within the last few months I have seen two for sale for $50k! Ours might be a bit of a rare bird, as they made only 944 of them from 02'-04' and we get about 18mpg with the VW drive train. At only 21 feet long it fits in just about all parking spaces, but has all the stuff that you find in the larger rigs. Perfect for two people who like each other.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1680088467.jpg

Before buying watch some RV Wingman on Youtube.

Me too. My idea of "camping" is a motel room with slow WiFi, twin beds, and no refrigerator in the room!

My brother has had a VW Westafallia camper for 40+ years as a hunting vehicle. Now he has a class B motor-home as well. He has the camping gene, and his son sure inherited it as well. I just don't get it. Now when I was a kid in the boy scouts camping was fun. I out grew that phase.

Yeah I agree, look at the prices of the Airstream camper van; almost $300k !!!

For a camper van???

Back in the early 1980s one of my acquaintances, the old friend of a friend pulled up in front of our business in their Bluebird motorhome. He then expanded it out and set opened the canopy. We went out and pushed the door bell and the stairs deployed, and we whet in. It had marble floors, and top class amenities. He had just sold his oil business at the peak of the boom. He "let is slip" that he had custom ordered it new, and it only cost him $1,000,000.00. At the time I was looking for a house, and had talked to my real estate agent about how many million dollar homes were in the Oklahoma City metro area of 1,000 square miles. There were less than a dozen million dollar homes back then, 10,000 square foot mansions of 40+ acres with fantastic landscaping. I was stunned that a motor home could cost that much.

My wife and her group of friends have camped for 40+ years. We met almost 10 years ago. I owned a class c motorhome I used to haul my race car and "camp" at the track. My first camping with all of them brought on many quips about being a wuss, etc. It took her one weekend of a nice bed, fridge, toilet and furnace to become a convert.

We sold the motorhome and bought a slightly used 26ft. Lance trailer in late 2019. Paid roughly half of what a new one cost. It was 3 years old at the time. I could probably sell it for what I paid or more. Our trailer has become the place to hang out if the weather is bad. The trailer is my wife's favorite thing. We no longer get crap for it and her best friends soon bought a truck camper :-)

For me it has forced me to spend more time outside. I love getting my paddleboard or kayak on the water, riding my mountain bike, hiking. At night we gather around the fire and relax and watch the stars with a nice scotch.

I've become a convert. The dogs love it too and it is truly my wife's happy place, so that is pretty much everything.

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Campers are at the apex of absorbing disposable income. It’s like throwing money away. My guess is prices will drop like Stormy’s…never mind.

Let’s just say they’ll go down.

The wrecked class A coached I restored is primarily for going to events such as Oshkosh air show, MX races etc. Events like this are so much more fun when you stay on site.

I am not into the "camping" aspect of it. I have coworkers with campers that enjoy going to dusty crowded campgrounds many weekends each summer. I don't get it. I would rather sit at home to relax vs sitting in a crowded KOA 2 hrs away.

I agree with you, Tim.

I camp to get away from stuff. Not to prove I can bring stuff with me.

We did use the coach for the first time in late winter to take the grandkids skiing. Worked out pretty well for that.

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I have spent the past year or so "looking" and have narrow the search to either a small trailer like Crow has or a slide in/pop up for my Tundra.

There are some really innovative designs out there that meet my needs, which are basic hotels services for a day or two.

A guy a kayaked with decades ago had a light weight slide in that was perfect cleaning up, changing, getting out of the sun, etc.

I also liked the fact depending on the time of year we could stay in some neat places for the night out west.

We'll see. I am patient.

I bought mine used with only 35k miles for a mere fraction of that price but that was before the crazy run up on prices!

I guess one more reason for an RV is that most hotels are pretty gross these days. The cleaning and maintenance staffing has really gone downhill. Nice to be in your own clean place without mold in the corners etc.

RVs are cheap compared to big azz boats .... and aren't for everyone....

I uaed to have a conversion van tho' .... perfect for chasing hippie jam bands around and fishing weekends, etc And dawgy approved :)!

Interesting that you brought that up.

I am in Yorktown, Virginia three time a month. That is where our facility is.

We have a locker room shower set up and a flight test bay I can pull into at night...high speed internet, power, etc. I can pay for the RV with the per diem I will save from hotels, which are pretty gross, even the Hampton Inn I ways stay at for $150 a night (or more in the summer since we are near Williamsburg.) :eek:

I have a brief in DC tomorrow and I'm headed up to rehearse in a few minutes. The Hilton in Arlington is $500 a night since the Cherry Blossoms are out. Crazy.

I was lucky to find a Comfort Inn on Arlington Blvd for $175 per.

Again, I am very patient about this type of purchase.

I could get back into camping but I'd have to have willing support. Long gone are the days I take on all the effort for others to benefit.

IOW, I'm a willing passenger. Not taking the lead. I have no reason to be out of the city. I don't hunt, fish or sightsee. Last time I went someplace more of less as a tourist it was overcrowded bigly. So I won't be going where others tend to go.

If anyone is looking for a travel trailer in the 13' - 17' range the Casita/Scamp/Oliver style are hard to beat . Their two piece fiberglass design ( think boats ) makes it very difficult to leak . And leaks are the plague of many RV's .

Like any hobby there are plusses and minuses to RV ownership . But being able to sleep in your own space/bed is a huge plus over a motel . A smaller RV is easier to park and maneuver . And when the weather doesn't work out you still have a dry place to think/read/etc .

I camp at race tracks only and I'm outside most of the time.

Lifelong dirtbag I’ve met people that own rvs and I can’t figure out what the hell theyre thinking. People that need to Bring too much crap with them.

I’ve got a truck, sleeping bags, 4 person tent and pads, wag bag for toilet and we love sleeping out in the silence, not stuck near people with generators. Everything we need for weeks fits in a closet, and when we aren’t using it it’s out of mind.

Rv cost to benefit seems completely out of whack.

That said we just paid a deposit renting one for 2 weeks in Pyrenees, we need a vehicle that can store mtb inside. Buuut… might be I come back a changed man:

https://www.activans.com/campervans/citroen-jumper-4-people#c5751

Well, this belonged to my Dad, 38 foot Mountain Aire by Newmar. My sister and I are probably going to sell it. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1c84c4040c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...01965a1ab6.jpg

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I'm considering getting a Toyota van. Same as what electricians and plumbers drive around in. I wouldn't fit it out as a camper, just a fold a way bed and the weber BBQ. Sort of like a tent that you don't have to put up each evening.

Then, for the rest of the year I can put building materials in the back of it, fit the Honda trail bike in there. Hang a sun awning off the side, paint Hippy Camper on the back.

one thing to consider are the (covid years) RV/trailer builds--during this time there was a huge demand for product and the quality took a serious dive.

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This is 12 years old but still looks new even though it’s stored outdoors 24x7, 365. I did have it ceramic coated a couple of years ago. My truck’s paint is peeling.

Great stuff all, thanks! I didn't realize they spiked so much, recently. I expect rising interest rates and inflation may bring them back in line. Think I'll stick with a tent for as little as I'd use one, though.

Different strokes for different folks. We really enjoy traveling with our motorhome. It's the most comfortable vehicle I have on a long drive and it always has the cleanest bathroom and bed sheets of anyplace once I leave my house. As I've gotten older, I found I just don't care to stay at hotels that much. Also have had great times doing weekend track events with it. Camping at the track is a blast.

That was quick. Change in plans?

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We have had our trailer for several years and the idea is to get away not take everything with you, we did the tent camping then bumped up to a pop up trailer for years and now the Airstream it is nice and works great for us we actually spend little time inside the RV unless weather is bad...dry camping, full hook ups we do them all.

We travel with our St. Bernard. We picked up a 22ft trailer with a big slide-out right before COVID hit. We've spent less annually on the trailer and camping sites costs than we did on VRBO or AirBnB houses and doubled the amount of time we can get away. We used to do 12-14 nights annually in rental homes, and we've averaged 30+ nights annually in the trailer.