online rv search

[TandS]

We really like our Fun Finder but as we search for our next phase of life, we have been looking at Motorhomes and 5th wheels. Some great floor plans, some bad. What I’ve learned is how aggressive some dealers are. I looked at a unit on Pops and on Camping World (among numerous other sites). But these two don’t seem to get it. By looking at a unit on their site, I was hit up by email wanting to get me more info, setup and appointment, etc. Not just one…and more after I said I didn’t want to be contacted . I’m guessing it works on some, but I can say with certainty all I did is mark it spam, blocked them, stopped looking at any units they may have and will not buy from either one now. There are hundreds of places I can shop, I’ll stick with ones that respect my privacy and are there when I ask them, not the other way around. So the question is, do you have a favorite place to look/buy RVs from? Local vs the ever growing RV chains?

[foakes]

Good questions, TandS!

Patience, research, and a plan are key, IMO.

Don’t deviate from your good judgement and your personal preference plan.

First — New or Used?

Next — price range.

Third — a list of features that you want and will not settle for less on.

Fourth — if going new, stay with the smaller Mom n’ Pop dealers. If going used, bookmark your 11 or 12 closest states on Craigslist — check it every morning and every evening. You will get a feel for what you want.

Dealing with RV dealers is still the “Wild West”. There are no regulations, no laws as to pricing, MSRP stickers, option pricing, markups, finance matters, etc..

If going used, find a good, local independent RV shop that will take care of any issues that you are not comfortable handling yourself.

Amazon & eBay are excellent sources for accessories and add-ons.

Might take a day or a year to find exactly what you want — but your work will pay off.

Best of luck & don’t get overwhelmed — it is fun when you have a plan.

When we were looking for a “Fun-Finder type” travel trailer. I determined the floor plan we wanted, plus dual axles, aluminum framing, lightweight, and a few other things.

The few new RV dealers we went to told me that it would be impossible to find a smaller unit with these features easily. There were not many made like that, they said. I just replied, that’s OK, we don’t need many — just one.

Patience and not “settling” paid off with a great unit we found three states over on Craigslist — took 8 months.

Best Always, Fred

[TandS]

Thanks. One thing I’m stuck on is “length”. We have a shorted one now but as we look traveling months at a time we see things we like in longer units to make camping a bit more plush. Tow vehicle aside, there is a point that people feel is “too long”. From traveling with it, parking it and finding campground you can stay in. I’ve seen page after page of National Park info and it varies park to park. Some length restrictions are unit only and others are unit and tow vehicles. We want to find the balance of getting in some but not limiting our selection based on getting into Denali or Yellowstone, etc. We see a lot of 40+ footers for sale a year or two old and we don’t want to be in that position…regretting “too long”. I know each person is different but there must be some range.