Shopping for new and used RVs and motorhomes

It’s easy to research new and used RVs and motor homes online. There are many resources to buy new, used, or foreclosed RVs and Class B Motor Homes like Road Trek and Pleasure-Way.

There are also many fun ways to shop for RVs and motor homes in person.

RVs and motor homes can provide exciting vacation alternatives to staying in hotels or motels. The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association says RVs and motor homes provide more value for the travel dollar than other forms of travel and vacations.

The study reveals that RV vacations are more economical than those taken by personal car, commercial airline or cruise ship. The price of gasoline would have to double to change the costs.

Develop your goals or reasons for purchasing the RV or motor home: occasional vacation, a vehicle to use around town and vacation, or a purchase to re-sell in a few years.

There are a large number of quality Websites focused on buying RVs and Class B Motorhomes – either new, used, or foreclosed. Log on to them as a way to do initial research.

Start with Motorhome magazine. Log on to Motorhomemagazine.com and go to the section on motorhomes. In the right hand sidebar are links to check out floors plans of new RVs and there is a link for buying used RVs as well.

RV.net is a site to look for and list RVs. There are listings for Class A and Class C motor homes, plus 5^th wheels and trailers. I did not see listings for Class C motor homes. I’m surprised by that. Maybe Class B motor homes aren’t quite as popular as Class A and Class C.

Visit regional motor home associations such as the Western Motor Home Association. There are newsletters and links to rallies. It’s a good place to get objective information on motor homes.

Elkhart, Indiana is considered the RV / motor home capital of the world. There are 20 manufactures in the region that give in person factory showroom tours. See a motor under construction and the craftsmanship involved.

RVs and motor homes are so important to the area’s economy that in recent years over $ 1 billion in wages is paid annually in a four county area – all from the sale and manufacturing of motor homes.

More than 50% of the nation’s RVs are manufactured in the Elkhart area.

For a listing of the manufacturers and their showrooms log on to amishcountry.org and click on RV scene.

I think it’s worth the time and effort to visit the area. If you’re planning on buying a RV and spending $ 50, 000 to $ 80, 000 or more on the investment then plan on taking a trip to the Elkhart area and get a look up close at the RVs.

Attend a RV rally in your area. Specific manufacturers and associations will have listings.

Two class B motor homes worth seeing in person are the Road Trek and Pleasure-Way. They’re manufactured in Canada. I recently wrote about the Pleasure-Way since friends of ours bought one in Southern California. They purchased their Pleasure-Way via Craigslist. A policeman had traveled to Minnesota, bought it, drove it back to the San Fernando Valley and he sold it to them for a profit.

They bought the 2006 Pleasure-Way for $ 55,000. The person they bought it from had it online for about 2 days and was receiving constant calls.

RV Trivia

According to the RV Industry Association, it seems the RV industry is recovering economically. 2010 shipments are projected to be about 39% above 2009 for a total of 230, 300 units.

Let’s look back in history. The RV industry is celebrating its centennial. That’s right – the year 1910 is when the industry officially got its start. A history article on Gorving.org shows a picture of a touring Landau which had a toilet on board. The vehicle was unveiled at Madison Square Garden.

What age group is the fastest growing segment of RV users . . . ? Young adults! People under age 35 posted the largest gains in RV ownership from 2001 to 2005 according to RVIA and the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center.