I made five whopper mistakes buying RVs–I also did 5 things right. Before you buy your next rig read this cautionary (but triumphant) tale.

This post might surprise you.

I’m known for research and hacks that make RV life better. In fact, my book details how to live a full-time RV life — but even I made mistakes. 

 

FIVE THINGS I DID WRONG WHEN BUYING A NEW RV

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MISTAKE #1: I OBSESSED ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR RV

Before I hit the road, I had never been in an RV. I was just a writer who realized I could cut expenses by boondocking. So, like many of us, I watched YouTube incessantly, soaking up info about RV Life. It was there I discovered my dream RV–or so I thought.

I was lured in by the manufacturer’s glossy tour videos. They featured a happy guy, cooing about each spectacular feature of their 25′ Class B+ RV. I watched the videos dozens of times and imagined myself rolling down dirt roads in that very rig. I was sold and failed to expand my search.

MISTAKE #2: I THOUGHT MY WARRANTY WAS A SAFETY NET

I bought a new RV because I thought the warranty gave me a safety net. Not knowing much about RVs, I believed the dealership when they touted the eager network of repair shops that could help me across the country.

Warranty in hand, I ventured out, confident I was protected. Then I had a flood.

Rain seeped into my RV through a locked outside bin. Water rushed through the dresser drawers, streamed down the walls then settled in a one-inch puddle on the floor. I cleaned up the mess, but that seal had to be replaced; thus began my warranty odyssey.

That first repair led to another, then another, culminating in unresolved electrical issues. Each shop I visited blamed the last shop or defective replacement parts sent by the manufacturer. Soon, the dealerships and manufacturer were all arguing about who did what when. I learned a valuable lesson then: repair shops don’t get paid to diagnose a problem — they get paid to replace parts.

I needed someone who didn’t have a dog in the fight. A mobile RV quickly diagnosed and repaired the issue (more on that below).

Three months later I had another flood, this time through a broken part in the shower.  I was done…but that led me to Mistake #3.

MISTAKE #3: I JUMPED TOO FAST…BECAUSE I WAS HOMELESS

Here’s the thing about living full-time in an RV (especially if it’s an all-in-one like a Class B or C with no toad.): you don’t have time to shop.

My RV was my house, my office and my car. I didn’t have weeks to find a private buyer, get the cash then find a decent rig. The depreciation clock was ticking and I needed a place to live! I felt pretty lucky when I found a Class C that checked my boxes, negotiated a screaming good deal (more on that below), and moved right in.

No more problems! Right?…Right?!?

Had I done my research, I would have found I chose a manufacturer known for quality, but on Class A RVs, not Class Cs. Forums and blogs outlined delays in manufacturing and insufficient cargo allowance, but I jumped too fast to see the warnings.

MISTAKE #4: I DIDN’T CONSIDER WEIGHT

Okay, don’t get on me. I know — this was a rookie move. I bought a rig with very low cargo carrying capacity.

Honestly, I didn’t even think about it. Why? Because my first rig was the same length on the same chassis; both had a GVWR of 11,030 pounds.  I assumed my second rig would have a similar CCC. That was wrong.

Here’s the difference:

• GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) is the maximum permissible weight of the motor home when it is fully loaded. The GVWR for both rigs was exactly the same.
• CCC (Cargo-Carrying Capacity) is the maximum weight of all occupants, personal belongings, food, fresh water, waste water, LP gas, and any other stuff you want to take on your trip. The CCC on my first rig was 1,600 pounds; the second was only 832.

Manufacturers don’t make finding and understanding weight ratings easy. CCC is usually not included in RV model specs, because capacity changes after additional equipment like solar, generators, or stabilizing jacks are added. Dealers are required to post the updated Cargo-Carrying Capacity prior to sale–but forget finding this information online. You have to visit the lot and locate a yellow sticker, usually affixed just inside the passenger door.

If you’re lucky, you can find manufacturer information on the Dry Weight or UVW of your RV, which you can use to calculate your CCC.

 

Had I inspected my yellow sticker, I would have seen my rig could only carry 832 pounds of CCC. Let’s do some really disappointing math:

→832 POUNDS CCC

• minus driver 160 pounds,

• water 315 pounds (with a full tank),

• grey and black water tanks 502 (with full tanks),

• fuel 182 pounds (with a full tank).

Add all of that liquid, fuel and driver up and you get 1,159 pounds; 327 pounds too much.

Even if I traveled solo with no fluids and and a full tank of gas, I would have only had 342 pounds for all my stuff and a cat.

I ditched my barbeque grill and anything else I could think but still struggled to stay underweight.

As I drove, the bathroom wall split apart. I could wave to someone in the bedroom from inside the bathroom. Because it was a structural issue, the rig had to be sent back to the manufacturer for repairs. Two months later it was returned with a sturdy bathroom wall, but nothing else was flush; cabinets drooped, doors gaped, and the shower came loose from the wall.

The manufacturer added cups of silicone to a crack in the shower, which failed to adhere and remained hanging in sad, useless clumps.

Did the lack of CCC affect the structure of my RV? I don’t know. The manufacturer reported two “major structural issues” the wall and a slide.

When I did the research I should have done in the beginning, I noticed the CCC of that rig managed to rise each year, despite having the same chassis, floor plan and finishes as the year prior. As my cabinets creaked and split, I wondered if that added cargo-capacity came at the expense of a few screws.

I ditched that rig and moved on to a fifth wheel.

 

MISTAKE #5: I DIDN’T GET MY NEW RIGS INSPECTED

It never occurred to me to get a new RV inspected. After all, what could be wrong? Plenty.

RVs that remain on dealer lots for periods of time can get “lot rot.” They may have been damaged in transport, or on the lot or at any number of RV shows. A few months ago, I interviewed Lehto’s Law about RV Lemon Laws. He suggested all RVs, even new ones, be inspected by a third-party qualified inspector.

RV Dealers might bristle a bit, but if they do–walk.

 

FIVE THINGS I DID RIGHT WHEN BUYING A NEW RV

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It all sounds like a horror-story, right? It’s not. Luckily, I mitigated these problems by doing some things right!

SUCCESS #1: I NEGOTIATED WELL

I felt safer buying a new RV, because I wanted to avoid the unforeseen spike in expenses many used-RV buyers experience. After all, I moved into an RV to keep my budget low! To get the lowest price possible, I went into negotiations fully loaded, having carefully researched a range of offers for the RV I wanted, considered depreciation, and timed my purchase. Because of this, I didn’t suffer the 30% first year depreciation many new buyers experience. To see how I put all of that together, click here.

• Dealers get some hefty manufacturer incentives for selling new RVs. If you understand those incentives you can use them to leverage a better price.
• To make room for new RVs, dealers have to sell their inventory. Make your pitch based on that timing.
• And work with multiple dealers. On my first rig, I calculated a ridiculously low offer then pitched it to 13 dealerships via email. Negotiations began from there. I chose the best one, then flew out-of-state to pick it up.

SUCCESS #2: I LEARNED TO FIX THINGS MYSELF

This didn’t feel like success at the time, but on my first rig I found myself neck deep in a wall with a wiring schematics and tools I had never owned before. When things broke, I had to fix it; no one else was there. I found an unexpected satisfaction repairing these things myself. If I couldn’t, I found someone who could.

SUCCESS #3: I USED AND LEVERAGED MOBILE RV REPAIR

After the dealerships and manufacturers couldn’t stop bickering about who was to blame for electrical issues on my first rig, I broke down and hired my first mobile RV repair service. I thought it would be expensive, but relatively speaking, it’s not. I found a reasonable, well-reviewed tech that listened to my issue, did one hour of research, and fixed the problem in one day.

Unlike dealerships, mobile RV Techs get paid when they diagnose and fix your issue. They average about $100 an hour, but I found paying for a couple of hours of personal service actually saved me time and money. Plus, my mobile guys worked directly with either the RV manufacturer or the component manufacturer to get my issue covered under my warranty. After getting pre-approval for the work, they were paid directly.

SUCCESS #4: I HELD THE MANUFACTURER ACCOUNTABLE

I got paid. True–it’s unusual–but follow these steps, and you too might get reimbursed for your loss of time or additional expense:

• Keep a timeline with notes, emails and images.
• Keep receipts for any additional expense you incur (like staying at RV parks while waiting for repairs and buying new tools).
• Give your manufacturer several chances to make things right; if they don’t move up the chain.
  • Use RV forums, company websites and LinkedIn to get executive emails.
  • Be direct; ask them for specific compensation based on specific losses you have incurred.
  • Back up your request with all those notes, emails and images.
  • Don’t take no. You will the run-around. If so, move on up that executive email chain.

SUCCESS #5: I LIVE A WONDERFUL RV LIFE

A viewer asked me recently if RV life was worth all the problems. For me, it is.

My RV dream got me unstuck and living the life I wanted. There are problems, but because of them I learned what makes me happy.

 

Rigs come and go, it’s the life I love and it’s here to stay.