RV: Buy or Rent?

Should you buy or rent an RV? If you are new to the RV lifestyle, I strongly suggest you rent or borrow an RV for at least a weekend or two and see if it works for you. This will also allow you to try different types of RVs to see which one fits your lifestyle and find out if you like RVing at all. RVs don't come cheap and they can be fairly expensive to maintain. The last thing you want to do is spend a lot of your savings or take on a big vehicle loan for something you will seldom use or that doesn't fit your needs.  If you buy an RV and don't use it you can count on losing part of your investment when you sell it.

Not everyone is cut out for RVing.   My Mom and grown sister tried taking a trip or two in their Class C motorhome after my father passed away and discovered it didn't work for them.  Although they both had experience and enjoyed camping the in the motorhome with my Dad, they weren't comfortable doing it alone.  I have a friend whose idea of roughing it is having to ring twice for room service.  He would NOT like camping or RVing, even in the most luxurious rig!  Of course, you if don't particularly like driving in the first place, moving up to driving an RV would be a major adjustment.


Now, lets say, you've decided you like RVing.  Should you buy one or continue to rent? The pure economics may help you make that decision. Take into consideration how often and for how long you will use your RV. If you will be using in for only occasional, short outings a few times a year or less, renting may be a lot cheaper than buying. If you are going to use your RV extensively or someday even think of living it full time, you probably should consider buying.  We used ours to go dirt biking almost every holiday weekend when the kids were growing up.  It was convenient to have it always ready and to have it stored at home where we could pack up and go anytime we wanted to.  It was also very nice to have almost everything already on board.  In my case it was the convenience that was the main deciding factor, along with frequent use.  Owning made more sense than renting.  If you own your own RV you can customize it to suit your wants and needs.

The biggest advantage to renting over buying is financial.  When you rent you only pay for the RV when you're using it and don't tie up a lot of cash in a vehicle that might sit unused most of the time.  Other money matters include insurance, maintenance, and storage.  It probably doesn't make sense to take on an RV loan payment of, say $400 a month if you can rent what you need for a few hundred bucks a few times a year.   If you live in an apartment or there isn't room for you RV on your property, storing it off site adds the the expense and makes it less convenient to maintain and to use.

There are other advantages to owning an RV over renting one. First and foremost in my mind is convenience. I have my RV parked at my home where it is always ready if I want to take a trip. I don't have to make reservations or pick it up a few days in advance of my trip to load it up with my personal supplies. I can also add features to meet my individual needs and don't have to rely on someone else's idea of what is necessary or convenient. I also keep my RV stocked as a Disaster Recovery Vehicle. In the event of an earthquake or if my house burns down, I have emergency shelter, clothing, food, first aid, and sanitary facilities ready for immediate use. We have used our RV in two live disaster scenarios. One was when our neighborhood was threatened by a poisonous chlorine gas cloud and we ordered to evacuate. The second was the Northridge Earthquake. For many hours after the quake, we were the only ones in our neighborhood with power for our TVs and refrigerator thanks to the generator in our motorhome. Had our home been damaged so it could not be occupied, we could have instantly moved into our RV.

Storage is another consideration. If you you live in an apartment or don't have anyplace on your property or there are zoning, CCRs, or other restrictions to prevent parking your RV on your property, you will have to find a storage facility if you own your own RV. Having to store your RV off-site adds both expense and inconvenience to RV ownership, so if you can't store your RV at your place of residence, you should, again, perhaps consider renting.  Over restrictive CCRs are a pet peeve of mine.  I've seen developments where CCRs prohibited even storing a tent trailer or boat inside your garage!  Sometimes they claim the presence of RVs in the driveway or along side homes reduces property values.  Yeah, right!  Having a $200,000 RV parked next to your home or a $20,000 boat in the garage is really going to bring down the neighborhood!  But, of course, we've all seen some bad situations, like one or more ratty trailers or campers jammed onto a small lot and its far easier to ban all RVs rather than try to enforce some kind of subjective judgement on suitability.

If you choose to rent, check out the rental company carefully. Make sure they have a good reputation for providing safe, reliable equipment and maintaining their equipment in good condition and treating their customers fairly. You aren't going to have a good experience or get a fair chance at what RVing is really like if you rent a worn out, trashed unit that gives you trouble.  Some rentals are done "by owner" and they can often get you the best rates, but be sure to get and check references to be sure the equipment is properly maintained and the owner is fair and honest in dealing with his/her customers.

If you choose to buy, check out the dealer carefully. I once purchased a pre-owned motorhome from a dealer who told me it had been recently serviced, including a complete oil change, and was ready to go. After driving only a couple hundred miles I found it was 3 quarts low on oil. There were no observable leaks or smoke in the exhaust. That engine failed completely a few hundred miles later, I suspect largely a result of it having been driven with low oil for who-knows-how-long even before I bought it. Obviously the dealer was either mistaken or flat out lied to me. This was an older unit and didn't have any warranty.  Late model units should come with at least a 30 day dealer warranty. Older units, and units purchased from private parties are not likely to come with any guarantee, so take that into consideration when buying. Is the price good enough that you can afford to make any needed repairs? Or would you be better off paying a little more to a reputable dealer and getting at least a short-term warranty that gives you some peace of mind?  It is a good idea to have any vehicle checked by a competent mechanic before you purchase it, especially if you're buying it from a private party and will have no warranty.  If  you get a warranty, be sure to take your RV out during the warranty period so you can identify any issues while they are still covered. In our case, the RV was a relatively rare older Holiday Rambler and the price was low enough that it was still a good investment even after having to replace the engine.

Orphans. Orphans are RVs whose manufacturer has gone out of business. You can often find good deals on such units because some people are reluctant to purchase them for fear of lack of support. But consider this: almost all motorhomes are built on commercial chassis whose manufacturers are still very much in business.   Even though Dodge stopped making chassis for Class A motorhomes some years ago, the mechanical components are pretty much the same as on their heavy duty trucks and readily available.  Many motorhomes are built on Chevrolet "Workhorse" chassis or Ford chassis and you should be able to get parts and service most anywhere.  .Likewise, almost all the appliances in RVs come from companies that have been around a long time, are still in business today, and probably will be for at least as long as you own your unit. With that in mind, you may find an orphan RV can be an exceptional bargain. My Dad and I have owned at least two or three orphans in our RVing careers and their orphan status was never an issue -- and all were exceptionally good deals when we bought them and we never encountered any impossible repairs.

Summary. Renting is a good option for newcomers, giving them a chance to find out if the RV lifestyle is right for them and which type of RV they prefer. It is also a viable option if you don't have a place to store your RV or won't be using it often. Buying is the way to go if you intend to use your RV frequently or may even live it full time someday. It also allows you to use your RV as a Disaster Recovery Vehicle, to customize is to meet your specific needs and preferences, and have it ready for spontaneous outings.

As always, HAVE FUN!