Orphan RVs

What the heck is an "orphan RV?" Well, it is an RV that has no living parents -- that is, whose manufacturer has gone out of business. And in today's economy that is happening with frightening regularity! What does that mean to you? Orphan RVs can often be purchased at substantial savings. Many buyers are reluctant to purchase an "orphan" RV because they fear they will have trouble getting parts or service and that drives the price down. Which can make "orphans" an exceptional value to savvy buyers. While some cosmetic components may become difficult to obtain, most functional parts of an RV are provided by the same standard manufacturers across many brands. The chassis of a motorhome is seldom custom-made by the manufacturer. Most buy the chassis from companies like Workhorse (GM), Ford, Dodge, Spartan, Sprinter )Mercedes Benz) and Gillig. Even custom-made chassis use standard engines and transmissions like Ford, Cheverolet, Cummins, Caterpillar, and Allison. The axles, brakes, etc of trailers are also pretty much standard components. So, if your orphan motorhome or trailer has a mechanical problem, it is likely you can still get parts and service for many years to come.

The same thing applies to especially to appliances. Water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, stoves, refrigerators, etc are usually standard brand names for which parts and service are readily available.  The worst case is that you have an off-brand appliance you can't get parts for and have to replace it with a current model in a standard brand or find a good used unit from a salvaged RV.  Most current water heaters, furnaces, and refrigerators use an electronic control board.  If that fails, there is something called a "Dinosaur board" that is a universal replacement for almost any type of RV appliance and any brand.

About those cosmetic components.  Turns out many of the same exterior panels are used by many manufacturers so sidewall damage can often be readily repaired.   Damage to custom-made front-end and rear-end caps and related trim could be more difficult.  However, availability will probably be no worse than for many older brand name units and many of the fiberglass parts can be readily repaired by any competent auto body shop.  Chances are, if you're an accident that is bad enough to totally destroy a front or rear cap, there will be a lot of other damage and the unit may be totaled.  In some cases a entire new front or rear cap may be fabricated, but since it would probably involve building a custom jig, it will be quite expensive.

Resale values for orphans may be low. That works to your advantage when buying one. When it comes time to sell or trade, you probably won't have lost very much more value than you would from a non-orphaned unit over the same period of time -- unless your unit was orphaned after you bought it.  If you bought it at a reduced price to start with, a good share of the "orphan devaluation" will have already taken place.   If your RV becomes an orphan while you own it, don't despair!  It is still as functional as it was when you bought it.  You will probably want to drive it long enough to get your money out of it rather than dump it right away and take a big loss.  After all, there was a good reason you bought it in the first place and that reason is probably still valid.

What if my current RV becomes an orphan?  First of all, don't panic.   It's new status isn't going to have any direct or immediate impact on its usability or functionality.  If you panic and rush to get rid of it, you're very likely to lose more of your investment than is necessary.  Your best bet is to continue to use it and keep it in as good a condition as you can.  As a hedge against potential scarcity of parts you might want to start watching ebay and craiglist where you might be able to pick up some bargains from other, more panic-ed owners.  I have even found it useful to obtain parts for my older, non-orphaned RVs so I have them on hand if I need them.   That way I'm not forced to pay high prices for things if/when repairs do become urgent.  Over the years I've found a few items I felt it was worth "hoarding". Sometimes it has paid off, sometimes I've ended up never needing my "treasures", but either way, I've never regretted my "investments".  I once got a REALLY good deal on an complete electric step I've never used and probably never will, but I got it cheap and may yet find a use for it -- if not for myself, perhaps for one of my friends.   I had planned to use it on my motorcycle trailer but it is far too big for the low ground clearance of the trailer.  It may yet serve as an organ donor for parts if the step on my motorhome starts dying.   (Addendum:  I finally scrapped this monster when we moved, saving only the motor, which can be used on the electric steps on many different motorhomes). 

Any way you cut it, there is little reason to be afraid of buying an "orphan" RV. S avvy buyers (and sometimes savvy sellers) will know that orphans can be just as reliable and serviceable as any other RV.  I have personally owned orphan RVs and the orphan status has never been a problem, but I did get a good deal on them when I bought them and that added up to getting more RV for my money!  It can actually be kind of fun owning an unusual RV.   Sometimes they make a good subject for campfire conversation too.  It can be fun owning something no one has seen before.  Some extinct manufacturers are worthy of a little research to fuel your camp stories.

Adopt an orphan today.