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Topic: Older vs. Newer (Read 1700 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Older vs. Newer

Reply #25 –
As has been said, an RV is a "depreciating asset" but if you buy the right older one it HAS been depreciated and has plenty of miles (and years) left.
As others have also said, it is a lifestyle, especially if it becomes your home. The freedom of being able to relocate to -- and be comfortable -- in basically any area/environment is something that is hard to imagine until you do it. 
Obviously one's available cash will determine whether buying a new or even older coach makes sense and, as has been pointed out, being able to do your own maintenance and repairs makes a huge difference.
For me, an older coach made sense not only because of price, but because of it's ability to be lived in while off the grid for extended periods of time -- with large water, waste and fuel tanks.  Adding enough solar equipment to meet my needs was a great investment. 
I think of it as: no rent, no utilities, no property taxes, no association fees, no water bill and no trash bill. If you migrate like many of us snowbirds, you can keep your heating and cooling needs and costs to a minimum.
PLUS, in this day and age there are many benefits of the internet including being able to research and purchase virtually anything from anywhere. 
I guess the answer to Older versus Newer will depend on the individual but the posts made by this forum's members is good solid advice and the existence of this forum makes it a great idea to buy an older or newer Foretravel if you are going to buy any motorhome.
1993 U225 Build #: 4285
500 Watts Solar
Honda CRV AWD
Former 1981 Foretravel Travco
Retired, Full Time Off Grid Snowbird

Re: Older vs. Newer

Reply #26 –
Bob,
You probably made a wise decision. Boat ownership on the far side of the planet (or this side) can be more expensive that you can imagine.
Having had a boat built and then sailing a lot of Asia, I can tell you that it's a lot more work and many more things go wrong on a new boat than you can imagine. Some countries like Japan are a pleasure to sail in their waters plus customs and immigration are a pleasure to deal with. Other lands I can think of may have wonderful people but their officials have their hand out big time for everything. Tales of pirates are not just stories as I met a couple of boats hit hard. Fortunately, not by the savage pirates in the Sulu Sea where they board your boat, kill you and sink the boat, all in 15 minutes. Do a Google search for "Sulu Sea." Check the world map for piracy: Live Piracy Map . This does not include fishing boats that get hit every day in places like Manila Bay. Despite all the crazy things that happened, some of my best memories are from blue water cruising. On the other hand, I could have never gotten insurance for the boat so there was always a risk and I was really lucky quite a few times not to have lost the boat.

RVs are a lot like boats where a new RV may need quite a few trips to the dealer before all the glitches have been worked out. Then, the RV should have a reasonable amount of time before systems start failing if a normal amount of maintenance is done. Winter driving can age a coach quickly and the used market for RVs seems to fall off a cliff after a certain age is reached. The cheaper quality coaches seem to last the least as you might expect while the professional bus conversions may keep their value the longest. Our Foretravels can keep a fair value but some design shortcomings (all brands have some type of achilles heel) do require attention to avoid becoming almost impossible to sell.

With an RV, the amount of adventure is only limited by what kind of outdoor life you are looking for. Like a boat, you can't put a price tag on the experience. For those looking for a weekend trip or full timing from plugin campgrounds to the next, good for you. Others may want to use the coach for coming back to "home", tired in the evening after exploring more exotic destinations. All of it sure beats watching Wednesday night wrestling on TV while drinking cheap beer or wine in a carton.


Pierce





Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Older vs. Newer

Reply #27 –
Quote from: OldJD –
Exceptional input.  My hoped-for plan and approach to home-and-vehicle care/maintenance reflects the guidance given here, so that's good to see.

Keep the knowledge coming (or am I being too greedy / demanding?).
David, this is today's experience with our new to us Foretravel.

We suspected that we had the original upholstery, and with use it did indeed explode from sheer age.

I started in on my dinette chair this afternoon, and when I turned it over I found a piece of aged masking tape with my build number and stapled to the seat bottom was a Made by Foretravel label.  It's not exactly an F.L. Wright house but it will do for us.
1992 Foretravel Grand Villa
U225 SBID Build No. 4134
1986 Rockwood Driftwood
1968 S.I.A.T.A. Spring
1962 Studebaker Lark
1986 Honda VF700C
1983 Honda VF750C
Charlie, the Dog was broken out of jail 24 Oct 2023
N1RPN
AA1OH (H)e who must be obeyed.