RV Mods - RV Guides - RV Tips | DoItYourselfRV

  • Builds
  • Guides
  • Gear
  • Mods
  • Travel
  • Vintage
  • Shop
  • More
    • About Us
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Submit Content
    • Rent an RV
    • Disclosure
    • DMCA
    • Privacy Policy
  • Videos
  • Search

Lightweight Esbit Pocket Stoves Bring Convenience To Camping

5 Companies That Will Help Renovate Your Vintage Trailer

yknow diy camper pontoon boat

DIY Houseboat Named Y-Knot Built for a Trip to Lake Powell

RV Cooking Utensils Kitchen Ideas: Joseph Joseph Nest

Lightweight And Collapsible Camper Pulled With Reclining Bicycle

RV gate valve repair

How to Repair a Bad RV Waste Dump Gate Valve

Indexed: How To

DIY RV Buyers Guide: Buy an RV for the Right Price for the Right Model

DoItYourselfRV

By DoItYourselfRV RV Guides

RV Buyers Guide for anyone considering a RV purchase. No sales tactic nonsense. Get started now to explore how to find the right RV at the right price!
183
SHARES
25949
VIEWS
ShareTweet

buy-a-rv-guide

Welcome to the DoItYourselfRV’s RV Buyer’s Guide. This guide is intended to be a ” how to buy an rv” resource for an RV newcomer or someone who hasn’t been through the process in several years. I feel there’s a shortage of unbiased (and thorough) resources available to sort out the principles of RV buying.

It’s not intended to cover everything you ever needed to know about RV’s, but to give you a foundation of understanding so you can move the needle substantially forward on your RV purchase decision.

You won’t find any brand recommendations or sales pitches here – only the facts for which you can build an understanding and begin to make what will hopefully be a wildly enjoyable decision on how to spend your free time, retirement, or working life!

“It’s like buying a car, only harder”

Harder in the sense that for most people this will be the second to third biggest purchase in their life, after their home and car. Even more than the house in some cases! Regardless of the type or price of the RV, there are other considerations that are not always unique to RV’s but certainly need to be considered.

Aside from the asking price of an RV, it’s important to look at the “hidden” costs in addition to the sticker price:

  • Maintenance – The bigger the RV the more things that can go wrong! RV’s seem to require more maintenance than the average car. Unless you’re handy, this maintenance work can be a considerable expense.
  • Insurance – The bigger the RV the bigger the bill for RV insurance. You’ll find that insurance will be more expensive than its passenger commuting counterpart.
  • Fuel/Oil – The RV world is still waiting on a Prius motorhome. Until then expect to get fuel economy between 8-20 MPG depending on the RV you choose.
  • Towing – If you will be towing either your RV or a vehicle behind your motorhome, you need to consider if you have the vehicle or equipment to do so.
  • Place to Park Your New Ride – Many Homeowner’s Associations don’t allow for RV’s or there is no space to store them. You may need to store them at a fee-based location elsewhere.
  • Where will you Stay – It’s safe to assume that you may take your RV places that charge rent, like at an RV park or campground.
  • Meals – Will you have the option of making meals in your RV or will you have to eat out on your trips?
  • Connectivity – Mobile Internet (Our Guide), WiFi Booster, GPS, Satellite TV,  Netflix etc.  Are you interested in having these perks on the road?

Before you get started you may want to look over a Glossary of RV Terms

183
SHARES
25949
VIEWS
ShareTweet
1 2 3 4 5NEXT PAGE

Comments

  1. AvatarM.magnuson says

    8 January, 2016 at 2:43 AM

    Very good info…hope to buy and go part time ina few years and full time about 10 years from now. The grey/black lettering on white is just fine for those of us who are color blind!

  2. AvatarCantley says

    2 January, 2016 at 6:00 AM

    I have to agree. The spelling and grammatical errors were driving me crazy. Its vs. it’s. Your vs. you’re. Those types of errors can completely change the intent of a sentence, which in turn makes the article more confusing than it needs to be. But otherwise, a lot of good useful information. We are looking to get into RVing in a couple years once my wife and I have enough passive income from our rental properties to financially fund our desire for adventure.

  3. AvatarDoItYourselfRV says

    5 December, 2013 at 10:01 PM

    Hi Robert,

    Thanks for your comment. We steered clear of the ratings as that is an entirely different topic to tackle. We put together a post on “RV Reviews: The Best Resources for Finding The Right RV” to speak to that instead. We dont pretend to be experts on the ratings but there are certainly others that do. The article tells you where to look and how to interpret them.

    I hope that helps!

  4. AvatarRobert Genn says

    4 December, 2013 at 3:43 AM

    Could you go into the safety ratings some? I understand that there is a lot to consider with the class A for instance. Thanks for all the good info.

  5. DoItYourselfRVDoItYourselfRV says

    13 September, 2013 at 8:39 AM

    Sorry about the typo’s! You have to expect them when some of our writers just learned to use a computer!

  6. Avatarguest says

    11 September, 2013 at 12:29 PM

    Don’t forget the B+ category of RV. Also noticed at least one grammatical, spelling, or type-o error(s).

  7. DoItYourselfRVDoItYourselfRV says

    4 August, 2013 at 7:18 AM

    You are welcome Al! I hope your search goes well for your new RV!

  8. AvatarAl Serna says

    3 August, 2013 at 10:42 PM

    Thanks so much for this – lots of good info!!

  9. AvatarJen says

    30 January, 2013 at 2:32 PM

    Nice, comprehensive guide! Great compilation!

  10. Avatarbrad dobson says

    30 January, 2013 at 10:03 AM

    Great stuff! I am going to forward to a few people that are first time buyers.

  11. AvatarSterling Burt says

    30 January, 2013 at 9:28 AM

    why oh why do you use grey text on a white background in the smallest font size possible??!!

Search

Dog in motorhome

What This Dog Does On A Motorhome’s Dashboard Will Make You Angry

2000 Lance 810

DIY’er Completes Dozens Of RV Renovations On His 2000 Lance 810 Truck Camper.

Tiny Idahomes goose neck trailer

Tiny House With Slide Outs Built On A Gooseneck Trailer

10 Ways To Use Command Hooks In Your RV

New 2015 Airstream Classic travel trailer

Airstream Redesigns Their ‘Classic’ Travel Trailer for 2015. Full-Timers and Most-Timers Take Note.

Mt Everest tiny home on wheels

Tiny Mountain Houses’ 255 Square Foot Mt. Everest Model Made From Knotty Pine

Absolutely Nothing Tops The Features Of This Airstream Skydeck

Motorola MH230R 23-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio

5 Walkie Talkies For Convenient Campsite Communication

RSS RV Mods – RV Guides – RV Tips | DoItYourselfRV

  • What You Need To Know About Visiting Disney World
  • Search Online for RV-Friendly Rural Lots
  • The Dangers Of Using Propane Heaters (And What Precautions You Should Take)

RSS Boating Information and Entertainment | BoatBible

  • This Crazy Fast Homemade Speed Boat Will Astonish You
  • This Aging And Poorly-Kept Pontoon Boat Got A Fabulous DIY Upgrade
  • Pond King Mini Pontoon Boat Fits In The Back Of A Pickup Truck

RSS CampZing

  • Here’s How You Can Safely Change The Color of Your Campfire
  • 7 Simple Camping Hacks That Might Just Save Your Life
  • This Inflatable Solar Powered Camping Lantern Takes Up Almost Zero Space

RSS Unpack | DoItYourselfRV

  • Magnetic 100 Minute Timer For Easy RV Cooking
  • Manual Solar Panel Positioner
  • Custom Made Tent For Prius Car

RSS Small Homes | Simple Living | SnugShack

  • This Hobbit Hole Tiny House Will Make You Want To Squeeze Right In
  • Charming Cottage Built By Couple With Own Hands Over 6 Years
  • This Tiny Chapel Puts A Whole New Spin On Small Weddings

Copyright © 2019 · DIYRV on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Logo Mobile Logo
183
SHARES
25949
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterGooglePinterest