Costs and Money

The monthly payment hides the total cost. Run the real numbers on a 15-year RV loan and depreciation, and financing looks a lot less manageable than it feels at signing.

New RVs commonly lose a quarter of their value in year one. We ran the five-year numbers, new versus used, and the gap is bigger than most families expect before they sign.

We usually start by looking at used RVs around five to ten years old. Here is why, and what our dealership, repair, and ownership experience has taught us to check before buying.