When is it time to get a new rig?

[bradufault]

We currently have a 3610 RL. We’ve had it for 10 years and it’s been a good rig. Over the years we’ve done a lot of upgrades we put in a 646 V battery systems 3000 W in inverter solar panels upgraded to disc brakes and hot water on demand Plus some new furniture. The outside is starting to show a little bit age which will either need new decals and buffing or full body paint and then we’ve been contemplating upgrading to independence suspension. So I’m just kind of wondering as a time to continue the upgrades or time just to get a new rig. I appreciate your thoughts. Thank you very much.

 

[DutchmenSport]

It's time to get a new rig, auto, or even a house when the cost of the upkeep is more than you are willing to pay for that upkeep.

Consider the monthly cost of a loan on a new rig. If you get a new camper, chances are your monthly payments are going to be between $600 and $900 a month. If $600 a month, that translates to $7200 a year for your loan payments. Now consider that of that $7200, at least 50% of that is going to the interest. Over the course of your loan period, your $70,000 camper will cost you $125,000 over 15 years. (I'm just guessing at the math here, but you get the idea).

Now ask yourself, over the course of the next 15 years are you going to invest $125,000 into the old rig to keep it up, maintain it, and do emergency repairs? Probably not.

Which is more cost effective?

 

[DutchmenSport]

Other considerations: Sentimental value. Are you emotionally attached to the old camper, or can you let it go, knowing all the good times you had with it. And how about the emotional attachment you must have for your time, money, and personal labor you put into your current camper yourself. You have your own personality in it now.

Also, the old one, you know what has been done to it, repairs and such, and how well it will hold up now. A new camper will result in starting all over again with warranty repairs, fixes for upgrades, and changes to suit your personal life style. Do you "really" want to go through all of that time, cost, expense, effort, and work again?

But, on the other hand, getting a new camper is fun and exciting, and when it come to the "cost" ... well ... when it comes to any RV "cost" never is never logical. Every one is a money pit. The benefits are with the enjoyment they give us, as with any hobby. Cost is immaterial.

One other factor to consider (pros and cons), is the actual usage of your current camper. Are you simply board with it? Or is camping with it still exciting. Does the floor plan still work for you, or has your life style changed that now results is a different layout.

We had one camper (a Springdale 31 foot travel trailer) for 8 years. In the 8th year we simply stopped camping anywhere. We even questioned why we had the camper any more since we lost interest in using it. We seriously considered everything and it all boiled down to the fact we didn't like, or enjoy, the floor plan of the camper any more. It simply wasn't working for us. Functionally, and repair wise, it was the best camper we ever had. We decided to the whole "camping" thing another try and we traded for another travel trailer and it changed our world! The enthusiasm came back and now, we are about 90% full timers (on yet another camper). So, floor plan can just become boring and maybe a switch is a good thing.

These are all different factors only you can decide from.

I wish you well either direction you go. It's all your choice, and as long as you are happy with your decision, that's really all that truly matters!

 

[jsb5717]

We’re starting to go through the same mental exercise as we see the 10 year mark coming up for our rig. There are newer floor plans that we really like. But your question requires a very subjective answer…It depends…

-On what you can afford
-On how handy and willing you are to update the new rig to where you like it like you did with your current one
-On what’s not on your current rig, that you see on newer rigs, that you could add if you really wanted to…like IS. Is it worth the investment in a 10 year old rig?
-On how much you like your current rig. Is it comfortable and still in good condition so that normal maintenance keeps it going?
-On what’s out there that you would like to investigate and might suit you better now that you’re 10 years older
-On how much longer you plan to tow a 5er
-On your own peace of mind in the dependability of what you’re towing
-On whatever else would make your list

It’s both a practical and emotional decision. What are your main considerations?

 

[PSFORD99]

Same here 10 year old rig . I can spend a lot of money on this one ,and not even scratch the surface of a new one . Mine the graphics are good , just reupholstered the couch . The roof is going to need attention in the next couple years . But IMO it still looks pretty good ,no real issues . At my age of nearly 78 , I'm done spending money on another new one . My truck only has 80K on it , no needs there .

 

[LeftOverParts]

The outside is starting to show a little bit age which will either need new decals and buffing or full body paint and then we’ve been contemplating upgrading to independence suspension.

If you’re happy with everything else and the rig is reliable, you might get quotes for various exterior options and quotes for suspension work. Compare those numbers to buying new or slightly used. Does seem like a buyers market.

Would the paint and suspension upgrades be good enough for your travel style for 3, 5, 7 more years? Eventually other items will need repair/replacement as mentioned above.

In case you have favorite spots that have restrictions, some RV parks require the rig to be 10 yrs or less.

 

[PSFORD99]

If you’re happy with everything else and the rig is reliable, you might get quotes for various exterior options and quotes for suspension work. Compare those numbers to buying new or slightly used. Does seem like a buyers market.

Would the paint and suspension upgrades be good enough for your travel style for 3, 5, 7 more years? Eventually other items will need repair/replacement as mentioned above.

In case you have favorite spots that have restrictions, some RV parks require the rig to be 10 yrs or less.

What I found more than anything about the 10 year thing is the shape of your rig . I was told by one RV park it was mostly to keep older beat up RV’s out . Mine at the time was a travel trailer that was over 10 years old. They had no problem with it , it still looked very good . I’ve been told this more than once .

 

[Dfb]

We have the same model. 3610 RL LEGACY. JUST got it back from the rv repair facility. The front AC blower replaced. We are looking at newer ones. To replace ours would be over 100k. We are not sure if we will get a new one.. Dealer said ours is worth 20k on trade.

 

[Mark77]

I bought a clean 12 year old Montana 3295RK 8 years ago. I know it inside and out. Done a lot of upgrades, and continuing to do so... the way I want it done.

It may be cool to have a newer "pretty" 5'er, but what I would want would cost me more than the future upgrades I plan to my very good, road worthy rig. 6 months of payments would more than finance everything I have planned for my paid for (since day 1) 20 year old Montana.

I guess it comes down to how you feel about having the latest and greatest of everything and having the shiniest RV on the road or in the park. If you can afford that without sacrificing elsewhere and it means a lot to you, buy new... or newer!

 

[LeftOverParts]

What I found more than anything about the 10 year thing is the shape of your rig . I was told by one RV park it was mostly to keep older beat up RV’s out . Mine at the time was a travel trailer that was over 10 years old. They had no problem with it , it still looked very good . I’ve been told this more than once .

We’ve heard similar thinking plus the owners want to avoid rigs breaking down or having leaking tanks and making a mess. But, they seem to make the judgment on overall condition based on appearance.

Sounds like you have a potential answer for your case. If it’s appearance to ensure you have access to certain parks that you guys like, a buff and consistent 3-4? month wax interval plus maybe decals is all you really need for the next few years.

 

[B&L Mich]

We just went threw this. Our current rig is (Avatar) 13 years old and gonna need quite a few things next year. We have been wanting more outside storage so we are upgrading to a newer (2020 Montana). We pick it up tomorrow. We can afford new but we are staying with used. We been thinking about it since last summer and decided to move forward. We looked at 10 used one and finally found the one we felt good about.

 

[-fall-creek-bob]

To be honest with you, we are trying to get out of RVing, can't sell our wonderful 3440RL because it is a buyers market from people dumping trailers they bought during Covid time. Even if I could sell it the workmanship on "deluxe" units like the Montana are horrible, people on this board have reported the refrigerator was not attached properly and fell out of the space! And these new 12 volt refrigerators are not ready for prime time at all. The prices rise every year and the quality and durability are going down the toilet. Never thought I would feel this way and I am glad we did most of our traveling including Alaska with our 2005 Montana when they built them to last. My 2015 would never survive an Alaska trip!
These re my 2 cents wirth.

 

[BB_TX]

Ours was 14 yrs old and still in great shape when we sold it 4 yrs ago. Only reason we sold was due to circumstances preventing us from using it enough to justify keeping it. We had often looked (and drooled) over new floorplans and new bells and whistles. But the high prices and frequent postings about problems with those new loaded units kept us away.
Our “circumstances” have corrected now snd we have discussed buying another. But it will be an older unit if we do.

 

[JABURKHOLDER]

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

 

[JWyatt]

We currently have a 3610 RL. We’ve had it for 10 years and it’s been a good rig. Over the years we’ve done a lot of upgrades we put in a 646 V battery systems 3000 W in inverter solar panels upgraded to disc brakes and hot water on demand Plus some new furniture. The outside is starting to show a little bit age which will either need new decals and buffing or full body paint and then we’ve been contemplating upgrading to independence suspension. So I’m just kind of wondering as a time to continue the upgrades or time just to get a new rig. I appreciate your thoughts. Thank you very much.

One other thing...assuming you read this forum and maybe some others, the one thing you don't see is anyone not having problems with their new rigs. Without going into details, do you want to spend the next 3 years going back and forth to dealers to get those things fixed?

 

[GregN]

My Monty is 19 years old this year. She is great shape for her age. Am I thinking of getting a new one. No. Not with all the problems the new ones are having. I have made many upgrades over the years and had to fix a few things. But I am still going to keep her, until the wheels fly off. As with the 10-year thing, with some of the parks. I tell them my rig, is in great condition and when I get there they can see. I say if you don't agree, I will move on down the road. Never had to move yet.

 

[PSFORD99]

My Monty is 19 years old this year. She is great shape for her age. Am I thinking of getting a new one. No. Not with all the problems the new ones are having. I have made many upgrades over the years and had to fix a few things. But I am still going to keep her, until the wheels fly off. As with the 10-year thing, with some of the parks. I tell them my rig, is in great condition and when I get there they can see. I say if you don't agree, I will move on down the road. Never had to move yet.

As said , I have been told a couple times that 10 year rule is to keep the junky looking Rv's out of their parks. If they look good ,usually no one will have a problem with one over 10 years old .

From your pictures ,that Montana looks awesome .

 

[rames14]

That is a good question, but only one you can answer. We are in our 4th Montana over the past 20+ years. As we get older, our needs, wants and finances change. Let’s face it, RVing for most part is not about need but want. There are a number of full timers but most of us use them for recreation. Each time we got a new Montana, it was for features we wanted - not needed. When your wants and finances create that “need”, go ahead and change. Our current 3230CK had the Super Solar package along with a double sink in the bathroom. It also had much more counter space than our 3160. It was about wants and not needs. At 71, this will in all likelihood be our last RV. It was the perfect rig for Alaska, boondocking and visiting kids, grandkids and friends. We absolutely love it. It is like most purchases in our life - what brings you joy. In very few cases would repair costs drive one to buy a new camper. Best of luck in your decision.

 

[Abbert55]

It's time to get a new rig, auto, or even a house when the cost of the upkeep is more than you are willing to pay for that upkeep.

Consider the monthly cost of a loan on a new rig. If you get a new camper, chances are your monthly payments are going to be between $600 and $900 a month. If $600 a month, that translates to $7200 a year for your loan payments. Now consider that of that $7200, at least 50% of that is going to the interest. Over the course of your loan period, your $70,000 camper will cost you $125,000 over 15 years. (I'm just guessing at the math here, but you get the idea).

Now ask yourself, over the course of the next 15 years are you going to invest $125,000 into the old rig to keep it up, maintain it, and do emergency repairs? Probably not.

Which is more cost effective?

With all due respect.... 50% interest? Loans are about 8-8.5% currently.

 

[rames14]

Abbert55, Dutchmen is absolutely correct. At 8% interest on $70k would be $5600 the first year, and less each subsequent year. He is saying total interest over the life of the loan. For exact numbers, plug into any amortization program for exact amounts. It adds up.