Today we are going to cover the 5 things you need to consider before purchasing your first RV. Now, the first thing I need to say is the jig is up; there’s no such thing as the perfect RV. That being said, here’s a few important considerations to make before making the purchase.
Usually the first thing most people do is try to decide between a towable and motorized unit. Whether it be a 5th Wheel or Class A, B or C, you need to ask yourself where you see yourself camping, whether in Colorado up in the mountains, or down on a beach, you may need a different rig depending on where you primarily want to be.
So if you have a 40,000 pound motor home, the diesel may be great at getting up in the mountains, but how good is it on the beach? If you see yourself in the national parks, you have to remember in a lot of cases that size matters. In most cases you can not get a large 5th Wheel, or a Class A, into the national parks. So, if that’s a place you may want to spend some time, you’ll need to consider the size of your rig.
Next, you’ll definitely want to think about how you see yourself RVing. Such as, if you prefer an RV park, where size doesn’t really matter but of course when you make your reservations, they have to ask the dimensions to ensure their sites available may accommodate your rig, plus your truck.
The next item on the list is the floor plan. The question that usually comes next is “What is the best brand?” and to be honest with you, brand doesn’t really matter. Each brand has all the same components: Dometic, Suburban, Norcold, Coleman etc. The most important thing is the floor plan. If you don’t like the floor plan you are in, you’re not likely to be RVing very long.
Next you need to ask yourself if you are planning to be a short timer, part-timer or a full timer. If you’re still in a sticks and bricks house, you need to think about where you’re going to store your rig if you’re part time or seasonal. Will you have the ability to park your rig on your property or will it need to be placed in storage?
Finally, we want to look at whether you’re going to go with a 5th Wheel or a towable. Let’s say you’re looking at the towables. You’ll want to look at the size and weight of the towable itself against the size of your tow vehicle. Now, I will say that 5th Wheels give you foot-for-foot the most living space out of all the rigs available, including the Class A’s. But, the bigger they are, the bigger the truck that is needed to pull it. So, it’s a lot to consider, especially since it’s almost two purchases at this point.
So at the end of the day, it’s not about brand or style, which are great, but they can be chosen at the end, but where you see yourself camping, what parks you may want to visit, do you need a contained unit or a towable, what type of floor plan and of course, how often you plan to be in your RV. If you can answer those questions, you’ll be able to narrow down the options significantly.
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