$100000 is insane, financially ?

[Goshawk]

So am seeing several RV shows with new class A and a few other styles. All magically pushing around $100000 in price. All would have you convinced you can finance and get a warranty, with reduced worries on the road.

But unless you make a retirement or mobile salary of $50000 a year, you just can't afford this. You need this level of income at least to pay for these vehicles. Figuring $20000 of that $50k is your normal retired food-medical-clothing-entertainment budget leaves you $30000 for a RV payment and RV park rental spot.

Full RV site cost $50 a day because you need a full site to park this typically large RV anywhere nice (as it needs power and water). Gives you $1500 a month. A conservative payment plan of $1000 a month for ten years might get you financed if lucky. So combined $30000 a year.

The point is, after seeing numerous new RV show videos for 2017, that they are target foolish people (above average retirement is not making $50000), or the top 10% of retired rich folks.

Guess to see how to cut costs to the average joe retirement for an RV, will need to stick to self built raw trailers and raw vans, as they are transformed by semi-skilled folks. Folks who teach each other how to build quality from scratch.


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[firebob]

A lot of rv's even the class a's that are out there will not hold up to full time use.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I think a lot of these $100,000 and up motorHOMES are sold to retirees who have sold their sticks and bricks and view the RV as their new home.  So they seenothing wrong with dropping that kind of money on it.

 

[1960HikerDude]

I think a lot of these $100,000 and up motorHOMES are sold to retirees who have sold their sticks and bricks and view the RV as their new home.  So they seenothing wrong with dropping that kind of money on it.

Problem is most are so poorly built, they depreciate at an astounding rate.

 

[GotSmart]

Spend it all before the kids blow it on partying.    

 

[Queen]

I think it hard to understand the geographic and profession income variables. I think it's call "economies of scale", but not sure.

Where I live in the midwest, you can still buy a home under 100k (not a fancy one, but a very decent one), and our incomes reflect this cost of living. You can live exceedingly well here on little money.

My cousins all live in and around Boston, they make way more money than we do but the cost of living is off the charts high in comparison. 80k house here = 450k house there.

All fine when we stay in our respective places, but if one of us wants to sell up and buy a 100,000 RV and hit the road, it would be a stupid mistake for us to attempt it, but for them only a fraction of the sale price of their old home.

 

[SoulRaven]

I agree with Queen. We have lived most of our years in Kansas where incomes are low, this hits us hard now with retirement. Now, staying in this area, the money would go much further than if we leave, which we intend to do. The foreclosed home we bought 10 years ago was lost by a family who decided to move to Nashville for a job. This job paid a lot more. Unfortunately, they did not realize everything would cost a lot more. They had paid $50,000 for the house we bought for $30,000 and they ended up returning and living with relatives when they couldn't make ends meet in Nashville.

I was asking on another forum about buying RV lots, they had some suggestions. When I looked, I said to my husband "You can get a house here with a yard for that!" Of course, to this group of people, it wasn't that much.

Also, think $200,000+ for a median price for a Class A. Best bet? Used Class A's right now are a real steal and with some research on the manufacturer's reputation and a good inspection, it will be the better deal. Warranty is fine, but most things won't fall apart in the first 2 years and extended warranties are expensive and have limitations usually on the things most likely to go wrong. We buy used and either fix it ourselves or are free to choose who we want to work on it and where we want it worked on.

I have always lived under my "means" having grown up with not a lot as a child, it doesn't take that much to make me feel really lucky!

 

[Queen]

... I have always lived under my "means" having grown up with not a lot as a child, it doesn't take that much to make me feel really lucky

Same here.  We live really comfortably here in Illinois, even without me working, but we also don't spend every penny we earn.  We have one paid for truck, no credit card debt, and we don't go out a lot.  If we retire early, our income will only be $1500 a month for both of us (until we reach social security age), but we can live on that easily, even if we stay in a S&B.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I am one of those that lived in Boston, grew up a mere 20 min from the City. Housing costs are through the roof. Luckily I was able to buy a condo there at 21 right in the middle of the real estate prices sky rocketing, then got a house. Then another house. Then sold and took all the equity I had built up and moved to Maine where I got a house for 68k : ) So I could buy a 100k RV and watch 10 years of equity depreciate over a few years but i'm certainly not going too. I agree that many people just see them as taking their house money an putting it into another house. However, it's def not the same as one will appreciate over time and the other will plunge. I think many a people literally lose their retirement savings going this route with out thinking it through totally. Plus as others have said, most won't hold up to full time use and I think i've even read that some manufacturers void warranties if you do live in them full time.

 

[MrNoodly]

Manufacturers charge what the market can bear. So the prices mean there ARE people who can and will pay that much. They might be suckers, but they're forking over the money.

Besides, look at the prices of diesel dually trucks you'd need to haul a 5th-wheeler or travel trailer. The profit margins on them are HUGE. But everyone wants one. Hell, there are dudes using them as daily drivers, never hauling anything more than a couple of quad bikes. Because, testosterone.

 

[bullfrog]

Inflation hurts the poorest on fixed incomes the most, so we have to find better and more ways to get by. I used to be able to "afford" RVs that would fall apart after a few years, then I started looking at used RVs that were better built, then I started building my own, now even them basic utility trailer is several times the price it was. My 40 year old doctor complained he hadn't accomplished as much as he had hoped by age 40 and asked how I managed to be so content at 65. I told him it was easy, I just set my goals low enough they were easy to achieve and decided that would be good enough to make me happy. I'm not happy things cost so much, but thrilled I made it through another day without worry about where I can fit all my stuff in my over priced motor home.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Problem is most are so poorly built, they depreciate at an astounding rate.

Yeah, the quality is really crap.  The SMART money puts their money in a converted bus, instead.  It may still depreciate, but at least it doesn't fall apart under you.

 

[MrNoodly]

Inflation hurts...

The inflation rate has declined since the '70s when it was 7.06%. It was 5.51% in the '80s, 3.00% in the '90s, 2.56% in the '00s and it's currently at 2.29%.

But the "inflation" you're talking about isn't linked to the buying power of the dollar, like the figures above, or even to the actual costs of making RVs. It's about the sellers turning up the price dial bit by bit to increase their profits. "How much will customers pay? Let's find out."

 

[akrvbob]

There are tons and tons of good used RVs under $15,000. Why give space in your head to the $100,000 dollar ones? Live your life and let them live their life.

 

[MrNoodly]

Why give space in your head...?

Ah, yes, there are so many things that could apply too.

 

[rvpopeye]

Shouldn't this be on the "Blow A Wad On RV Living" website????????

 

[1960HikerDude]

Shouldn't this be on the "Blow A Wad On RV Living" website????????

Actually that'd be the "Blow a Wad on an RV and NOT Living" website.  LOL

 

[Cammalu]

$100,000 for an RV isn't going to give you much in the way of quality. They aren't all junk either. I've been in some very nice ones but they cost many times that $100,000. If spending that money on a new RV makes someone happy why bash them for it? What makes anyone think they aren't living and happy just because they can afford a bit more? Who cares what anyone spends or doesn't spend anyway? Spend what you want to.


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[Goshawk]

This discussion is not about pure bashing those who have the money. They will spend if they have it. It's all about the disconnection of the market from the majority of the folks who RV in a full or semi-full time situation. The market keeps targeting very very expensive solutions (read maximum profit), and ignores the other parts of the market (read low cost smaller DIY solutions).

If someone came out with a DIY modular system that fit in a generic cargo trailer they would have so many customers. Just saying $100000 is no where close to the mobile RV community.

Needs to be a market solution for the folks who can only afford $5000 quality dollars for a quality SS income solution. Yes have seen the teardrop small simple solutions. But would be nice to see dozens of choices that way.


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[Van-Tramp]

Don't forget, an RV can be financed at a much longer term than a normal car loan. Motorhomes are usual financed at the 20+ year length. making that $100,000 motorhome payment in the $500 per month range.