If you are thinking of buying your first RV, beware: You will be lulled into a stupor, driven by dreams of the wonderful, charmed life you will live with it. Countless millions of dollars of advertising each year aim to pound this message into your head. And it works!
Don’t trust yourself if you feel this way. Take a deep breath. Slow down. Carefully weigh the pros and cons of RV ownership and your motives for taking up the RV life.
RV lemon law attorney Steve Lehto has some candid advice in this video about buying an RV. While he admits that an RV life can be wonderful (most people agree with him), he warns that it can also be a nightmare. The dream, he says in so many words, is often not the reality.
He is not alone in warning would-be buyers to do their due diligence when planning to purchase an RV. Lehto advises renting first, and then buying a used RV (one that you have paid to have inspected to be sure all is okay).
Watch this video if you are planning to buy an RV. Do it! You could save yourself huge headaches and heartaches later.
We at RVtravel.com are not trying to dissuade you from buying an RV. No, we’re just reminding you to do it right, with the proper investment in time researching the purchase and with realistic expectations of what might happen after you sign on the dotted line.
##RVT!002
You may be lulled into wanting an RV? But this article makes it sound like the worse decision ever to make. If you go to an RV dealership go knowing you have ammunition. Know what you want and the price you will walk out the door with and knowing not to get the warranty on anything ever. We did not, got the high pressure sales crap but stuck to our guns and got what we wanted for the price we wanted and are paying off after 3 years the trailer I wish was bigger but can live with it size next month. Yeah me. Now except for 2 car payments we are debt free. So go armed with knowledge and don’t let this article discourage you but encourage you to do your homework. IMO not yours.
Yes, one must be aware of all these things but like Jillie posted below, you MUST have done your own research first and ALL the homework.
Cracked me up that he mentioned that people sometimes buy an RV and then realize it doesn’t fit into their driveway….lol, you mean a major impulse buy??
To clarify, Steve Lehto is a Michigan Automotive Lemon Law attorney. He used to handle all kinds of cases in Michigan. Almost all Automotive Lemon Laws DO NOT APPLY to RVs.
The other thing that makes you wonder if’ it’s worth getting a RV is getting parts. I’ve been waiting about six weeks to get a new RV awning and roller. Was told 10 days to mfg to ship and a week to deliver. Plus some people waiting months to get warranty work and mfg won’t extend warranty since the dealer had RV for months.
Lemon laws vary by state, so it’s good to know your state laws. If your state lemon laws do cover any RVs, that would probably only include motor homes (no towables). It also might not include RVs bought in another state, so if you do cross state lines to buy, know what rights you might be forfeiting.
One more thing to consider! General RV, Explore USA, and McClain’s RV will not schedule service on your RV unless you bought it from them. Likely there are other dealers with the same policy. And no matter what you purchase, you will need a service call at some time.