Program
102:
RV—Right
for You?
It seems almost
inevitable. When some men and women pass the age of forty, a question
begins to gnaw at them: Should we buy a recreation vehicle? In fact,
nearly eight million American families already have. One in every
twelve vehicle-owning households in the U.S. has an RV. And many more
folks are joining the ranks, even though the cost of gasoline has
risen. The industry is targeting potential buyers as young as 35.
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| A
traveler's paradise on wheels... |
On this program we show viewers these high-priced toys and the pros
and cons of owning one. There are many kinds of recreation vehicles,
some motorized and some towable. The latter include travel trailers
and fifth-wheel units, pop-up trailers, and pickup truck campers.
The self-contained giants come in three sizes. Class A are the monsters
of the interstate (40 feet long and lengthening); Class C are the
midsize units (20-plus feet); and Class B are the babies, which look
more like overstuffed vans. A simple camping trailer can cost $6,500,
while the biggest of the behemoths can set you back $400,000, depending
on options.
Before even contemplating a purchase of such magnitude, prospective
buyers should do extensive research. Read up on these big boats, look
around, talk to those who own these vehicles, and only then go shopping.
Recreation vehicles can come with many options. Be careful of dealers
trying to sell you everything in sight. Remember that motor homes
are generally financed for ten to fifteen years, which can inflate
your monthly payments. An RV depreciates faster than a car or your
sport utility vehicle. Maintenance and repairs are more difficult
than for the family car.
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| Many
RVs are very compfortable... |
The good news is that if you purchase an RV as a second home, and
spend enough time in it, you may be able to deduct the mortgage interest
on your income taxes. Inquire about the rules from the dealer, your
banker, and your tax accountant.
Before you buy, do as I did and rent one to see if the RV experience
is suitable for you. There are 450 rental outlets nationwide; there
should be one near you. I drove to Florida from my home in Atlanta
and spent a week living the RV life. I stopped at four of the nation’s
16,000 campsites. If you do this, be sure to put the RV through its
paces. Recreation vehicle sales are expected to increase 15 percent
by the year 2010. As I’ve talked to RV folks, they profess their
love for the lifestyle and wouldn’t have it any other way. They
all agree that those who drive these big buses are among the nicest
people the world has ever known.
While you may find the prospect of driving a 30-foot monster on the
superhighway intimidating, think about the comments of one woman who
told me that when her husband died, she decided to pick up and drive
from the Midwest to Texas for a bit of a break. She was seventy at
the time, about 5 feet 3, and she didn’t give the drive in her
Class A motorhome a second thought. “I never felt more comfortable,”
she said. “After all, I was up high like the eighteen-wheelers
so I felt safe enough.”
There are several valuable resources to help you in buying an RV and
using it. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association can provide
valuable information on RVs but remember it represents the vehicle
makers, www.rvia.org. A web site
called New RVer can help answer questions about financing: www.newrver.com.
You can get updated information on traveling in your new palace-on-wheels
by going to www.rvtravel.com.
And perhaps the best resource for recreation vehicle owners is Woodall's.
Its publications are considered the RV owner's Bible. You can buy
hard copies of books on campgrounds and other important information.
You may also visit its web address: www.woodalls.com.
Beyond that, there are many web sites with valuable information.
Folks either love the RV life or hate it. But before you buy, make
sure the RV life is the life for you. If it is, happy trails to you.
www.rv.org |
