To buy or rent??


ozwaz

New Member
Hi all you rv'ers. We are a 55's plus couple from Australia that are visiting the US and Canada this year. We are going to explore your great countries in a motorhome for a few months but are wondering what is best, rent, or buy then sell. Any clues or suggestions? Is there anyone out there that would contemplate allowing us to borrow their RV for a reasonable fee??
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: To buy or rent??

Hey ozwaz, welcome to the forum. I would say buy a used Class C (1 to 3 years old) and take your trip. Most of the problems will be sorted out on a used RV and the 1st year depreciation will be over. You can then sell after the trip without too big of a loss. A 26' Class C would probably be the right size. Unless you pull a car behind, you will want a smaller RV to get around to the local sights on a daily basis and still have a permanet bed in the RV. Renting is very expensive for anything over a 2 week trip. Hope you enjoy your trip.
 

ozwaz

New Member
Re: To buy or rent??

Thanks for your advice DL, appreciate your input. I don't think our budget will support a Class C of that age, with that sort of outlay initially. Do you think an older Class C, say a 1995, would will be a good cheaper alternative? We appreciate there may be a few running repairs. Also we are looking at the 24 ft as probably the most comfortable and easy to manouvre around local sights. Any thoughts?
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: To buy or rent??

Older would be cheaper, of course, but more prone to catastrophic failures. For sure I'd invest in a road service plan like Good Sam ERS to tow you to a place where you can get repairs. For this route, it would be best if you were mechanically inclined and were able to carry a set of basic tools.

Another possibility would be a trailer and a tow vehicle. I've never priced Class C's, but it might be cheaper than the equivalent motorhome and almost certainly will be cheaper than a motorhome and tow vehicle. I got started with a 24.5' fifth wheel and a pickup for $45K, and that was with both new (took some dealing though).

Also, the standard RV rental places will be quite pricey, however I know of at least one used RV dealer who rents out some of his stock; as I recalled it seemed pretty reasonable at the time.
 

ozwaz

New Member
Re: To buy or rent??

Thanks John for your advice. It's great to see there are people like you and DL take the time to read these posts and make informed comment. Love your work! You did mention one RV Dealer who rents his stock, can you give me any contact details please? Cheers PS What is Good Sam ERS??
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: To buy or rent??

Good Sam is the name of the company who provides a lot of RV services. ERS is Emergency Road Service, which will change a tire, bring you some gas, give you a jump start, etc, and if they can't get you going, tow you to a service center for repairs. Good insurance for $100 or less a year. There are a couple of competitors, of course.

The dealership in question is (or was) one of those small, independant, used only places, in Tucson, AZ. Before I got into my own RV, I was looking to rent/borrow one for a particular event, and their price seemed very reasonable, but all the ones available were already rented out. I ended up borrowing one from a friend and 'got hooked'.

I don't know if they still rent out units, or what their price is these days, and there is a small chance I am confusing this with another place, but I think this is it:

Pedata Resales Inc
4933 S Outlet Center Dr
Tucson, AZ 85706-1840
(520) 807-0900
 

ozwaz

New Member
Re: To buy or rent??

Thanks John, all good advice. Appreciate your efforts and knowledge. Cheers, ozwaz
 
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