I'd like to buy an RV, honey. Ok, honey, go get one so we can spend our whole vacation in it and have a great time. False, very false. If you think this way, you shouldn't buy an RV. Your RV won't be worth the money you spend on it.
Buying an RV is a big decision that everyone in the family should help make. An RV is also an investment of time and money, but you won't see a financial return on it. However, it can give you a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment. However, if you buy an RV without giving it much thought, it could be, at best, an expensive waste of money and, at worst, the end of your marriage. I know because I've seen it.
My sister-in-law from Atlanta decided to buy our old RV when we traded it in for a bigger and newer one. The problem was that it was her idea and not a decision made by the whole family. She had been on a few trips with us and liked the way we lived. She thought it would be great for her daughter to spend more time in the country, but she never really thought about whether or not her husband would want an RV. He was the kind of person who would drive a sports car without worrying about where his daughter would sit. He liked speed, acceleration, and being able to move around easily, which are not things you usually find in an RV. He was unhappy with all of his RV vacations for a few years. He ran into a few trucks and damaged the RV, which I had to fix, and he just didn't like the idea of taking a vacation in an RV in general. It got to the point where it hurt their marriage a lot. What happened? Well, my sister-in-law didn't really think about what it's like to live in an RV.
Think about it: RVs can be small and crowded compared to your house. They can also be hard to drive, so you might spend your whole vacation just going from place to place. She should have rented an RV first to see how things work. This made it easy for her to see if having an RV was a good idea.
What should you look for when you rent an RV? Well, I would say that where it is is the most important thing. You tell them where you want to go on vacation, and they look for a place to rent one from there. Think about how you will get there. Driving lets you bring more things than flying, so if you are flying, you may need to make sure you rent an RV that is fully equipped. Some RVs don't have things like kitchen utensils, towels, and so on, but many companies will provide these things, but sometimes they come at a price.
What about your RV's size, from small to big? I guess it depends on what you're trying to do. You need a bigger RV if you have a family, and so on. Just make sure that everything you need is there, but keep in mind that this may mean you have to pay more for the rental. Do you want your RV to pull a car? Some companies will let you, but others won't. If you're in a rental car, ask if it can be pulled behind an RV. Can the RV you want to rent pull a big car or just a small one? These questions could go on and on, but the RV rental company you are working with is the best person to answer them. They know a lot about RVs, so ask them.
I could keep going with this kind of information, but it's just common sense. Think about where you want to go on vacation in your RV, how you will get there, how big your RV is, what you need for it, if you have pets, and who you want to rent it from. Get several quotes from RV rental companies, then compare them and read the fine print to see what you get for the price and how much you need to spend more.
After doing all of this, choose a good RV to rent and a good company to rent it from, and then just do it. Once you've rented an RV, you'll have a much better idea of whether or not you want to own one. Then you can decide to buy one. Have fun and good luck! I do.
