Thinking about RV life? You’re not alone—RV newbies are popping up everywhere these days, dreaming of open roads and wide-open spaces. The idea is exciting, but diving in without a plan? That’s where things can get overwhelming.
The pull of the no-strings open road is strong, and as RV newbies it can be tempting to dive in without a game plan. But if you do – you’re going to end up overwhelmed. We thought we had a solid plan, but it ended up changing on us a few times during our process of buying an RV! Before taking the plunge, here’s how we recommend approaching your research into the RV lifestyle: where to look, how to decide, getting started, and what to lean on once you own your rig. You may even hear a candid moment or two from our own RV-buying journey.
Why Researching RV Life Matters for RV Newbies
Common Mistakes RV Newbies Make When Skipping Research
How you want to use an RV and your preferences for your lifestyle will affect both the RV you choose and how happy you are in it. Are you planning on living in it full-time, like us? Or maybe only planning on using it for family trips over weekends and holidays? For us, getting the floor plan that worked for our lifestyle was at the top of our needs list. We knew that if we got that wrong, we’d end up frustrated, and it could even affect my ability to get work done during the week, which wouldn’t have been good at all! Make sure you think through daily life and how being in tight spaces may affect you.
Before buying, you should also understand that RVs aren’t like cars when it comes to retaining value.If you purchase new, your brand-new unit will depreciate rapidly (often 10–20% just driving off the lot, 36–38% after 5 years*). Definitely something to consider! Without proper planning, you may face hidden costs, lifestyle mismatches, and a lot of regret down the road. This was a huge consideration for Hutch and I! It directly affected which rig we decided to purchase.
Please be aware – these two things are NOT the only things to consider! These are only a couple of examples that you need to think about when considering RV life.
Where RV Newbies Can Find Reliable, Real-World Information
Blogs, Forums & YouTube Channels
Start with veteran RVers. Who better to learn from than those who are already doing it? There are so many great resources out there! We even created a list of our favorite RV YouTube channels that you can reference. Resources like RV Life, social media, or blogs like ours can give you some very helpful real-world insights. Big fan of Reddit? Try r/rvlife where Rvers share honest when-it-goes-wrong stories and practical tips.
Industry Reports & RVIA Insights
GoRVing, the RV Industry Association (RVIA), and the National RV Inspectors Association (NRVIA) are all great industry-related resources. They produce buyer guides, maintenance tips, and other general information that helps to demystify costs and ownership responsibilities.
In‑Person Research: RV Shows & Dealerships
Visiting RV shows lets you inspect multiple models in a day, which is a huge benefit for any RV newbies and even those who may already own an RV. It’s a great opportunity to test out new RV types and floorplans and see whether or not they feel like they fit. While you can do the same thing at a dealership, you’ll have a little more freedom at an RV show to do so without a salesperson tailing you.
Also, dealerships often offer discounts at the end of shows. However, make sure you do some pricing research both before and during the show! Just because it’s “on sale” at the show doesn’t always mean that’s the absolute best price. Shop smart! The best thing you can do is arm yourself with information and not rush into quick decisions due to sales pressure.
How RV Newbies Can Decide If RV Life Is Right for Them
Step 1: Define Your Travel Style & Commitment
Full-time or occasional? Towable or motorized? Boondocking or full hookups? How you plan to use your RV, combined with how often, will help to guide you to the right choice for you and your needs.
Step 2: Choose Your RV Type
Class A, B, and C motorhomes are possible choices right along with travel trailers, fifth wheels, pop‑up campers, and campervans. RV newbies can benefit from starting small, but sometimes that’s not possible. We jumped right into a 40′ Super C for example. But just because that was what was right for us doesn’t necessarily make it the right choice for you. If you need help deciphering between the different types, this article may help: Exploring the Different Types of RVs: Find Your Perfect Fit
Step 3: New vs. Used?
There are upsides and downsides for both, and it’s important to take it all into consideration. When buying new, you have the benefit of the manufacturer’s warranty, but then you also will have a breaking-in period where problems need to be fixed due to issues with its manufacturing and immediate steep depreciation (often 10–20% immediately). If you buy used, you can avoid the depreciation issue, but you’ll miss out on a manufacturer’s warranty and typically won’t have the benefit of maintenance records and knowing what has and hasn’t been maintained properly.
Step 4: Budget & Total Cost of Ownership
When budgeting, make sure you take into consideration the full cost of ownership related to RVs. Not only will you encounter additional fees upon purchase (tax, tab, title, dealership fees, add-ons, etc.), but there are additional ongoing costs to consider. These additional costs include: insurance, maintenance costs (for example, we estimate replacing our tires every 5-6 years, as recommended, will cost $5,000 for the tires alone, not including labor), campsite fees, fuel, and storage fees.
If you purchase a motorhome, you’ll also need to maintain that motor with regular maintenance like oil changes, filter swaps, and tune-ups. For RVs with generators, your generator will need to be serviced at periodic intervals as well. You’ll also want to budget for an emergency fund for future repairs, emergencies, and upgrades.
Step 5: Inspection & Walk‑Through
Always get a professional pre-purchase inspection. It’s a must when buying used, and we both agreed that had we bought new, we would have done it then, too. We’ve heard consistent feedback from multiple sources that there can be many manufacturing-related issues with brand-new RVs fresh off the assembly line. Yes, it’ll all be covered under warranty, but it’s best to find as many of those issues before you drive it home rather than after. Check everything from roof seals, appliances, tires, and the undercarriage to electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems.
Curious how that process works? We provide some insight on how it went for us in this article: RV Inspection: What We Learned (And Why It Was Worth It)
How to Get Started (Before You Own an RV)
Rent or borrow similar models to test features
RV sales websites, YouTube videos, and social media can make RV life seem like a dream lifestyle that’s all fun and exploration. They often show you the best parts of everything, which makes it easy to ignore the daily grind of limited space, lots of maintenance, and the joy of dumping tanks. Take an RV out for a test run before you commit to make sure you’re up for everything involved, not just the fun stuff.
Attend RV shows for education and exposure
We’ve already talked through this a bit, but it’s very important! Things hit differently when you can see, touch, and experience them in person. What you think that the kitchen or bathroom will be like based on a photo may not be the case when you see it in person.
Understand realities before buying!
You can do this by joining model‑specific groups online and listening to feedback, comparing floor plan options to your lifestyle, visiting units in person (it’s so much different actually being in the space vs. looking at a 2-D plan!), and when possible by going camping first, even in a rented rig to make sure it’s for you.
Conclusion: Stay Smart, Stay Curious
For RV newbies, this roadmap – research, define, budget, inspect, test, and learn – is your cheat sheet to success. We’ve lived it, learned from it, and laughed through it. And hey, if we can do it (with two Havanese in tow), so can you.
* Per RVShare.com (source)
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