how long do you keep

[lithiumprosjoe]

what is the average time you keep your rv (any type) before you replace it?

[FrankShore]

Mine is a 2018 Lance. With the 2 year mfg warranty, I'll be holding to this one for quite a long time! Suits our needs perfectly!

[2halfs]

Funny this questioned is asked.

My husband and I was discussing our trailer.

We are original owners of a 2004, so that means our trailer is 14.5 years old.

The trailer is actually in great shape interior wise, but we are now needing to do some maintenance work with the exterior. But these are becoming the big jobs.

We have a awning that will need to be replaced again, we did that about 7 years ago.
Roof could probably be resealed and we will have it painted with a special coating.
A few wheel modelings need to be resealed and tightened or re place bolts.
A professional waxing is a must.

We love the trailer's floor plan so willing to have it a few more years until we decide if to purchase a 5th wheel or not.

[rockhillmanor]

bigorange wrote:

K Charles wrote:
Time didn't have much to do with it, life changes made it happen.

Agree. First TT we had about 4 yrs then needed a little more space as kids grew, added a dog, etc...

I found out real quick I was not a TT person.

I bought my first TT, headed out on a trip got half way there and turned around and on the way home dropped it on the dealers lot at 2:00 a.m.! Dealership says I hold the record for the least amount of time owning a TT. :B

[bigorange]

K Charles wrote:
Time didn't have much to do with it, life changes made it happen.

Agree. First TT we had about 4 yrs then needed a little more space as kids grew, added a dog, etc...

[Dennis_Smith]

Until I can pay cash for the next one. Its a toy, cash or we don't buy it.

[rockhillmanor]

what is the average time you keep your rv (any type) before you replace it?

If I have a MH that I really like, I keep it until the wheels fall off or the engine blows up. Neither of which have ever happened no matter how long I've kept one. :W

IMHO, JMHO in my experience the older ones are all around 'built better', henceforth they 'last longer'.

After reading SO many posts with owners being very dissatisfied about quality etc on brand new RV's, and the repairs needed right after the warrant expires, I am very hesitant to buy a new one, just because I can.

And basically every time I do go look at the new models, it is very obvious that the quality is just not there anymore.

Thankfully I am able to pay cash for my MH's. I can't even fathom a family having to pay high monthly payments on their RV AND then also have to pay for constant repairs on a newer RV. Just saying.

[aftermath]

Tent for about 12 years until we had our second daughter.
Popup for 17 years and the girls took off. Wanted to have a bathroom and fridge.
Hybrid for 5 years until retirement loomed and plans to take long trips on the road were forming.
Current trailer for 9 years and will hang on to this one to the end.

We try not to fall into the American habit of buying new things willy nilly. I don't mind fixing things and I don't mind buying new if I can afford it. Bought a new tent which I still have and use and a new hybrid since there were very few on the market. Purchased the tent trailer used and fixed it and improved it along the way. Sold it but just bought it back and handed it over to one of the daughters. We also have refused to go into debt for an RV. Always had a good job but never made insane amounts of money.

[eend]

I think for us Canadians, people here might hang on to the RV longer now as the US Government is putting on some hefty tariffs on RV's.

[Fordlover]

seems like I'm pretty average. Just sold our 2007 camper early this year, so 11 years of ownership. Got a left over 2016 model early this year, aiming for another 10 or so years with this one.

[LVJJJ]

we keep changing trailers cause our family and finances keep changing. Early days in '80's needed bunks for the 3 kids. Mom and I wanted walk around bed but hard to find with bunks in only 24-26 feet (was towing with the 65 Chevy Van so length and weight was important restriction). After kids left home, moved up to 30' Arctic Fox towed by 454 Suburban, yay, walk around bed! 2008, had to sell it all, back to the 65 Van for towing (still have it, it still can tow). '85 22' Wilderness, no bed, no air. Now grandson wants to camp with us so '04 Tahoe, bunk beds, but double bed only 48" wide. Buy '94 Suburban to tow with, so now a '05 26' TrailCruiser with walk around queen bed, yay! No bunks so grandson relegated to a tent, outside. Hopefully this one will last us more than a couple of years.

[joshuajim]

We had our first one, a Terry, for 16 years. It was still as good as new when we sold it. I didn’t replace a single major item during that time just normal maintenance stuff (tires, brakes, awning cover etc.). We only sold it because it had a corner bed that was only 49” wide and we were getting older. Our current one (with walk around bed) is 7 years on and I don’t suppose we will ever replace it until we quit camping.

Of course we were beyond the kids stage when we started.

[myredracer]

We went through 3 TTs in 3 years before we got a keeper. In our case, I've done a ton of great and otherwise unique mods that we'd never find in another TT anywhere close to it. I don't ever want to go through the time and $$ of doing it again, not to mention I'm really starting to feel my age.

5 seasons on our TT now and unless it's accident damaged, stolen, rots out or literally falls apart, it'll be around for as long as I am able to still hook it up and tow it down the road.

Having said that, I am getting tired of things breaking and failing and needing time consuming maintenance but these will happen with just about any age of TT. Few weekends ago I had the camping trip from h*ll when the toilet over-flowed overnight and had to pull down the underbelly in the CG and re-install it over 3 days. Good thing it was on an extended 6-night weekend trip and not on a long road trip with pre-booked CGs along the way. O, the joys of TT ownership (sigh)... 😞

[4x4ord]

I've replaced my 5th wheel every 3 years or so as an average but we may end up keeping this one indefinitely. We are considering painting the exterior, adding a third axle, adding a self levelling system and renovating the interior. So far I haven't seen a trailer that I would rather have than what we can turn this one into.

[jimh406]

I've only got rid of RVs when my situation changed, so years doesn't factor in the decision. I've had my current one, a truck camper, the longest at just over 12 years. I had a TT the shortest at 1 year to buy a Class A. Sold the Class A when the kids left for college. We had it about 8 years. It was too big for us.