A Detailed Guide to Where to Buy Your First RV

One of the best ways to see the world, surrounded by a homelike essence and without feeling out of place, is to own and travel in an RV. You know the feeling, right? You're about to buy your first RV and wondering which is the best place to buy it. You must understand the importance of choosing the best seller for your RV purchase. It affects not just the price of the RV but also your buying experience and long-term satisfaction levels.

Follow this RV buying guide till the end as we help you with critical points to enable you to make an informed decision on the best place to buy an RV.

Tips to Consider before buying an RV

You need to start by assessing your particular needs and accordingly budgeting for buying RVs. Research is of the most significant essence in this process. You need to consider things like after-sales support, warranty, etc., before the purchase.

RV Purchase from a Private Seller

Often, you come across ads for RVs on Craiglist. The owner tries to paint a beautiful picture of the vehicle, obviously to encourage prospective buyers to check out the ad. Sometimes, the description is very flattering, and at times, it is a very basic appraisal of the RV. 

Here are the pros and cons of buying from a private seller RV.

Pros

• Detailed: The good thing about buying RVs from private sellers is that they give you a comprehensive look, filling you with all the details and history of the vehicle. They will even share stories and personal experiences. They will also willingly share the maintenance records.
• Better Prices: If you are trying to find the best place to buy used campers, private sellers may be an option. They are open to negotiations and can give you better deals, as no dealership overheads are involved.

Cons

• Lack of Financing Options: In most cases, private sellers may not have access to different financing options that dealers can offer. Hence, you will need to make upfront payments.
• After-sale Issues: If you discover issues after purchasing an RV, the seller may be unable to support or address them as dealers can. There are definitely no warranty options, which means all post-purchase repairs are your responsibility. Plus, there are no maintenance contracts from private sellers.

Buying an RV from a Small RV Dealer

If you do not want to take the risk of going ahead with private sellers due to the cons of buying an RV, you can choose to buy from a small RV dealer. The advantage of buying from a small dealer is that you can expect superior and personalized customer service.

Pros 

• Tailor-made Experiences: Small dealers gather more details from buyers to understand their needs and preferences. This allows them to offer very personalized experiences to customers, making them the best place to buy an RV.
• Flexibility: Compared to big dealers, small RV dealers are open to negotiations, offering better deals and passing on better add-on features. 
• Knowledge: Since, in most cases, they have limited inventory, small dealers have more knowledge of the RVs on sale. Thus, expect more details about the vehicles.

Cons

• Limited Selection: The inventory with small dealerships is relatively small, offering you limited choices, be it brand, model, or more features.
• Financing Options are Limited: Since the scale of work is small, financing options are limited, too.
• Prices: Compared to private sellers, small dealers offer high prices. Therefore, buying RVs from small dealerships is an expensive option.

Buying an RV from a Large-volume dealer

Big dealers with massive showrooms offer many more options for buying an RV. In this RV buying guide, we will focus on these big-time dealerships.

Pros

• Greater Choices: The inventory size with these dealers is enormous. Therefore, you can expect to find RVs even with the most difficult-to-find features.
• Professional Customer Services - In terms of customer support services, you can expect focused and specialized services. These dealerships even offer regular maintenance services. 
• Better Price Options: If you are looking at cost-effective rates supported by robust financing options, the best option is a volume dealership with the possibility of finding the best payment plan per your budget.
• Service Centers: Big dealers have trained technical staff in-house to help maintain, fix, and repair your RV post-purchase. 

Cons

• Lack of Personalized Services: Since the business is large, the likelihood of getting personalized services is comparatively less. After all, their focus is more on achieving sales targets and volumes. Also, expect longer wait periods when seeking assistance or help, especially after an RV purchase.
• Less Opportunity to Negotiate: The processes are more standardized, and prices are fixed for large dealerships. Therefore, the scope of negotiation is limited.

Making the Final Choice for the Best Place to Buy an RV

The best place to buy an RV depends entirely on your priorities and specific requirements. If you are looking for lower prices and are open to taking the risk of servicing and maintenance, go in for a private seller of RV. If you are ready to explore a good range of options for RVs and prefer a personalized buying experience, then buying from a small RV dealer is the right choice. If you want to look at multiple brands and models of RVs. and want warranties with sound financing options, choose a big dealer to buy an RV.

Conclusion

In this RV buying guide, we have compared the pros and cons of buying from three different types of RV sellers: private sellers, small dealership firms, and big dealers. The RV journey is where you step into adventure and excitement. You need the best vehicle to help you get on the journey. To make a well-informed decision, you need to feel confident in choosing the right seller.

To buy an RV with added-value services, choose RV Lifestyle in Arizona. We offer unique membership plans, with members getting priority valuable add-ons and insights to facilitate the decision-making process for buying the well-deserved RV.