RV Financials - 5 Part explanations of RV pricing, selling, trading and financing

Every RV owner or potential owner should read these five articles.
They take the reader through the intricacies of the world of RV financials.

You learn about how an RV is valued as well as how it Depreciates. 

And, it provides valuable information on how to get the most for your older RV if you trade it in on another one, or sell it yourself. 

This information will help you not only understand the way dealers value your RV, but also how to get the most for your RV.


So, click on these links and learn, before you lose money.

I strongly recommend that you read all of these articles, in sequence, before you consider any Rv purchase, so here they are below;

 RV Financials, Part-1 - RV Prices, where the world of RV pricing is explained for the novice.

RV Financials, Part-2, Understanding RV Depreciation where you will get a better understanding of how much an Rv can depreciate every year.

RV Financials, Part-3 - Understanding the RV Trade-In Process where you will get an inside view of how RV dealers work you into accepting their offer for your old Rv when you want to trade.

RV Financials, Part-4 - How to Sell your RV yourself. Here you can pick up on how to properly sell your RV and get the maximum possible price.

RV Financials, Part-5 - Resale Expectations. Be prepared for the reality of your RV's true value.

The Right Gear for your RV CAMPSITE

by DON BOBBITT

SO, you are planning your first trip in your RV.

And, you're planning on being at this great campground for two whole weeks.

Sounds great, Huh?

Well, right now you need to ask yourself, do you have all of those little things that will make your camping experience a great one?

Click on the link below to read my article on HubPages where I describe the options you should consider to make your camping experience a wonderful one.

Whether you have a Motorhome, a 5th wheel camper, a tag-a-long, or a Pop-Up, this Hub can help you make the right choices in grills, chairs, outside lighting, rugs, tables and more.


Set up your RV Campsite for Fun and Comfort.

How to Balance your RV Power Load on 30Amp Service

An RV AC Power Control Panle typical of most RV's.

Even though many of the Rv's on the market now are designed with 50-Amp power connections and management systems, you can still find many campgrounds that have only 30-Amp power service available.

When this happens to many of us, we are at a loos as to what we can do to operate our RV with all if it's modern appliances on this restricted power source.

Click on the link below to read my article which describes numerous things you can do to balance your power load throughout the day when your camper is in a campground with only a 30-Amp Service.

The article includes numerous tricks and tips which can keep your power usage to a minimum while still enjoying your camping experience.

Balance your RV Power Load on 30Amp Service

Check out this 50-Amp to 30-Amp adapter for your 50-Amp RV.

The OLD MAN in the KEYS - Evolving Chapters

Seagulls, Palm Trees and smooth GULF Waters

OK, Here are a set of links to my chapters about being AN OLD MAN IN THE KEYS.

These are writings about my observations while staying down here, and include photographs, people and how they act while on their vacations, little pieces of natural beauty I see, and of course, some of what I consider the better Tiki Bars and casual dining places.

So, come back here regularly, or just follow this blog post to be notified when I have written a new chapter.

Don Bobbitt

The OLD MAN in the KEYS - Part - 1

Livin' in the Keys for a While

The OLD MAN in the Keys - Part - 2

Being an Observer

The OLD MAN in the KEYS - Part - 3

Maybe it's the Pelicans

The OLD MAN in the Keys - Part - 4

Or it could be the TIKI BARS

Replacing your RV TV ANTENNA

Batwing RV TV Antenna with a bent lobe.

All of the RV's I have owned in the past have had a "Batwing" antenna on them.

The older RV's will have the original version that was designed for use during the days of Analog TV transmissions.

The newer Rv's will have an antenna that looks the same and the old design, but the new design will contain an amplifier that will pick up and amplify DIGITAL TV signals.

It is more efficient and should always be the preferred purchase for anyone who needs to replace their older version.

Well, the link below opens an article of mine that recounts my experience with an employee at an RV parts and service center when I needed to replace my TV antenna after it was broken in a campground.


Replacing your RV TV ANTENNA

Hopefully, you will enjoy this little story about my encounter with an authentic, self-proclaimed "expert".

Understanding RV Financials - Part-1 - RV Pricing and Values

Important Tips and references for an RV Buyer

So, you're interested in buying a NEW RV?

Or, maybe you're just interested in trading in your old one for a newer one?

Well, before you do this, you need to go to the appropriate web sites and get the latest official pricing that the typical dealer will use when you start your negotiations.

RV TRAVELING - Making my Long Range plans for next Summer in my RV.

Our campsite in 3-Flags, a TT RV Resort in Wildwood Florida.

If you're going on a relatively long trip and camping in several different places, a smart RV owner absolutely must make his plans early.

Even if it's just a skeleton of a travel outline, good planning is an absolute must for us all.

My wife and I are planning on spending most of the Summer, in 2017 traveling up the SouthEast states and then spending a couple of months in the eastern parts of Virginia.

TRAVEL - Going to the Keys? Better be prepared for the wild traffic.

Everyone I have ever met have either been to the Keys on a vacation or are hoping to go there at some time in the future.

I have been to the Keys several times over the past. I have stayed in hotels right on Duval Street, I have stayed in a nice Bed and Breakfast, and more recently, I have been down here in my RV motorhome for longer stays in nice campgrounds located in the upper Keys.

How to select the right Grill for your RV and your outdoor lifestyle

A typical model of tabletop Grill used by campers.

One of the things a camper does often is cook out on their Grill.

It's just what you want to do when you are camping; you stay outside more often and you eat foods that you can easily and quickly prepare while you're outside.

This kind of lifestyle and foods literally demands that you have a decent Grill for preparing these meals, appetizers and even snacks.

Campground Memberships - Save big with the right memberships for your camping lifestyle.

Campgrounds and Camper Priorities

Eventually, we RV campers will have stayed at so many different campgrounds that we tend to take them for all granted and start looking for savings wherever possible.

You know what I mean, we’re always running around the country in our RV, and at each campground there is a charge for your stay. The savvy Camper soon learns where to get the best deals on their favorite campgrounds.

Even though we might only stay for one or two nights at one campground or maybe we’ll settle in for several weeks at another, after a few years of traveling the country in our RV, many of them tend to blend together in our brains but we end up prioritizing them by cost first and quality later.

How to keep Warm in your RV

Every RVer will eventually end up in their camper when a surprise cold snap hits on a cold night ,wondering how to keep warmer without having that propane furnace running throughout the night.

For the more experienced camper, careful pre-planning has them sitting cozy in their RV while the Winter cold has a minimal effect on them.

When you travel up North (anywhere north of Florida) you can wake up with this stuff on your car. Pic by Don Bobbitt

But it often ends up that some of us, are just happily camping and when an unanticipated cold snap hits the area, and we are left spending several nights and days, cold and uncomfortable.

RV HEATING Systems Controls - Here is a Tip on how they operate.

A Winter Camping Surprise, Pic by Don Bobbitt

As I have mentioned before, my wife and I have often camped in the Tampa area of Florida during the Winter.
And, we quickly learned that, even in Florida, it can get quite cold at night.

As all campers soon learn, when you are traveling in your camper and cold weather does hit, you can often end up looking for multiple ways to keep yourself warm.

How to recognize the different Types of Campers and RV's

Over our lives, my wife and I have owned a number of different types of Recreation Vehicles.
We originally started out camping with tents, and we eventually moved up to Pop-Ups, then Trailers and then finally Motorhomes. 

We changed types of campers as we found over our lives that our camping lifestyle changed in parallel with our normal life changes.

RV Slides - add room to your RV, but they must be maintained.

The addition of Slides to RV’s has revolutionized the interior designs of RV’s, by giving you, the owner much more floor space to enjoy once you arrive at your campsite. 

If your RV has one or more slides, and nearly all of the newer ones do, there are a few things you should know.

How to keep COOL in your RV

OK, you're HOT!

That's my assumption, if you are reading this Blog Post.

And in an RV, if you don't take certain precautions, you can get really hot while vacationing in the deep South of the United States.

But, don't despair, there are some things you can do to make your RV much more comfortable in the heat and it only takes a little thought and self-management.

Spring is Near! Are You ready for your first Camping Trip?

Ready to be de-winterized

That's right!

Winter happens every year and pardon the pun but it is often an uncomfortable time of the year to one degree or another.

And, if you have an RV, the weather can really cause you some problems if you have not prepared your "home away from home" for its potential onslaught.

QUICK RV TIP, A Tool for Closing those hard to reach Windshield Curtains

Close those RV Windshield Curtains easily

This is one of a series of QUICK RV TIPS for RV owners.

They are simple things you can do as an RV owner to make your camping and travel more comfortable and enjoyable.

I have written the tips, which are short and informative, and listed them on my site; RVANDCAMPER.ORG. Click on the link above to read the actual article;

QUICK RV TIP, RV Tires, A Quick Check you can make while on the road.

RV TIRES, A Quick Safety Check

This is one of a series of QUICK RV TIPS for RV owners.

They are simple things you can do as an RV owner to make your camping and travel more comfortable and enjoyable.

RV Sewage Management - Best Shaken Not Stirred

Typical RV Service Center

One thing that a camper ends up knowing how to do, is how to properly dump and maintain their RV Sewage tank.
And, I can tell you that almost all of my fellow campers have a Horror story they tell about "that time they saw....."
Because, honestly, when something does go wrong while someone is dumping an RV Sewage tank it is definitely a bad situation, that they will remember for the rest of their life.

JOKE - Little Johnny and Salesmanship!

Such a Smart Young Man!

The teacher gave her students a weekend assignment. It was to sell something, and then give a talk on
how they did and what they had learned about salesmanship.

Little Sally led off.  "I sold Girl Scout cookies and I made $30" she said proudly. My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civil spirit,and I credit that approach for my obvious success."

"Very good", said the teacher.

Little Debbie was next.  "I sold magazines" she said.  "I made $45 and I explained to everyone that  magazines would keep them up on current events."

A Winter Camping Trip - Day-4,5,6,7 - Christmas and Such!

Yep! That's what it has been, 4 days of "and Such"

We had a great Christmas! The last several days I have been surrounded with relatives and friends. Some of whom I have not seen in a very long time.

And that's been a good thing! At least my hearts says so. Of course, my nerves say otherwise. We have been running from one place to another every day and especially on Christmas Eve and Day.
We have collected a lot of great memories over this period and the trip has been something special for us.

A Winter Camping Trip - Day 3 - Weather changes a few plans

As you can tell by the photo the Day-3 started out dreary. If you look back in my older posts, I have this identical picture but it was Autumn and the colors were fantastic.

But, its OK, I grew up here in Lynchburg, so I'm quite familiar with what a real winter of dormant nature is like.

 No Problem for me.

The weather itself, is crazy warm for this time of year, but I'm not complaining about that either.
In fact, just to show people that I now come from the tropical world of Florida, I waked around in shorts, a T-Shirt and flip-flops. The rest of the 'Burg was wrapped up as if they were just waiting for the next cold snap to hit.

A Winter Camping Trip - Day-1 thru 3

Day 1 and 2

Well, we got here. But, it was a punishing trip.
My wife and I have made some long trips before, but with this one, we finally overdid it.

You see, we left Home in Florida at 3-AM, heading to Myrtle Beach, SC. My wife had an appointment with a Doctor of hers, so we detoured there and then we went through Raleigh, NC to pick up our grand-daughter. After that stop we continued on to our campsite in Lynchburg VA.

The whole idea was to save on a hotel room on the way up.

Oh, we traded off with the driving, several times, and we made a number of rest are stops just to stretch relax a little. But, we ended up spending over twenty hours in the car, just driving.

Never again! By the time we got to the camper, my son-in-law had everything set up for us, so we just unloaded the overnight necessities, but we were WHIPPED! And wound up on caffeine, of course.

We had a glass of wine, put on our PJ's and crashed for the night.

A Winter Camping Trip - Day-0 - Loading Up for the Road

Wow! This is the day before we hit the road and it is going to be a busy one.

Over the years, we have found that we need to make the day before we leave on a camping trip a special one.

Because our drive is going to be a long one, we know that we need to do things in a certain order.

As I mentioned in a previous article, we have most of what we are going to take with us kind of, well, piled in the floor of our spare bedroom. So there will be no last minute searches for articles that we might need.

Here are some of the things that we will do that makes our trip packing a lot more efficient;

A Winter Camping Trip - Pre-Planning Day-7

Free Time Entertainment

As I have mentioned in my other posts, once you build a calendar of things that you are going to do when you are out and about, you will then see that you still have a lot of free time left on your calendar.

Every Camper is different in that we all have our favorite ways to entertain ourselves while camping.

Hobbies

Some of us love to read, some just like to work puzzles, while some love to keep journals of their travels. And there are many of us who have hobbies were we build crafts while others love to crochet or knit or paint with oils or water-colors.

Working while Camping

If you travel much in your camper, you will have noticed that there are some campers who have special skills and they can offer help to other campers if they need repairs of one kind or another. Some common support that you can find in a campground are; window shade repairs, camper washing and waxing, plumbing repairs, electrical repairs, oil changes, and much more.

Television

Also, many of us resort to electronic forms of entertainment. Our camper is large enough that we have television built in with a fold-down antenna on the roof. So, we get the local TV channels wherever we happen to be camping. Other camper often even have satellite antennas and receivers installed for an even wider range of entertainment.

Internet

Probably the most common form of electronic entertainment is to have some form of WIFI service that allows the camper to connect to the internet. With an internet connection, you have access to a world of services and information as well as other forms of unbounded entertainment and communication.

Planning ahead and having some of these other forms of entertainment available will make that rainy day or just cold day a time to entertain yourself, your way.


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A Winter Camping Trip - Pre-Planning Day-6

Snow in the 'Burg - pic by Don

Planning your Time while on site.

Family and Friends

Entertainment-102;

Remember, if you are camping anywhere, that you might have family or friends living nearby, of if you just happen to know someone who has been to the area where you are camping, they can all have valuable information for you about the area.

Call or drop an email to all of these friends and relatives and ask them if they know of any events that you can go to while camping in the area.
Often, they will quickly catch you up to date on people you both know, and how everyone is doing overall during the conversation.
So do keep in touch with these important people in your life.

And, you should remember that these are your family and friends and you will likely get invitations to dinner or to just stop by and chat.
You should always try to comply, especially with relatives, and add these "Get-Together" dates and times onto your second calendar.

So at this point, what you now have are two calendar pages that have quite a few things that you want to do while you are camping at your site.
Although in the Winter, some of these tentative plans may be affected by foul weather but what you really have at hand are;

• A calendar of interesting events that you can attend, and 
• A calendar of dates that you can visit your old friends and relatives. 

And these friends are all happy when they see you. This is because you are not just "dropping in" but you have talked with them and worked out a date and time to meet that is mutually agreeable.

Put the two calendars together and you now have a schedule of special events, times and dates that you can do things. And you can see the free time available for you to perform any chores you might need to perform while you are at your campsite

Also, now you can see the open dates and times that you have available for planning your own self-entertainment.

by DON Bobbitt, 2013

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A Winter Camping Trip - Pre-Planning Day-5

Don and Helen

I know, I have written four posts so far and I am just getting to a very useful level of information.

So let;s talk about;

Planning your time while on site!

Entertainment-101

When we go camping and are going to be at a site for longer than 1-2 days we have learned to over plan our time rather than just land at a campground and figure things out day by day.

Now, having a loose and carefree camping experience is a great thing also, and we have ended up doing this often in our travels. But, we have learned to do our research and plan, plan, plan.

Calendar Search

Probably one of the smartest things you can do before a camping trip is spend a couple of days on the internet and the telephone.
While on the internet, search out what is really going on in the area you will be visiting.

Write down everything, large and small, that you might find; local festivals, museum showings, historical celebrations, local sports events, grand openings for business', church socials, and anything else you might think of.
Write down the event, the address' the dates, and any fees that might be charged along with any phone numbers or websites that you might need if you decide to go to these events.

Making a Trip Calendar

Now, after a few days of research, emails and telephone calls, you can probably already see that there is more to do than you have time for while camping..

Once I get to this point, I actually print out two blank calendar pages for my detailed planning. Here is also where I put on my optimists hat and tell myself; Every Day is going to be beautiful! 

One thing that we campers know is the fact that we have no control over the local weather, and with that in mind, we always assume that we may have put down some events that could be canceled or that we just do not want to gout in any bad weather to attend.

My wife and I go over my research and we place everything that we may even remotely like to do onto our first activity calender. Now, our 2-3 week trip has a number of days locked down with interesting events for us to attend, if we really want to.

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A Winter Camping Trip - Pre-Planning Day-4

Don and Helen - Just Chillin'

We have done this packing thing a lot of times over the years and there are certain things that we have learned the hard way.

Here is a rule for traveling to your second home that I think everyone should all keep in mind;

PACK ONLY what you absolutely know you will need. 

Superfluous Crap is Superfluous Crap and it will drag you down hauling things that you do not need back and forth for every visit!

And, if you really end up needing certain other things in your camper, either buy one while camping or make a note to purchase one before your next trip.

You are not a long-haul trucker, you are going camping so only take the least number of items back and forth that you can get away with.

Here are some things that we do not haul to and from our Camper;

Fresh Foods - We only take a cooler with Sodas and a couple of sandwiches on our trips back and forth. There are too many supermarkets that we can go to when we need to stock up for our stay, once we get there.
Bathroom Items - I mean really! Just how much do such things as toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, soap and other such bath items cost? Keep some of these items in your camper.
Casual Clothes - My wife and I are old enough that we have plenty of clothes that are no longer fashionable but are in great shape. These extra clothes stay in the camper. We don't go to many fancy affairs when back in our camper, so why hauls your newest clothes back and forth.. We are there to enjoy life and ours is a casual life.
Kitchen Items -  Dishes, good knives, coffee pots, beer mugs, and other such common and typically cheap items. Again, over the years we have collected way too many of these anyway, so we have plenty to leave in the camper.
Other Items - An old pair of walking shoes, old bath towels, old bed linens, old salt and pepper shakers, old flip-flops, old robe to wear to bathhouse, old socks, old underwear, old throw rugs, all go into our camper permanently and get a new lease on life as we start using them longer.

This list includes just a few of the things we do not not haul back and forth to our camper but handle by keeping them in the camper all of the time..

by DON Bobbitt, 2013

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A Winter Camping Trip - Pre-Planning Day-3

Snow in Lynchburg - pic by DON Bobbitt

When you decide to use your camp year round round, but only occasionally during the Winter season, there is a certain amount of forethought required when you consider what to leave in your camper.

FULL-TIME CAMPERS

If you are a full-timer then there is no problem with your camper "stuff"..
Once you pull out, that's it! You are going to get by with what you have, once you pull out and it sinks in that you are not coming back to the old home place.
AS you travel, those first few days, you find out what you really need.
If you use and need a coffee pot, then you get one. If you like to watch TV, then you get one installed. If you need a pair of long-john underwear, then, the same thing, you get a pair.
In other words, you will get whatever you really need and can still get into your Camper.
A Full-Timer, at least after a couple of months on the road, is set up and prepared with what they really need to enjoy their life on the road..

PART-TIME CAMPERS

If you are a part-timer then the problem is a little more complicated, but you still get to load up your :"stuff" while your camper is near your home.
Oh, you might have to make a number of trips as you ready your camper for your vacation trip or even for an extended trip, but you do eventually get your camper loaded before you pull out.

2ND HOME CAMPING

OK, I just coined a new phrase for what I am actually doing. 2ND HOME CAMPING!

Having my Camper set up on what is essentially a Home Site four states and over 700 miles away forces you to take a very careful look at exactly what stays where. The thought process is similar to having a second home with only a small amount of floor space and storage available.

And therein lies my problem. We have a number of things in the camper that stays there all of the time. Things like dishes, linens, some of our seasonal clothing, and other such items that we feel we would not need in out Florida home.

And of course, rather than just hopping into a car and running to the camper, we do have certain things that we need to take with us on each visit.

Our method of preparation might seem a little strange. We have officially started a pile of "stuff" in the middle of the floor of our second bedroom. This pile, that will end up going with us, must meet two constraints.

First, it must all fit into the car along with my Wife and I. Secondly, it must include everything we will want to wear or use over our 2-3 weeks in Lynchburg Virginia.

Oh, and one other thing will be complicating what is in categories 1 and 2.
We will be there over Christmas. So God help us, our SUV will be packed tighter than a Tick on an Elephants Ass!

by DON BOBBITT

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A Winter Camping Trip - Pre-Planning Day-2

Lynchburg Snow - pic by DON Bobbitt

OK! After a few hours of chewing on the whole camping trip thing, there are several things that I definitely need to be prepared for if we are going to be problem free while there.

By the way, I have to mention that after our Autumn trip to Lynchburg, and before the temperatures really dropped down to freezing regularly, I asked my son-in-law to partially winterize my Camper for me.

1. He drained the Hot and Cold water lines to avoid the chance of any damage from frozen water lines.
2. He drained my fresh water tank for the same reason.
3. He had a friend come by and empty my Grey and Black Sewage storage tanks.
4. He drained my fresh water tank.
5. He checked that all of the slides were closed along with all windows and roof vents.

And, most importantly, he placed a 60-watt light bulb on an extension cord into the compartment where my Sewage and water tanks reside. Because I have my own AC power at my campsite, this will provide just enough heat to be my backup insurance policy against there being any kind of frozen water line or tank problems even under the worst weather conditions.

It is a great thing to have someone you can trust, to shut down and open up your camper for you. As I have mentioned in my article about Year-Round Camping, by strategically placing my camper near family and old friends, I have a second home to go to throughout the year and I also get someone I trust to look out for my camper.

Top that with the fact that my son-in-law has a camper of his own near mine in the same campground and I can have him "open up" my camper and have it ready for us to move right in the day we arrive.

On the negative side, with my camper sitting for the next year or so on a remote site, we did not leave a lot of our essential "stuff" in the camper.  So, my trip up will require us to pack a lot more "stuff" for our visit.

by DON BOBBITT, 2013

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