When someone asks if you should buy new or buy used when it comes to RVs, the discussion often devolves to the following to catchphrases:

“ Only suckers buy new! “

“ Buying used is buying someone else’s problems! “

At the end of the day, there are pros and cons to every decision. Taking the emotion away from the discussion, there are very real and rational arguments that can be made. So, let’s delve into that.

In the camp of those who say to buy used, they make the following points:

Pros:

Cons:

In the camp of those who say to buy new, they counter with:

Pros:

Cons:

What it comes down to for me- when you buy new, you’re going to have issues. Some major issues, some minor issues. It’s an extremely rare unit to come without issues.

When you buy used, you’re bound to have some issues- some major, some minor.

Sadly, on both sides of the fence, I’ve heard of war stories. I’ve also heard of positive stories both ways.