There’s nothing wrong with, and we all do it. Daydreaming about buying a new rig is as natural as breathing. But beyond fantasy Class As and hot new RV reviews, how do you really know you’re ready to buy your next RV? Are there any tells that give away the fact that it’s time for a trade? Well, I’ve sleuthed this out for you. I have five signs that you’re ready to buy your next RV.
How do I know, you ask? (Hmm… you already sound like a savvy buyer.)
Let’s just say I have some experience in this area. (Which is this article hits close to home for me.) We had two of the same travel trailers for the past few years. So, you’re wondering, “Why two?” (You are an inquisitive one.) Well, We got the first one, but someone rear-ended and totaled it. (No humans were harmed in the process). Then we liked that one so much, we got the same trailer. Minus the damage, of course.
But recently we went back to Indiana to pick up a completely different floorplan because, after a couple years with the same one, it was time for a change. So, how did we know it was time for a new RV? We showed all the signs. (And maybe you do too.)
You’ve got the fever!
No matter how good the RV you have is, once you catch the fever, the only cure might be to buy your next RV. If you find yourself slowing as you pass the RV dealership. Or if you’re spending a lot of time on RV Trader looking at RVs that might more closely match what you have in mind, that may be all it takes.
For us, we were at an RV gathering where there were a bunch of new RVs out there.Aand we were walking through the various floorplans and one of them just hit us. We had to have it.
The funny thing, it was a model we had seen before, but some changes to the 2025 layout for were so compelling that we made the switch.
They fixed “those” things.
No matter what RV model you have, there are certain things about it that are just annoying. Perhaps you realized that you love cooking in the RV, but … the oven’s too small. Maybe you thought that outdoor kitchen was going to be used all the time, but … you’ve found it never gets used — and you’d just rather have the storage space.
Or, perhaps, you want an outdoor kitchen after all.
The things that might have been just small annoyances at first keep becoming ever more annoying until they become a pain point. Those things, alone, could get you to start looking at RVs that are designed, built or configured differently. But sometimes it’s the same model coming back into your life. But, you know, way better than before.
Your RV no longer fits your camping style.
Lots of people buy lots of RVs with a vision of how they’ll use it. Sometimes they’re spot on in this decision making process. But other times they’ve missed the mark.
For example, let’s say you have a big, beautiful glamper but find the allure of off-grid camping to be tugging at your heart. That RV that’s out in the driveway is just too big to take on forest service roads. You want to be more adventurous.
Or, perhaps, that teardrop just doesn’t fit your camping style after all. Those RV parks with hot tubs and music are more where you’d like to be, but they only allow larger RVs.
Another very valid situation is that you find yourself wanting to camp for more of the year, but the RV you have is not well suited to cold weather camping. Or the one A/C unit on the roof of your current RV just doesn’t have the oomph to keep you cool on those warm summer adventure.
Life has outgrown your old RV.
One of the things we can’t ignore is that change is inevitable. The RV you have now may have been perfect for the circumstances in your life when you bought it, but things may have changed. Perhaps children moved out, or got tired of camping with mom and dad. Perhaps retirement means more time to travel. Or, you might even have found an employer where you can work remotely and you can define ‘remotely’ on your terms.
Whatever the case, life changes can mean it’s time to go RV shopping. There are so many great choices out there that there’s something for you no matter how life changes.
You’ve seen a friend’s camper. And it’s better.
We do a lot of group camping and that can be a great deal of fun. But it can also get expensive.
Friends and relatives will inevitably have different RVs and one of the most enjoyable things about group camping is touring others’ rigs. While the things that you could tolerate in your own RV might have seemed like just little inconveniences, once you’ve seen how others’ RVs have conquered that pain point, it might just stick in your mind.
You know what happens. At first, it’s no biggie. But you think about it. And it comes back and you think about it more and more.
And the next thing that happens is that you’re RV shopping because that shower that was too small but still okay is now confining chamber of torture and you have to get an RV with a bigger shower. Nothing else in the world matters.
Or something like that. If that’s that case, or any of the above, it just may be time to buy your next RV.
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