A Boomer Road Trip
Queen-size beds, showers, and kitchenettes: A grown-up generation finds RVs are today's version of the VW bus
In stronger markets, dealer markups can top 40 percent. But "you can probably offer him less than what he paid [for 2006 models], and he'll take it," Wright says.
Even then, buyers should expect a 25 percent write-down when they drive off the lot; even well-cared-for vehicles can lose half their value within the first 25,000 miles.
Roomy. Wright says those wanting to avoid such steep depreciation might consider low-mileage models built between 1986 and 1994. Many boast engines similar in size and durability to newer models but without the slide-out panels now de rigueur among die-hards. Those willing to go without the girth-adding slide-outs (which are prone to leaking anyway) will still get plenty of room-for as little as a tenth the cost of a new one.
Case in point: a 1994 Holiday Rambler Imperial with just 30,000 miles, which Wright recently spotted at a dealer's lot for $20,000. "It's got virtually every amenity," he says of the 37-footer, "and the engine is built to go 200,000 miles."
That's a steal compared with the 38-footer Nick DiBlasi recently bought. Not that he has second thoughts. "It's a lifestyle thing," he says. "If I didn't care about space, I'd go tent camping."
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