Buying an RV for Retirement Doesn’t Have to Be Scary

Reaching retirement age – or getting your ducks in a row so that you can retire early – is an exciting prospect for most people. Retirement often symbolizes the ability to exit the daily grind and relax, spend more time with family and friends, and travel. For many, becoming an RV owner is part of those retirement goals. What better way to take advantage of your free time than to hop into your own rig and see this great country for yourself, right? That all sounds perfectly lovely, of course, but taking the leap to buy an RV can be a scary one. You might be worried about how much an RV will cost to buy and operate, whether you’ll really be able to live in it full time (if that’s your plan), and if you’ll have enough money to do the traveling you want to do and live comfortably. These are all common concerns. But rest assured, there are ways for you to purchase an RV and spend more time enjoying it than worrying about it.

Here are just a few of those ways for you to think about:

• Buy pre-owned – If you’re concerned about the initial cost of a brand-new RV, consider purchasing one that was previously loved by someone else. A pre-owned rig will not only cost less, but its risk for depreciation is already lower than its new counterparts.
• Find a long-term site rental – If you plan to sell your home and cut down on material things, another potential source of anxiety for you might be the idea of having to live and travel in your rig full time, paying for gas, repairs, and places to stay. While that may be the case, just remember that you don’t have to constantly keep your rig in motion! You could find a long-term lot in a campground or RV park and set up camp there. That way, you can have a home base and won’t always need to be moving around and spending money.
• Budget for travel – Budgeting is a part of life, whether you’re retired or not. So, along with budgeting your everyday and monthly expenses, you should budget for travel as well. Think about how frequently you’d like to take trips in your rig – is it two big vacations per year or a couple of short trips every few months? Whatever your travel goals might be, plan for and budget the right amount of money ahead of time, so you can be better prepared to have your rig on the road.
• Find part-time work – This option probably doesn’t sound great if you’re soon to retire, but many retired RV enthusiasts have found a lot of pleasure in working various jobs for extra income. Some options include seasonal harvesting, working at big-box stores, or even doing odd jobs around the campgrounds or RV parks. These types of jobs can help bring in a little extra income without crimping the flexible lifestyle you want to achieve.

There are many other things to mull over before you buy an RV, of course, and it’s important to fully explore whether an RV is the right investment for you in your later years. But if you keep the options above in mind, the prospect of owning your very own rig won’t be as scary as it might seem. Want to learn more about buying an RV? Contact us today!