New vs Used — $30K Difference, Same Problems

New RV at eighty thousand, three-year-used at fifty thousand. Same brand, same floor plan. Which one's the better buy? Spoiler — it's not the new one.

Round one — defects. New RV — average eighteen defects in the first year per industry trade-press data. Three-year-used — most defects have been fixed by the previous owner. Used wins.

Round two — warranty. New rig comes with one-year manufacturer warranty. Three-year-used has none. New wins. But — most warranty claims get denied or under-fixed, so it's a soft win.

Round three — depreciation. New rig loses twenty percent driving off the lot. You're paying for someone else's depreciation if you buy used. Used wins big.

Round four — financing. Used rates are higher. Used loans are shorter. The math gets ugly fast. New wins on cash flow if you're financing.