ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE

They say the two most important days in a boat owner’s life are the day they bought the boat, and the same holds for the day they sell it. I have gone through the experience with a boat, and I have also experienced the same dynamic with an RV and an airplane. For a guy who is considered intelligent, it’s hard for me to accept my being a three-time loser.

I sold my boat and plane years ago, but today has become another spectacular day. I sold our RV. The albatross around my neck is gone, and hopefully, I won’t ever be sucked into a toy, money pit again. I’m done with expensive life-altering toys.

First of all, I was talked into buying my RV by a friend who had been a camper for years. Bill’s first experience came many years ago when he first purchased a camper van. Over the years, he traded up to a one-quarter million dollar RV. He would visit us from time to time, passing through on trips to other RV friends in the Southeast. I thought it was a neat thing to do, and I envied his free-styled life. The going and coming at will seemed to be a fun thing to do.

Then the day arrived when he went for the big one. He went out and purchased the expensive monster of an RV. To justify his purchase, he brought a passion for adventure to me. He spoke of making big trips and meeting up with us on the road. He sucked me in. Misery loves company type of thing.

I couldn’t wait to run out and purchase a new expensive toy, so Bill and I could spend time traveling, fishing, sightseeing, and hanging out in interesting and exciting places. Just think Carole and me and Bill and Fran.

We spent our RV experience on short trips to parks within five or six hours from home and never made a trip with Bill and Fran. Things never worked out as intended. Bill’s coach was inoperable most of the time. It turns out his Tiffen was a piece of junk. He would spend weeks on end at various repair shops around the country. His air conditioner would go on the blink, he blew his Diesel engine, the steering went, and more.

I experienced similar problems with my Jayco. Even minor repairs disabled the use of the RV. It was always a problem to find a shop to perform repairs or even regular service and recall work. Finding a brain surgeon on the weekend was more accessible than finding qualified technicians. If a problem developed while you were away from home, you were in big trouble. You might have to wait for two weeks – one for parts and the next for labor. Waiting for warranty work was always a hassle with paperwork and phone calls. Many times warranty work was authorized, but I would pay for the job only to not be reimbursed.

In my case, buying the RV was a nightmare experience. The dates on the paperwork were not correct. The chassis did not match the model. When the unit was supposed to be delivered, it was not ready on time, and repairs that required attention proved to be time-consuming. Quality, training, and adjustments became a hassle.

I bought the Jayco from Camping World. The worst people in the world to deal with. Liars from the word go. If you don’t believe me check them out on the internet. Amazingly, they are still in business. You would think we were dealing with the Chinese Government. Thankfully there exist some excellent dealerships in the industry, like Lazy Days in Florida.

There are probably several folks who own and enjoy their RVs. I guess that they are handy with repairs, have plenty of funds and time, and are BRAIN DEAD.

Another part of RV life is dumping sewage. This is a disgusting and unsavory chore. One needs to have low self-esteem to enjoy this process. If you haven’t experienced this treat, give it some thought. Gross and prone to horrible accidents. It’s great if you like playing and examining human waste. Not for me anymore.

Financially the Jayco was a lousy investment. We lost a bunch on the sale, but we got lucky. Our loss on the RV has been offset by our purchase of an RV site in a popular local RV resort. The loss on the unit has been overcome by the appreciation of the lot plus the revenue from anticipated rentals. Whew. We may even make money on the deal, including all components.

From the day I got involved with the camper, I knew I had made a poor and reckless investment. I hate that I did it, but luck was on my side. Never again.

I’m hoping by reading my article, I will save you from stress and aggravation. My advice is don’t buy one. You will hate yourself for lack of sound judgment in the end.

One more thing. If you are looking for a good business, open an RV repair shop. You will always be busy, and you will be able to charge just about whatever you wish. You will be printing money. Owners of RVs are suckers. They have plenty of money to spend, and they will on anything RV.

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS ARTICLE