Most first-time RV buyer tips talk about what type of camper you should buy. But there are 8 things way more important when deciding what camper is right for you. Make these your top priority when shopping for a camper to avoid buying mistakes and buyer’s remorse.
What Camper Should You Buy?
When shopping for a camper it is important to pay attention to different RV sizes. You should not buy a camper that is too big so you are comfortable maneuvering and maintaining it. Equally important is finding one that is big enough to accommodate everyone who will be camping with you.
These 8 camper buying tips will help guide you so you do not make a mistake when buying your first camper.
You Must be Confident Maneuvering It
Knowing what size camper you are comfortable maneuvering and maintaining is the first place you need to start when researching and deciding what camper is right for you.
You may want a queen-sized walk-around bed, a full bathroom, a dining table, and an oven. But each one of these features will add to the overall size and length of any RV. And none of these things will matter if you buy a camper that is too big so it intimidates you or you are nervous about operating it.
My husband Tom and I bought our camper, the Little Guy Max trailer 4 years ago. For the first three years, my husband did all of the towing, backing up, hitching and unhitching, dumping the tanks, etc., and doing these things are easy for him.
For the past year, I have been learning how to do these things and while they are not hard to do they aren’t as easy for me to do as he made them look either. Especially backing up!
The Little Guy Max is 18′ in length so it is a small camper. If I didn’t have a husband to do these things and I had originally bought this trailer as a first-time solo RVer who had no past experience I have to say the size of this RV would have been unmanageable for me. I would have never enjoyed camping because I would not have been comfortable maneuvering it.
What size camper is right for you?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you have towing or backing up experience?
- Will you be solo camping and setting up the RV by yourself?
- How easy will it be for you to hitch and unhitch the RV?
The most important thing you need to decide when buying a camper for the first time is who will be in charge of maneuvering and maintaining it? You need to decide on what size of a camper this person is confident they can safely operate.
As a female things like backing up don’t seem to come as natural to me but even if you are a guy there will be a point when the size of a camper will feel too big and start to make you feel a little nervous about maneuvering it. Don’t make the mistake of buying an RV that is too big for you, you’ll just regret it.
Spend Time in the Camper Before You Buy It
Now that we have talked about the best size of a camper to buy from a maneuverability perspective next we need to talk about RV size from an interior space standpoint.
And this is very important. I did not take this into consideration when we bought our first RV and it was a costly mistake.
You see the Little Guy Max was not the first camper my husband and I bought. One month earlier we purchased a smaller camper and after our first camping trip, we knew we bought the wrong one. The interior space was just too small for us. So we went back to the dealer and traded that camper in for our Little Guy Max trailer. This was very disappointing and I am sure we lost a lot of money by doing this.
The big mistake we made was we didn’t spend any real-time in the first camper before we bought it. When we were looking at the camper with the salesperson we were all sitting inside around the table for about 30 minutes. And that was the extent of the time we spent in it before we bought it.
What we discovered on that first camping trip was my husband could not stand straight up in the camper because he was taller than the ceiling height. At the dealership when he first stepped into it and then sat down right away we didn’t pay attention to the ceiling height because we were just so excited about buying a camper.
Another issue was the bed. It was not long enough for my husband to lay on it. His feet did not fit on the end of the bed and the bed was against a wall so he had to sleep with his knees bent. OK, now you are probably thinking my husband must be a really tall guy. But no, he is 6’ tall which is average height.
To avoid buying an RV that is too small for you like I did, you need to spend time in each and every camper you are considering. And you need to have all the people that will be camping with you, including pets to do this correctly.
Gather everyone up that will be camping with you when you go RV shopping. Have everyone who will be sleeping in the bed lay on it together. How does it feel? Is there enough room? Will one person need to climb over the other to get out of bed? Is that OK?
RV bathrooms can be small so sit on the toilet. Can you shut the door? Can the tallest person stand up in the bathroom?
Pretend like you are cooking a meal. Sit down at the table if there is one and make sure everyone comfortably fits.
Buying a camper that is not too big so you feel confident maneuvering it is critical. Equally important is spending a minimum of one hour in it and doing the things you expect to be doing will ensure you do not buy a camper that is too small.
This is kind of reminding me of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears!
You don’t want to buy an RV that is too big or too small. You want it to be just the right size!
You Need the Right Tow Vehicle
Now that you know what the best size of a camper is right for you the next thing you need to consider is what vehicle will you be towing it with.
You need a tow vehicle that can safely tow your camper.
Will your existing vehicle will be able to safely tow it or do you need to buy a different vehicle for towing your new camper?
The bad news is knowing exactly what tow vehicle can safely tow a specific camper is not black and white.
I think it is important that you do your own research and never rely solely on what the vehicle manufacturer lists as the towing capacity or what the dealership might tell you.
The last thing you want to do is purchase a camper only to discover afterward that your vehicle cannot properly handle the RV and you have towing problems because this is dangerous. You should never tow an RV with a vehicle that is not capable of towing it. And always err on the side of caution and do not max out your vehicle’s towing capacities.
Up next, is probably going to be the hardest thing you need to decide on when buying a camper.
What Amenities Can and Can’t You Live Without?
I do not like to be the bearer of bad news but when you buy a camper you are probably not going to get all of the amenities you want.
I spoke with P.J. from the RV dealership Princess Craft RV and she shared some really great RV buying tips but during this interview, she also had a great tip on how to pick a camper that has all the amenities that will make you the happiest camper.
How to decide what amenities you really need:
- Make a wish list of all the things you wish you could have
- Pair the list down to the things that matter the most for an enjoyable camping experience
- Plan your camping calendar
She said to start with a wishlist. Once you start shopping for a camper you will see that you can’t have everything on your wishlist.
For example, it may not be feasible to have a walk-around bed, a large shower, and keep the purchase price under $20,000.
The next step is to go through this list and decide what are the most important must-haves for you.
For example, are you more worried that there is enough space to store winter coats and boots because you will be camping in the winter? Or how often will you really have guest campers so is that second sleeping area really that important?
After you get the list paired down to your necessities, get your calendar out and start planning your upcoming camping trips. This will be an eye-opener because it will tell you how you are really going to use the camper. Are you going to be doing more weekend trips or taking that 3-month once-in-a-lifetime trip?
The reality is maybe you are going to use it 5 times a year for 3 day weekends. So, maybe you don’t need all that storage you first thought you did. Maybe you will be OK without a walk-around bed. Maybe an outside kitchen is more important than you thought.
Planning your upcoming camping trips is a smart way to help you decide what amenities are going to be the most important for you.
Find the Best Floor Plan
We have already talked about how important it is to spend time in a camper before you buy it so you don’t buy one that is too small but equally important to size is the floor plan.
Here’s why.
Let’s say for example you have decided an 18’ RV is the perfect Goldilocks size for you. It’s not too big so you feel confident maneuvering it. It is not too small so there is enough interior space for everyone to be comfortable and your vehicle can tow it.
But here’s the thing.
You can have five campers the exact same length but because RV floorplans vary amongst manufacturers and models the way the floor plan is laid out and designed will have an impact on your camping experience.
RV manufacturers cram a lot into these small spaces. One floor plan might make you feel cramped and confined while another one might make the space feel open and spacious.
Here’s a design biggie. Windows. When we are in a small space windows are our best friends. Windows bring sunlight in but more importantly, they make any small space feel larger. When shopping for an RV no matter what size always pay close attention to window placement. How many outside views will you have and when will you be looking at a wall?
One floor plan could have the bed located in the front of the camper so this is the first thing you see when you walk in. Personally, I prefer having the bed in the back. This way I do not feel as bad if my bed isn’t always made!
Pay careful attention to these different layouts. When you do this you will discover that some floorplans aren’t as well thought out while others take advantage of every inch of space.
The next tip is something I am so glad I paid attention to when I bought my Little Guy Max.
Buy a Quality Built Camper
Consider this. How well would your house hold up if it was being towed down the road? Even if they were well-paved roads with no potholes after a short period of time your house would take a beating and there would be damage.
There have been several times when I have arrived at a campsite and walked into my camper and the cabinet doors have flung wide open and all the contents are on the floor. Unfortunately, our roads do have potholes and things in campers bounce around every time we tow them down the road.
How well a camper is built will determine how it is going to hold up for you over the years. I know when I was RV shopping sometimes when I’d first walk into some of the RVs and I immediately walked right back out and said no, this one is not for me because it just felt like it was poorly constructed.
If you can feel a camper is not solidly built when you walk into it can you imagine what will happen to it when you are towing it down the road?
One of the best things about owning a small camper is we can go places others can’t. But the truth is there are RVs of all sizes on the market today that are not well constructed so no matter what type of road you travel down they can quickly become damaged. And this will lead to costly repairs and maintenance for you.
It is important to do your research before you buy any RV. One good way to learn about problems owners are having is to join Facebook groups. There is a Facebook group for every RV manufacturer. Just go to Facebook and search for the brand of RV you are considering and you can usually find a variety of groups to join.
Join these groups and read what owners are complaining about. This is a great way to avoid buying an RV that is notorious for having problems.
Know How Much Storage Do You Need
The number one thing I hear RV owners complain about the most is that their camper does not have enough storage.
If you are a first-time RV buyer how do you know if a camper will have enough storage for you?
Knowing how much storage space you need in an RV can be tricky to figure out if you have never owned an RV before. So you need to make the best-educated guess you can because you don’t want to feel frustrated because you bought an RV that has too little storage.
And this is how you do this.
Go back to your calendar when you planned your upcoming camping trips. Obviously, your storage needs are going to be different if you are a weekend warrior than if you plan to be gone for a month or two at a time.
Based on the amount of time you plan to be gone, make a list of everything you need to bring with you. Include everything from clothing and dishes to camping chairs and RV essentials.
Go through this list two or three times and really narrow it down to just the things you absolutely need.
Be sure to include the things you do not currently own but will need to purchase before your first camping trip. Things like leveling blocks, surge protectors, and hoses. If you do not know what these essentials are watch this video, it will tell you exactly what you need.
Next, divide these things into two categories. The things that will be stored inside and the things that will be stored outside.
When you are at the dealership and spending time in each camper bring this list out to figure out if there is enough space for everything. Start with the inside for things like clothes, dishes, and cooking gear. Then go outside and see how much storage space there is for things like your camping chairs, and the essential gear you are going to need I just mentioned.
Know What RV Tank Sizes You Need
When I bought my first camper I had no clue about RV tank sizes let alone what sizes were going to be best for me.
Let me quickly tell you about the different tanks in an RV and why these tank sizes are going to matter to you.
What are RV tanks?
An RV has three different tanks. A freshwater tank, a grey tank, and a black tank.
Fresh Water Tank
A fresh water tank is where you will put water in to wash your dishes, take a shower, and flush your toilet. You might also use this as your drinking water source if you have a good water filter.
Anytime you go camping and don’t have direct water hookups at your campsite and you don’t bring an extra supply of water your fresh water tank is your only water supply. So the size of your fresh water tank becomes important because will determine how long you can go before you run out of water.
Grey Tank
A grey water tank collects all the water drained from your sinks and shower.
When your grey tank becomes full you need to dump it.
Black Tank
A black tank is where your toilet waste goes and any water used to flush the toilet goes in the black tank.
No one wants to think about how much waste we flush down the toilet on a daily basis but when you are camping without sewer hookups you are going to quickly learn how much.
And this goes without saying but you never want your black tank to overflow!
If you camp at an RV Park that has full hookups then tank sizes are not as important because you will have a constant fresh water supply and your grey and black tanks will be hooked up with a sewer hose to automatically drain them.
But when you are camping without these hookups the size of your RV tanks becomes important because this will determine how long you can go before you need to fill or empty each tank.
For reference, most National Parks and State Parks do not offer full hookups. I have only camped twice in 4 years with full hookups.
How quickly you will run out of water and need to dump your grey and black tanks will depend on how many people there are and how thrifty you are with your water supply.
So the question you need to ask yourself is how long do you plan to be out camping and then you want to make sure you buy an RV with tank sizes that can accommodate your time frames.
