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WELCOME TO RV COMPARISON

Helping today's RV buyers find the best RV for them at the best price

RV Comparison Combo

RV Comparison Guides & Resources

RVReviews.net has been providing RV reviews for all the top RV manufacturers in North America for over fifteen years now.

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Motorhome Magazine

Respected and widely available, MM has been a popular choice for motorhome enthusiasts for years.

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NADA RV Appraisal Guide

NADA RV Appraisal Guide

Research new & used recreation vehicle pricing, photos & more. A great FREE resource for RV comparison.

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RV Business News

A pretty dry read for the typical RVer, but RV Business News does provide some good industry news about trends, bankruptcies, and defects.

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Trailer Life Magazine

Trailer Life remains one of the last sources for unbiased RV comparison, as well as providing info on new gadgets, travel tips, and destination ideas.

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Good Sam Club

A popular group similar to AAA but for the RV set. Good Sam provides lots of info on campgrounds, extended RV warranties and provides lots of perks for members

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RV Comparisons for Today’s Savvy Consumers

For most people, the most expensive purchase in their life as a consumer will be the house they live in. Many people in hindsight consider their family home to be the best investment of their life. Real estate tends to appreciate in value over time, even if the roof is a bit past its prime.

RV Camping in MotorhomeRV comparison is as critical as comparing cars. The second biggest expense most people encounter in their life is a vehicle. We’ve all heard the saying that a car loses 25% of its value as soon as you drive it off the dealer’s lot. But this doesn’t just apply to the family car, though. Almost any form of transportation will trudge downward in value with each passing year: boats, motorcycles, work trucks, and, you guessed it, RVs.

If you’re in the market for an RV, chances are this isn’t what you want to hear right now. Right now you want to hear about the joys of RV travel and read about all the cool gadgets and features available on even the smallest camper these days. We understand, we’ve been there.

Putting it bluntly: an RV is an investment that will cost you more money than it returns. There’s no way around it. Buying a home is not only a wise investment, but it’s also a necessity. We all need a roof over our heads. Nobody needs a fifth-wheel or a diesel motorhome. Or do they? Life isn’t much fun if it’s all prudent investments and saving for a rainy day. A family vacation is remembered with much more fondness or contentment than financial wins or losses.

So let’s cut ourselves some slack for wanting to seize the day and live a little, shall we? Keep in mind, we’re not implying that you should stop by your local RV dealership with an open checkbook. Quite the contrary.

If you are going to remember a single point from this discussion, make it this: a little research before you buy an RV can save you thousands of dollars.

Camping in a travel trailerThere are a few RV manufacturers who have earned a reputation for quality impressive enough that even their used RVs command a premium price. Their resale value when you’re ready to sell will return much more money to your pocket than their competitors. On the other side of the coin, there are many manufacturers who have earned a reputation for abysmal build quality and even worse customer service. A dealer will offer you pennies on the dollar to take one of these RVs off your hands and it may very well languish on his lot for months –or longer.

What if you put both of these units side by side at an RV Show? Most RV buyers wouldn’t be able to tell the good one from the lemon. They both look great under the lights and in the controlled environment of a carpeted sales booth. The most thorough walk-through won’t provide a hint of the pervasive leaks, wonky slide-outs, and/or warranty frustrations that await the buyer of the wrong one.










RV comparison requires research, unbiased information, and an interest in the subject

Remember: Learning how to buy an RV is part of the fun

Devoting some time to researching the RV industry and the various players before buying can go a long way to buying right the first time –for less. Buying a problem-plagued RV will not only cost you a lot of money but it will always pay you back in headaches and stressful vacations. Further, buying a motorhome, travel trailer or fifth wheel that turns out to be the wrong type or size for your needs will soon see less service. Not only do you need to find a good quality RV, and know how to wrangle a great purchase price, but you need to know it will fit your lifestyle. The vast majority of consumers will fail on at least one of the above three criteria.

So where do you turn? The internet -obviously- but anyone who has ever spent any length of time surfing the net knows that there’s lots of misleading or dubious content to sift through. Also, it’s often not easy to tell a legitimate RV comparison from a cleverly disguised advertisement. Even more dangerous are the comments from the lunatic fringe, is the apparently valid reviews and feedback from those with an interest in deception.

Many dealers and manufacturers in the RV industry with less than acceptable products employ shady marketing ploys via phony RV reviews and five-star ratings for RVs that are widely despised by those unfortunate enough to actually own one.

Legitimate owner feedback can be a great source of information but how do you know what’s valid and what isn’t? There are countless shady companies that will happily provide dozens of phony rave RV reviews in exchange for a few hundred dollars. We’ve learned that with a little digging, the real intent of any website can be determined.

Today Only: FREE* advice!

*GOOD advice not included in offer

Consider the friendly website that provides free RV reviews and/or owner comments about a specific make or model. Building a website and paying for hosting just so they can provide reams of free reviews and comments for RV buyers like you seems pretty nice of them, doesn’t it? Maybe a little too nice? There HAS to be a hidden motive at work here.

There are only two possible reasons anyone would go to the trouble and expense of a website with free RV comparisons, reviews or content. 1.) They are of a saintly and generous disposition who genuinely like to help RV buyers out of the goodness of their heart, or 2.) The free site is a ruse designed to lure you somewhere else, where their real intent lies.

 

With endless information, who can you trust?

RV Park near oceanYou may be a bit surprised to hear that we don’t find fault with this approach – in theory. Many companies provide a free sample of their product in the hope that the recipient will be impressed enough to make a purchase. Anyone who has ever visited a grocery store and sampled a complimentary snack will understand the concept. It’s a win-win for both parties. The consumer has no obligation to purchase unless he or she is impressed with the sample. And while the company loses a bit of money on the free samples, they can expect to make up for it with increased sales if their product passes muster. The same thing applies to free gifts unrelated to a company’s actual business. Everyone has accepted a free t-shirt or baseball hat with a company’s logo emblazoned across the front at some point. You get a free hat in exchange for acting like a human billboard. Again, win-win and no hidden agenda. Both parties understand the intent and trade-off going in.

What we do find fault with is companies that attempt to mislead buyers by feeding them fake information under the guise of friendliness. They will lure buyers in to making a very expensive purchase that is less than their free reviews imply. When one party is attempting to dupe the other party, there is no win-win.

With this in mind, we would recommend the following tips when doing the RV comparison portion of your research:
  • Consider longstanding publications like Trailer Life or Motorhome Magazine. These companies make no attempt to hide the fact that they earn their money from advertisers and subscription sales. This gives them the freedom to provide RV comparisons that may not be appreciated by some manufacturers but will provide legitimate information to the RV buying public.
  • Avoid websites that appear to be too good to be true. Free reviews? No obvious source of income? Something is fishy. Chances are this free info is manipulated to steer you in a direction you may soon regret. Often, a few strategic clicks will reveal the true source of the information. If some digging reveals a website that specializes in classified ads for RVs, you’ll know you’re being misled.
  • There’s nothing more expensive than free advice, so expect to pay for legitimate RV reviews or RV comparison guides. Companies like RVReviews.net have been around for years. While their RV guides can seem pricey, the income from their books enables them to remain unbiased and independent. RVReviews.net has expanded their offerings in recent years to include pre-purchase checklists and RV warranty buying guides.
  • Check out owner forums for specific manufacturers or models. Large, active forums imply a happy and contented customer base. The Montana Owners Group (a popular fifth-wheel) is a great example of this type of source. RVers on these sites are usually more than willing to provide unvarnished insight regarding a specific RV. You can also determine if there is a known or persistent defect on these forums because you’ll find lots of chatter about it.