Don’t Buy a Used RV Until You Hear This
RV Podcast - Stories From The Road
Mike Wendland
4.5 • 704 Ratings
🗓️ 19 May 2026
⏱️ 46 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Should you buy a used RV instead of a new one?
This week on Episode 610 of the RV Podcast, Mike and Jennifer talk with Tom MacAllister, an avid RVer who flips RVs as a hobby and has developed a sharp eye for spotting both bargains and disasters.
Tom explains why many first-time RVers may actually be better off buying used, especially in today’s market where new RV prices continue to climb and depreciation hits hard the moment a rig leaves the lot.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How to inspect a used RV before buying
- Common red flags that scare experienced buyers away
- The biggest pricing mistakes RV sellers make
- How to avoid expensive surprises after purchase
- Why some older RVs may actually be built better than newer ones
- Tips for getting the best value whether buying or selling
Mike and Jen add their own perspective from years of RV ownership and travel, with candid stories about what they’ve learned buying, trading, and living in RVs over the years.
If you’ve ever wondered whether new is really better, this episode may change the way you shop for your next RV.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is episode 610 of the RV podcast. |
| 0:05.0 | And this week on the podcast. |
| 0:07.0 | People recommend hiring an RV inspector on a brand new unit. |
| 0:11.0 | And I think that's a pretty good idea also because there just doesn't seem to be the quality coming from the factories and also coming from |
| 0:22.1 | the dealers. |
| 0:23.1 | In this week's conversation of the week, we're going to hear from a guy who flips RVs |
| 0:27.6 | for a hobby on how to buy and sell a used RV and why buying new may not be the best choice |
| 0:34.3 | for new RVers. |
| 0:35.6 | Plus, we'll show her travel tips, answer your RV questions, |
| 0:39.2 | and much more. Hello, everybody, and welcome to the RV podcast. I'm Mike Wendland. This is my co-host, |
| 0:45.7 | my lifelong traveling companion, and my bride, Jennifer. Hello, my dear. Hello, my Michael. |
| 0:51.9 | And this is the RV podcast, Stories from the Road edition. You can find |
| 0:56.8 | complete show notes for this episode at RVpodcast.com. And remember, we release two episodes |
| 1:03.2 | every week. This edition, Stories from the Road, focuses on the RV lifestyle, the people, places, |
| 1:09.9 | and experiences that make life on wheels so special. |
| 1:13.6 | And every Monday we bring you our RV News edition, covering the biggest stories of the week |
| 1:18.8 | that impact your travels. |
| 1:20.7 | Well, we are going to be traveling ourselves. |
| 1:22.9 | As we finish this, we're about to hit the road. |
| 1:25.5 | We'll be camping. |
| 1:26.7 | Well, let's see, I'll do my |
| 1:27.7 | map of Michigan. No, it's like that for you guys on the camera. Okay, we live over this side |
... |
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