Newbie breaking the "don't buy new" rule? 2022 Momentum 25G

[Lady_Violet_XXI]

A first time rv buyer should buy used. Right? But. There's always a but. Every buyer is different. About me: Divorced. Empty nest. My work can go on the road. I've wanted to do this for years. My ex - hah! He had no sense of adventure. Now I'm free to live as I choose.
I've read until my brain is full - everything RV. I need unbiased (my mom doesn't count) opinions. The dealer is clearing out the 2022 stock. They have ONE Momentum 25G toy hauler. Why a toy hauler and not a travel trailer? Funny you should ask. My toy isn't an ATV, it's a massage chair. The Ferrari of massage chairs. Don't ask what I paid for it. I have health issues and it helps SO much. Well, it's 33" W, ~72" long reclined, and almost 300 lbs. Won't fit through the door of a travel trailer and no place to put it. The chair isn't the only reason I decided on a toy hauler, but that would probably be enough.
I WAS going to buy used, but used toy haulers (of any brand) are rare and seem to still be pricey. I admit I fell in love with the 25G. It meets my needs and rings the bell on a lot of wants. I haven't found anything else that comes close. MSRP is around $80k and it's selling for $62k (it has a generator, solar package and I think upgraded sound system). Besides tax, title and license the dealer charges a $900 dealer fee which includes PDI, propane tanks, a battery and I forget what else. Okay, there's a new 2022 Forest River XLR for almost half the price. But I've read so many bad things about that brand!
GD quality and warranty. But the price seems high for clearance. But there are no used GD for sale that fit my needs. So, I'm going in circles. I'd really like to hear what you think! Am I stupid for buying new (even if it is a 2022)? Why or why not? THANKS! P.S. Thank you for reading this long post!

[FT4NOW]

Welcome to the forum. No problem going new, we did it 3 times. As long as you're happy is all that matters.

[Whitexc]

Welcome. I’ve bought new and I’ve bought used at various points in my camping life. If you can swing new go for it. Who wants someone else’s problems?

What is the tow vehicle? Please don’t say some half ton truck.

[Lady_Violet_XXI]

Welcome. I’ve bought new and I’ve bought used at various points in my camping life. If you can swing new go for it. Who wants someone else’s problems?

What is the tow vehicle? Please don’t say some half ton truck.

No way. I'm trading in my soccer mom van for a real truck. I'm starting the next phase of my life. I plan to do it right.
My dad and I towed his boat (basically a floating rv) with a Suburban I lovingly called Goliath and then Big Blue, a Chevy pick-up. My dad worked for GM and liked big trucks.
I'm thinking Silverado. Maybe Sierra. I'll keep an open mind, but I grew up driving GM.
Funny memory: When I was dating, my dad's first question was, "what kind of car does he drive?" LOL.
I've never driven a diesel. The big debate about gas vs diesel for towing. Any thoughts?

[Ynot4me2]

Welcome to the group. We bought new, we actually buy most of our things new. Although sometimes the used price is attractive. We just don't want someone else problem and no warranty or manufacturer to fall back to. Buying new doesn't mean you won't have issues though, we had a few minor ones but GD looked after them. 1 even after the warranty expired. That's what great with GD, the after sales. Have you looked further out for the same floor plan for a better price? I was ready to drive 7hrs out until my local dealer decided to price match for the model we decided on. Some members have gone even further out. Some members have started getting close to 30% msrp again like it was before the pandemic.
Gas or diesel, well I'd go diesel. You just get better torque and engine braking. Regardless of which manufacturer you decide on, just be sure to run your own tow numbers and get the right size truck. 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton srw, drw.
We can help you out with those numbers. Just don't trust any of the sales people.

[huntindog]

A first time rv buyer should buy used. Right? But. There's always a but. Every buyer is different. About me: Divorced. Empty nest. My work can go on the road. I've wanted to do this for years. My ex - hah! He had no sense of adventure. Now I'm free to live as I choose.
I've read until my brain is full - everything RV. I need unbiased (my mom doesn't count) opinions. The dealer is clearing out the 2022 stock. They have ONE Momentum 25G toy hauler. Why a toy hauler and not a travel trailer? Funny you should ask. My toy isn't an ATV, it's a massage chair. The Ferrari of massage chairs. Don't ask what I paid for it. I have health issues and it helps SO much. Well, it's 33" W, ~72" long reclined, and almost 300 lbs. Won't fit through the door of a travel trailer and no place to put it. The chair isn't the only reason I decided on a toy hauler, but that would probably be enough.
I WAS going to buy used, but used toy haulers (of any brand) are rare and seem to still be pricey. I admit I fell in love with the 25G. It meets my needs and rings the bell on a lot of wants. I haven't found anything else that comes close. MSRP is around $80k and it's selling for $62k (it has a generator, solar package and I think upgraded sound system). Besides tax, title and license the dealer charges a $900 dealer fee which includes PDI, propane tanks, a battery and I forget what else. Okay, there's a new 2022 Forest River XLR for almost half the price. But I've read so many bad things about that brand!
GD quality and warranty. But the price seems high for clearance. But there are no used GD for sale that fit my needs. So, I'm going in circles. I'd really like to hear what you think! Am I stupid for buying new (even if it is a 2022)? Why or why not? THANKS! P.S. Thank you for reading this long post!

When it comes to RVs,buying new is almost a sure way to have problems.
So the percieved reliability of new, is just that..Percieved.

I always recommend used for newbies because how you imagine using a RV is often quite different than how you will end up using it. Spend a season or two in a used RV to find out more about about what is really important to you. Then spring for a new, ordered unit to get one that fits you a lot better. Ths will save you a lot of money... But if money is not a problem, go ahead and buy new. Don't be suprised if your new RV ends up sitting at the dealer waiting to be fixed. and not just for a few days. More like a few months. You appear to want to live in it full time. That will be a problem

[FlyStar]

With the 25G you are definitely in Silverado HD 2500 territory as a minimum. And you won’t regret going Diesel.

My favorite feature of having a diesel is being able to fuel up with the semis in the spacious semi lanes at the truck stops.

[FT4NOW]

You can have problems new or used. I prefer to start from new, but wouldn't be opposed to used. Like previously mentioned, you will have problems new or used. If you're handy, it's not an issue as most of the things are fairly easy to work on. If you're living in it fulltime, you need to learn to be handy or have a good supply of $$$. I would avoid dealerships for repairs if they are outside your skill set as they are usually very backed up and not always the best quality of work. Mobil techs will come to you, GD will even authorize them for warranty work, but won't cover their service fee (the fee to come out regardless of what work is done). There are great resources to help with issues like the people on this forum, you certainly found the right place. Don't be afraid to buy more truck than you need, better than the opposite scenario.

Also, keep in mind you will have a bunch of upfront expenses outfitting the RV with the bare necessities and then of course the modifications you will want to make.

There are numerous threads on what is needed to start, just use the search function and start reading/taking notes.

[Timmer]

For all things vehicles and toys I have competing motivations. One is that I take care of my stuff from day one, and I've been burnt by buying used in the past, so I'm much more comfortable buying new than used. That being said, I'm frugal, and the 1st year depreciation on any big ticket item is hard for me to swallow. My favorite spot to land is vehicles under 20,000 miles (preferably under 10k), and campers that are less than 2 years old. I have bought used within those parameters and had very good luck. There is some truth in the thought that buying used means the kinks have already been worked out. I am confident that if you buy new you will have warranty work done. Just don't be disappointed when it happens. It's the reality in today's mass production and costly labor market.

I agree with others that a good reason to buy used is so you don't throw money away while you learn what you want out of a camper. I just recently bought a 9 year old "RV" style fish house, which is basically a small camper with holes in the floor. I knew the guy who owned it and believed he took fairly good care of it. He was needing to sell it asap for personal reasons, and it was a good deal, so I grabbed it. I like fixing things and I already knew it wasn't really what I wanted, so I was viewing it as something short-term. I believed at the time that with just a little maintenance and elbow grease I could sell it for about $2k+ more than I bought it for. Well, the good news is that I have used it a fair amount and really have been able to narrow down functions and features I want and things I don't like. The bad news is that maintenance was more than I thought, and I'm about $2100 into fixing it up. There goes making anything back on it! It's a good reminder why I generally don't pursue things that are used to this degree.

[Wileykid]

Like said, nothing wrong with buying new, that is what I usually do, including my current one. Buying a good used one could be great in that most of the large/small stuff should have been found and fixed. Used, a good amount of research, and using a trailer inspector, could get you one that is in great shape. Remember, trailers will always have something wrong, or will be wrong, rolling down the road to the trailer is like a constant earthquake to them.

As far as the truck, a 3/4 ton should be minimum, and if you are looking at a diesel (they weigh more), a 1 ton. Other than the payload capability between the 3/4 and 1 ton, the ride is the same (for GM), the fuel mileage is the same, the dimensions are the same, and usually it is only around $1-2,000 difference in price between the two.