Going on vacation with a trailer or an RV can make the experience much less stressful, essentially bringing your hotel room with you everywhere you decide to go. With an RV (or a recreational vehicle like a motorhome), you tend to drive it entirely; whereas with a trailer, it’s hooked up to your travel vehicle via a hitch or tow package and doesn’t have a motor for driving on its own.

Anywhere from seasonal camping in a relaxing forest environment to staying in a dedicated park while you visit a city you’ve never been to before, RV or trailer traveling can open tons of opportunities. But where do you even start when preparing to purchase one? Trailer and RV trade prices are a market all on their own, making it potentially daunting when you’re in that market for a trailer or RV sale. Here’s a short article on five things to look for (and what to avoid) when buying your first trailer or RV:

1. Not having a budget

Whether buying from a private party or from a dealership, it’s of utmost importance to understand your financial limit and stick to it. Haggling is an option in most vehicle marketplaces, but overshooting what you can or can’t handle could result in the loss of a deal or overburdening yourself with debt.

2. Not considering interest rates or taxes

If you take out a loan to buy an RV or trailer, something commonly forgotten is the interest rate for those loans. An overpriced loan can end up putting someone into excessive debt. On the other hand, it’s important to search up your state’s tax and interest deductions and if you qualify for them before buying anything.

3. Buying too small

If it’s your first time buying a camper, you might decide to go with the economic choice and pick something you think is small enough to manage. Next thing you know, you’re tripping over everything you brought, and it’s harder to keep clean and organized than you initially realized. This can be magnified if it isn’t just you alone in the camper, making things feel cramped and claustrophobic. Making sure to purchase the size that suits you and your family’s needs can make or break a vacation.

4. Forgetting tow weight

You have your dream trailer or towable RV, it’s big enough, you could afford it with sales tax and interest rates, everything is perfect…except for one key detail: you don’t own a vehicle that can tow it, because it’s too heavy. This is one of the most important things to consider when looking through the variety of trailers available. Not just considering the weight of the trailer itself, but the gear you plan to bring with you, is absolutely imperative.

5. Buying an RV in poor condition

Buying new can be attractive at first, until you consider that value goes down the instant you drive it off the lot and even more every year that you own it. It can seem like a waste to put down the amount of money a new RV would be worth, just for it to go down in value immediately. But what about the challenges of buying pre-owned? It costs less to buy outright, sure, but there are repairs to talk about (if the previous owner is honest about them), or even aesthetic improvements to consider if it comes with a lot of damage. These things can make the used RV or trailer cost as much, if not more, than buying new. Really it comes down to what is right for you, what you think is ultimately worth it.