Renovate/Customize vs. Trade In for New

[gspot01]

Is it a foolish idea to renovate/reconfigure the interior layout vs. trade it for a different model with a better floor plan?

The 26' bunkhouse model I bought about five years ago no longer suits me as my kids are now grown up and no longer camp with me and the Mrs.

It's sleeps nine people which is excessive, and I was thinking of ripping out the bunkhouse and dinette, which pretty much stay piled up with equipment and unused. And I also think a slightly larger bathroom would be nice, so I would build that out into the space occupied by the bunks.

99% of the time it's just me camping because the wife doesn't even go, and the camper serves as a base station for my fishing/hiking/biking, etc. I like the overall size--I think it strikes a nice balance between big enough to offer a lot of comfort and space, but still small enough to fit in the public campgrounds I frequent most.

I can't imagine trading it in since I still owe about 75% of the original purchase price on the loan since I've mostly been paying interest up to this point. In my experience, that's a recipe for getting screwed in a new deal.

I am capable of doing the work successfully. I'm just wondering if anyone thinks it's a bad idea to make such radical changes under the circumstances?

[Qwkynuf]

Originally Posted by gspot01

Is it a foolish idea to renovate/reconfigure the interior layout vs. trade it for a different model with a better floor plan?

The 26' bunkhouse model I bought about five years ago no longer suits me as my kids are now grown up and no longer camp with me and the Mrs.

It's sleeps nine people which is excessive, and I was thinking of ripping out the bunkhouse and dinette, which pretty much stay piled up with equipment and unused. And I also think a slightly larger bathroom would be nice, so I would build that out into the space occupied by the bunks.

99% of the time it's just me camping because the wife doesn't even go, and the camper serves as a base station for my fishing/hiking/biking, etc. I like the overall size--I think it strikes a nice balance between big enough to offer a lot of comfort and space, but still small enough to fit in the public campgrounds I frequent most.

I can't imagine trading it in since I still owe about 75% of the original purchase price on the loan since I've mostly been paying interest up to this point. In my experience, that's a recipe for getting screwed in a new deal.

I am capable of doing the work successfully. I'm just wondering if anyone thinks it's a bad idea to make such radical changes under the circumstances?

Have you thought about just listing it for sale in one of the online marketplaces - Facebook, etc? Everything that I have been reading indicates that it is currently a seller's market and that you ought to be able to unload at a good price fairly quickly - I have seen report of selling within days.

Also might be worth asking your dealer to appraise for a trade - you might do ok there as well, since there seems to be a shortage in a lot of areas.

[JWood422]

None of my business here. I would NEVER attempt to do what you’re describing. But dang. Your camper apparently is in good shape. You didn’t mention any problems with it other than the layout no longer suits your needs. If you truly have the time and expertise to do what you’re describing I say go for it. But... You MUST post pictures and give complete progress reports.

[gspot01]

Hi guys, I'm not leaning towards selling it right now, because as you said, it's a seller's market. After I sold it I would then be a buyer and might not find a good deal. I just came back from a week-long camping trip, and I heard over and over in the front offices that you can't find any RVs at the dealership and no campgrounds have any open spots (both probably exaggerations since we were all clearly camping). I don't want to put myself in a position of not being able to get a new RV, nor the possible price-gouging.

JWood422, I will def post pics if I decide to go that route. My camper doesn't have any problems, because I've spent the last five years fixing them all. Now it's in great shape! I've learned that they are dirt-simply constructed. Nothing to them really, at least not the "basic" beginner camper like I have.