The RV Park Rule You Should Know Before Buying A Used Camper

If you love camping, you might dream about owning your own RV camper. While shopping for affordable RV campers, you might begin considering the option of buying a used one. Prices for a new Class A motorhome begin at around $90,000 and can go up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes even reaching over a million. However, a used Class A motorhome can be picked up for a steal. Along with saving you cash, a used camper can also be stylish and unique. Winnebago even launched an old-school design with high-tech features. However, before you invest in buying a new RV camper, you should know about "the 10-year rule."

Campers know that there are a lot of unspoken rules. For example, many campers live by the 3-3-3 rule, saying it can keep you safe on your road trip. The 10-year rule is exactly what it sounds like: Some high-end, privately-owned RV parks do not allow campers that are older than 10 years old. Others require that people using RVs older than 10 years to send additional information while booking, such as photos of their camper or maintenance records.

The first thing to know about the 10-year rule is that yes, it is legal. While publicly-owned RV parks allow vehicles of any age, privately-owned RV parks can set whatever rules they want, as long as the rules don't violate any state or federal laws. As RV rental firm Cruise America explains, parks put the rule in place for several reasons: for safety and environmental reasons in the case of leaks, to preserve their desired aesthetic appearance in the camp, and to ensure that they're able to recoup costs in the case of an eviction. While opinions on the aesthetic reasons will vary, RV experts say that the leak concern is real: It's more likely for older vehicles to leak, and leaks can lead to fines for RV camp owners or even a dangerous situation for fellow campers.

While this might sound scary, Cruise America adds that the rule is rarely enforced, although owners of older RVs might be asked to show photos, registration papers, and maintenance records before their booking is confirmed. Reddit users agree. "Mine is 30 years old and still going, I've travelled across the country multiple times and only run into 2 campgrounds that turned me away for not being 10 yr or newer," writes one Redditor. Another Redditor puts it well: "Do your research ahead of time and you shouldn't have a problem. There are plenty of older RVs on the road."