Bankrate.com lists national averages for new car loans as well as rates available in local markets around the country.

The rate on an individual's RV loan is determined by the finance amount, length of loan and a person's credit quality. At Essex Credit, interest rates on RV loans range from 6.37 percent to 10.25 percent.

"Not everybody is going to qualify for the best rate," Barron says. "You should do some homework. First know your own credit profile. Then compare what's available in the market."

Lightening the load
A big down payment will not necessarily help drive down the interest rate on a loan. Most lenders require less than a 20 percent down payment and many lenders require a down payment of less than 10 percent. There are even some zero-down loans.

"Lenders prefer to have larger loans on their books. So you may actually pay a higher interest rate for a small loan," explains Barron.

Most RV loans are simple interest rate loans. With a simple interest rate loan, the amount of each payment that is allocated for interest is determined by the loan's unpaid principal balance, the loan's interest rate and the number of days since the last payment. The rest of the payment goes to a loan's principal.

Many RV lenders offer automatic bill pay. With automatic bill pay, a loan payment is automatically deducted from a bank or credit union account on a certain day of the month.

If you're an individual that might be traveling a lot in an RV, that might be convenient.

Terms on RV loans typically average 10 years but can go longer. For larger loans, say $50,000 to $100,000 or more, many lenders will allow you to extend the loan term to 20 years.

RV owners are known for making steady, on-time loan payments year after year.

"Historically, RV loans have an extremely low delinquency rate nationwide. Generally, it's under 2 percent," Mason says. "The people who purchase these vehicles tend to be very reliable on loan payments."

You deserve a break
For most RV owners the interest on their loan is tax-deductible as second-home mortgage interest.

To qualify, the RV must be used as security for the loan and it must have basic sleeping, toilet and cooking facilities. Almost all RVs, from motor homes to van and truck campers to travel trailers, come with these facilities.

For more information on the tax deductibility of RV loan interest, contact the Internal Revenue Service. Copies of " Publication 936 -- Home Interest Deduction" and " Publication 523 -- Selling Your Home" are available by calling 1-800-829-3676 or by visiting the IRS Web site.

Once the research, number crunching and paperwork are done, RV owners can get down to the fun part.

"Enjoy your dream and your vacation," Scalf says. "You can get these little things taken care of."

Bankrate editorial assistant Sheyna Steiner contributed to this story.