Advise for a 100k budget

SLIDEx wrote:

gemsworld wrote:
Get a Winnebago Vista. You should be able to get a 31 footer brand new for about $100K. You should be able to get close to 25% off the MSRP if you shop around.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestion, why do you recommend that? Is it a better quality more reliable brand?

others will disagree but we've had two Winnebago Industries MH's...a 1985 Chieftain and, currently, a 2000 Itasca Suncruiser. we've found that Winnebago stands behind their products and takes care of customers. but as with anything there are now and will be those who have had a different experience. ask around and get different opinions.

shop carefully. if you're going to get a model with slideouts have the sales critter retract the slide outs and then see what you can, and more importantly, what you cannot access while the slides are in.

and while the slides are in move the driver's seat (and the front passenger seat if there is a slide on that side) as far back as you can and then see if that is comfortable for you for that will be the farthest back you can move that seat while driving.

weights: pay very strict attention to the weight ratings especially if you are planning to tow a vehicle behind the MH. there are all sorts of weight ratings that, in my opinion anyway, do more to confuse than educate. but at a minimum you need to understand the following:

- GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: this is the maximum amount of weight the MH chassis can support including itself.

- GCWR: Gross Combination Weight Rating: the maximum amount of weight the MH can propel including itself.

- GAWR: Gross Axle Weight Rating: the maximum weight each axle can support. each axle will have a separate GAWR. the sum of the GAWRs should not exceed the GVWR.

the following weights are no longer in general use and that's a shame because understanding then can be very useful.

- Empty Weight: generally means the weight of the MH as it came from the factory. includes all of the factory-installed options as well as all of the dealer-installed options. does not include the weight of gasoline, fresh water or LP but does include oil in the engine.

- Wet Weight: Empty weight plus full tanks of fuel, fresh water and LP. (gas = 6lbs/gal, water = 8lbs/gal, LP = 4 to 5lbs/gal). you can easily calculate the wet weight.

- Payload: the GVWR minus the wet weight. this is the total weight you can safely add to the MH (food, clothing, supplies, pets, people and misc. stuff) before exceeding safety limits. but...and this is important...you need to calculate this by axle. it is possible to overload an axle but still be under the GVWR total. i know this from personal experience.

please note that the total amount of weight you can tow is NOT the difference between the GCWR and the GVWR. the maximum amount of weight you can safely tow will be the lesser of the following:

- the GCWR minus the actual weight of the MH as it is loaded for travel (food, fuel, water, LP, clothing, supplies, pets, people and misc. stuff); OR

- the weight rating of the MH hitch (Class II 3500-lbs, Class III 5000-lbs, Class IV 10,000-lbs); OR

- the weight rating of your towbar

most people find that floorplan is king. when you look at MHs don't be mesmerized by this and that. think about how you're going to use the MH on a daily basis. chassis is important too. gas or diesel? diesel will, everything else being equal, be more expensive to buy.

there is a lot to take in and a lot to know. don't be in a rush. act in haste...repent in leisure.

ask questions when you think of them. we were all first time buyers once and there is a ton of experience here.

good luck.