Anyone make a mistake buying first MH ?
Just curious.. No matter how much research you do , it seems there is no substitute for owning and using a MH.. Anyone buy one and then realize you made a mistake on the first one.. If so, how did you...
Forum Discussion
I have read through the whole thread and it is scary to consider buying a coach\Rig or whatever you want to call an RV.
I consider a tractor trailer truck a rig and an RV a Coach.
Anyway some of the things I am reading are things that could have been addressed before buying. A few people have mentioned the size of the units as being problematic for driving ,refueling etc.. I would go back to the dealer’s you wish to buy from and ask to drive a unit once a week for a month to get the feel of what it will be like after purchase if driving a big unit scares you. Remember you are the one with the $$ and are making a huge investment and if they do not like it walk away and find another dealer. I was lucky enough to drive Jeeps, 6X’s and school Busses when in the service and I hope whatever I might choose will have better andling charctheristics then those units.If not I will research what additions are needed for a more secure ride.That is a reason I want TAG.
I do not like dealers and will try to find a private owner because dealers tend to distract people from what is important. I cannot believe that people actually tout things like stereo’s and Vacuums as being features. If you want a vacuum or a stereo you can add them in. All electronic items can be bought that are up to date ,use less power and weigh less plus are not used for a not so high price. You can get a SOTA stereo for under $1K and adding a vacuum like a SHARK is well under $100. Prices on TV’s are coming down also along with LCD monitors which are great for several reasons .Mainly they do not weigh much,take up less space and use less amps. None of the TV’s in Coaches are HDTV Ready I think so there is another added cost in a few yrs...Most do not have satellite that is really adequate or SOTA so there is another added cost. None come with GPS which for some is a big issue.
People buying MH’s should be more involved with the mechanical reliability than Appliance items is my point. Even the cosmetics can be improved upon if they are not exactly what you need or want.
Plan on spending $5-$10K after purchasing a used MH to do the finishing touches which is what I plan on doing. I would much rather pay $20-$40K for a unit that is mechanically sound then pay $100K for something that has everything one might want for accessories .but be mechanically flawed.
As far as Manfs. Most all have lemons in their line ups, but some have better reps at customer service than others I have read. One among those that is said to have impeccable service is Tiffin, but they do not have an affordable coach that has a a high CCC rating. National I like ,but they are said to have a few cosmetic flaws. One I had recently read about by a few posters is Cracking in the side panel doors which the Co. gaffed off a customer. Not so good for those looking to buy a used National.
Other Cos. I have been looking at are:
Fleetwood-Bounder’s
National-Dolphins
Geogie Boy-Cruise Masters
Winnebago-Vectras,Adventurers & Journeys
Airstream-Land Yachts
(although most do not like FW’s Bounders are said to have good reliability and heavy CCC ratings.I saw that one coach has a CCC rating of something like 800lbs.Hope people that buy that coach do not like water and have a family.LOL
All those are are gas units and I would love to have a diesel,but the cost to benefits ratio does not warrant it for myself. I do not plan on putting more than 6-8Kmiles on the thing for each year I own it.
I think all have a CCC rating of over 2000Lbs.,all are over 32’ long and all can use a chevy powerplant with workhorse or P-30 chasis.Would like to have TAG if possible.Storage is the first thing to look at and what the CCC rating is.If you cannot brin g what you need then you are stuck.
For add-ons I am looking at Solar, Steering and Sway bars. Shocks and Tires of needed. Interior additions I will replace the TV’s,Stereo and pull the booth in favor of a Computer Station for business. Furniture is one thing that can be added to the list of things to replace.A lot of the furniture in RV’s is just plain uncomfortable.Another weak area that a lot of people do not show at some used sites are the bathroom. Do you want a full bath or just a shower.
My point to all this is look for the Mechanical reliability of the coach first then decipher what might be good additions or can be replaced after that. If a salesman tries to tout having a stereo or a vacuum is a major benefit ask him if it breaks ,which it will, will he come over to clean your coach?
Lastly thanks for the thread as it gives more to think about when buying a coach. Maybe it will help prevent some the pitfalls others have had. Just hope I get an honest deal which in this day and age could be a minor miracle.
Happy Travels!
I consider a tractor trailer truck a rig and an RV a Coach.
Anyway some of the things I am reading are things that could have been addressed before buying. A few people have mentioned the size of the units as being problematic for driving ,refueling etc.. I would go back to the dealer’s you wish to buy from and ask to drive a unit once a week for a month to get the feel of what it will be like after purchase if driving a big unit scares you. Remember you are the one with the $$ and are making a huge investment and if they do not like it walk away and find another dealer. I was lucky enough to drive Jeeps, 6X’s and school Busses when in the service and I hope whatever I might choose will have better andling charctheristics then those units.If not I will research what additions are needed for a more secure ride.That is a reason I want TAG.
I do not like dealers and will try to find a private owner because dealers tend to distract people from what is important. I cannot believe that people actually tout things like stereo’s and Vacuums as being features. If you want a vacuum or a stereo you can add them in. All electronic items can be bought that are up to date ,use less power and weigh less plus are not used for a not so high price. You can get a SOTA stereo for under $1K and adding a vacuum like a SHARK is well under $100. Prices on TV’s are coming down also along with LCD monitors which are great for several reasons .Mainly they do not weigh much,take up less space and use less amps. None of the TV’s in Coaches are HDTV Ready I think so there is another added cost in a few yrs...Most do not have satellite that is really adequate or SOTA so there is another added cost. None come with GPS which for some is a big issue.
People buying MH’s should be more involved with the mechanical reliability than Appliance items is my point. Even the cosmetics can be improved upon if they are not exactly what you need or want.
Plan on spending $5-$10K after purchasing a used MH to do the finishing touches which is what I plan on doing. I would much rather pay $20-$40K for a unit that is mechanically sound then pay $100K for something that has everything one might want for accessories .but be mechanically flawed.
As far as Manfs. Most all have lemons in their line ups, but some have better reps at customer service than others I have read. One among those that is said to have impeccable service is Tiffin, but they do not have an affordable coach that has a a high CCC rating. National I like ,but they are said to have a few cosmetic flaws. One I had recently read about by a few posters is Cracking in the side panel doors which the Co. gaffed off a customer. Not so good for those looking to buy a used National.
Other Cos. I have been looking at are:
Fleetwood-Bounder’s
National-Dolphins
Geogie Boy-Cruise Masters
Winnebago-Vectras,Adventurers & Journeys
Airstream-Land Yachts
(although most do not like FW’s Bounders are said to have good reliability and heavy CCC ratings.I saw that one coach has a CCC rating of something like 800lbs.Hope people that buy that coach do not like water and have a family.LOL
All those are are gas units and I would love to have a diesel,but the cost to benefits ratio does not warrant it for myself. I do not plan on putting more than 6-8Kmiles on the thing for each year I own it.
I think all have a CCC rating of over 2000Lbs.,all are over 32’ long and all can use a chevy powerplant with workhorse or P-30 chasis.Would like to have TAG if possible.Storage is the first thing to look at and what the CCC rating is.If you cannot brin g what you need then you are stuck.
For add-ons I am looking at Solar, Steering and Sway bars. Shocks and Tires of needed. Interior additions I will replace the TV’s,Stereo and pull the booth in favor of a Computer Station for business. Furniture is one thing that can be added to the list of things to replace.A lot of the furniture in RV’s is just plain uncomfortable.Another weak area that a lot of people do not show at some used sites are the bathroom. Do you want a full bath or just a shower.
My point to all this is look for the Mechanical reliability of the coach first then decipher what might be good additions or can be replaced after that. If a salesman tries to tout having a stereo or a vacuum is a major benefit ask him if it breaks ,which it will, will he come over to clean your coach?
Lastly thanks for the thread as it gives more to think about when buying a coach. Maybe it will help prevent some the pitfalls others have had. Just hope I get an honest deal which in this day and age could be a minor miracle.
Happy Travels!
