Forum Discussion

josianna's avatar
josianna
Explorer
Jul 14, 2021

buying an rv

hi I have heard of a 2003 Bigfoot 30mh27ds for sale for 54000 and it has 61, 000 original miles on it. the seller claims it belonged to a rather old woman who no longer camps. Any comments? Price what to look for and any other suggestions you might have please.
  • Bigfoot was one of the best built Class C motorhomes in that era. Better built than most today. That price is Cdn $ I presume and the mileage Kilometers? The price is not out of line if my assumptions are correct. Have it inspected and deal accordingly. Bigfoots really hold their value. Good luck, Don
  • thank you. good idea on learning to evaluate the price of an rv.
  • Just be mindful that the demand for RV's is high and people are asking (and getting) premium prices for their used rigs. It will be hard to assess a good price for a used RV because many buyers know that if you don't buy it, there will be others behind you that will. So, harder to negotiate prices. And harder to determine what fair market value is as well.

    You can try using things like NADA and look at their used values for any RV you are looking at. Just be mindful that their values are most assuredly pre-covid, and RV prices are in territory that really no one can accurately evaluate. But, it will still give you an idea if the seller is insane, or just a little crazy in their valuation.

    I read your other post as well about getting into RVIng for first time, and maybe doing some full time RVing as you look for a new house. I don't know how the RV rental market is in Canada, but you might consider renting as you work the bugs out of your RVing experience. Renting an RV can give you some time to figure out what you like about the particular rig you are renting, but more importantly, what you DON'T like. So, when you get ready to buy, you know what's important to you and what you're willing to compromise on.

    Obviously, renting an RV is "sunk money" that you won't get back, but it could better prepare you for this big step. Plus, give you some insight and thoughts about what to look for problem wise in RV's. The suggestion about hiring a mobile tech to evaluate/do the PDI is a good one too.

    Just food for thought.

    Mike
  • I can't comment on the Bigfoot. When you decide on a particular RV (or a few) hire a mobile RV Tech to do an inspection.
    It will be money well spent.
  • Get a pro inspection of the house and chassis. Not using any motor vehicle isn’t necessarily good. Be prepared to change all fluids and tires if you buy it. I’ll bet their are no maintenance records cuzz it wasn’t used.