Buying first Motorhome, used

Look, look and look. We drove several and found older ones much nicer then some newer ones. Some DP were louder then some gas units. Maintenance records would be a must. We were in some class C units that we couldn't get from the front seats to the back without getting out and going in the side door. Some were almost overloaded when empty and handled poorly. You can't pick from the first two.

Research and read all you can. There's lots of info out there and the time you spend will pay you back. This is a great place to start. Many RVers would never buy a Thor product due to problems many have encountered. The counterpoint to that is that Thor sells more units than anyone else so you are naturally going to hear of more problems. After all, message boards aren't exactly a scientific study :)

Personally, I'm kind of on the fence with Thor. There is generally great value for the money, for sure. Any and all manufacturers churn out crappy units so RVs at any price point are kind of a roll of the dice. The whole rental thing is an interesting twist. I can see some benefit as the people were regularly held to a high standard of keeping it clean. One of my biggest fears with a used coach is some guy and his herd of dogs living in the thing for years at a time. That's pretty much erased with a rental.

I would pass on the former rental. No guarantee just because it was commercially owned that the maintenance was more than the minimum required.

Personally I would not buy new. 2-5 year old coaches seem to be in the sweet spot for used. Low mileage and general usage. Maybe a bit of warranty remaining and the former owner worked out the initial problems. You can step back even further in time for something older but you'll need to know what to look for regarding what to avoid such as water damage, low mileage but heavy use.

A 17 year old coach with a dealer warranty is a bit like life insurance on a 71 year old male who smokes, needs insulin and is overweight. If you can find coverage the cost is either going to be very high or the mice type very detailed concerning what is not covered and other restrictions.

The savings on a 2001 against a 2012 of $15K is pretty light. Should be double if not more so it doesn't seem like much of a savings. Shop around more and don't be afraid of spending $500 on airfare to check out a coach that might save you $5000.

Thor is the largest rv mfg. And they're the worst IMHO. We've owned more than one of their product platforms. They buy up their competition ( that were good on their own) and the quality takes a dive. Never again will we own a Thor made product. They make them look really great, but that's where it ends for them.

As far as buying a rental. I personally never would consider it as most people renting these things could care less what they did to it or how they drove it, much less knowing anything about them.

If you looking for used, I'd buy from the original owner. Not a dealer. Preferably someone who has all the service data. Even ask if they warranty for problems for 6 months ( in writing ). You never know when someone is trying to get rid of a lemon at your expense.

Many people trading a MH in at around the 5 year mark are doing so to get into a newer model. But it could be at the point tires and batteries are at the replacement point. The cost to do that could be around $5000 or more. So they use that cash as part of the downpayment on the new, or pocket it . You might be laying out that money they saved after your purchase. If you get a really good deal, that might not matter, but it should be part of your negotiation with the dealer or private owner.

We have had both a Class C and Class A's. After experiencing both, here are my observations. If you are going to buy used a couple of suggestions.

1. Pay particular attention to the condition of the roof, ceiling and walls. Water intrusion is the number one issue of older units and if previous owners, like many, did not have annual maintenance performed, i.e. resealing seams, there will be water damage. look for any stains on the ceiling inside very carefully, especially in closets and slides. Water intrusion in the walls shows up as delamination. Check for any bulges or soft spots, particularly under windows.

2. Consider a Class A over a Class C. Class A's generally drive better than Class C's which will make your travels far more enjoyable. The excessive sway and wandering of a Class C will quickly exhaust most drivers. This is due to the Chassis design. Class A's are a MH designed chassis, Class C's generally are a van of light truck designed chassis. Its been my experience that Class C's ride and handle like a truck which IMHO is not a good thing. Aside from the ride, most Class C's come on a smaller chassis sporting 16" rims and Light Truck tires. Generally the tires must be filled to the max pressure to handle the weigh of the MH. Many of the larger units are so close to the max weight, that its very easy to overload them and as a result suffer tire issues and failures. Class A's generally come on a larger chassis with 22.5" rims and MH tires, have adequate cargo capacity and more manageable tire pressures.

The list of differences between the two classes is endless and I could go on and on, and most not in favour of the Class C.
But these two points are at the top of my list,

et2 wrote:
Thor is the largest rv mfg. And they're the worst IMHO. We've owned more than one of their product platforms. They buy up their competition ( that were good on their own) and the quality takes a dive. Never again will we own a Thor made product. They make them look really great, but that's where it ends for them.

As far as buying a rental. I personally never would consider it as most people renting these things could care less what they did to it or how they drove it, much less knowing anything about them.

If you looking for used, I'd buy from the original owner. Not a dealer. Preferably someone who has all the service data. Even ask if they warranty for problems for 6 months ( in writing ). You never know when someone is trying to get rid of a lemon at your expense.

Many people trading a MH in at around the 5 year mark are doing so to get into a newer model. But it could be at the point tires and batteries are at the replacement point. The cost to do that could be around $5000 or more. So they use that cash as part of the downpayment on the new, or pocket it . You might be laying out that money they saved after your purchase. If you get a really good deal, that might not matter, but it should be part of your negotiation with the dealer or private owner.

Interesting comment but I would have to disagree with you. Thor bought Airstream and the quality has not deteriorated. Thor bought Entegra and the quality has actually seemed to have improved. Their business model seems to be more of buying up companies that complement their offerings rather than compete with them.

We looked for about 6 months everyday ended about up buying one in fla 1800 miles away couldn't be happier don't buy old and don't buy cheap it will will end up being a money pit
Don't buy a rental people aren't going to take care of them like if it was their own,think of rental cars

Having just gone through the process, I would only advise you to take your time, do a lot of research and reading, and look at different makes and compare quality. We were originally looking for an older (2005-2007) class A gas motorhome in hopes of spending less and hopefully have the sale of our truck and travel trailer cover the cost of the motorhome. After looking at a few units and seeing many problems, we decided to up our budget a bit. We were also looking at finding one that had been stored indoors and well taken care of.

My research resulted in determining that Winnebago/Itasca, Holiday Rambler, Tiffin and Newmar were the preferred manufacturers. We purchased a 2012 Newmar Bay Star 3302 and we're about to take our first trip, although we spent two nights in it when we drove it home from PA.

Good luck in your search....be patient and be careful!

Get a coin. Heads is one coach, tails is the other. Flip it and mean it. 1 toss. If after the toss you say "best two out of three" you know the coach you want then.

Problem with too much research is analysis paralysis. I have no problem with new or older coaches. It all depends on how they were taken care of.

How is the engine? How old are the batts? Don't forget to check tire age. Does the trans shift well? Any leaks? Those are more or less the important things.

Class A or Class C? Hummmmmmmm. A lot depends on what YOU plan to do with your MH. Be very clear on that before you buy. Class A's generally have more GVWR/towing, more storage, and carry more fluids (all of them) for a given length. Class A's use more fuel. Used class A's tend to be cheaper (a better value), but will depreciate more over a given time frame.

In short, there is no general answer for everyone, only the answer that suites YOU best!

Chum lee