Class A 'Best Bones'

You want something that didn't leak and was well maintained. Don't just concentrate on the make/chassis.

It doesn't really matter how well something was built 10+ years ago if it leaked and is rotting away under the walls and floor.

Are you looking for gas or diesel? They both have their pros and cons.

I am a big fan of hung wall construction as opposed to laminated. If it's laminated it can delaminate.

Those using hung wall are Newmar, Holiday Rambler/Monaco, and Travel Supreme/Entregra. There may be a few others, I can't think of one.

Of course a full bus would be great, I don't think that would fit your budget.

If you would like to see what water will do to a motor home that has a laminated wall, and has leaked over time....take a look at this link.

After the first couple of pages, it gets a little gross.....Lol...

Link to destruction.

gbopp wrote:
You want something that didn't leak and was well maintained. Don't just concentrate on the make/chassis.

It doesn't really matter how well something was built 10+ years ago if it leaked and is rotting away under the walls and floor.

Are you looking for gas or diesel? They both have their pros and cons.

I think it'll really depend on what we land on. I've gone over several pros/cons list and gone out on some weekend trips in both and don't really have a preference from what it seems so far.

We do plan to pretty much loop the states a couple of times depending on weather and how much we enjoy things. We intend to move pretty often + want to take our jeep for offroading which is what left us stuck on the Class A.

Bruce Brown wrote:
I am a big fan of hung wall construction as opposed to laminated. If it's laminated it can delaminate.

Those using hung wall are Newmar, Holiday Rambler/Monaco, and Travel Supreme/Entregra. There may be a few others, I can't think of one.

Of course a full bus would be great, I don't think that would fit your budget.

Watching if something is laminated or if it has a rubber roof has really been what we've tried to concentrate on. We've had several folks tell us a rubber roof can easily become problematic and leak and requires a good bit of an upkeep.

Rubber roof seems to have been an easier one to nail down, I wasn't familiar with the laminated setup until very recently so it's something new to us in general.

Get an older Prevost and you will be good to go. Steel, stainless, aluminum and fiberglass caps. No delamination, no reason for any leaks, secure, easy to update and remodel as much of the interior is done with household hardware.
Love my '88 and I just keep doing updates (OK, any some repairs). I just changed the 1994 dated headlights to modern LED projector style. Very happy.

On the rubber roof, there is true EPDM rubber then there are the synethic types - big difference between them. I have a TT with a rubber roof and our MH has BriteTek, which some (wrongly) confuse with rubber.

EPDM isn't my favorite, we're on our 3rd MH with BriteTek, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Also keep in mind just because it says "fiberglass" doesn't mean it's quality material, some is about paper thin. Also keep in mind, like rubber, fiberglass will break down somewhat over time too. I also dabble in older tractors. I recently shipped a cab roof from one of my parts tractors to Louisiana. The roof I had was metal, it was replacing a fiberglass roof that had deteriorated past it's useful life.

Also "rubber" is a lot easier to replace. I did a new roof on our TT a few years ago, I did a buddies 5th Wheel last fall. I can't do a new full fiberglass roof in my garage, that's a factory job.

IMO I'd be more concerned in the roof condition than the material.

Bruce Brown wrote:
On the rubber roof, there is true EPDM rubber then there are the synethic types - big difference between them. I have a TT with a rubber roof and our MH has BriteTek, which some (wrongly) confuse with rubber.

EPDM isn't my favorite, we're on our 3rd MH with BriteTek, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Also keep in mind just because it says "fiberglass" doesn't mean it's quality material, some is about paper thin. Also keep in mind, like rubber, fiberglass will break down somewhat over time too. I also dabble in older tractors. I recently shipped a cab roof from one of my parts tractors to Louisiana. The roof I had was metal, it was replacing a fiberglass roof that had deteriorated past it's useful life.

Also "rubber" is a lot easier to replace. I did a new roof on our TT a few years ago, I did a buddies 5th Wheel last fall. I can't do a new full fiberglass roof in my garage, that's a factory job.

IMO I'd be more concerned in the roof condition than the material.

We've had a couple (all be it salesmen) tell us that the rubber roofs can get holes just as easily as being somewhere where a bird lands on it with some prey and is having lunch. Given the height and areas we'd go to in a motorhome -- that seems like a pretty high likelihood (though I suppose it could easily have been a perfect scare tactic as to 'why this is better').

Are you saying one of those two types of 'rubber' are better than the other?


I suppose the walls and roof (as well as mechanical parts) are my biggest concern over all as for what will last. Remodeling I can do all day long.

I don't understand your statement that MH are wasted space for 2 people - we found quite the opposite- the higher end you went the more tailored they are for 2 people. The entry levels are typically the bunk houses, sleep 10, etc.

I would never predicate a 2 year journey on having to gut and rebuild a motorhome unless you really just have nothing else to do. A) It would take me 10 years to finish that kind of project, B) when I was done I would have a MH that only I liked and I could never sell it because no one else liked it :)