Class C Priceing

I was going to see about a relative junker as well, but after looking at what people were selling, I decided to just hold off purchasing anything until my vehicle is paid off later this year.

Under $40k, the rigs I encountered were quite worn, with (as mentioned above) any front facing windows having a leak.

By raising the bar to $60-65k, I can find a new Ford E-350 unit, likely a corner queen with a dinette slide. Nothing worth writing home about... but for a single person, would be a reasonably serviceable unit, especially after adding 250-500 watts of solar, and some other upgrades (Shur-Flo 182-200 accumulator tank, for example.)

We found similar issues 2 years ago when we were looking. It wasn't until we raised our maximum price point to over 40K did we begin to find RVS that met our condition requirements. The one we choose is in my signature and it had almost everything we expected in both amenities as well as condition. There are a lot of junker RVS out there and many of them are in your price range. I don't understand paying 25 to 30 Large for something that was ridden hard and put away wet. That is a lot of money to me. Our search took 2 years to find our rig and we saw a lot of junk.

Thank you. I also found that the photos are very deceiving. The outside looks fine until you go to see them, then the decals are pealing and the unit has been in an accident and it seems that all the ones with a window in the front leak. We will continue the search!!

I looked for over a year before I ended up buying new. The problem I kept running into was that really clean used units were priced so close to the new price it did not make sense. The NADA prices are really inflated and everyone wants to price by their retail list. My new unit is now 1 year old and NADA says its worth more than what I paid for it. That and many people I went to see were so upside down on their loan they could not move on price.
Stay vigilant and go see everything you can on craigslist or the RV lists. You will soon find you become educated on wording to watch for and be ready when the right one comes along because if its really nice and a good price it wont be there in a few days when you make up your mind.

Have you considered a former rental unit? They fall into your price range and are well maintained units. There's a thread here with LOTS of info and experiences various members have had with former rentals.

I was in the same boat as you and after going through that thread, and looking at the inventory at various dealers, decided to get a former rental.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26035008.cfm

Graphics fade and crack in the sun. Tires that are not kept covered get cracks in sidewalls and may need replacing for your safety at around 4 years old. A set of six tires costs over $1200. Look for any evidence of water leaks inside, expensive to repair. If you find what you want, have a pro truck service inspect and give you written estimates for any repairs/replacements needed.
Make sure that all appliances dash and roof AC and RV generator work properly and if not, get written estimates. Don't buy on impulse or "tired of looking".
Don't buy extended warranty, set monies aside for maintenance and repairs as needed. Roof AC, fridge, converter/charger and batteries and fresh water pump may need replacement when about 10 years old (Our experience!)

Graphics fade and crack in the sun. Tires that are not kept covered get cracks in sidewalls and may need replacing for your safety at around 4 years old. A set of six tires costs over $1200. Look for any evidence of water leaks inside, expensive to repair. If you find what you want, have a pro truck service inspect and give you written estimates for any repairs/replacements needed.
Make sure that all appliances dash and roof AC and RV generator work properly and if not, get written estimates. Don't buy on impulse or "tired of looking".
Don't buy extended warranty, set monies aside for maintenance and repairs as needed. Roof AC, fridge, converter/charger and batteries and fresh water pump may need replacement when about 10 years old (Our experience!)

Great ideas. Thanks everyone

subscribed....as I too am searching for a used 28'-31' Class C at $30-$35K budget. I monitor RV trader, Craigslist, and local dealers. As mentioned, it may require traveling to get the one you want.

I live in California and flew to Minnesota to get mine. Based on your budget the search may seem difficult but look on RVtrader and be willing to travel. They are out there. Many here on this forum have found great deals buying from rental fleets.