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j_robinson389's avatar
j_robinson389
Explorer
Sep 04, 2014

DP vs. Gasser Bang for the Buck

I am looking to buy our second motorhome. Our first motorhome was a 1999 32' Gerogetown. No frills, we sold it six weeks after we bought it because I didn't have a good place to store it indoors. My wife and I slept 18 nights in it and loved it, but when I have a chance to make a little money, everything I own is for sale! :)

So two years later we are looking to buy another motorhome. I'm 25, and My wife is 22 and we just had our first baby this year. We love to boat also which is my reason for wanting a MH, I hate the thought of driving to vehicles to the lake.

Onto my actual question.

I'm a "wheeler Dealer" type and I can't stand the thought of buying something that I will lose money on if I HAD to sell it the next day. I understand I will lose money on it over time, but not overnight. Basically I have to buy things right or I won't buy it at all. So in my search I'd like to find a nice 32'-34' class A gasser with a super slide for around $15k. Well this doesn't seem possible, so in my search I have came across several diesel pushers in the '98 - '01 model years ranges for $30k or under. i.e. HR Endeavor, Monaco Diplomat/Windos, Newmar Dutch Star, etc. . .

DO you agree that a gently used DP for $28-$30k would be a better buy that a gasser @ $20K? It seems like the materials used in the diesel pushers is much higher quality. Not to mention the better ride and power. What are your thoughts, if you were in my shoes what would you look for?

Thanks,
Jake
Class A

28 Replies

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  • bluwtr49's avatar
    bluwtr49
    Explorer II
    Sep 04, 2014
    One way to do it is to buy an older very high end DP. Many times these coach's sold new for around 500K but have pretty much reached the bottom of their depreciation...within reason.

    Downside is they may only have two slides but in most cases they have been extremely well taken care of.

    Some example would be 2000 to 2004 units like Country Coach, Beaver Marquis/Patriot Thunder, Monaco Executive/Dynasty, and etc. You can find quite a few models in the high 90's to low 100's and, if taken care of, will like hold most of their value for a long time.
  • j_robinson389's avatar
    j_robinson389
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2014
    darsben wrote:
    If I was in your shoes I would not buy one at all.



    May I ask what your reasoning is?
  • dodge_guy's avatar
    dodge_guy
    Explorer II
    Sep 04, 2014
    I personally would buy thw DP. Better resale and it would be a step up for most people that are coming out of an older gas class A. Either way you go you will need at least a superslide, for the interior room and for selling it in the future. A non slide model will be a hard sell even at a cheap price.

    Good luck! The deals are out there, you just have to be in the right ace at the right time!
  • Effy's avatar
    Effy
    Explorer II
    Sep 04, 2014
    Depends on the year, condition and demand of each. As a general rule DP's are worth more but there are factors.

    that said, I wouldn't buy any MH - new or used - Gas or DP, any with any expectation that you will make a buck selling it. MH's are heavily depreciated. Even if you get a screaming deal, good luck selling for a profit tomorrow as you just added another owner to the list.
  • the_bear_II's avatar
    the_bear_II
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2014
    Keep in mind a DP is based on heavy duty truck components where a gasser is based on medium duty truck or light truck components.

    Heavy duty trucks are designed to give million miles of service where medium duty is designed for hundreds of thousand miles of service.

    In my opinion, if I was looking for a used MH I would look at DP before looking at a gasser.
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Sep 04, 2014
    There are some deals out there where you can make some money, if you have the cash to act right now. There are estate sales and sellers that are forced to sell their RV for various reasons.
    What you are looking for is the seller that will accept a wholesale or lower offer for the RV that you can buy today for cash.
    Dealers do it all of the time...buy low and sell for a profit. You just have to be aware that what may seem like a bargain today may have a hidden problem that you can't handle yourself that will quickly eat up any possibility of a profit.
  • John_Joey's avatar
    John_Joey
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2014
    If your main focus is selling, then you need to ask which of the two are in higher demand for your area.

    For my area, the older the coach the harder it is to sell regardless of fuel type or quality. The feeling is nobody wants to buy someone else's problems, and the older the coach the more likely that is to be true unless it's a screaming deal.

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