First time buyer needs advice

Number 1, in IMHO is stay within a budget that you can afford! Don't buy anything that will put you over budget! Number 2, is floor plan, than engine and tranny, then colors! Good Luck

Congrats on your decision on your first MH. Believe me you are making a great decision. I think everyone should have one. We use ours when we get bad storms and the power goes out. The neighbors hate us but we have power and our food is in the fridge. But besides that, for $50 you should get a great MH. Take your time and please make a professional check EVERYTHING OUT before buying it. There are so many things that can go wrong or be going wrong with a MH. Look down the RV from the front to the back to see if there are any waves on it. If so there was water damage. No mater if you buy it from a dealer or private get someone to check it out. Take your time and look everywhere before you buy. Go to USARV.net. You can put in year, price, length, slide outs etc......I bought my MH in Sacramento Calafornia. I got a great deal. Me and my son flew out and drove back. Yes it was worth it buying it cross country. Why, price and the layout was second to none. Good Luck and welcome! :)

G.Lewis wrote:
You do not say what town in So. Illinois. I was born and raised in Benton and go there every two or three years. There is a nice RV dealer in Zeigler, just north of town on the highway to Christopher. They have many used and new units. Shopping is great fun...enjoy. Any class A or C will pull your boat...easily....I hauled a 18' outboard from So. TX to So. Il and back several times with a Class C, 23' Winnebago V8 Ford with no problems.

We are in Carbondale and plan to visit Larry's in Zeigler very soon. Do you know if he rents as well?

Even though it is a 2 hour trip, take some vacation time with the whole family to look at the RV's. Look at several, while you walk around kicking tires, taking to the salesman about resale value, DH and child can be inside looking and "playing house". Mom can be standing at the kitchen counter, stove, etc. to see how the kitchen feels. Can she make dinner, etc. comfortably. The child can sit at the DR table watching TV, reading, coloring, or playing in bedroom or LR with toys. Can mom see child? Is there room to store a "few toys for child? etc.

Then see about renting one for a few days that is the same or similar to what you were looking at, go to a family RV park and "try it out". While at the RV park, you can talk to other people on their choices, etc. This way you can have the best of both worlds and check to see what fit is best for you.

Good luck in picking out the new toy.

You do not say what town in So. Illinois. I was born and raised in Benton and go there every two or three years. There is a nice RV dealer in Zeigler, just north of town on the highway to Christopher. They have many used and new units. Shopping is great fun...enjoy. Any class A or C will pull your boat...easily....I hauled a 18' outboard from So. TX to So. Il and back several times with a Class C, 23' Winnebago V8 Ford with no problems.

aerbus32 wrote:
Approach this purchase just as you would when considering the purchasing of another boat. For instance, if you've decided it's better to rent a boat than own one, you'll probably feel the same with an RV. As with boats, everything in an RV is a compromise. A boat that is big and heavy to tow, is not really that big on a huge body of water when the wind really kicks up. I like to say that all motorhomes are too big when you drive them and too small when you are parked in them. Just like a boat, the older it is, the more likely there is to be a problem. You might hire a marine surveyor to check out a boat before you buy it, so find someone knowledgeable to check out the RV before you purchase it. As with boats, not all brands are created equal. The saying about not just buying a boat, but also the dealership applies here also. Buying a well built RV that has been well taken care of minimizes the risk, but, an extended warranty is something to consider also. Finally, are you sure you're done with boating? For years, we used a couple of different RV's to tow a couple of different Sea Rays combining the best of two great worlds. Every time I got 'two-footitis' I had to get a bigger motorhome to tow it. That got expensive! Don't forget to factor in what that RV will tow.

We kept our 17' fish and ski and may tow it, but I'm guessing any class A we choose would be capable?

I have been looking at models online, and they are starting to all alike. Some a little larger with slightly different layouts, but for the most part there doesn't seem to be much difference. I really need to go look at some in person I suppose. Just not many Rv dealers in my area.

Are there any makes I should stay away from? If a company is not making RV's anymore and they only made them a few years I assume it would be best to avoid those due to parts supply? I understand all the big stuff is the same, but if you need a new entrance door would that be a problem?

bsinmich wrote:
If you are not sure it is for you I would suggest renting for a trip or two.

Interesting idea, but the nearest RV rental location that I could find is over 2 hours away from us.

Approach this purchase just as you would when considering the purchasing of another boat. For instance, if you've decided it's better to rent a boat than own one, you'll probably feel the same with an RV. As with boats, everything in an RV is a compromise. A boat that is big and heavy to tow, is not really that big on a huge body of water when the wind really kicks up. I like to say that all motorhomes are too big when you drive them and too small when you are parked in them. Just like a boat, the older it is, the more likely there is to be a problem. You might hire a marine surveyor to check out a boat before you buy it, so find someone knowledgeable to check out the RV before you purchase it. As with boats, not all brands are created equal. The saying about not just buying a boat, but also the dealership applies here also. Buying a well built RV that has been well taken care of minimizes the risk, but, an extended warranty is something to consider also. Finally, are you sure you're done with boating? For years, we used a couple of different RV's to tow a couple of different Sea Rays combining the best of two great worlds. Every time I got 'two-footitis' I had to get a bigger motorhome to tow it. That got expensive! Don't forget to factor in what that RV will tow.

If you are not sure it is for you I would suggest renting for a trip or two.

In the range you are looking most of the depreciation will have already occurred. Get the most MH with the best floor plan you can afford. Just like a boat it's all in the maintenance and how it has been kept. If you need specific questions give us specifics and we can help.