First Time Buyer...Updated 03/06/2006
This post is intended to be helpful to the first time buyer of a motor home. For those of you who don't fall into that category or believe this post is incomplete or off the mark, do us all a favor, a...
Forum Discussion
We bought our first MH with the idea that we wanted to try the lifestyle and the wife would not do a tent (we did that a lot when we were younger and she felt it wasn't like being in a hotel), and I didn't want to buy a trailer because I felt I could drive, park and store the MH with more ease. We decided to buy new rather than used because I wanted manufacturer support - which turned out to be critical.
We bought an entry level gas unit with a floor plan we liked, with the idea that we would make notes about what we wanted different in a new model if we ever had to trade. Our list was short but had a few major considerations.
First, the front television was mounted low and could not operate when the MH was running. After I resolved that issue I found that while we were in motion even running the volume full blast made it difficult for people at the dinette to hear it. When we were parked if the sofabed was coverted you couldn't see over it from the dinette. I am a little technical so I managed to fix the sound issue, but we decided that the next unit would need a TV up high so it can be seen easily from the living area while underway and when the sofabed is extended at night. We also decided to find a setup where the TV either had an external speaker setup or had the ability to locate the DVD/VCR in a cabinet in the middle of the living area (so we could install a stereo with it and run sound out of it). If you are traveling with children from 2 to 17, this is a huge consideration.
Second, we decided that we needed leveling jacks. If you don't have them and you are not level, you have to make sure you park with the sleeping quarters so that your head is higher than your feet or it is nearly impossible to get any rest. The fridge doesn't like to be very far out of level, although I am not quite sure why. The tanks like to be level when you dump them. Also, when people do get up in the middle of the night, it's nice to have a little stability.
Advice to anyone... if you have a problem with your coach and think you can fix it yourself, read on. We found a leak in one of the bedroom windows the first time out. I figured I'd fix it when we returned, but as soon as I got back from vacation work had a trip in store for me. I decided to call the dealer and have them fix it. A year later there were two more problems with water leaks and I decided that I'd have the dealer, on a service visit, redo all of them. The problem was documented on service reports. At year 5 when the warranty had expired I noticed a bubble on the side of the unit that was about 3 feet by 2 feet, starting at the window where the first leak was. Close inspection showed that there were problems near the other windows, also. I learned a lot about delamination over the next few days. The dealer did not have the ability to repair or replace the walls and since it was out of warranty it seemed I was stuck. The dealer called the manufacturer and found a contact person for me to speak to. I called and explained that the problem appeared to be caused by water leaks which were addressed by the dealer when the unit was brand new. They contacted the service dept and verified the story, then offered to replace both walls if I would bring them the coach at my own expense. I jumped at the chance. They kept the unit for 6 weeks but I got it back all repaired. They also went through the unit and fixed some smaller things. Moral - even if you can fix it, if it is under warranty bring it to the dealer and get the service dept to put what is wrong on a slip that you keep. It saved me thousands of dollars.
We are now in our second coach. We did manage to address both of the major items on the list.
We bought an entry level gas unit with a floor plan we liked, with the idea that we would make notes about what we wanted different in a new model if we ever had to trade. Our list was short but had a few major considerations.
First, the front television was mounted low and could not operate when the MH was running. After I resolved that issue I found that while we were in motion even running the volume full blast made it difficult for people at the dinette to hear it. When we were parked if the sofabed was coverted you couldn't see over it from the dinette. I am a little technical so I managed to fix the sound issue, but we decided that the next unit would need a TV up high so it can be seen easily from the living area while underway and when the sofabed is extended at night. We also decided to find a setup where the TV either had an external speaker setup or had the ability to locate the DVD/VCR in a cabinet in the middle of the living area (so we could install a stereo with it and run sound out of it). If you are traveling with children from 2 to 17, this is a huge consideration.
Second, we decided that we needed leveling jacks. If you don't have them and you are not level, you have to make sure you park with the sleeping quarters so that your head is higher than your feet or it is nearly impossible to get any rest. The fridge doesn't like to be very far out of level, although I am not quite sure why. The tanks like to be level when you dump them. Also, when people do get up in the middle of the night, it's nice to have a little stability.
Advice to anyone... if you have a problem with your coach and think you can fix it yourself, read on. We found a leak in one of the bedroom windows the first time out. I figured I'd fix it when we returned, but as soon as I got back from vacation work had a trip in store for me. I decided to call the dealer and have them fix it. A year later there were two more problems with water leaks and I decided that I'd have the dealer, on a service visit, redo all of them. The problem was documented on service reports. At year 5 when the warranty had expired I noticed a bubble on the side of the unit that was about 3 feet by 2 feet, starting at the window where the first leak was. Close inspection showed that there were problems near the other windows, also. I learned a lot about delamination over the next few days. The dealer did not have the ability to repair or replace the walls and since it was out of warranty it seemed I was stuck. The dealer called the manufacturer and found a contact person for me to speak to. I called and explained that the problem appeared to be caused by water leaks which were addressed by the dealer when the unit was brand new. They contacted the service dept and verified the story, then offered to replace both walls if I would bring them the coach at my own expense. I jumped at the chance. They kept the unit for 6 weeks but I got it back all repaired. They also went through the unit and fixed some smaller things. Moral - even if you can fix it, if it is under warranty bring it to the dealer and get the service dept to put what is wrong on a slip that you keep. It saved me thousands of dollars.
We are now in our second coach. We did manage to address both of the major items on the list.
