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 sold our house in Dec. 02 and took possession of a 2003 Dutch Star 40' DP and love it. We are definitely full timers, having spent 2 years of 8 or 9 months a year doing heavy travel in a 34' Airstream trailer pulled by an F 350 diesel, crew cab dually. Between the two we have been in every state, all but 2 Canadian provinces and from Prudhoe Bay Alaska to 200 miles below Puerto Valarta, Mx. We find as time goes by we do less hop skip and jumping and more extended stays. We own an RV lot in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near most of our 6 children and in summer spend extended periods there. We also own a lot in an RV resort in West Palm Beach, Fl. where we spend time in the winter. If we want to travel elsewhere summer or winter we can rent one of the sites. Now to the motorhome.
The delivering dealer is not a factor as you seldom have a problem in his area and have to use the closest dealer. We find our living expenses average about $1,000 less full timing than owning a house so we bank $1,000 a month toward the purchase of a 2006 Dutch Star DP. Our present MH has 2 slides, we will go to 3 or 4 as we want more space for extended stays. We do not want to own a motorhome that is not under original warranty with RV labor rates at $75 to $100 per hour. We are active Escapees so we schedule a visit at the Newmar factory for warranty work the week before the Indiana Escapade. We hope we can get a floor plan that will provide more kitchen and dining space as we like to have two couples for dinner at times and want a table that seats 6. The Newmar Country Star 5th wheeler has great kitchen layouts and we have contacted Newmar to see if they can put these in a MH. Get a catalog and option sheet from your local dealer and get a price, then contact dealers anywhere you are willing to go and buy from the one with the best price.
For us the MH has more space and storage space than we need. We were accustomed to limited space having lived on a 36' sailboat for the greater part of 7 years.
Now we are rolling instead of sailing. The only downside to any MH is the quality of any of them, even a Prevost or a Blue Bird does not compare with a quality sailboat.
The delivering dealer is not a factor as you seldom have a problem in his area and have to use the closest dealer. We find our living expenses average about $1,000 less full timing than owning a house so we bank $1,000 a month toward the purchase of a 2006 Dutch Star DP. Our present MH has 2 slides, we will go to 3 or 4 as we want more space for extended stays. We do not want to own a motorhome that is not under original warranty with RV labor rates at $75 to $100 per hour. We are active Escapees so we schedule a visit at the Newmar factory for warranty work the week before the Indiana Escapade. We hope we can get a floor plan that will provide more kitchen and dining space as we like to have two couples for dinner at times and want a table that seats 6. The Newmar Country Star 5th wheeler has great kitchen layouts and we have contacted Newmar to see if they can put these in a MH. Get a catalog and option sheet from your local dealer and get a price, then contact dealers anywhere you are willing to go and buy from the one with the best price.
For us the MH has more space and storage space than we need. We were accustomed to limited space having lived on a 36' sailboat for the greater part of 7 years.
Now we are rolling instead of sailing. The only downside to any MH is the quality of any of them, even a Prevost or a Blue Bird does not compare with a quality sailboat.
