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
1- Never pay close to retail for a new unit. 75% of window sticker is a good starting point as the dealer generally pays about 70%. 5% on a $300,000 sale is $15,000 - a very reasonable profit.
2- Used is often a good deal as quality and build issues have generally been identified and fixed. But those who paid too much when they bought it new (see #1) are often upside down and trying to get out from under the bank loan. I've seen many used motorhomes with asking price higher than a smart buyer would pay for a new one - seller is hoping to find another chump.
3- Some brands are better quality than others. And some were made better in the past than they are now. Most manufacturers make noise about their quality control, but for some it's just noise.
4- Lemon laws don't apply to RVs in most states, so that's not an option if there are problems.
5- A factory tour can be useful in determining build quality. Talk to the people who build them.
6- Before buying, take a serious road test (up and down big hills/mountain passes, corners and high-speed hands-off-the-wheel panic stops). Include a trip to the truck scales & weigh all 4 corners. If the dealer resists, run! You always sea-trial a boat before buying and the crappier the weather the better - any boat looks good on a calm sunny day; some boats are designed to appeal to novices at the boat show. Better to find out now that it performs poorly when things get dicey - those boats become 'dock queens'.
7- Some RV dealers started as used car lots (like some camera stores that started as pawn shops) and have little service & repair capability. Investigate/see for yourself.
8- Before buying, show yourself to be a serious buyer (you can afford this unit) and then run everything. If something needs fixing, replacing or adjusting, you'll be back when the work is complete and retested; promises are meaningless.
9- No deal is so good that you can't walk away.
2- Used is often a good deal as quality and build issues have generally been identified and fixed. But those who paid too much when they bought it new (see #1) are often upside down and trying to get out from under the bank loan. I've seen many used motorhomes with asking price higher than a smart buyer would pay for a new one - seller is hoping to find another chump.
3- Some brands are better quality than others. And some were made better in the past than they are now. Most manufacturers make noise about their quality control, but for some it's just noise.
4- Lemon laws don't apply to RVs in most states, so that's not an option if there are problems.
5- A factory tour can be useful in determining build quality. Talk to the people who build them.
6- Before buying, take a serious road test (up and down big hills/mountain passes, corners and high-speed hands-off-the-wheel panic stops). Include a trip to the truck scales & weigh all 4 corners. If the dealer resists, run! You always sea-trial a boat before buying and the crappier the weather the better - any boat looks good on a calm sunny day; some boats are designed to appeal to novices at the boat show. Better to find out now that it performs poorly when things get dicey - those boats become 'dock queens'.
7- Some RV dealers started as used car lots (like some camera stores that started as pawn shops) and have little service & repair capability. Investigate/see for yourself.
8- Before buying, show yourself to be a serious buyer (you can afford this unit) and then run everything. If something needs fixing, replacing or adjusting, you'll be back when the work is complete and retested; promises are meaningless.
9- No deal is so good that you can't walk away.
