Have you bought a ten year old or older rv?

My diesel was about 10 years old when I bought it and that's been several years ago. I haven't had any structure, engine or tranny problems with it. There have been little things obviously and after owning it another 5 years I replaced the refrigerator and awning. I (personally) painted it last year. OH and I had to replace the regulator on the gen-set. I still like it. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles like the newer ones but it serves my purpose well.

Just do a good inspection or have an inspection done of one if you find something you like.

I did not buy a 10 year old RV.. I bought a brand new sticker in the window RV.... Ten years ago.

I have basically 3 issues, one since day one which may have caused the second. But both of these are minor, in fact they are what I call "Round Tuit" problems.. I'll fix them when I get A round tuit... (Around to it)

The other is the engine dumped six quoarts of oil and one rod last year.. That one is a "When I get enough money" issue.. About 10 grand.

But beyond that, Routine maintanance, new tires, new brakes and a few other things is all I need. All routine.. New Carpeting might be nice but not really needed. No major issues save for the engine. And that's not usuall for a 10 year old rig. 20 perhaps, but not 10.

We sold our 10-year-old diesel within a month which was in excellent condition in and out. The new owner even flew from Florida to Texas to purchase it. It all depends on how it was cared for and if the owner has all the maintenance/repair records...we did.

I've looked at some real garbage that was only a few years old and showed few signs of any care. The last Class A I looked at was an American Eagle that had just been traded in and looked like a frat house after a party. It seems the real nice, quality RV's are very rare. You must be selective and do your homework.

Chowan wrote:
Guys and gals...thank you for the advice and telling me about your history. This info is very helpful in directing me in my search. Thanks

If you're looking at a used motorhome and you're buying from a 3rd party try and look at how they live and they may tell you a lot about how they cared for the motorhome. It's easy to clean up an old motorhome to make it look nice, even if it hasn't been cared for. So if you can get to their house, look at their yard and the cleanliness of the house. People who take care of things, tend to take care of everything. So if the yard is all weeds and the paint is falling off the house, and the motorhome looks freshly cleaned up.... I'd be leary.

Mine is now 13 years old, according to the paperwork I found in the coach the original owner bought it in Nov 2002, I believe I am the 3rd owner and have owned it a little over a year.

It works great and plan on having it many more years.

Keep in mind that of the 3 RVs I have owned, they are moving houses and regular upkeep is required just like any house. If a previous owner did not keep it up properly it could be done but in most cases they can have a very long life. A friend of mine has a 1986 class C that he uses monthly, he just had to roof redone and has no plans to get rid of.

About a year ago I bought a 1999 holiday rambler 40' with 350 cummins 36k miles, and yes there has been a few things I had to fix and work on BUT..... Im keeping for years and I would do it over again. Great buy for the $$$.

I agree with everybody else. A good quality 10 year old unit can be a great buy and can give you most of your money back when you sell it.

We bought a 1988 C-Class Tioga back in 1999 for $20k and just sold it this year for $5k. It was in great shape.That's not just my biased (delusional) opinion:).
Now we did a lot of maintenance over the years and I think that is key. We now have a 2000 a-class and the 27 year old c-class was in better shape. We paid $15,000 CND for it and it's a fixer upper. But it cost less than the taxes on a new unit of which we cant afford anyway.
Buying new or newer doesn't always guarantee a trouble free experience.
Life isn't a dress rehearsal, if you can afford a new or newer unit, go for it.

Guys and gals...thank you for the advice and telling me about your history. This info is very helpful in directing me in my search. Thanks