Have you bought a ten year old or older rv?

I bought a 2004 Dolphin model 5342 about 3 months ago first motor home and well pleased so far... I'm hoping its a good quality starter coach... Took first trip from Atlanta Ga to Key West Fla had a great time heading out for Tennessee January 3 hope to meet some good people over the rd ;)

Here is an example of a beautiful 1998 coach. 18 yo and will still turn heads.

Marquis Diamonte

Lots of these kind of high end and well cared for coaches available.

Yes. Not self propelled but a pull type Bigfoot. Replaced the battery, 2 tires, set the brakes once, updated propane bottles, general cleaning and tidy up. Used it 15 or 20 times over two summers and sold it for 25% more than paid. So far have done ok buying gently used well looked after "higher end" brands.

When I was considering moving from our pop-up to an A class, I spoke with an older salesman who suggested that if I could live without slide-outs I could get a great deal on a quality older motorhome. That conversation changed my search parameters and I ended up with a '95 Holiday Rambler Navigator. Back in its day was amongst the top of the line and we've been very happy with it.

Many of the features are as nice, comfortable and as high quality as most new units. Obviously, no slides and 21 year-old technology. However, I am able to do the upgrades myself and I am able to do the basic repairs and maintenance as well.

We have owned our Navigator for nearly seven years. Would I like a new one? Yes! Do I want to make a payment? No! I am very happy as is for now. Every time I crank it up and get it on the highway I smile...

One thing to consider with an older unit is that things will break and wear out. You need to be able to handle the repairs yourself or you will spend a small fortune getting things fixed. Camping and traveling is not fun or economical when all you are doing is paying other people to fix things. I guess in large part the same can be said for a 2+ year old unit, though...

Good luck with your choice. There are many terrific units out there and you just have to find the one that suits you best.

thanks for the posts and pics. Your info will help me open my search quite a bit

I bought a 7-year old RV which is almost 16 years old now. Far from done. Yes, maintenance, but you're going to have maintenance on any RV you buy.

What you want to look for is a well-maintained rig, not one that has sat unused for a decade.

Happy hunting!

I believe that the initial quality of the coach determines how long it will last and how far out you could go. I own a 1988 Prevost that I bought in 1999, 11 years old and now 28 years old. I have to spend money on it every year but I spend thousands less every year than it would cost of finance a newer coach. There are plenty of older Prevost, Bluebird, Newells, Foretravels, Country Coach and others out there that were built "right" when they were new, were taken care of by their previous owners and are still a good buy today.

Last Class A was a GBM Cruise Master (upper lower end coach.) Bought at 10 years old, lived in it for 6 months/year, for 6 years, and put on 36,000 miles. When I sold it, it was in better shape then when I bought it.

Never had any drivetrain problems ever. The brakes on that F53 was a different matter. Had to constantly maintain those not to have issues.

Bought a 1990 BlueBird Wanderlodge a year ago. GREAT coach! But, it was a high end coach when built. The vast majority of coaches at that age will be toast.

I bought a 36 ft dp almost 2 years ago. It is a 1989 and it had 31,000 mi on it. I have put about 3,00 into it, batteries and tires and a few small things. I am in Ca and have taken trips to Oregon (2 times) Arizona (2times) and to New Mexico once. I am in the process of planning a trip to Quartzite in Jan. MH has been reliable. It was made by Exucutive Industries, which is no longer in business.