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mark52's avatar
mark52
Explorer II
Apr 16, 2018

Having the hardest time buying a new class A

So, we are looking to buy our third motorhome and are ready to make the leap into a non-"entry level" motorhome. After an old Bounder and our current '06 Hurricane that we bought in '09, we would like to upgrade to a quality motorhome with full paint. I think our biggest problem is we often boondock (A lot of desert trips and dry camping up in the mountains). Many of the 32' to 38' Class A's now days seem to be made for camping at campgrounds only. Most either have small holding tanks or an enormous residential refrigerator that would require hours of generator use a day to keep the batteries charged. That combined with a other few particulars like, darker color wood interior, non-white couches, bath and 1/2, & oven are proving to make this purchase difficult. New is preferable but were not ruling out slightly used (2016 and newer). with a budget of around 110K, we are at that mid range level and have been looking at Fleetwood bounder, Southwind, and storm, Thor Miramar and Challenger, Holiday Rambler Vacationer, and Georgetown. Ive learned that new motorhomes sell for approximately 20-30% below MSRP and if its more than a year old or if they really want to sell it, 35% below. This makes it really handy for those dealers that list the MSRP, but some don't. I have probably about 50 hours of research in the last couple of months pulling up specs to check out holding tank and towing capacities and have scoured most of the west coast but just can't find the right one. What am I doing wrong here? Please help!!
Mark
  • We'd, also, have a very hard time finding a new motorhome to suit us nowadays. We wouldn't want all the stuff they put on them now. So much to possibly go wrong. We'd want a good quality basic MH. One to take on a gravel road for boondocking. One that wasn't all electric.

    Our 2004 Newmar Dutch Star was perfect. Using it 8 years of full-timing, traveling constantly and driving gravel roads, it held up beautifully with no repairs. The new ones now are much too fancy; too much computerizing and glitz and too big of a price. Too many slides, too many bathrooms. Nope. Not for us.

    I agree with Tom/Barb... look at older ones.
  • You might want to look at an older Diesel Pusher that you can pick up for about 100K. They do hold their value and most will run longer than we will.
  • trying to stay below $110k for a 2016 coach that isn't an entry level coach, difficult chore.
    I'd drop back a couple years, and go for a higher level coach.