How to get started? Finding a good value used RV

if you see any sign of water damage run,don,t walk. whats behind the walls could be a disaster.

What a great forum! Several quick and useful answers that are much appreciated.

Price range is a tough thing to specify. I am pretty sure that the bottom end would have to be around 50K from what I see online. I'd rather not go above 60-ish unless I was sure there was value there. By value I mean that down the line I would miss not having featureX or conditionY if I was just being stingy. Then there is the situation that it might be difficult to find a new owner for something that would be over 10 yrs old when I would go to sell it, so maybe I should stick to less than 5 yrs old.

On another note one of the online dealers is offering 30% off msrp on a new RV. Does that mean that the resale value in five years might take advantage of that and only drop another 10-20% instead of 40 or 50%? Just trying to have an exit strategy if needed. Of course the price even with the discount is out of my comfort range, but maybe it's a good deal?

A couple more posts appeared while I was writing. Yeah, sucker juice! I'm always wary of those kinds of 'fixes'. Good idea about looking for those having been kept under cover. And, I would never have thought the 'hood' part might leak most, so thanks for the heads up.

It is confusing. You came to the right place. Lots of knowledgable people w2illing to help. Are you connsidering used? Not a bad way to go. My one suggestion that will save you lots of dollars is to have whatever you are considering inspected totally by a neutral reliable RV service center prior to purchase. A reputable sales source willl be fine with this. There may be issues the seller is not even aware of. Search the archives here for specific brand & model research problems and how they were resolved. Have fun with it

I like looking at private party RVs that have been stored under cover.
Makes a huge difference. And you get a feel for how it was used.
Buying off a lot the dealer has cleaned them up and sprayed them with sucker juice.

I would also say price isn't everything. It's worth it to pay a little more for condition

And don't forget to look at the tire age. Tires can cost thousands.

tomfoolery quote:

What is tough is that there does not appear to an easy way to make side-by-side comparisons between brands and models, so it is hard to guage value, especially of the slightly used motorhomes that I want to target.


The more they cost NEW, I'd say the better quality to begin with.

Having said that, condition of a Used rig is the main factor of selection, along with the floor plan you like best.

Just a thought.

For a used RV, I think the most important thing to look for is its condition—how well the previous owner maintained things. A lesser motorhome that has no damage is more desirable than a top-of-the-line one that's leaky and has water soaking through the ceiling or walls. For class C motorhomes, the cabover section is probably the most likely to be troublesome for leaks.

The appliances and many of the fixtures are very similar among brands and trim levels, at least in the lower to upper-mid level RVs. At the very high end, of course, the sky's the limit.

Probably at least 90% of the class C motorhomes that meet your basic requirements (length and towing capacity) will be built on a Ford E-450 chassis, and most of the rest will be on the equivalent Chevy chassis. Either one is good and reliable. With these chassises, you're pretty much limited to gas engines—the Ford V10 or the Chevy V8. Among the class A motorhomes, if you don't get a diesel pusher (which would be rather rare in 30-32' lengths, I believe), you most likely will get something built on the Ford motorhome chassis.

My personal preference runs towards avoiding slides; many others, perhaps most, don't share that preference. Especially on older motorhomes, slides seem to me to be another thing that can break and/or leak. They add weight and reduce structural strength. They do have only one advantage, although to be fair it's a significant one: they greatly increase the spaciousness inside when camping. For one person (and two dogs), that may not really be a great need.

Do pay attention to the age of the tires. Most motorhome/RV tires need replacement based on age rather than tread life. Anything around 7 years old is about due for replacement or at least thorough inspection, and much over that definitely needs replacement before going anywhere. Check the DOT date codes stamped on the sidewall. If you do need a new set of tires, it'll cost around $1000 (for a class C, more for some class A's).

If you think you'll be camping in freezing weather, look for enclosed (heated) holding tank areas and plumbing.

Give us an idea of your price range first. Also, the size of the dogs. Having that in mind, most C's over about 27 feet have rear bedrooms.

If it's just you, sometimes you can make do with a unit without slides. These days, finding one like that well cared for can be a bargain as most people want more space. But, once you own it, you have to sell it sometime.

Certainly, floor space with big dogs becomes the issue, little one's tend to be up on the couches and chairs.

The Ford V10 is a great engine, I had one in my Regency and loved it. That was a 2006 mind you.

I would say, look at many, and learn to recognize the differences between quality and economy. The cabinets are good places to start. Storage compartment finishing is another one to compare. Looking underneath to see if the tanks are all enclosed, or if they are open to the elements. Once you see quality, it's pretty easy to walk away from the economy units.