Buying a motorhome is like buying a car. there is a bum for every seat and a seat for every bum.
Where to start? My approach has been to choose a couple of brands and a budget and then go from there. But choosing a few must haves and then picking a unit with all or most of them isn't bad either.
I have peculiar wants.....I plan to put heat pumps and an instant heat pump water heater in my next unit so an Aquahot is a frill I don't want to waste the space on....OTOH, I want air levelling again so that limits me to Foretravel and Beaver, I think. if you want to know more, start a new thread. YMMV
For background I have had three motorhomes, plus a truck camper, a couple of tent trailers and many tents. The first moho was an 88 Allegro gasser, the second was a 90 Beaver Marquis, while the third was a 98 Beaver Grand Marquis.
My most important advice is that if you'll be in it for more than a couple of weeks in a row it should be nicer than your house....... things like solid surface counters, leather furniture, and tile floors make the compromises of being in a small space bearable. You'll be seeing lots of new people, so you want something where you're not shy to have people over, too. But what you want depends a lot on what you will be doing. If all you do is sit and watch TV, a nice couch, a good dish, and an icemaker are critical. If you just go quadding with your buds, the trailer hookup may be the most important factor.
For my money, , and having watched a rubber roof shred itself, a fibreglass roof is critical. But the roof-wall joint on my Last Beaver gave out and I had to redo it. So there are no guarantees.
Your other questions: CAT vs Cummins: Preference, not a quality difference.
Outside TV? Preference, do you watch TV outside at home?
Inmotion TV? Not an issue for me, but if your cellphone has a hotspot you could use that to feed internet to everything around you in the rig.
Length? 40ft vs 36ft was more of an issue before slides. If you like the floor plan, go for it.
Maintenance? There's always something you can't do, but most of the normal things are no harder than your house and pickup, just maybe bigger and heavier.
Oven Vs convection ? Small propane ovens have alot of temperature fluctuation, which makes cooking a problem. A convection oven is better, but not as good for cakes
Washer vs Combo? The Combo units are less capable. people who make them work usually wash daily and say they work just as well.....you need to read what's between the lines of the testimonial. On the other hand, they take less space.
Fridges? Norcold had trouble with their units when they re-engineered to reduce weight and cost and had a number of recalls and fires. /Many people lost faith as well as wanting more fridge space and went to household units.
Air horns: Gassers don't usually have air systems
brands: You asked so I'll tell you. i don't like Newmars. Some Tiffins are OK. Bruce Brown will tell you No Tiffins, not even on a bet, and he loves Newmars....See my first comment regarding Seats.
