Just lurking around the "A's"

Lots of good used units out there. The most important thing to us was to find a floor plan we liked. The Ford V10 is a very serviceable engine. Good luck on your search

timmac wrote:
Besides I think maybe the resale could be better with a smaller Class A..

Same % smaller numbers.

The common misbelieve of the 40' M/H will have more equipment to take care of is wrong, the smaller coaches will have the same equipment as the 40'. the bigger coach may have the added batteries, but that's about all.

only when you go 45' and bigger you'll have tag axels and such.
The ride, coach noise, the chassis made for coaches, diesel dependability, makes up for any added maintenance.

jplante4 wrote:

way2roll wrote:

happy-2 wrote:
Make SURE you get a rig with full body paint. And always check the top and roof.

Curious why you have to have a rig with full body paint.

If the stripes are decals, the decals fade before the gel-coat and begin to peel. When you pull them off they leave a bright, shiny non-sun faded area underneath.

Understood but to say you "have" to have full body paint is an opinion. Lots and lots of coaches out there with gel coat that are still performing just fine. These types of opinions stated as facts can be misleading to someone shopping around. Perfectly fine to state the pros and cons of each, but I see lots of posts on here that you have to have this or that and it's simply not true.

way2roll wrote:

happy-2 wrote:
Make SURE you get a rig with full body paint. And always check the top and roof.

Curious why you have to have a rig with full body paint.

If the stripes are decals, the decals fade before the gel-coat and begin to peel. When you pull them off they leave a bright, shiny non-sun faded area underneath.

happy-2 wrote:
Make SURE you get a rig with full body paint. And always check the top and roof.

Curious why you have to have a rig with full body paint.

The Southwind 32V is a great Motorhome. Big enough to be comfortable but small enough to be mobile.
You can find a 2003 area model for low $30k range.
I prefer the WH chasis. Plenty of low end torque cruising around 1800 Rpm. Feels like a Cummins. Lol.

lincolnmatthews wrote:
Made the mistake of walking thru an 012 Tiffin 32 Breeze today, loved the quality cabinets & floorplan. We like a sofa on one side & a seating area on the other side. Other than the Maxxforce diesel (POS) compared to a Cummins & the 100k price tag a beautiful unit. I'm sure the woodwork will just spoil me for anything else.
Did see a Southwind 32 an 07 or so for about half the price, but they were closed. Has the better Ford engine & chassis, may have to check it out. May just be fine for what we want.

I know some of you guys suggested go bigger, but I've just had a camper all my life (62 now) so really I just see another full length sofa (among a larger kitchen etc etc) by stepping up to a 40ft unit or so. Just more MH to maintain, more complicated etc. Besides I think maybe the resale could be better with a smaller Class A.

Thanks again for the ideas & help!

That 07 Southwind will have the 3 valve V-10 with 5 speed, do check and make sure the chassis is a 06 or 07 and not a older left over 05 chassis, I have a 08 Bounder 32W with 2 slide outs and find the size just right for trips even for 2 to 3 weeks with 2 people and a dog, not sure if I could do fulltime but if I had to I could.

Made the mistake of walking thru an 012 Tiffin 32 Breeze today, loved the quality cabinets & floorplan. We like a sofa on one side & a seating area on the other side. Other than the Maxxforce diesel (POS) compared to a Cummins & the 100k price tag a beautiful unit. I'm sure the woodwork will just spoil me for anything else.
Did see a Southwind 32 an 07 or so for about half the price, but they were closed. Has the better Ford engine & chassis, may have to check it out. May just be fine for what we want.

I know some of you guys suggested go bigger, but I've just had a camper all my life (62 now) so really I just see another full length sofa (among a larger kitchen etc etc) by stepping up to a 40ft unit or so. Just more MH to maintain, more complicated etc. Besides I think maybe the resale could be better with a smaller Class A.

Thanks again for the ideas & help!

lincolnmatthews wrote:
Thanks for the info, was looking at a 05 32V Fleetwood. After reading on the V-10 this may have the 3 valve head, being they came out in 05. What chassis is it? a 550 or a 650, am I correct that if its a 5 speed trans versus the 6 speed its an older chassis? At least the 05 would have the later heads with the 8 threads per spark plug hole.

I know these are fuel hogs but any gas pot would be in a motor home, my brother in law just bought a new Jayco 31ft C with this engine & we followed him to AK this past Aug & couldn't believe how many times he stopped for fuel! Good thing I wouldn't drive this thing much, maybe I should wait & get a small diesel rig, thanks.

The 05 will not have a 3 valve V-10, it has to be the F-53 chassis 2006 or newer to have the 3 valve V-10 and the 5 speed tow-haul, Ford had the 3 valve and 5 speed in trucks before they put it in the F-53 motorhome chassis.


And the mpg is not that bad in the F-53 compared to the Workhorse, even a diesel will only get slightly better mpg but will cost more in fuel price and cost more to maintain, just map out the shortest route to your destination and drive at 62 mph and it wont be that bad..


Do your home work before buying a motorhome and if you have to drive out of state to get the right one than do it, my current and last motorhome were both bought out of state.