Many motorhomes and other RVs just have the fiberglass sides and then use decals for finishing the design. That's why you will see older units with faded decals and sides that have gotten faded or weathered. Full body paint is either an upgrade or found on higher end units and has the advantage that it will hold up longer IF taken care of i.e. it's no different than a used car that can be fairly old but still looks great because it has been taken care of over the years.
Our Newmar was just purchased this past spring. Initially, we were trying to find something for $40K or less and what we found in gas motorhomes wasn't too good. The older rigs have a lot of carpeting which starts looking pretty bad and is costly to replace with either new carpeting or other flooring. Many of the units we looked at had cracked, faded decals and showed a lot of weathering due to UV exposure. I only say this to make you aware of the difficulty you may find in finding a really good unit in that price range....and I know others will say that they are out there! But, be prepared for a long search.
We ended up deciding to spend more to get the benefit of buying a newer MH that would need less work and would have the 5 speed transmission. We also ended up narrowing our search to gas motorhomes made by Tiffin, Newmar and Winnebago/Itasca although if we had found the right deal on something else, we may have considered it. I will say that we are really happy with the Bay Star we found. Some of the details that I would recommend are: 2 AC units, 7K generator which can provide enough power to run both air conditioners, dual pane windows (no condensation), full body paint, and no slide-out extending under the patio awning (that's a real personal preference!).
When comparing gas motorhomes, make sure to compare tank capacities for fresh water, gray and black water as there is quite a bit of difference depending on the manufacturer/model. Also consider that it's really best to have 2 or more AC units and a generator that will allow you to run both if you plan on staying in hot temperatures. Also, read up on modifications for the Ford chassis which improve handling on the road. The previous owner of our MH added Summo springs along with a rear track bar. Be sure to have the front end alignment checked as that can be a major factor in handling. Ours had never been done in spite of Newmar recommending it be done after the MH is loaded with personal gear and tanks filled.
I didn't mean for this reply to get so long...but I suggest that you do a lot of research on class A gas motorhomes. We're happy with ours and feel it should meet our needs. But there are reasons why the diesel motorhomes are more popular.
Good luck with your search and I hope you find a winner!
