Sarah Rossi wrote:
I really know nothing about motorhomes ... I was hoping to purchase a Cummins with Allison trans without air brakes with hopefully a couple slide outs.
Conflicting specifications, I must say.
Assuming Class-A motorhomes - a Cummins-powered RV will also have an Allison transmission, but air brakes will be part of the package too, as will an air-ride suspension - you won't be able to cherry-pick which of those you want. There are good reasons for air brakes on diesel-powered RVs - they're heavy enough that conventional braking systems wouldn't suffice.
If you want to avoid all that, for whatever reason, the option will be a gas-powered RV, which will NOT have any of those features. Number of slides would depend on make, model, and year of manufacture.
Gas vs Diesel has been debated ad nauseum in forums like this one over the years, and there's no benefit in revisiting it. Just research the pros and cons on your own - there's lots of information available on the internet.
Does anyone know of any good models that will not push me all over the road and go up and down hills with ease. My budget is in and around 25-30k. My hubby wants to spend double. However, we will only be using it a few weeks out of the year, as we are not retired- so spending a lot doesn’t make sense to me. Once retired fair game, but for now I just want something budget friendly, safe and reliable.
The best strategy to use in the decision-making process in choosing a motorhome is to research the market to see what's available at the various price ranges, decide on features, length, floorplan might best suit your needs, and THEN be willing to eliminate your wants until you can find something in your price range.
On the usage issue, when any of us decide to buy an RV, we know that it won't be our daily driver; we know it will be parked the majority of the time. That's part of the game. But we buy them to enjoy them those times we WILL be able to, even if it's not as often as we'd like. If your plan is to buy low for the short term until you both retire, then trade up to something nicer, that's fine, except that for most of us, retirement also means reduced income. Might be a disconnect there.
The terms you've used are quite subjective. What does "push me all over the road" mean? All RVs have large side areas that can be affected by heavy crosswinds. "Go up and down hills with ease" - how much "ease"? Some can do it with more "ease" than others, and obviously, the ones with more power and better braking systems (can you say "diesel pusher" and "air brakes"?) will be the best performers.
Don't fall into the trap of buying a "fixer-upper" on the cheap and immediately wishing for something more. Do your research, decide which features really meet your requirements, shop the internet for price ranges, and then, once you've decided what you want, AND CAN AFFORD, people here can assist with filling in any information gaps.
