looking to buy entry level Motorhome

Well, the issue is we mostly do not wear out our high line coaches. They are good for hundreds of thousands of miles. Sure you can by new and I probably will next time but I have purchased two new and three used and they all are about the same but the depreciation hit is much higher on the new. I am ok with that and will be ok with that and a new coach for my next one is very likely. The fact is though, that slightly used new high line coaches or even more than slightly are still running well. There are loads of early 90s Foretravels still on the road and no big issues.

I guess you have to be ready to suffer a good 20% gain or lost from your predictions. It is a lot of work to figure it out, and yes you can go crazy, there are so many MH on the market and prices vary quite a bit. You have to decide on a few models, keep a record on the one you see on sale for a good 6 months, then figure out what is the target price.

I have been looking for over 6 month now. I have over 60 on file that I would be interested and visited many of them this winter while going to Florida. Most of the RV I was interested in are still for sale, so you have to be ready to old on tight or take a lost.

People can drive themselves crazy worrying about depreciation. They will DEPRECIATE! You just have to decide how much you can handle. It happens to all of us.

Enjoy the motorhome lifestyle and make memories with your family. I know I have and will continue.

Travel safe,
MM.

My biggest problem is to figure out how much you loose on a used or new RV? After all, if you do not loose much more on a new than on a used, what's the point of buying an old one. Having a new RV is to me would be the ultimate, no worries, warranty wall to wall the first year, your own smell, your bed, fresh new colors, new tires, etc..

Today, a 2006 entry level sells between $35 to 50 K, this is an 8 years old RV. If you buy this coach, how much will you loose in 5 years? Probably $20 to $30K, that is if you can sell it yourself. If you go for a trade in, then you will loose much more, either on the trade or on the new, dealers do not loose money.

Now, how much you loose on a new RV 5 years from now. How much is an entry level 2008 worth today? How much did you loose? If I take the new Vista 2013 I saw at 59000, I am pretty sure it would be worth at least 35000 to 45000.

Just my tought.

John S. wrote:

Effy wrote:

John S. wrote:
I will put my 01 Foretravel up against a new entry level any day. I do not think the technology is any different. In fact I am happy not to have All the pollution stuff on it too. I doubt you will find a 200 gallon fuel tank a 12.5 kW auto start genset a residential fridge in a every level. I have 4 8d batteries and a 2500 watt inverter. I think I can change out the inverter to a 3000 cheaper then a new coach. There is no really new must have technology in motorhomes that are entry level and new. Oh I have the big Aquahot too and the new ones have a extra electric element but does not change the fact that the diesel side is the most powerful. So if youwant an extra element and pollution stuff, go ahead. If I was building new, I would still only get two slides too.

You guys are funny. A foretravel against an entry level mh. Apples and oranges. I am sure a 2001 Ferrari is a lot nicer than a 2014 ford fiesta too. Keep it real.

But they are similar in price right now.

Maybe, but if you are going to try and tell me the components on that 14 yr old MH are more reliable than new, I have to disagree. I am not going to debate this any further. If folks want used let em buy used. In a few years they can snatch mine. I'm happy there is a market for other people's stuff.

Effy wrote:

John S. wrote:
I will put my 01 Foretravel up against a new entry level any day. I do not think the technology is any different. In fact I am happy not to have All the pollution stuff on it too. I doubt you will find a 200 gallon fuel tank a 12.5 kW auto start genset a residential fridge in a every level. I have 4 8d batteries and a 2500 watt inverter. I think I can change out the inverter to a 3000 cheaper then a new coach. There is no really new must have technology in motorhomes that are entry level and new. Oh I have the big Aquahot too and the new ones have a extra electric element but does not change the fact that the diesel side is the most powerful. So if youwant an extra element and pollution stuff, go ahead. If I was building new, I would still only get two slides too.

You guys are funny. A foretravel against an entry level mh. Apples and oranges. I am sure a 2001 Ferrari is a lot nicer than a 2014 ford fiesta too. Keep it real.

But they are similar in price right now.

I agree with Effy's posts in a lot of ways as I like buying new.

But, there are some minimums that I would want and I'm not sure at what point in the chain this happens. I would want a fiberglass roof not rubber. I would want solid wood cabinets and double paned windows. Vinyl floor surfaces are OK as they serve a purpose.

I have to say that when talking motorhomes, you can find a clean upper end for really good prices. Everybody has their comfort level and ability to make repairs. I'm not really a DIY person, so warranty and new work for me.

Safe travels,
MM.

The term "NEW" does not carry the same sense of reliability and trust for me in the motorhome industry as it does the automotive industry. It really is a shame.

For me, the choice of new or used have some conditions. For the 5/7+ years, I will look for a higher level Coach, they where made better and last longer. The colors and styling was more a concern and are normally better lookking inside and out. The furniture and seats last longer, the hinge are still holding on closet doors where on the entry level some are just not holding anymore in the cheap simili wood. The underside parts and stuff are enclosed, where the entry level is out in the open and many shows rust and dirt all over.

I think I can take care of a new or near new entry level RV like Winnebago because of the better build RV.

Then you get the bad smell of many used like animal, smoke, water ingress, mildew, humidity. Some are realy bad and not much you can do.

We were looking for a good used coach when we bought ours. Then we looked at a new Thor ACE 30.1. Yes it is entry level but we paid 15 to 20 thousand less than the 5 and 6 year old used motorhomes we were looking at. Yeah we don't have ceramic tile on the floor or Corian counter tops or fancy this or fancy that, but everything is NEW. New engine new transmission new tires, brakes, new refrigerator, stove etc. etc. etc. Warranty on EVERYTHING. So to the OP if you want a new entry level coach I say go for it. The way I look at it the extra money we saved by buying what we did will buy a LOT of fuel. Just My Two Cents... :)